Sample records for quality control devices

  1. Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of the Assayed Quality Control Material for Clinical Microbiology Assays. Final order.

    PubMed

    2017-07-27

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is classifying the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays into class II (special controls). The special controls that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays' classification. The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

  2. Quality Control Method for a Micro-Nano-Channel Microfabricated Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grattoni, Alessandro; Ferrari, Mauro; Li, Xuewu

    2012-01-01

    A variety of silicon-fabricated devices is used in medical applications such as drug and cell delivery, and DNA and protein separation and analysis. When a fluidic device inlet is connected to a compressed gas reservoir, and the outlet is at a lower pressure, a gas flow occurs through the membrane toward the outside. The method relies on the measurement of the gas pressure over the elapsed time inside the upstream and downstream environments. By knowing the volume of the upstream reservoir, the gas flow rate through the membrane over the pressure drop can be calculated. This quality control method consists of measuring the gas flow through a device and comparing the results with a standard curve, which can be obtained by testing standard devices. Standard devices can be selected through a variety of techniques, both destructive and nondestructive, such as SEM, AFM, and standard particle filtration.

  3. A new hyperspectral imaging based device for quality control in plastic recycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonifazi, G.; D'Agostini, M.; Dall'Ava, A.; Serranti, S.; Turioni, F.

    2013-05-01

    The quality control of contamination level in the recycled plastics stream has been identified as an important key factor for increasing the value of the recycled material by both plastic recycling and compounder industries. Existing quality control methods for the detection of both plastics and non-plastics contaminants in the plastic waste streams at different stages of the industrial process (e.g. feed, intermediate and final products) are currently based on the manual collection from the stream of a sample and on the subsequent off-line laboratory analyses. The results of such analyses are usually available after some hours, or sometimes even some days, after the material has been processed. The laboratory analyses are time-consuming and expensive (both in terms of equipment cost and their maintenance and of labour cost).Therefore, a fast on-line assessment to monitor the plastic waste feed streams and to characterize the composition of the different plastic products, is fundamental to increase the value of secondary plastics. The paper is finalized to describe and evaluate the development of an HSI-based device and of the related software architectures and processing algorithms for quality assessment of plastics in recycling plants, with particular reference to polyolefins (PO). NIR-HSI sensing devices coupled with multivariate data analysis methods was demonstrated as an objective, rapid and non-destructive technique that can be used for on-line quality and process control in the recycling process of POs. In particular, the adoption of the previous mentioned HD&SW integrated architectures can provide a solution to one of the major problems of the recycling industry, which is the lack of an accurate quality certification of materials obtained by recycling processes. These results could therefore assist in developing strategies to certify the composition of recycled PO products.

  4. A laboratory evaluation of four quality control devices for radiographic processing.

    PubMed

    Rushton, V E; Horner, K

    1994-08-01

    Quality assurance programmes for radiographic processing traditionally employ expensive sensitometric and densitometric techniques. However cheap and simple devices for monitoring radiographic processing are available. The aim of this study was to make a comparison of four such devices in terms of their ability to detect variations in radiographic density of clinical significance. Three of the devices are commercially available while the fourth is easily manufactured from waste materials. Ideal bitewing exposure times were selected for four different kilovoltage/film speed combinations. Phantom bitewing radiographs, exposed using these exposure times, were processed using a variety of times and developer temperatures to simulate variations in radiographic quality due to inadequate processing conditions. Test films, produced using the four monitoring devices, were exposed and processed under identical conditions. The phantom bitewings were judged to have 'acceptable' quality when the optical density of that part of the film not showing calcified structures was within +/- 0.5 of that of the film processed under optimal conditions. The efficacy of the monitoring devices in indicating the adequacy of processing was assessed by a comparison of their readings with those made from the phantom bitewings. None of the monitoring devices was ideal for all the kilovoltage/film speed combinations tested, but the homemade device proved to be the most generally effective. We conclude that guidelines to dentists on radiographic quality assurance should include reference to and details of this simple device.

  5. Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices

    DOEpatents

    Repins, Ingrid L.; Kuciauskas, Darius

    2015-07-07

    A time-resolved photoluminescence-based system providing quality control during manufacture of thin film absorber layers for photovoltaic devices. The system includes a laser generating excitation beams and an optical fiber with an end used both for directing each excitation beam onto a thin film absorber layer and for collecting photoluminescence from the absorber layer. The system includes a processor determining a quality control parameter such as minority carrier lifetime of the thin film absorber layer based on the collected photoluminescence. In some implementations, the laser is a low power, pulsed diode laser having photon energy at least great enough to excite electron hole pairs in the thin film absorber layer. The scattered light may be filterable from the collected photoluminescence, and the system may include a dichroic beam splitter and a filter that transmit the photoluminescence and remove scattered laser light prior to delivery to a photodetector and a digital oscilloscope.

  6. Image quality assessment for teledermatology: from consumer devices to a dedicated medical device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amouroux, Marine; Le Cunff, Sébastien; Haudrechy, Alexandre; Blondel, Walter

    2017-03-01

    Aging population as well as growing incidence of type 2 diabetes induce a growing incidence of chronic skin disorders. In the meantime, chronic shortage of dermatologists leaves some areas underserved. Remote triage and assistance to homecare nurses (known as "teledermatology") appear to be promising solutions to provide dermatological valuation in a decent time to patients wherever they live. Nowadays, teledermatology is often based on consumer devices (digital tablets, smartphones, webcams) whose photobiological and electrical safety levels do not match with medical devices' levels. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has published recommendations on quality standards for teledermatology. This "quick guide" does not address the issue of image quality which is critical in domestic environments where lighting is rarely reproducible. Standardized approaches of image quality would allow clinical trial comparison, calibration, manufacturing quality control and quality insurance during clinical use. Therefore, we defined several critical metrics using calibration charts (color and resolution charts) in order to assess image quality such as resolution, lighting uniformity, color repeatability and discrimination of key couples of colors. Using such metrics, we compared quality of images produced by several medical devices (handheld and video-dermoscopes) as well as by consumer devices (digital tablet and cameras) widely spread among dermatologists practice. Since diagnosis accuracy may be impaired by "low quality-images", this study highlights that, from an optical point of view, teledermatology should only be performed using medical devices. Furthermore, a dedicated medical device should probably be developed for the time follow-up of skin lesions often managed in teledermatology such as chronic wounds that require i) noncontact imaging of ii) large areas of skin surfaces, both criteria that cannot be matched using dermoscopes.

  7. Quality index of radiological devices: results of one year of use.

    PubMed

    Tofani, Alessandro; Imbordino, Patrizia; Lecci, Antonio; Bonannini, Claudia; Del Corona, Alberto; Pizzi, Stefano

    2003-01-01

    The physical quality index (QI) of radiological devices summarises in a single numerical value between 0 and 1 the results of constancy tests. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the results of the use of such an index on all public radiological devices in the Livorno province over one year. The quality index was calculated for 82 radiological devices of a wide range of types by implementing its algorithm in a spreadsheet-based software for the automatic handling of quality control data. The distribution of quality index values was computed together with the associated statistical quantities. This distribution is strongly asymmetrical, with a sharp peak near the highest QI values. The mean quality index values for the different types of device show some inhomogeneity: in particular, mammography and panoramic dental radiography devices show far lower quality than other devices. In addition, our analysis has identified the parameters that most frequently do not pass the quality tests for each type of device. Finally, we sought some correlation between quality and age of the device, but this was poorly significant. The quality index proved to be a useful tool providing an overview of the physical conditions of radiological devices. By selecting adequate QI threshold values for, it also helps to decide whether a given device should be upgraded or replaced. The identification of critical parameters for each type of device may be used to improve the definition of the QI by attributing greater weights to critical parameters, so as to better address the maintenance of radiological devices.

  8. CONTROL LIMITER DEVICE

    DOEpatents

    DeShong, J.A.

    1960-03-01

    A control-limiting device for monltoring a control system is described. The system comprises a conditionsensing device, a condition-varying device exerting a control over the condition, and a control means to actuate the condition-varying device. A control-limiting device integrates the total movement or other change of the condition-varying device over any interval of time during a continuum of overlapping periods of time, and if the tothl movement or change of the condition-varying device exceeds a preset value, the control- limiting device will switch the control of the operated apparatus from automatic to manual control.

  9. 30 CFR 74.6 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Quality control. 74.6 Section 74.6 Mineral... of the CMDPSU will be maintained in production through adequate quality control procedures, MSHA and... DUST SAMPLING DEVICES Approval Requirements for Coal Mine Dust Personal Sampler Unit § 74.6 Quality...

  10. 42 CFR 84.41 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 84.41 Section 84... AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality Control § 84.41 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the...

  11. 42 CFR 84.41 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 84.41 Section 84... AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality Control § 84.41 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the...

  12. 42 CFR 84.41 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 84.41 Section 84... AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality Control § 84.41 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the...

  13. 42 CFR 84.41 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 84.41 Section 84... AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality Control § 84.41 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the...

  14. 42 CFR 84.41 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 84.41 Section 84... AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality Control § 84.41 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the...

  15. A randomised control trial of prompt and feedback devices and their impact on quality of chest compressions--a simulation study.

    PubMed

    Yeung, Joyce; Davies, Robin; Gao, Fang; Perkins, Gavin D

    2014-04-01

    This study aims to compare the effect of three CPR prompt and feedback devices on quality of chest compressions amongst healthcare providers. A single blinded, randomised controlled trial compared a pressure sensor/metronome device (CPREzy), an accelerometer device (Phillips Q-CPR) and simple metronome on the quality of chest compressions on a manikin by trained rescuers. The primary outcome was compression depth. Secondary outcomes were compression rate, proportion of chest compressions with inadequate depth, incomplete release and user satisfaction. The pressure sensor device improved compression depth (37.24-43.64 mm, p=0.02), the accelerometer device decreased chest compression depth (37.38-33.19 mm, p=0.04) whilst the metronome had no effect (39.88 mm vs. 40.64 mm, p=0.802). Compression rate fell with all devices (pressure sensor device 114.68-98.84 min(-1), p=0.001, accelerometer 112.04-102.92 min(-1), p=0.072 and metronome 108.24 min(-1) vs. 99.36 min(-1), p=0.009). The pressure sensor feedback device reduced the proportion of compressions with inadequate depth (0.52 vs. 0.24, p=0.013) whilst the accelerometer device and metronome did not have a statistically significant effect. Incomplete release of compressions was common, but unaffected by the CPR feedback devices. Users preferred the accelerometer and metronome devices over the pressure sensor device. A post hoc study showed that de-activating the voice prompt on the accelerometer device prevented the deterioration in compression quality seen in the main study. CPR feedback devices vary in their ability to improve performance. In this study the pressure sensor device improved compression depth, whilst the accelerometer device reduced it and metronome had no effect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Electronic adherence monitoring device performance and patient acceptability: a randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Chan, Amy Hai Yan; Stewart, Alistair William; Harrison, Jeff; Black, Peter Nigel; Mitchell, Edwin Arthur; Foster, Juliet Michelle

    2017-05-01

    To investigate the performance and patient acceptability of an inhaler electronic monitoring device in a real-world childhood asthma population. Children 6 to 15 years presenting with asthma to the hospital emergency department and prescribed inhaled corticosteroids were included. Participants were randomized to receive a device with reminder features enabled or disabled for use with their preventer. Device quality control tests were conducted. Questionnaires on device acceptability, utility and ergonomics were completed at six months. A total of 1306 quality control tests were conducted; 84% passed pre-issue and 87% return testing. The most common failure reason was actuation under-recording. Acceptability scores were high, with higher scores in the reminder than non-reminder group (median, 5 th -95 th percentile: 4.1, 3.1-5.0 versus 3.7, 2.3-4.8; p < 0.001). Most (>90%) rated the device easy to use. Feedback was positive across five themes: device acceptability, ringtone acceptability, suggestions for improvement, effect on medication use, and effect on asthma control. This study investigates electronic monitoring device performance and acceptability in children using quantitative and qualitative measures. Results indicate satisfactory reliability, although failure rates of 13-16% indicate the importance of quality control. Favorable acceptability ratings support the use of these devices in children.

  17. 21 CFR 864.8625 - Hematology quality control mixture.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hematology quality control mixture. 864.8625 Section 864.8625 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... quality control mixture. (a) Identification. A hematology quality control mixture is a device used to...

  18. 21 CFR 866.2480 - Quality control kit for culture media.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Quality control kit for culture media. 866.2480 Section 866.2480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2480 Quality...

  19. 21 CFR 866.2480 - Quality control kit for culture media.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Quality control kit for culture media. 866.2480 Section 866.2480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2480 Quality...

  20. 21 CFR 866.2480 - Quality control kit for culture media.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quality control kit for culture media. 866.2480 Section 866.2480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2480 Quality...

  1. 21 CFR 866.2480 - Quality control kit for culture media.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Quality control kit for culture media. 866.2480 Section 866.2480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2480 Quality...

  2. 21 CFR 866.2480 - Quality control kit for culture media.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Quality control kit for culture media. 866.2480 Section 866.2480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2480 Quality...

  3. A Randomized Control Trial of Cardiopulmonary Feedback Devices and Their Impact on Infant Chest Compression Quality: A Simulation Study.

    PubMed

    Austin, Andrea L; Spalding, Carmen N; Landa, Katrina N; Myer, Brian R; Donald, Cure; Smith, Jason E; Platt, Gerald; King, Heather C

    2017-10-27

    In effort to improve chest compression quality among health care providers, numerous feedback devices have been developed. Few studies, however, have focused on the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation feedback devices for infants and children. This study evaluated the quality of chest compressions with standard team-leader coaching, a metronome (MetroTimer by ONYX Apps), and visual feedback (SkillGuide Cardiopulmonary Feedback Device) during simulated infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Seventy voluntary health care providers who had recently completed Pediatric Advanced Life Support or Basic Life Support courses were randomized to perform simulated infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation into 1 of 3 groups: team-leader coaching alone (control), coaching plus metronome, or coaching plus SkillGuide for 2 minutes continuously. Rate, depth, and frequency of complete recoil during cardiopulmonary resuscitation were recorded by the Laerdal SimPad device for each participant. American Heart Association-approved compression techniques were randomized to either 2-finger or encircling thumbs. The metronome was associated with more ideal compression rate than visual feedback or coaching alone (104/min vs 112/min and 113/min; P = 0.003, 0.019). Visual feedback was associated with more ideal depth than auditory (41 mm vs 38.9; P = 0.03). There were no significant differences in complete recoil between groups. Secondary outcomes of compression technique revealed a difference of 1 mm. Subgroup analysis of male versus female showed no difference in mean number of compressions (221.76 vs 219.79; P = 0.72), mean compression depth (40.47 vs 39.25; P = 0.09), or rate of complete release (70.27% vs 64.96%; P = 0.54). In the adult literature, feedback devices often show an increase in quality of chest compressions. Although more studies are needed, this study did not demonstrate a clinically significant improvement in chest compressions with the addition of a metronome or visual

  4. Crystal growth of device quality GaAs in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, H. C.; Lagowski, J.

    1983-01-01

    GaAs device technology has recently reached a new phase of rapid advancement, made possible by the improvement of the quality of GaAs bulk crystals. At the same time, the transition to the next generation of GaAs integrated circuits and optoelectronic systems for commercial and government applications hinges on new quantum steps in three interrelated areas: crystal growth, device processing and device-related properties and phenomena. Special emphasis is placed on the establishment of quantitative relationships among crystal growth parameters-material properties-electronic properties and device applications. The overall program combines studies of crystal growth on novel approaches to engineering of semiconductor material (i.e., GaAs and related compounds); investigation and correlation of materials properties and electronic characteristics on a macro- and microscale; and investigation of electronic properties and phenomena controlling device applications and device performance.

  5. [Discussion on Quality Evaluation Method of Medical Device During Life-Cycle in Operation Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process].

    PubMed

    Zheng, Caixian; Zheng, Kun; Shen, Yunming; Wu, Yunyun

    2016-01-01

    The content related to the quality during life-cycle in operation of medical device includes daily use, repair volume, preventive maintenance, quality control and adverse event monitoring. In view of this, the article aims at discussion on the quality evaluation method of medical devices during their life cycle in operation based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The presented method is proved to be effective by evaluating patient monitors as example. The method presented in can promote and guide the device quality control work, and it can provide valuable inputs to decisions about purchase of new device.

  6. 21 CFR 864.9650 - Quality control kit for blood banking reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quality control kit for blood banking reagents... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Products Used In Establishments That Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9650 Quality control kit for blood banking reagents. (a...

  7. 42 CFR 84.40 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality... proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection...

  8. 42 CFR 84.40 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality... proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection...

  9. 42 CFR 84.40 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality... proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection...

  10. 42 CFR 84.40 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality... proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection...

  11. 42 CFR 84.40 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES Quality... proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection...

  12. Contamination control device

    DOEpatents

    Clark, Robert M.; Cronin, John C.

    1977-01-01

    A contamination control device for use in a gas-insulated transmission bus consisting of a cylindrical center conductor coaxially mounted within a grounded cylindrical enclosure. The contamination control device is electrically connected to the interior surface of the grounded outer shell and positioned along an axial line at the lowest vertical position thereon. The contamination control device comprises an elongated metallic member having a generally curved cross-section in a first plane perpendicular to the axis of the bus and having an arcuate cross-section in a second plane lying along the axis of the bus. Each opposed end of the metallic member and its opposing sides are tapered to form a pair of generally converging and downward sloping surfaces to trap randomly moving conductive particles in the relatively field-free region between the metallic member and the interior surface of the grounded outer shell. The device may have projecting legs to enable the device to be spot welded to the interior of the grounded housing. The control device provides a high capture probability and prevents subsequent release of the charged particles after the capture thereof.

  13. Assurance of Medical Device Quality with Quality Management System: An Analysis of Good Manufacturing Practice Implementation in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Tu, Pei-Weng; Wu, Shiow-Ing

    2015-01-01

    The implementation of an effective quality management system has always been considered a principal method for a manufacturer to maintain and improve its product and service quality. Globally many regulatory authorities incorporate quality management system as one of the mandatory requirements for the regulatory control of high-risk medical devices. The present study aims to analyze the GMP enforcement experience in Taiwan between 1998 and 2013. It describes the regulatory implementation of medical device GMP requirement and initiatives taken to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in compliance with the regulatory requirement. Based on statistical data collected by the competent authority and industry research institutes, the present paper reports the growth of Taiwan local medical device industry after the enforcement of GMP regulation. Transition in the production, technologies, and number of employees of Taiwan medical device industry between 1998 and 2013 provides the competent authorities around the world with an empirical foundation for further policy development. PMID:26075255

  14. Assurance of medical device quality with quality management system: an analysis of good manufacturing practice implementation in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Li, Tzu-Wei; Tu, Pei-Weng; Liu, Li-Ling; Wu, Shiow-Ing

    2015-01-01

    The implementation of an effective quality management system has always been considered a principal method for a manufacturer to maintain and improve its product and service quality. Globally many regulatory authorities incorporate quality management system as one of the mandatory requirements for the regulatory control of high-risk medical devices. The present study aims to analyze the GMP enforcement experience in Taiwan between 1998 and 2013. It describes the regulatory implementation of medical device GMP requirement and initiatives taken to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in compliance with the regulatory requirement. Based on statistical data collected by the competent authority and industry research institutes, the present paper reports the growth of Taiwan local medical device industry after the enforcement of GMP regulation. Transition in the production, technologies, and number of employees of Taiwan medical device industry between 1998 and 2013 provides the competent authorities around the world with an empirical foundation for further policy development.

  15. Modeled Effectiveness of Ventilation with Contaminant Control Devices on Indoor Air Quality in a Swine Farrowing Facility

    PubMed Central

    Anthony, T. Renée; Altmaier, Ralph; Park, Jae Hong; Peters, Thomas M.

    2016-01-01

    Because adverse health effects experienced by swine farm workers in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been associated with exposure to dust and gases, efforts to reduce exposures are warranted, particularly in winter seasons when exposures increase due to decreased ventilation. Simulation of air quality and operating costs for ventilating swine CAFO, including treating and recirculating air through a farrowing room, was performed using mass and energy balance equations over a 90-day winter season. System operation required controlling heater operation to achieve room temperatures optimal to ensure animal health (20 to 22.5°C). Five air pollution control devices, four room ventilation rates, and five recirculation patterns were examined. Inhalable dust concentrations were easily reduced using standard industrial air pollution control devices, including a cyclone, filtration, and electrostatic precipitator. Operating ventilation systems at 0.94 m3 s−1 (2000 cfm) with 75 to 100% recirculation of treated air from cyclone, electrostatic precipitator, and shaker dust filtration system achieves adequate particle control with operating costs under $1.00 per pig produced ($0.22 to 0.54), although carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations approach 2000 ppm using in-room ventilated gas fired heaters. In no simulation were CO2 concentrations below industry recommended concentrations (1540 ppm), but alternative heating devices could reduce CO2 to acceptable concentrations. While this investigation does not represent all production swine farrowing barns, which differ in characteristics including room dimensions and swine occupancy, the simulation model and ventilation optimization methods can be applied to other production sites. This work shows that ventilation may be a cost-effective control option in the swine industry to reduce exposures. PMID:24433305

  16. Modeled effectiveness of ventilation with contaminant control devices on indoor air quality in a swine farrowing facility.

    PubMed

    Anthony, T Renée; Altmaier, Ralph; Park, Jae Hong; Peters, Thomas M

    2014-01-01

    Because adverse health effects experienced by swine farm workers in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been associated with exposure to dust and gases, efforts to reduce exposures are warranted, particularly in winter seasons when exposures increase due to decreased ventilation. Simulation of air quality and operating costs for ventilating swine CAFO, including treating and recirculating air through a farrowing room, was performed using mass and energy balance equations over a 90-day winter season. System operation required controlling heater operation to achieve room temperatures optimal to ensure animal health (20 to 22.5 °C). Five air pollution control devices, four room ventilation rates, and five recirculation patterns were examined. Inhalable dust concentrations were easily reduced using standard industrial air pollution control devices, including a cyclone, filtration, and electrostatic precipitator. Operating ventilation systems at 0.94 m3 s(-1) (2000 cfm) with 75 to 100% recirculation of treated air from cyclone, electrostatic precipitator, and shaker dust filtration system achieves adequate particle control with operating costs under $1.00 per pig produced ($0.22 to 0.54), although carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations approach 2000 ppm using in-room ventilated gas fired heaters. In no simulation were CO2 concentrations below industry recommended concentrations (1540 ppm), but alternative heating devices could reduce CO2 to acceptable concentrations. While this investigation does not represent all production swine farrowing barns, which differ in characteristics including room dimensions and swine occupancy, the simulation model and ventilation optimization methods can be applied to other production sites. This work shows that ventilation may be a cost-effective control option in the swine industry to reduce exposures.

  17. 30 CFR 74.6 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... DUST SAMPLING DEVICES Approval Requirements for Coal Mine Dust Personal Sampler Unit § 74.6 Quality... equipment procedures and records and to interview the employees who conduct the control tests. Two copies of...

  18. 21 CFR 864.8625 - Hematology quality control mixture.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Hematology quality control mixture. 864.8625 Section 864.8625 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Hematology Reagents § 864.8625 Hematology...

  19. 21 CFR 864.8625 - Hematology quality control mixture.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Hematology quality control mixture. 864.8625 Section 864.8625 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Hematology Reagents § 864.8625 Hematology...

  20. 21 CFR 864.8625 - Hematology quality control mixture.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Hematology quality control mixture. 864.8625 Section 864.8625 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Hematology Reagents § 864.8625 Hematology...

  1. Display device-adapted video quality-of-experience assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rehman, Abdul; Zeng, Kai; Wang, Zhou

    2015-03-01

    Today's viewers consume video content from a variety of connected devices, including smart phones, tablets, notebooks, TVs, and PCs. This imposes significant challenges for managing video traffic efficiently to ensure an acceptable quality-of-experience (QoE) for the end users as the perceptual quality of video content strongly depends on the properties of the display device and the viewing conditions. State-of-the-art full-reference objective video quality assessment algorithms do not take into account the combined impact of display device properties, viewing conditions, and video resolution while performing video quality assessment. We performed a subjective study in order to understand the impact of aforementioned factors on perceptual video QoE. We also propose a full reference video QoE measure, named SSIMplus, that provides real-time prediction of the perceptual quality of a video based on human visual system behaviors, video content characteristics (such as spatial and temporal complexity, and video resolution), display device properties (such as screen size, resolution, and brightness), and viewing conditions (such as viewing distance and angle). Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art video quality measures in terms of accuracy and speed.

  2. Development of an electronic device quality aluminum antimonide (AlSb) semiconductor for solar cell applications

    DOEpatents

    Sherohman, John W; Yee, Jick Hong; Combs, III, Arthur W

    2014-11-11

    Electronic device quality Aluminum Antimonide (AlSb)-based single crystals produced by controlled atmospheric annealing are utilized in various configurations for solar cell applications. Like that of a GaAs-based solar cell devices, the AlSb-based solar cell devices as disclosed herein provides direct conversion of solar energy to electrical power.

  3. 21 CFR 864.9650 - Quality control kit for blood banking reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Quality control kit for blood banking reagents... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9650 Quality control kit for blood banking reagents. (a) Identification. A quality control kit for blood banking reagents is a device that consists of sera, cells...

  4. 21 CFR 864.9650 - Quality control kit for blood banking reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Quality control kit for blood banking reagents... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9650 Quality control kit for blood banking reagents. (a) Identification. A quality control kit for blood banking reagents is a device that consists of sera, cells...

  5. 21 CFR 864.9650 - Quality control kit for blood banking reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Quality control kit for blood banking reagents... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9650 Quality control kit for blood banking reagents. (a) Identification. A quality control kit for blood banking reagents is a device that consists of sera, cells...

  6. 21 CFR 864.9650 - Quality control kit for blood banking reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Quality control kit for blood banking reagents... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9650 Quality control kit for blood banking reagents. (a) Identification. A quality control kit for blood banking reagents is a device that consists of sera, cells...

  7. Controlled dehydration improves the diffraction quality of two RNA crystals.

    PubMed

    Park, HaJeung; Tran, Tuan; Lee, Jun Hyuck; Park, Hyun; Disney, Matthew D

    2016-11-03

    Post-crystallization dehydration methods, applying either vapor diffusion or humidity control devices, have been widely used to improve the diffraction quality of protein crystals. Despite the fact that RNA crystals tend to diffract poorly, there is a dearth of reports on the application of dehydration methods to improve the diffraction quality of RNA crystals. We use dehydration techniques with a Free Mounting System (FMS, a humidity control device) to recover the poor diffraction quality of RNA crystals. These approaches were applied to RNA constructs that model various RNA-mediated repeat expansion disorders. The method we describe herein could serve as a general tool to improve diffraction quality of RNA crystals to facilitate structure determinations.

  8. REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE

    DOEpatents

    Graham, R.H.

    1962-09-01

    A wholly mechanical compact control device is designed for automatically rendering the core of a fission reactor subcritical in response to core temperatures in excess of the design operating temperature limit. The control device comprises an expansible bellows interposed between the base of a channel in a reactor core and the inner end of a fuel cylinder therein which is normally resiliently urged inwardly. The bellows contains a working fluid which undergoes a liquid to vapor phase change at a temperature substantially equal to the design temperature limit. Hence, the bellows abruptiy expands at this limiting temperature to force the fuel cylinder outward and render the core subcritical. The control device is particularly applicable to aircraft propulsion reactor service. (AEC)

  9. REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE

    DOEpatents

    Kaufman, H.B.; Weiss, A.A.

    1959-08-18

    A shadow control device for controlling a nuclear reactor is described. The device comprises a series of hollow neutron-absorbing elements arranged in groups, each element having a cavity for substantially housing an adjoining element and a longitudinal member for commonly supporting the groups of elements. Longitudinal actuation of the longitudinal member distributes the elements along its entire length in which position maximum worth is achieved.

  10. 76 FR 54156 - National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-31

    ... traffic control device design, location, or operation that have made some existing devices in the field...-2010-0159] RIN 2125-AF43 National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA...

  11. Daylight control system device and method

    DOEpatents

    Paton, John Douglas

    2007-03-13

    A system and device for and a method of programming and controlling light fixtures is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention includes a stationary controller unit that is electrically coupled to the light fixtures. The stationary controller unit is configured to be remotely programmed with a portable commissioning device to automatically control the lights fixtures. The stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device include light sensors, micro-computers and transceivers for measuring light levels, running programs, storing data and transmitting data between the stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device. In operation, target light levels selected with the portable commissioning device and the controller unit is remotely programmed to automatically maintain the target level.

  12. Daylight control system, device and method

    DOEpatents

    Paton, John Douglas

    2012-08-28

    A system and device for and a method of programming and controlling light fixtures is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention includes a stationary controller unit that is electrically coupled to the light fixtures. The stationary controller unit is configured to be remotely programmed with a portable commissioning device to automatically control the lights fixtures. The stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device include light sensors, micro-computers and transceivers for measuring light levels, running programs, storing data and transmitting data between the stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device. In operation, target light levels selected with the portable commissioning device and the controller unit is remotely programmed to automatically maintain the target level.

  13. Daylight control system device and method

    DOEpatents

    Paton, John Douglas

    2009-12-01

    A system and device for and a method of programming and controlling light fixtures is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention includes a stationary controller unit that is electrically coupled to the light fixtures. The stationary controller unit is configured to be remotely programmed with a portable commissioning device to automatically control the lights fixtures. The stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device include light sensors, micro-computers and transceivers for measuring light levels, running programs, storing data and transmitting data between the stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device. In operation, target light levels selected with the portable commissioning device and the controller unit is remotely programmed to automatically maintain the target level.

  14. Device Oriented Project Controller

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dalesio, Leo; Kraimer, Martin

    2013-11-20

    This proposal is directed at the issue of developing control systems for very large HEP projects. A de-facto standard in accelerator control is the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), which has been applied successfully to many physics projects. EPICS is a channel based system that requires that each channel of each device be configured and controlled. In Phase I, the feasibility of a device oriented extension to the distributed channel database was demonstrated by prototyping a device aware version of an EPICS I/O controller that functions with the current version of the channel access communication protocol. Extensions havemore » been made to the grammar to define the database. Only a multi-stage position controller with limit switches was developed in the demonstration, but the grammar should support a full range of functional record types. In phase II, a full set of record types will be developed to support all existing record types, a set of process control functions for closed loop control, and support for experimental beam line control. A tool to configure these records will be developed. A communication protocol will be developed or extensions will be made to Channel Access to support introspection of components of a device. Performance bench marks will be made on both communication protocol and the database. After these records and performance tests are under way, a second of the grammar will be undertaken.« less

  15. Active flow control of subsonic flow in an adverse pressure gradient using synthetic jets and passive micro flow control devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denn, Michael E.

    Several recent studies have shown the advantages of active and/or passive flow control devices for boundary layer flow modification. Many current and future proposed air vehicles have very short or offset diffusers in order to save vehicle weight and create more optimal vehicle/engine integration. Such short coupled diffusers generally result in boundary layer separation and loss of pressure recovery which reduces engine performance and in some cases may cause engine stall. Deployment of flow control devices can alleviate this problem to a large extent; however, almost all active flow control devices have some energy penalty associated with their inclusion. One potential low penalty approach for enhancing the diffuser performance is to combine the passive flow control elements such as micro-ramps with active flow control devices such as synthetic jets to achieve higher control authority. The goal of this dissertation is twofold. The first objective is to assess the ability of CFD with URANS turbulence models to accurately capture the effects of the synthetic jets and micro-ramps on boundary layer flow. This is accomplished by performing numerical simulations replicating several experimental test cases conducted at Georgia Institute of Technology under the NASA funded Inlet Flow Control and Prediction Technologies Program, and comparing the simulation results with experimental data. The second objective is to run an expanded CFD matrix of numerical simulations by varying various geometric and other flow control parameters of micro-ramps and synthetic jets to determine how passive and active control devices interact with each other in increasing and/or decreasing the control authority and determine their influence on modification of boundary layer flow. The boundary layer shape factor is used as a figure of merit for determining the boundary layer flow quality/modification and its tendency towards separation. It is found by a large number of numerical experiments and

  16. 77 FR 28460 - National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-14

    ...-2010-0159] RIN 2125-AF43 National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA..., approved by the FHWA, and recognized as the national standard for traffic control devices used on all...

  17. 14 CFR 23.373 - Speed control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Speed control devices. 23.373 Section 23....373 Speed control devices. If speed control devices (such as spoilers and drag flaps) are incorporated....441 and 23.443, with the device extended at speeds up to the placard device extended speed; and (b) If...

  18. 14 CFR 23.373 - Speed control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Speed control devices. 23.373 Section 23....373 Speed control devices. If speed control devices (such as spoilers and drag flaps) are incorporated....441 and 23.443, with the device extended at speeds up to the placard device extended speed; and (b) If...

  19. Fault-Tolerant Control of ANPC Three-Level Inverter Based on Order-Reduction Optimal Control Strategy under Multi-Device Open-Circuit Fault.

    PubMed

    Xu, Shi-Zhou; Wang, Chun-Jie; Lin, Fang-Li; Li, Shi-Xiang

    2017-10-31

    The multi-device open-circuit fault is a common fault of ANPC (Active Neutral-Point Clamped) three-level inverter and effect the operation stability of the whole system. To improve the operation stability, this paper summarized the main solutions currently firstly and analyzed all the possible states of multi-device open-circuit fault. Secondly, an order-reduction optimal control strategy was proposed under multi-device open-circuit fault to realize fault-tolerant control based on the topology and control requirement of ANPC three-level inverter and operation stability. This control strategy can solve the faults with different operation states, and can works in order-reduction state under specific open-circuit faults with specific combined devices, which sacrifices the control quality to obtain the stability priority control. Finally, the simulation and experiment proved the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

  20. Dual control active superconductive devices

    DOEpatents

    Martens, Jon S.; Beyer, James B.; Nordman, James E.; Hohenwarter, Gert K. G.

    1993-07-20

    A superconducting active device has dual control inputs and is constructed such that the output of the device is effectively a linear mix of the two input signals. The device is formed of a film of superconducting material on a substrate and has two main conduction channels, each of which includes a weak link region. A first control line extends adjacent to the weak link region in the first channel and a second control line extends adjacent to the weak link region in the second channel. The current flowing from the first channel flows through an internal control line which is also adjacent to the weak link region of the second channel. The weak link regions comprise small links of superconductor, separated by voids, through which the current flows in each channel. Current passed through the control lines causes magnetic flux vortices which propagate across the weak link regions and control the resistance of these regions. The output of the device taken across the input to the main channels and the output of the second main channel and the internal control line will constitute essentially a linear mix of the two input signals imposed on the two control lines. The device is especially suited to microwave applications since it has very low input capacitance, and is well suited to being formed of high temperature superconducting materials since all of the structures may be formed coplanar with one another on a substrate.

  1. Traffic control device conspicuity.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-08-01

    The conspicuity of a traffic control device (TCD) is defined as the probability that the device will be noticed. However, there is no agreed-upon measure of what constitutes being noticed. Various measures have been suggested, including eye fixations...

  2. Development of a portable quality control application using a tablet-type electronic device.

    PubMed

    Ono, Tomohiro; Miyabe, Yuki; Akimoto, Mami; Mukumoto, Nobutaka; Ishihara, Yoshitomo; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Mizowaki, Takashi

    2018-03-01

    Our aim was to develop a portable quality control (QC) application using a thermometer, a barometer, an angle gauge, and a range finder implemented in a tablet-type consumer electronic device (CED) and to assess the accuracies of the measurements made. The QC application was programmed using Java and OpenCV libraries. First, temperature and atmospheric pressure were measured over 30 days using the temperature and pressure sensors of the CED and compared with those measured by a double-tube thermometer and a digital barometer. Second, the angle gauge was developed using the accelerometer of the CED. The roll and pitch angles of the CED were measured from 0 to 90° at intervals of 10° in the clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) directions. The values were compared with those measured by a digital angle gauge. Third, a range finder was developed using the tablet's built-in camera and image-processing capacities. Surrogate markers were detected by the camera and their positions converted to actual positions using a homographic transformation method. Fiducial markers were placed on a treatment couch and moved 100 mm in 10-mm steps in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. The values were compared with those measured by the digital output of the treatment couch. The differences between CED values and those of other devices were compared by calculating means ± standard deviations (SDs). The means ± SDs of differences in temperature and atmospheric pressure were -0.07 ± 0.25°C and 0.05 ± 0.10 hPa, respectively. The means ± SDs of the difference in angle was -0.17 ± 0.87° (0.15 ± 0.23° degrees excluding the 90° angle). The means ± SDs of distances were 0.01 ± 0.07 mm in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. Our portable QC application was accurate and may be used instead of standard measuring devices. Our portable CED is efficient and simple when used in the field of medical physics. © 2018 American Association of

  3. Quality management for the processing of medical devices

    PubMed Central

    Klosz, Kerstin

    2008-01-01

    Rules on the reprocessing of medical devices were put into place in Germany in 2001. The present article explains the background situation and the provisions that are currently in force. The implementation of these statutory requirements is described using the example of the quality management system of Germany’s market leader, Vanguard AG. This quality management system was successfully certified pursuant to DIN EN ISO 13485:2003 for the scope "reprocessing of medical devices", including class “critical C”, in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and the Prevention of Infection at the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) and the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) on the “Hygiene requirements for reprocessing of medical devices”. PMID:20204094

  4. Feasibility study on an integrated AEC-grid device for the optimization of image quality and exposure dose in mammography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyo-Tae; Yun, Ryang-Young; Han, Moo-Jae; Heo, Ye-Ji; Song, Yong-Keun; Heo, Sung-Wook; Oh, Kyeong-Min; Park, Sung-Kwang

    2017-10-01

    Currently, in the radiation diagnosis field, mammography is used for the early detection of breast cancer. In addition, studies are being conducted on a grid to produce high-quality images. Although the grid ratio of the grid, which affects the scattering removal rate, must be increased to improve image quality, it increases the total exposure dose. While the use of automatic exposure control is recommended to minimize this problem, existing mammography equipment, unlike general radiography equipment, is mounted on the back of a detector. Therefore, the device is greatly affected by the detector and supporting device, and it is difficult to control the exposure dose. Accordingly, in this research, an integrated AEC-grid device that simultaneously performs AEC and grid functions was used to minimize the unnecessary exposure dose while removing scattering, thereby realizing superior image quality.

  5. 21 CFR 866.5910 - Quality control material for cystic fibrosis nucleic acid assays.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test Systems § 866.5910 Quality control material for cystic fibrosis nucleic acid assays. (a... cystic fibrosis nucleic acid assays is a device intended to help monitor reliability of a test system by...

  6. Comprehensive model for predicting perceptual image quality of smart mobile devices.

    PubMed

    Gong, Rui; Xu, Haisong; Luo, M R; Li, Haifeng

    2015-01-01

    An image quality model for smart mobile devices was proposed based on visual assessments of several image quality attributes. A series of psychophysical experiments were carried out on two kinds of smart mobile devices, i.e., smart phones and tablet computers, in which naturalness, colorfulness, brightness, contrast, sharpness, clearness, and overall image quality were visually evaluated under three lighting environments via categorical judgment method for various application types of test images. On the basis of Pearson correlation coefficients and factor analysis, the overall image quality could first be predicted by its two constituent attributes with multiple linear regression functions for different types of images, respectively, and then the mathematical expressions were built to link the constituent image quality attributes with the physical parameters of smart mobile devices and image appearance factors. The procedure and algorithms were applicable to various smart mobile devices, different lighting conditions, and multiple types of images, and performance was verified by the visual data.

  7. Control method for physical systems and devices

    DOEpatents

    Guckenheimer, John

    1997-01-01

    A control method for stabilizing systems or devices that are outside the control domain of a linear controller is provided. When applied to nonlinear systems, the effectiveness of this method depends upon the size of the domain of stability that is produced for the stabilized equilibrium. If this domain is small compared to the accuracy of measurements or the size of disturbances within the system, then the linear controller is likely to fail within a short period. Failure of the system or device can be catastrophic: the system or device can wander far from the desired equilibrium. The method of the invention presents a general procedure to recapture the stability of a linear controller, when the trajectory of a system or device leaves its region of stability. By using a hybrid strategy based upon discrete switching events within the state space of the system or device, the system or device will return from a much larger domain to the region of stability utilized by the linear controller. The control procedure is robust and remains effective under large classes of perturbations of a given underlying system or device.

  8. A portable device for detecting fruit quality by diffuse reflectance Vis/NIR spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Hongwei; Peng, Yankun; Li, Peng; Wang, Wenxiu

    2017-05-01

    Soluble solid content (SSC) is a major quality parameter to fruit, which has influence on its flavor or texture. Some researches on the on-line non-invasion detection of fruit quality were published. However, consumers desire portable devices currently. This study aimed to develop a portable device for accurate, real-time and nondestructive determination of quality factors of fruit based on diffuse reflectance Vis/NIR spectroscopy (520-950 nm). The hardware of the device consisted of four units: light source unit, spectral acquisition unit, central processing unit, display unit. Halogen lamp was chosen as light source. When working, its hand-held probe was in contact with the surface of fruit samples thus forming dark environment to shield the interferential light outside. Diffuse reflectance light was collected and measured by spectrometer (USB4000). ARM (Advanced RISC Machines), as central processing unit, controlled all parts in device and analyzed spectral data. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) touch screen was used to interface with users. To validate its reliability and stability, 63 apples were tested in experiment, 47 of which were chosen as calibration set, while others as prediction set. Their SSC reference values were measured by refractometer. At the same time, samples' spectral data acquired by portable device were processed by standard normalized variables (SNV) and Savitzky-Golay filter (S-G) to eliminate the spectra noise. Then partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied to build prediction models, and the best predictions results was achieved with correlation coefficient (r) of 0.855 and standard error of 0.6033° Brix. The results demonstrated that this device was feasible to quantitatively analyze soluble solid content of apple.

  9. [Effect of combustion devices on the quality of indoor air].

    PubMed

    Ulbrich, G

    1982-01-01

    Combustion devices and the equipment conducting their effluent gases such as ducts and chimneys are factors which might have an unreasonable or even dangerous impact on the quality of air inside buildings. There is a danger of flue gases entering the indoor environment during the heating process (a) if the air-circulation associated with the operation of a combustion device is disturbed or even interrupted, (b) if the air stream - as far as flue gases are involved - flows under elevated pressure, and (c) if the combustion device and the flue gas conducting equipment are not leak-proof. These three cases and their influence on indoor air quality are extensively discussed. In the German Combustion Device Code from 1980 care is taken to minimize the pollutant concentrations in rooms with combustion devices by setting special requirements for the room in which the device is located, and by prescribing the standardization of the technical characteristics of chimneys and combustion devices.

  10. 14 CFR 25.373 - Speed control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Speed control devices. 25.373 Section 25... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Supplementary Conditions § 25.373 Speed control devices. If speed control devices (such as spoilers and drag flaps) are installed for use in en route...

  11. 14 CFR 25.373 - Speed control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Speed control devices. 25.373 Section 25... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Supplementary Conditions § 25.373 Speed control devices. If speed control devices (such as spoilers and drag flaps) are installed for use in en route...

  12. Control method for prosthetic devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the moveable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the moveable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective moveable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  13. 25 CFR 226.36 - Control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Control devices. 226.36 Section 226.36 Indians BUREAU OF... AND GAS MINING Requirements of Lessees § 226.36 Control devices. In drilling operations in fields... operations to maintain proper control of subsurface strata. [55 FR 33116, Aug. 14, 1990] ...

  14. 25 CFR 226.36 - Control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Control devices. 226.36 Section 226.36 Indians BUREAU OF... AND GAS MINING Requirements of Lessees § 226.36 Control devices. In drilling operations in fields... operations to maintain proper control of subsurface strata. [55 FR 33116, Aug. 14, 1990] ...

  15. 25 CFR 226.36 - Control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Control devices. 226.36 Section 226.36 Indians BUREAU OF... AND GAS MINING Requirements of Lessees § 226.36 Control devices. In drilling operations in fields... operations to maintain proper control of subsurface strata. [55 FR 33116, Aug. 14, 1990] ...

  16. Portable control device for networked mobile robots

    DOEpatents

    Feddema, John T.; Byrne, Raymond H.; Bryan, Jon R.; Harrington, John J.; Gladwell, T. Scott

    2002-01-01

    A handheld control device provides a way for controlling one or multiple mobile robotic vehicles by incorporating a handheld computer with a radio board. The device and software use a personal data organizer as the handheld computer with an additional microprocessor and communication device on a radio board for use in controlling one robot or multiple networked robots.

  17. Change control microcomputer device for vehicle

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morishita, M.; Kouge, S.

    1986-08-19

    A charge control microcomputer device for a vehicle is described which consists of: a clutch device for transmitting the rotary output of an engine; a charging generator driven by the clutch device; a battery charged by an output of the charging generator; a voltage regulator for controlling an output voltage of the charging generator to a predetermined value; an engine controlling microcomputer for receiving engine data, to control the engine; and a charge control microcomputer for processing the engine data from the engine controlling microcomputer and charge system data including terminal voltage data from the battery and generated voltage datamore » from the charging generator, to determine a reference voltage for the voltage regulator in accordance with the engine data and the charge system data, and for processing an engine rotation signal to generate and apply an operating instruction to the clutch device in accordance with the engine data and the charge system data, such that the charging generator is driven within a predetermined range of revolutions per minute at all times.« less

  18. Control System for Prosthetic Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bozeman, Richard J. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that of movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the moveable body part through the full-shrg position of the moveable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the moveable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective moveable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  19. 40 CFR 65.155 - Other control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a Fuel Gas System or a Process § 65.155 Other control devices. (a) Other control device equipment and operating requirements. (1... requirements specified in § 65.63(a)(2), or 40 CFR 60.562-1(a)(1)(i)(A) for process vents, or § 65.83(a)(1) for...

  20. Quality control algorithms for rainfall measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golz, Claudia; Einfalt, Thomas; Gabella, Marco; Germann, Urs

    2005-09-01

    One of the basic requirements for a scientific use of rain data from raingauges, ground and space radars is data quality control. Rain data could be used more intensively in many fields of activity (meteorology, hydrology, etc.), if the achievable data quality could be improved. This depends on the available data quality delivered by the measuring devices and the data quality enhancement procedures. To get an overview of the existing algorithms a literature review and literature pool have been produced. The diverse algorithms have been evaluated to meet VOLTAIRE objectives and sorted in different groups. To test the chosen algorithms an algorithm pool has been established, where the software is collected. A large part of this work presented here is implemented in the scope of the EU-project VOLTAIRE ( Validati on of mu ltisensors precipit ation fields and numerical modeling in Mediter ran ean test sites).

  1. 77 FR 28455 - National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-14

    ... Options for design and applications of traffic control devices, this Manual should not be considered a... application of traffic control devices, as well as in the location and design of roads and streets that the..., while this Manual provides Standards, Guidance, and Options for design and applications of traffic...

  2. Application of a sub-specialties management model improves quality control in a central sterile supply department.

    PubMed

    Wang, Li; Cai, Xuejiao; Cheng, Ping

    2018-05-30

    The management of medical devices is crucial to safe, high-quality surgical care, but has received little attention in the medical literature. This study explored the effect of a sub-specialties management model in the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD). A traditional routine management model (control) was applied from September 2015 through April 2016, and a newly developed sub-specialties management model (observation) was applied from July 2016 through February 2017. Health personnel from various clinical departments were randomly selected to participate as the control (n = 86) and observation (n = 90) groups, respectively. The groups were compared for rates of personnel satisfaction, complaints regarding device errors, and damage of medical devices. The satisfaction score of the observation group (95.8 ± 1.2) was significantly higher than that of the control (90.2 ± 2.3; P = 0.000). The rate of complaints of the observation group (3.3%) was significantly lower than that of the control (11.6%; P = 0.035). The quality control regarding recycle and packing was significantly higher during the observation period than the control period, which favorably influenced the scores for satisfaction. The rate of damage to specialist medical devices during the observation period (0.40%) was lower than during the control period (0.61%; P = 0.003). The theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the CSSD professionals improved after application of the sub-specialties management model. A management model that considers the requirements of specialist medical devices can improve quality control in the CSSD.

  3. Contaminate Control Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howe, Robert H. (Inventor); Flynn, Kenneth P. (Inventor); Stapleton, Thomas J. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A contaminate control device for filtering contaminates from a gas such as air is provided. The device includes a housing having a first inlet and a first outlet. An axial flow filter is fluidly coupled between the first inlet and the first outlet, the axial flow filter has a second inlet and a second outlet. A second filter disposed about the axial flow filter and is fluidly coupled between the first inlet and the first outlet, the second filter having a third inlet on an inner diameter and a third outlet disposed on an outer diameter. A flow restrictor is fluidly coupled between the second inlet and the first inlet.

  4. Fast-acting nuclear reactor control device

    DOEpatents

    Kotlyar, Oleg M.; West, Phillip B.

    1993-01-01

    A fast-acting nuclear reactor control device for moving and positioning a fety control rod to desired positions within the core of the reactor between a run position in which the safety control rod is outside the reactor core, and a shutdown position in which the rod is fully inserted in the reactor core. The device employs a hydraulic pump/motor, an electric gear motor, and solenoid valve to drive the safety control rod into the reactor core through the entire stroke of the safety control rod. An overrunning clutch allows the safety control rod to freely travel toward a safe position in the event of a partial drive system failure.

  5. DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE

    DOEpatents

    Bradner, H.; Gordon, H.S.

    1957-12-24

    A device is described that can sense changes in oxygen partial pressure and cause a corresponding mechanical displacement sufficient to actuate meters, valves and similar devices. A piston and cylinder arrangement contains a charge of crystalline metal chelate pellets which have the peculiar property of responding to variations in the oxygen content of the ambient atmosphere by undergoing a change in dimension. A lever system amplifies the relative displacement of the piston in the cylinder, and actuates the controlled valving device. This partial pressure oxygen sensing device is useful in controlled chemical reactions or in respiratory devices such as the oxygen demand meters for high altitude aircraft.

  6. System and method for controlling remote devices

    DOEpatents

    Carrender, Curtis Lee [Richland, WA; Gilbert, Ronald W [Benton City, WA; Scott, Jeff W [Pasco, WA; Clark, David A [Kennewick, WA

    2006-02-07

    A system and method for controlling remote devices utilizing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag device having a control circuit adapted to render the tag device, and associated objects, permanently inoperable in response to radio-frequency control signals. The control circuit is configured to receive the control signals that can include an enable signal, and in response thereto enable an associated object, such as a weapon; and in response to a disable signal, to disable the tag itself, or, if desired, to disable the associated weapon or both the device and the weapon. Permanent disabling of the tag can be accomplished by several methods, including, but not limited to, fusing a fusable link, breaking an electrically conductive path, permanently altering the modulation or backscattering characteristics of the antenna circuit, and permanently erasing an associated memory. In this manner, tags in the possession of unauthorized employees can be remotely disabled, and weapons lost on a battlefield can be easily tracked and enabled or disabled automatically or at will.

  7. Modelling and Control of an Annular Momentum Control Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Downer, James R.; Johnson, Bruce G.

    1988-01-01

    The results of a modelling and control study for an advanced momentum storage device supported on magnetic bearings are documented. The control challenge posed by this device lies in its dynamics being such a strong function of flywheel rotational speed. At high rotational speed, this can lead to open loop instabilities, resulting in requirements for minimum and maximum control bandwidths and gains for the stabilizing controllers. Using recently developed analysis tools for systems described by complex coefficient differential equations, the closed properties of the controllers were analyzed and stability properties established. Various feedback controllers are investigated and discussed. Both translational and angular dynamics compensators are developed, and measures of system stability and robustness to plant and operational speed variations are presented.

  8. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  9. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  10. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  11. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  12. Methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bullis, W. M. (Editor)

    1973-01-01

    This progress report describes NBS activities directed toward the development of methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices. Significant accomplishments during this reporting period include design of a plan to provide standard silicon wafers for four-probe resistivity measurements for the industry, publication of a summary report on the photoconductive decay method for measuring carrier lifetime, publication of a comprehensive review of the field of wire bond fabrication and testing, and successful completion of organizational activity leading to the establishment of a new group on quality and hardness assurance in ASTM Committee F-1 on Electronics. Work is continuing on measurement of resistivity of semiconductor crystals; characterization of generation-recombination-trapping centers in silicon; study of gold-doped silicon; development of the infrared response technique; evaluation of wire bonds and die attachment; and measurement of thermal properties of semiconductor devices, delay time and related carrier transport properties in junction devices, and noise properties of microwave diodes.

  13. Brain-controlled body movement assistance devices and methods

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leuthardt, Eric C.; Love, Lonnie J.; Coker, Rob

    Methods, devices, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for brain-controlled body movement assistance devices. In one aspect, a device includes a brain-controlled body movement assistance device with a brain-computer interface (BCI) component adapted to be mounted to a user, a body movement assistance component operably connected to the BCI component and adapted to be worn by the user, and a feedback mechanism provided in connection with at least one of the BCI component and the body movement assistance component, the feedback mechanism being configured to output information relating to a usage session of themore » brain-controlled body movement assistance device.« less

  14. Ferroelectric Light Control Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor); Choi, Sang H. (Inventor); King, Glen C. (Inventor); Kim, Jae-Woo (Inventor); Elliott, Jr., James R. (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A light control device is formed by ferroelectric material and N electrodes positioned adjacent thereto to define an N-sided regular polygonal region or circular region there between where N is a multiple of four.

  15. Mobility Device Quality Affects Participation Outcomes for People With Disabilities: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis.

    PubMed

    Magasi, Susan; Wong, Alex; Miskovic, Ana; Tulsky, David; Heinemann, Allen W

    2018-01-01

    To test the effect that indicators of mobility device quality have on participation outcomes in community-dwelling adults with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and stroke by using structural equation modeling. Survey, cross-sectional study, and model testing. Clinical research space at 2 academic medical centers and 1 free-standing rehabilitation hospital. Community-dwelling adults (N=250; mean age, 48±14.3y) with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. Not applicable. The Mobility Device Impact Scale, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Social Function (version 2.0) scale, including Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities, and the 2 Community Participation Indicators' enfranchisement scales. Details about device quality (reparability, reliability, ease of maintenance) and device type were also collected. Respondents used ambulation aids (30%), manual (34%), and power wheelchairs (30%). Indicators of device quality had a moderating effect on participation outcomes, with 3 device quality variables (repairability, ease of maintenance, device reliability) accounting for 20% of the variance in participation. Wheelchair users reported lower participation enfranchisement than did ambulation aid users. Mobility device quality plays an important role in participation outcomes. It is critical that people have access to mobility devices and that these devices be reliable. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Performance characteristics of a novel blood bag in-line closure device and subsequent product quality assessment

    PubMed Central

    Serrano, Katherine; Levin, Elena; Culibrk, Brankica; Weiss, Sandra; Scammell, Ken; Boecker, Wolfgang F; Devine, Dana V

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND In high-volume processing environments, manual breakage of in-line closures can result in repetitive strain injury (RSI). Furthermore, these closures may be incorrectly opened causing shear-induced hemolysis. To overcome the variability of in-line closure use and minimize RSI, Fresenius Kabi developed a new in-line closure, the CompoFlow, with mechanical openers. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS The consistency of the performance of the CompoFlow closure device was assessed, as was its effect on component quality. A total of 188 RBC units using CompoFlow blood bag systems and 43 using the standard bag systems were produced using the buffy coat manufacturing method. Twenty-six CompoFlow platelet (PLT) concentrates and 10 control concentrates were prepared from pools of four buffy coats. RBCs were assessed on Days 1, 21, and 42 for cellular variables and hemolysis. PLTs were assessed on Days 1, 3, and 7 for morphology, CD62P expression, glucose, lactate, and pH. A total of 308 closures were excised after processing and the apertures were measured using digital image analysis. RESULTS The use of the CompoFlow device significantly improved the mean extraction time with 0.46 ± 0.11 sec/mL for the CompoFlow units and 0.52 ± 0.13 sec/mL for the control units. The CompoFlow closures showed a highly reproducible aperture after opening (coefficient of variation, 15%) and the device always remained opened. PLT and RBC products showed acceptable storage variables with no differences between CompoFlow and control. CONCLUSIONS The CompoFlow closure devices improved the level of process control and processing time of blood component production with no negative effects on product quality. PMID:20529007

  17. Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality.

    PubMed

    Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

    2017-05-04

    The article describes the results of the project "open source smart lamp" aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ.

  18. Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality

    PubMed Central

    Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

    2017-01-01

    The article describes the results of the project “open source smart lamp” aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ. PMID:28471398

  19. System for remote control of underground device

    DOEpatents

    Brumleve, T.D.; Hicks, M.G.; Jones, M.O.

    1975-10-21

    A system is described for remote control of an underground device, particularly a nuclear explosive. The system includes means at the surface of the ground for transmitting a seismic signal sequence through the earth having controlled and predetermined signal characteristics for initiating a selected action in the device. Additional apparatus, located with or adjacent to the underground device, produces electrical signals in response to the seismic signals received and compares these electrical signals with the predetermined signal characteristics.

  20. Traffic control device conspicuity, TechBrief

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-09-01

    The conspicuity of a traffic control device (TCD) is defined as the probability that the device will be noticed. However, there is no agreed-upon measure of what constitutes being noticed. Various measures such as eye fixations, recall, and other ver...

  1. Sperm quality assessment via separation and sedimentation in a microfluidic device.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chang-Yu; Chiang, Tsun-Chao; Lin, Cheng-Ming; Lin, Shu-Sheng; Jong, De-Shien; Tsai, Vincent F-S; Hsieh, Ju-Ton; Wo, Andrew M

    2013-09-07

    A major reason for infertility is due to male factors, including the quality of spermatozoa, which is a primary factor and often difficult to assess, particularly the total sperm concentration and its motile percentage. This work presents a simple microfluidic device to assess sperm quality by quantifying both total and motile sperm counts. The key design feature of the microfluidic device is two channels separated by a permeative phase-guide structure, where one channel is filled with raw semen and the other with pure buffer. The semen sample was allowed to reach equilibrium in both chambers, whereas non-motile sperms remained in the original channel, and roughly half of the motile sperms would swim across the phase-guide barrier into the buffer channel. Sperms in each channel agglomerated into pellets after centrifugation, with the corresponding area representing total and motile sperm concentrations. Total sperm concentration up to 10(8) sperms per ml and motile percentage in the range of 10-70% were tested, encompassing the cutoff value of 40% stated by World Health Organization standards. Results from patient samples show compact and robust pellets after centrifugation. Comparison of total sperm concentration between the microfluidic device and the Makler chamber reveal they agree within 5% and show strong correlation, with a coefficient of determination of R(2) = 0.97. Motile sperm count between the microfluidic device and the Makler chamber agrees within 5%, with a coefficient of determination of R(2) = 0.84. Comparison of results from the Makler Chamber, sperm quality analyzer, and the microfluidic device revealed that results from the microfluidic device agree well with the Makler chamber. The sperm microfluidic chip analyzes both total and motile sperm concentrations in one spin, is accurate and easy to use, and should enable sperm quality analysis with ease.

  2. Evaluation of Motor Control Using Haptic Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nuruki, Atsuo; Kawabata, Takuro; Shimozono, Tomoyuki; Yamada, Masafumi; Yunokuchi, Kazutomo

    When the kinesthesia and the touch act at the same time, such perception is called haptic perception. This sense has the key role in motor information on the force and position control. The haptic perception is important in the field where the evaluation of the motor control is needed. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the motor control, perception of heaviness and distance in normal and fatigue conditions using psychophysical experiment. We used a haptic device in order to generate precise force and distance, but the precedent of the evaluation system with the haptic device has been few. Therefore, it is another purpose to examine whether the haptic device is useful as evaluation system for the motor control. The psychophysical quantity of force and distance was measured by two kinds of experiments. Eight healthy subjects participated in this study. The stimulation was presented by haptic device [PHANTOM Omni: SensAble Company]. The subjects compared between standard and test stimulation, and answered it had felt which stimulation was strong. In the result of the psychophysical quantity of force, just noticeable difference (JND) had a significant difference, and point of subjective equality (PSE) was not different between normal and muscle fatigue. On the other hand, in the result of the psychophysical quantity of distance, JND and PSE were not difference between normal and muscle fatigue. These results show that control of force was influenced, but control of distance was not influenced in muscle fatigue. Moreover, these results suggested that the haptic device is useful as the evaluation system for the motor control.

  3. New device architecture of a thermoelectric energy conversion for recovering low-quality heat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Hoon; Park, Sung-Geun; Jung, Buyoung; Hwang, Junphil; Kim, Woochul

    2014-03-01

    Low-quality heat is generally discarded for economic reasons; a low-cost energy conversion device considering price per watt, /W, is required to recover this waste heat. Thin-film based thermoelectric devices could be a superior alternative for this purpose, based on their low material consumption; however, power generated in conventional thermoelectric device architecture is negligible due to the small temperature drop across the thin film. To overcome this challenge, we propose new device architecture, and demonstrate approximately 60 Kelvin temperature differences using a thick polymer nanocomposite. The temperature differences were achieved by separating the thermal path from the electrical path; whereas in conventional device architecture, both electrical charges and thermal energy share same path. We also applied this device to harvest body heat and confirmed its usability as an energy conversion device for recovering low-quality heat.

  4. 40 CFR 65.150 - Absorbers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with an absorber used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Absorbers used as control devices. 65... (CONTINUED) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a Fuel Gas...

  5. 40 CFR 65.150 - Absorbers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with an absorber used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Absorbers used as control devices. 65... (CONTINUED) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a Fuel Gas...

  6. 40 CFR 65.150 - Absorbers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with an absorber used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Absorbers used as control devices. 65... (CONTINUED) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a Fuel Gas...

  7. REMOTE CONTROLLED SWITCHING DEVICE

    DOEpatents

    Hobbs, J.C.

    1959-02-01

    An electrical switching device which can be remotely controlled and in which one or more switches may be accurately operated at predetermined times or with predetermined intervening time intervals is described. The switching device consists essentially of a deck, a post projecting from the deck at right angles thereto, cam means mounted for rotation around said posts and a switch connected to said deck and actuated by said cam means. Means is provided for rotating the cam means at a constant speed and the switching apparatus is enclosed in a sealed container with external adjusting means and electrical connection elements.

  8. Research on charging and discharging control strategy for electric vehicles as distributed energy storage devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Min; Yang, Feng; Zhang, Dongqing; Tang, Pengcheng

    2018-02-01

    A large number of electric vehicles are connected to the family micro grid will affect the operation safety of the power grid and the quality of power. Considering the factors of family micro grid price and electric vehicle as a distributed energy storage device, a two stage optimization model is established, and the improved discrete binary particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the parameters in the model. The proposed control strategy of electric vehicle charging and discharging is of practical significance for the rational control of electric vehicle as a distributed energy storage device and electric vehicle participating in the peak load regulation of power consumption.

  9. Wind turbine remote control using Android devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rat, C. L.; Panoiu, M.

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes the remote control of a wind turbine system over the internet using an Android device, namely a tablet or a smartphone. The wind turbine workstation contains a LabVIEW program which monitors the entire wind turbine energy conversion system (WECS). The Android device connects to the LabVIEW application, working as a remote interface to the wind turbine. The communication between the devices needs to be secured because it takes place over the internet. Hence, the data are encrypted before being sent through the network. The scope was the design of remote control software capable of visualizing real-time wind turbine data through a secure connection. Since the WECS is fully automated and no full-time human operator exists, unattended access to the turbine workstation is needed. Therefore the device must not require any confirmation or permission from the computer operator in order to control it. Another condition is that Android application does not have any root requirements.

  10. Design control considerations for biologic-device combination products.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Dave; Liu, Roger; Anand Subramony, J; Cammack, Jon

    2017-03-01

    Combination products are therapeutic and diagnostic medical products that combine drugs, devices, and/or biological products with one another. Historically, biologics development involved identifying efficacious doses administered to patients intravenously or perhaps by a syringe. Until fairly recently, there has been limited focus on developing an accompanying medical device, such as a prefilled syringe or auto-injector, to enable easy and more efficient delivery. For the last several years, and looking forward, where there may be little to distinguish biologics medicines with relatively similar efficacy profiles, the biotechnology market is beginning to differentiate products by patient-focused, biologic-device based combination products. As innovative as biologic-device combination products are, they can pose considerable development, regulatory, and commercialization challenges due to unique physicochemical properties and special clinical considerations (e.g., dosing volumes, frequency, co-medications, etc.) of the biologic medicine. A biologic-device combination product is a marriage between two partners with "cultural differences," so to speak. There are clear differences in the development, review, and commercialization processes of the biologic and the device. When these two cultures come together in a combination product, developers and reviewers must find ways to address the design controls and risk management processes of both the biologic and device, and knit them into a single entity with supporting product approval documentation. Moreover, digital medicine and connected health trends are pushing the boundaries of combination product development and regulations even further. Despite an admirable cooperation between industry and FDA in recent years, unique product configurations and design features have resulted in review challenges. These challenges have prompted agency reviewers to modernize consultation processes, while at the same time, promoting

  11. 40 CFR 65.152 - Carbon adsorbers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... control device. If an owner or operator elects to replace a control device on a Group 1 process vent or... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Carbon adsorbers used as control... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a...

  12. 3D elastic control for mobile devices.

    PubMed

    Hachet, Martin; Pouderoux, Joachim; Guitton, Pascal

    2008-01-01

    To increase the input space of mobile devices, the authors developed a proof-of-concept 3D elastic controller that easily adapts to mobile devices. This embedded device improves the completion of high-level interaction tasks such as visualization of large documents and navigation in 3D environments. It also opens new directions for tomorrow's mobile applications.

  13. Application of reiteration of Hankel singular value decomposition in quality control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staniszewski, Michał; Skorupa, Agnieszka; Boguszewicz, Łukasz; Michalczuk, Agnieszka; Wereszczyński, Kamil; Wicher, Magdalena; Konopka, Marek; Sokół, Maria; Polański, Andrzej

    2017-07-01

    Medical centres are obliged to store past medical records, including the results of quality assurance (QA) tests of the medical equipment, which is especially useful in checking reproducibility of medical devices and procedures. Analysis of multivariate time series is an important part of quality control of NMR data. In this work we proposean anomaly detection tool based on Reiteration of Hankel Singular Value Decomposition method. The presented method was compared with external software and authors obtained comparable results.

  14. Control system and method for prosthetic devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the movable body part through the full-shrug position of the movable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the movable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective movable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  15. Image Quality Characteristics of Handheld Display Devices for Medical Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Yamazaki, Asumi; Liu, Peter; Cheng, Wei-Chung; Badano, Aldo

    2013-01-01

    Handheld devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers have become widespread with thousands of available software applications. Recently, handhelds are being proposed as part of medical imaging solutions, especially in emergency medicine, where immediate consultation is required. However, handheld devices differ significantly from medical workstation displays in terms of display characteristics. Moreover, the characteristics vary significantly among device types. We investigate the image quality characteristics of various handheld devices with respect to luminance response, spatial resolution, spatial noise, and reflectance. We show that the luminance characteristics of the handheld displays are different from those of workstation displays complying with grayscale standard target response suggesting that luminance calibration might be needed. Our results also demonstrate that the spatial characteristics of handhelds can surpass those of medical workstation displays particularly for recent generation devices. While a 5 mega-pixel monochrome workstation display has horizontal and vertical modulation transfer factors of 0.52 and 0.47 at the Nyquist frequency, the handheld displays released after 2011 can have values higher than 0.63 at the respective Nyquist frequencies. The noise power spectra for workstation displays are higher than 1.2×10−5 mm2 at 1 mm−1, while handheld displays have values lower than 3.7×10−6 mm2. Reflectance measurements on some of the handheld displays are consistent with measurements for workstation displays with, in some cases, low specular and diffuse reflectance coefficients. The variability of the characterization results among devices due to the different technological features indicates that image quality varies greatly among handheld display devices. PMID:24236113

  16. Nanomechanical control of optical field and quality factor in photonic crystal structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cotrufo, Michele; Midolo, Leonardo; Zobenica, Žarko; Petruzzella, Maurangelo; van Otten, Frank W. M.; Fiore, Andrea

    2018-03-01

    Actively controlling the properties of localized optical modes is crucial for cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments. While several methods to tune the optical frequency have been demonstrated, the possibility of controlling the shape of the modes has scarcely been investigated. Yet an active manipulation of the mode pattern would allow direct control of the mode volume and the quality factor and therefore of the radiative processes. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a nano-optoelectromechanical device in which a mechanical displacement affects the spatial pattern of the electromagnetic field. The device is based on a double-membrane photonic crystal waveguide which, upon bending, creates a spatial modulation of the effective refractive index, resulting in an effective potential well or antiwell for the optical modes. The change in the field pattern drastically affects the optical losses: large modulations of the quality factors and dissipative coupling rates larger than 1 GHz/nm are predicted by calculations and confirmed by experiments. This concept opens new avenues in solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics in which the field, instead of the frequency, is coupled to the mechanical motion.

  17. Image quality and stability of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) devices: A comparative study.

    PubMed

    Stock, Markus; Pasler, Marlies; Birkfellner, Wolfgang; Homolka, Peter; Poetter, Richard; Georg, Dietmar

    2009-10-01

    Our aim was to implement standards for quality assurance of IGRT devices used in our department and to compare their performances with that of a CT simulator. We investigated image quality parameters for three devices over a period of 16months. A multislice CT was used as a benchmark and results related to noise, spatial resolution, low contrast visibility (LCV) and uniformity were compared with a cone beam CT (CBCT) at a linac and simulator. All devices performed well in terms of LCV and, in fact, exceeded vendor specifications. MTF was comparable between CT and linac CBCT. Integral nonuniformity was, on average, 0.002 for the CT and 0.006 for the linac CBCT. Uniformity, LCV and MTF varied depending on the protocols used for the linac CBCT. Contrast-to-noise ratio was an average of 51% higher for the CT than for the linac and simulator CBCT. No significant time trend was observed and tolerance limits were implemented. Reasonable differences in image quality between CT and CBCT were observed. Further research and development are necessary to increase image quality of commercially available CBCT devices in order for them to serve the needs for adaptive and/or online planning.

  18. Meta-Review of the Quantity and Quality of Evidence for Knee Arthroplasty Devices.

    PubMed

    Gagliardi, Anna R; Ducey, Ariel; Lehoux, Pascale; Ross, Sue; Trbovich, Patricia; Easty, Anthony; Bell, Chaim; Takata, Julie; Pabinger, Christof; Urbach, David R

    2016-01-01

    Some cardiovascular devices are licensed based on limited evidence, potentially exposing patients to devices that are not safe or effective. Research is needed to ascertain if the same is true of other types of medical devices. Knee arthroplasty is a widely-used surgical procedure yet implant failures are not uncommon. The purpose of this study was to characterize available evidence on the safety and effectiveness of knee implants. A review of primary studies included in health technology assessments (HTA) on total (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Biotechnology & BioEngineering Abstracts were searched from 2005 to 2014, plus journal tables of contents and 32 HTA web sites. Patients were aged 18 and older who underwent primary TKA or UKA assessed in cohort or randomized controlled studies. Summary statistics were used to report study characteristics. A total of 265 eligible primary studies published between 1986 and 2014 involving 59,217 patients were identified in 10 HTAs (2 low, 7 moderate, 1 high risk of bias). Most evaluated TKA (198, 74.5%). The quality of evidence in primary studies was limited. Most studies were industry-funded (23.8%) or offered no declaration of funding or conflict of interest (44.9%); based on uncontrolled single cohorts (58.5%), enrolled fewer than 100 patients (66.4%), and followed patients for 2 years or less (UKA: single cohort 29.8%, comparative cohort 16.7%, randomized trial 25.0%; TKA: single cohort 25.0%, comparative cohort 31.4%, randomized trial 48.6%). Furthermore, most devices were evaluated in only one study (55.3% TKA implants, 61.1% UKA implants). Patients, physicians, hospitals and payers rely on poor-quality evidence to support decisions about knee implants. Further research is needed to explore how decisions about the use of devices are currently made, and how the evidence base for device safety and effectiveness can be strengthened.

  19. End-tidal carbon dioxide output in manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation versus active compression-decompression device during prehospital quality controlled resuscitation: a case series study.

    PubMed

    Setälä, Piritta Anniina; Virkkunen, Ilkka Tapani; Kämäräinen, Antti Jaakko; Huhtala, Heini Sisko Annamari; Virta, Janne Severi; Yli-Hankala, Arvi Mikael; Hoppu, Sanna Elisa

    2018-05-16

    Active compression-decompression (ACD) devices have enhanced end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ) output in experimental cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) studies. However, the results in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients have shown inconsistent outcomes, and earlier studies lacked quality control of CPR attempts. We compared manual CPR with ACD-CPR by measuring ETCO 2 output using an audiovisual feedback defibrillator to ensure continuous high quality resuscitation attempts. 10 witnessed OHCAs were resuscitated, rotating a 2 min cycle with manual CPR and a 2 min cycle of ACD-CPR. Patients were intubated and the ventilation rate was held constant during CPR. CPR quality parameters and ETCO 2 values were collected continuously with the defibrillator. Differences in ETCO 2 output between manual CPR and ACD-CPR were analysed using a linear mixed model where ETCO 2 output produced by a summary of the 2 min cycles was included as the dependent variable, the patient as a random factor and method as a fixed effect. These comparisons were made within each OHCA case to minimise confounding factors between the cases. Mean length of the CPR episodes was 37 (SD 8) min. Mean compression depth was 76 (SD 1.3) mm versus 71 (SD1.0) mm, and mean compression rate was 100 per min (SD 6.7) versus 105 per min (SD 4.9) between ACD-CPR and manual CPR, respectively. For ETCO 2 output, the interaction between the method and the patient was significant (P<0.001). ETCO 2 output was higher with manual CPR in 6 of the 10 cases. This study suggests that quality controlled ACD-CPR is not superior to quality controlled manual CPR when ETCO 2 is used as a quantitative measure of CPR effectiveness. NCT00951704; Results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. Thermally activated hysteresis in high quality graphene/h-BN devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cadore, A. R., E-mail: alissoncadore@gmail.com, E-mail: lccampos@fisica.ufmg.br; Mania, E.; Lacerda, R. G.

    2016-06-06

    We report on gate hysteresis of resistance in high quality graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) devices. We observe a thermally activated hysteretic behavior in resistance as a function of the applied gate voltage at temperatures above 375 K. In order to investigate the origin of the hysteretic phenomenon, we compare graphene/h-BN heterostructure devices with SiO{sub 2}/Si back gate electrodes to devices with graphite back gate electrodes. The gate hysteretic behavior of the resistance is present only in devices with an h-BN/SiO{sub 2} interface and is dependent on the orientation of the applied gate electric field and sweep rate. We describe a phenomenologicalmore » model which captures all of our findings based on charges trapped at the h-BN/SiO{sub 2} interface. Such hysteretic behavior in graphene resistance must be considered in high temperature applications for graphene devices and may open new routes for applications in digital electronics and memory devices.« less

  1. Impact of Mobility Device Use on Quality of Life in Children With Friedreich Ataxia.

    PubMed

    Ejaz, Resham; Chen, Shiyi; Isaacs, Charles J; Carnevale, Amanda; Wilson, Judith; George, Kristen; Delatycki, Martin B; Perlman, Susan L; Mathews, Katherine D; Wilmot, George R; Hoyle, J Chad; Subramony, Sub H; Zesiewicz, Theresa; Farmer, Jennifer M; Lynch, David R; Yoon, Grace

    2018-05-01

    To determine how mobility device use impacts quality of life in children with Friedreich ataxia. Data from 111 pediatric patients with genetically confirmed Friedreich ataxia were collected from a prospective natural history study utilizing standardized clinical evaluations, including health-related quality of life using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Module. Mobility device use was associated with worse mean PedsQL total, physical, emotional, social, and academic subscores, after adjusting for gender, age of disease onset, and Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale score. The magnitude of the difference was greatest for the physical subscore (-19.5 points, 95% CI = -30.00, -8.99, P < .001) and least for the emotional subscore (-10.61 points, 95% CI = -20.21, -1.02, P = .03). Transition to or between mobility devices trended toward worse physical subscore (-16.20 points, 95% CI = -32.07, -0.33, P = .05). Mobility device use is associated with significant worsening of all domains of quality of life in children with Friedreich ataxia.

  2. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... conditions of airspeed, engine power, and airplane attitude. (d) The lift device control must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Lift and drag devices, controls. 25.697... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25...

  3. A portable device for rapid nondestructive detection of fresh meat quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Wan; Peng, Yankun

    2014-05-01

    Quality attributes of fresh meat influence nutritional value and consumers' purchasing power. In order to meet the demand of inspection department for portable device, a rapid and nondestructive detection device for fresh meat quality based on ARM (Advanced RISC Machines) processor and VIS/NIR technology was designed. Working principal, hardware composition, software system and functional test were introduced. Hardware system consisted of ARM processing unit, light source unit, detection probe unit, spectral data acquisition unit, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) touch screen display unit, power unit and the cooling unit. Linux operating system and quality parameters acquisition processing application were designed. This system has realized collecting spectral signal, storing, displaying and processing as integration with the weight of 3.5 kg. 40 pieces of beef were used in experiment to validate the stability and reliability. The results indicated that prediction model developed using PLSR method using SNV as pre-processing method had good performance, with the correlation coefficient of 0.90 and root mean square error of 1.56 for validation set for L*, 0.95 and 1.74 for a*,0.94 and 0.59 for b*, 0.88 and 0.13 for pH, 0.79 and 12.46 for tenderness, 0.89 and 0.91 for water content, respectively. The experimental result shows that this device can be a useful tool for detecting quality of meat.

  4. Image quality and stability of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) devices: A comparative study

    PubMed Central

    Stock, Markus; Pasler, Marlies; Birkfellner, Wolfgang; Homolka, Peter; Poetter, Richard; Georg, Dietmar

    2010-01-01

    Introduction Our aim was to implement standards for quality assurance of IGRT devices used in our department and to compare their performances with that of a CT simulator. Materials and methods We investigated image quality parameters for three devices over a period of 16 months. A multislice CT was used as a benchmark and results related to noise, spatial resolution, low contrast visibility (LCV) and uniformity were compared with a cone beam CT (CBCT) at a linac and simulator. Results All devices performed well in terms of LCV and, in fact, exceeded vendor specifications. MTF was comparable between CT and linac CBCT. Integral nonuniformity was, on average, 0.002 for the CT and 0.006 for the linac CBCT. Uniformity, LCV and MTF varied depending on the protocols used for the linac CBCT. Contrast-to-noise ratio was an average of 51% higher for the CT than for the linac and simulator CBCT. No significant time trend was observed and tolerance limits were implemented. Discussion Reasonable differences in image quality between CT and CBCT were observed. Further research and development are necessary to increase image quality of commercially available CBCT devices in order for them to serve the needs for adaptive and/or online planning. PMID:19695725

  5. Quality Leadership and Quality Control

    PubMed Central

    Badrick, Tony

    2003-01-01

    Different quality control rules detect different analytical errors with varying levels of efficiency depending on the type of error present, its prevalence and the number of observations. The efficiency of a rule can be gauged by inspection of a power function graph. Control rules are only part of a process and not an end in itself; just as important are the trouble-shooting systems employed when a failure occurs. 'Average of patient normals' may develop as a usual adjunct to conventional quality control serum based programmes. Acceptable error can be based on various criteria; biological variation is probably the most sensible. Once determined, acceptable error can be used as limits in quality control rule systems. A key aspect of an organisation is leadership, which links the various components of the quality system. Leadership is difficult to characterise but its key aspects include trust, setting an example, developing staff and critically setting the vision for the organisation. Organisations also have internal characteristics such as the degree of formalisation, centralisation, and complexity. Medical organisations can have internal tensions because of the dichotomy between the bureaucratic and the shadow medical structures. PMID:18568046

  6. Principles and Practices for Quality Assurance and Quality Control

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Berwyn E.

    1999-01-01

    Quality assurance and quality control are vital parts of highway runoff water-quality monitoring projects. To be effective, project quality assurance must address all aspects of the project, including project management responsibilities and resources, data quality objectives, sampling and analysis plans, data-collection protocols, data quality-control plans, data-assessment procedures and requirements, and project outputs. Quality control ensures that the data quality objectives are achieved as planned. The historical development and current state of the art of quality assurance and quality control concepts described in this report can be applied to evaluation of data from prior projects.

  7. Micro-Scalable Thermal Control Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moran, Matthew E. (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    A microscalable thermal control module consists of a Stirling cycle cooler that can be manipulated to operate at a selected temperature within the heating and cooling range of the module. The microscalable thermal control module is particularly suited for controlling the temperature of devices that must be maintained at precise temperatures. It is particularly suited for controlling the temperature of devices that need to be alternately heated or cooled. The module contains upper and lower opposing diaphragms, with a regenerator region containing a plurality of regenerators interposed between the diaphragms. Gaps exist on each side of each diaphragm to permit it to oscillate freely. The gap on the interior side one diaphragm is in fluid connection with the gap on the interior side of the other diaphragm through regenerators. As the diaphragms oscillate working gas is forced through the regenerators. The surface area of each regenerator is sufficiently large to effectively transfer thermal energy to and from the working gas as it is passed through them. The phase and amplitude of the oscillations can be manipulated electronically to control the steady state temperature of the active thermal control surface, and to switch the operation of the module from cooling to heating, or vice versa. The ability of the microscalable thermal control module to heat and cool may be enhanced by operating a plurality of modules in series, in parallel, or in connection through a shared bottom layer.

  8. 40 CFR 65.151 - Condensers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... the design evaluation for storage vessels and low-throughput transfer rack controls. As provided in... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with a condenser used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Condensers used as control devices. 65...

  9. 40 CFR 65.151 - Condensers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the design evaluation for storage vessels and low-throughput transfer rack controls. As provided in... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with a condenser used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Condensers used as control devices. 65...

  10. 40 CFR 65.151 - Condensers used as control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... the design evaluation for storage vessels and low-throughput transfer rack controls. As provided in... control device on a Group 1 process vent or a high-throughput transfer rack with a condenser used as a... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Condensers used as control devices. 65...

  11. 21 CFR 820.130 - Device packaging.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Device packaging. 820.130 Section 820.130 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Labeling and Packaging Control § 820.130 Device packaging. Each manufacturer...

  12. 21 CFR 820.120 - Device labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Device labeling. 820.120 Section 820.120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Labeling and Packaging Control § 820.120 Device labeling. Each manufacturer...

  13. New patient-controlled abdominal compression method in radiography: radiation dose and image quality.

    PubMed

    Piippo-Huotari, Oili; Norrman, Eva; Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Geijer, Håkan

    2018-05-01

    The radiation dose for patients can be reduced with many methods and one way is to use abdominal compression. In this study, the radiation dose and image quality for a new patient-controlled compression device were compared with conventional compression and compression in the prone position . To compare radiation dose and image quality of patient-controlled compression compared with conventional and prone compression in general radiography. An experimental design with quantitative approach. After obtaining the approval of the ethics committee, a consecutive sample of 48 patients was examined with the standard clinical urography protocol. The radiation doses were measured as dose-area product and analyzed with a paired t-test. The image quality was evaluated by visual grading analysis. Four radiologists evaluated each image individually by scoring nine criteria modified from the European quality criteria for diagnostic radiographic images. There was no significant difference in radiation dose or image quality between conventional and patient-controlled compression. Prone position resulted in both higher dose and inferior image quality. Patient-controlled compression gave similar dose levels as conventional compression and lower than prone compression. Image quality was similar with both patient-controlled and conventional compression and was judged to be better than in the prone position.

  14. Implementation of Adaptive Digital Controllers on Programmable Logic Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gwaltney, David A.; King, Kenneth D.; Smith, Keary J.; Montenegro, Justino (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Much has been made of the capabilities of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's) in the hardware implementation of fast digital signal processing functions. Such capability also makes an FPGA a suitable platform for the digital implementation of closed loop controllers. Other researchers have implemented a variety of closed-loop digital controllers on FPGA's. Some of these controllers include the widely used Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, state space controllers, neural network and fuzzy logic based controllers. There are myriad advantages to utilizing an FPGA for discrete-time control functions which include the capability for reconfiguration when SRAM- based FPGA's are employed, fast parallel implementation of multiple control loops and implementations that can meet space level radiation tolerance requirements in a compact form-factor. Generally, a software implementation on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) device or microcontroller is used to implement digital controllers. At Marshall Space Flight Center, the Control Electronics Group has been studying adaptive discrete-time control of motor driven actuator systems using DSP devices. While small form factor, commercial DSP devices are now available with event capture, data conversion, Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) outputs and communication peripherals, these devices are not currently available in designs and packages which meet space level radiation requirements. In general, very few DSP devices are produced that are designed to meet any level of radiation tolerance or hardness. An alternative is required for compact implementation of such functionality to withstand the harsh environment encountered on spacemap. The goal of this effort is to create a fully digital, flight ready controller design that utilizes an FPGA for implementation of signal conditioning for control feedback signals, generation of commands to the controlled system, and hardware insertion of adaptive-control algorithm

  15. Non- contacting capacitive diagnostic device

    DOEpatents

    Ellison, Timothy

    2005-07-12

    A non-contacting capacitive diagnostic device includes a pulsed light source for producing an electric field in a semiconductor or photovoltaic device or material to be evaluated and a circuit responsive to the electric field. The circuit is not in physical contact with the device or material being evaluated and produces an electrical signal characteristic of the electric field produced in the device or material. The diagnostic device permits quality control and evaluation of semiconductor or photovoltaic device properties in continuous manufacturing processes.

  16. Crystal growth of device quality GaAs in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, H. C.; Lagowski, J.

    1984-01-01

    The crystal growth, device processing and device related properties and phenomena of GaAs are investigated. Our GaAs research evolves about these key thrust areas. The overall program combines: (1) studies of crystal growth on novel approaches to engineering of semiconductor materials (i.e., GaAs and related compounds); (2) investigation and correlation of materials properties and electronic characteristics on a macro- and microscale; (3) investigation of electronic properties and phenomena controlling device applications and device performance. The ground based program is developed which would insure successful experimentation with and eventually processing of GaAs in a near zero gravity environment.

  17. 21 CFR 820.130 - Device packaging.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Device packaging. 820.130 Section 820.130 Food and... QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Labeling and Packaging Control § 820.130 Device packaging. Each manufacturer shall ensure that device packaging and shipping containers are designed and constructed to protect the...

  18. Variable control of neutron albedo in toroidal fusion devices

    DOEpatents

    Jassby, D.L.; Micklich, B.J.

    1983-06-01

    This invention pertains to methods of controlling in the steady state, neutron albedo in toroidal fusion devices, and in particular, to methods of controlling the flux and energy distribution of collided neutrons which are incident on an outboard wall of a toroidal fusion device.

  19. Emulating Industrial Control System Field Devices Using Gumstix Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    EMULATING INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEM FIELD DEVICES USING GUMSTIX TECHNOLOGY THESIS Dustin J...APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the...EMULATING INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEM FIELD DEVICES USING GUMSTIX TECHNOLOGY THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of

  20. 75 FR 391 - Medical Device Quality System Regulation Educational Forum on Risk Management Through the Product...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-05

    ...] Medical Device Quality System Regulation Educational Forum on Risk Management Through the Product Life...), is announcing a public workshop entitled ``Medical Device Quality System Regulation Educational Forum on Risk Management through the Product Life Cycle.'' This public workshop is intended to provide...

  1. Highly tunable local gate controlled complementary graphene device performing as inverter and voltage controlled resistor.

    PubMed

    Kim, Wonjae; Riikonen, Juha; Li, Changfeng; Chen, Ya; Lipsanen, Harri

    2013-10-04

    Using single-layer CVD graphene, a complementary field effect transistor (FET) device is fabricated on the top of separated back-gates. The local back-gate control of the transistors, which operate with low bias at room temperature, enables highly tunable device characteristics due to separate control over electrostatic doping of the channels. Local back-gating allows control of the doping level independently of the supply voltage, which enables device operation with very low VDD. Controllable characteristics also allow the compensation of variation in the unintentional doping typically observed in CVD graphene. Moreover, both p-n and n-p configurations of FETs can be achieved by electrostatic doping using the local back-gate. Therefore, the device operation can also be switched from inverter to voltage controlled resistor, opening new possibilities in using graphene in logic circuitry.

  2. In vitro development of donated frozen-thawed human embryos in a prototype static microfluidic device: a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Kieslinger, Dorit C; Hao, Zhenxia; Vergouw, Carlijn G; Kostelijk, Elisabeth H; Lambalk, Cornelis B; Le Gac, Séverine

    2015-03-01

    To compare the development of human embryos in microfluidic devices with culture in standard microdrop dishes, both under static conditions. Prospective randomized controlled trial. In vitro fertilization laboratory. One hundred eighteen donated frozen-thawed human day-4 embryos. Random allocation of embryos that fulfilled the inclusion criteria to single-embryo culture in a microfluidics device (n = 58) or standard microdrop dish (n = 60). Blastocyst formation rate and quality after 24, 28, 48, and 72 hours of culture. The percentage of frozen-thawed day-4 embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage did not differ significantly in the standard microdrop dishes and microfluidic devices after 28 hours of culture (53.3% vs. 58.6%) or at any of the other time points. The proportion of embryos that would have been suitable for embryo transfer was comparable after 28 hours of culture in the control dishes and microfluidic devices (90.0% vs. 93.1%). Furthermore, blastocyst quality was similar in the two study groups. This study shows that a microfluidic device can successfully support human blastocyst development in vitro under static culture conditions. Future studies need to clarify whether earlier stage embryos will benefit from the culture in microfluidic devices more than the tested day-4 embryos because many important steps in the development of human embryos already take place before day 4. Further improvements of the microfluidic device will include parallel culture of single embryos, application of medium refreshment, and built-in sensors. NTR3867. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. 49 CFR 236.501 - Forestalling device and speed control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Forestalling device and speed control. 236.501... Train Stop, Train Control and Cab Signal Systems Standards § 236.501 Forestalling device and speed... the following features: (1) Low-speed restriction, requiring the train to proceed under slow speed...

  4. 49 CFR 236.501 - Forestalling device and speed control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Forestalling device and speed control. 236.501... Train Stop, Train Control and Cab Signal Systems Standards § 236.501 Forestalling device and speed... the following features: (1) Low-speed restriction, requiring the train to proceed under slow speed...

  5. Advanced methods for controlling untethered magnetic devices using rotating magnetic fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahoney, Arthur W., Jr.

    This dissertation presents results documenting advancements on the control of untethered magnetic devices, such as magnetic "microrobots" and magnetically actuated capsule endoscopes, motivated by problems in minimally invasive medicine. This dissertation focuses on applying rotating magnetic fields for magnetic manipulation. The contributions include advancements in the way that helical microswimmers (devices that mimic the propulsion of bacterial flagella) are controlled in the presence of gravitational forces, advancements in ways that groups of untethered magnetic devices can be differentiated and semi-independently controlled, advancements in the way that untethered magnetic device can be controlled with a single rotating permanent magnet, and an improved understanding in the nature of the magnetic force applied to an untethered device by a rotating magnet.

  6. Infrared control coating of thin film devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berland, Brian Spencer; Stowell, Jr., Michael Wayne; Hollingsworth, Russell

    Systems and methods for creating an infrared-control coated thin film device with certain visible light transmittance and infrared reflectance properties are disclosed. The device may be made using various techniques including physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, thermal evaporation, pulsed laser deposition, sputter deposition, and sol-gel processes. In particular, a pulsed energy microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process may be used. Production of the device may occur at speeds greater than 50 Angstroms/second and temperatures lower than 200.degree. C.

  7. Determining Desirable Cursor Control Device Characteristics for NASA Exploration Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sandor, Aniko; Holden, Kritina L.

    2007-01-01

    A test battery was developed for cursor control device evaluation: four tasks were taken from ISO 9241-9, and three from previous studies conducted at NASA. The tasks focused on basic movements such as pointing, clicking, and dragging. Four cursor control devices were evaluated with and without Extravehicular Activity (EVA) gloves to identify desirable cursor control device characteristics for NASA missions: 1) the Kensington Expert Mouse, 2) the Hulapoint mouse, 3) the Logitech Marble Mouse, and 4) the Honeywell trackball. Results showed that: 1) the test battery is an efficient tool for differentiating among input devices, 2) gloved operations were about 1 second slower and had at least 15% more errors; 3) devices used with gloves have to be larger, and should allow good hand positioning to counteract the lack of tactile feedback, 4) none of the devices, as designed, were ideal for operation with EVA gloves.

  8. Compact, Controlled Resistance Exercise Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paulus, David C.; DeWitt, John K.; Reich, Alton J.; Shaw, James E.; Deaconu, Stelu S.

    2011-01-01

    Spaceflight leads to muscle and bone atrophy. Isoinertial (free-weight) exercises provide a sufficient stimulus to elicit increases in both muscle strength and bone mineral density in Earth-based studies. While exercise equipment is in use on the International Space Station for crewmember health maintenance, current devices are too large to place in a transport vehicle or small spacecraft. Therefore, a portable computer controlled resistance exercise device is being developed that is able to simulate the inertial loading experienced when lifting a mass on Earth. This portable device weighs less than 50 lb and can simulate the resistance of lifting and lowering up to 600 lb of free-weights. The objective is to allow crewmembers to perform resistance exercise with loads capable of maintaining muscle and bone health. The device is reconfigurable and allows for the performance of typical Earth-based free-weight exercises. Forces exerted, volume of work, range of motion, time-under-tension, and speed/ acceleration of movement are recorded and can be remotely monitored to track progress and modify individual protocols based on exercise session data. A performance evaluation will be completed and data will be presented that include ground-reaction force comparisons between the device and free-weight dead-lifts over a spectrum of resistance levels. Movement biomechanics will also be presented.

  9. QUALITY CONTROLS FOR PCR

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this presentation is to present an overview of the quality control (QC) sections of a draft EPA document entitled, "Quality Assurance/Quality Control Guidance for Laboratories Performing PCR Analyses on Environmental Samples." This document has been prepared by th...

  10. Control of Combustion-Instabilities Through Various Passive Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frendi, Abdelkader; Nesman, Tom; Canabal, Francisco

    2005-01-01

    Results of a computational study on the effectiveness of various passive devices for the control of combustion instabilities are presented. An axi-symmetric combustion chamber is considered. The passive control devices investigated are, baffles, Helmholtz resonators and quarter-waves. The results show that a Helmholtz resonator with a smooth orifice achieves the best control results, while a baffle is the least effective for the frequency tested. At high sound pressure levels, the Helmholtz resonator is less effective. It is also found that for a quarter wave, the smoothness of the orifice has the opposite effect than the Helmholtz resonator, i.e. results in less control.

  11. Elaboration and Device Complex Trial for Pipe Production of Raised Quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Privarnikov, J. K.; Vdovin, V. D.; Privarnikova, I. J.

    2002-01-01

    Technology and device for production of heightened quality pipes for arterial oil and gas conduits are created and inculcated on factual data of work of Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant. At present such pipes are made with using heat treatment in penetrated sectional stoves. Herewith big volume of natural gas is expended. Besides, it is observed an incomplete removal of residual stresses during heat treatment that adversely affects at operation pipe indexes and durability of welded seam. Researches, which authors have conducted, have shown that offered weakly annealing technology and device provide almost full removal of undesirable residual stresses that considerably raises durability of welded junctions and improves operation pipe indexes. Inculcation of offered technology in Ukraine at the same time will allow to reduce by 40-50 % natural gas expense, to raise ecological safety at the sacrifice of diminish of possible damages at conduits as well as to produce electric welded pipes of heightened quality. I am sending you the abstract of the report Elaboration and device complex trial for pipe production of heightened quality, reference number - IAC-02.V.6./1.7 - ? (Unfortunately number is lost. Please inform us the number of our report once again) authors Privarnikov J.K, Vdovin V.D., Privarnikova I.J. for presentation at the 53rd International Asnronautical Congress/ Professor Yu. Privarnikov

  12. [On-site quality control of acupuncture randomized controlled trial: design of content and checklist of quality control based on PICOST].

    PubMed

    Li, Hong-Jiao; He, Li-Yun; Liu, Zhi-Shun; Sun, Ya-Nan; Yan, Shi-Yan; Liu, Jia; Zhao, Ye; Liu, Bao-Yan

    2014-02-01

    To effectively guarantee quality of randomized controlld trial (RCT) of acupuncture and develop reasonable content and checklist of on-site quality control, influencing factors on quality of acupuncture RCT are analyzed and scientificity of quality control content and feasibility of on-site manipulation are put into overall consideration. Based on content and checklist of on-site quality control in National 11th Five-Year Plan Project Optimization of Comprehensive Treatment Plan for TCM in Prevention and Treatment of Serious Disease and Clinical Assessment on Generic Technology and Quality Control Research, it is proposed that on-site quality control of acupuncture RCT should be conducted with PICOST (patient, intervention, comparison, out come, site and time) as core, especially on quality control of interveners' skills and outcome assessment of blinding, and checklist of on-site quality control is developed to provide references for undertaking groups of the project.

  13. Slow-release fluoride devices for the control of dental decay.

    PubMed

    Chong, Lee Yee; Clarkson, Jan E; Dobbyn-Ross, Lorna; Bhakta, Smriti

    2014-11-28

    174 children comparing a slow-release fluoride device (glass beads with fluoride were attached to buccal surfaces of right maxillary first permanent molar teeth) against control (glass beads without fluoride were attached to buccal surfaces of right maxillary first permanent molar teeth). This study was assessed to be at high risk of bias. The study recruited children from seven schools in an area of deprivation that had low levels of fluoride in the water. The mean age at the beginning of the study was 8.8 years and at the termination was 10.9 years. DMFT in permanent teeth or dmft in primary teeth was greater than one at the start of the study and greater than one million colony-forming units of Streptococcus mutans per millilitre of saliva.Although 132 children were still included in the trial at the two-year completion point, examination and statistical analysis was performed on only the 63 children (31 in intervention group, 32 in control group) who had retained the beads (retention rate was 47.7% at two years). Among these 63 children, caries increment was reported to be statistically significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (DMFT: mean difference -0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.23 to -0.21; DMFS: mean difference -1.52, 95% CI -2.68 to -0.36 (very low quality evidence)). Although this difference was clinically significant, it only holds true for those children who maintain the fluoride beads; over 50% of children did not retain the beads.Harms were not reported within the trial report. Evidence for other outcomes sought in this review (progression to of caries lesion, dental pain, healthcare utilisation data) were also not reported. There is insufficeint evidence to determine the caries-inhibiting effect of slow-release fluoride glass beads. The body of evidence available is of very low quality and there is a potential overestimation of benefit to the average child. The applicability of the findings to the wider population

  14. Slow-release fluoride devices for the control of dental decay.

    PubMed

    Chong, Lee-Yee; Clarkson, Jan E; Dobbyn-Ross, Lorna; Bhakta, Smriti

    2018-03-01

    -release fluoride devices against other types of fluoride therapy.We found only one double-blind RCT involving 174 children comparing a slow-release fluoride device (glass beads with fluoride were attached to buccal surfaces of right maxillary first permanent molar teeth) against control (glass beads without fluoride were attached to buccal surfaces of right maxillary first permanent molar teeth). This study was assessed to be at high risk of bias. The study recruited children from seven schools in an area of deprivation that had low levels of fluoride in the water. The mean age at the beginning of the study was 8.8 years and at the termination was 10.9 years. DMFT in permanent teeth or dmft in primary teeth was greater than one at the start of the study and greater than one million colony-forming units of Streptococcus mutans per millilitre of saliva.Although 132 children were still included in the trial at the two-year completion point, examination and statistical analysis was performed on only the 63 children (31 in intervention group, 32 in control group) who had retained the beads (retention rate was 47.7% at 2 years). Among these 63 children, caries increment was reported to be statistically significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (DMFT: mean difference -0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.23 to -0.21; DMFS: mean difference -1.52, 95% CI -2.68 to -0.36 (very low-quality evidence)). Although this difference was clinically significant, it only holds true for those children who maintain the fluoride beads; over 50% of children did not retain the beads.Harms were not reported within the trial report. Evidence for other outcomes sought in this review (progression to of caries lesion, dental pain, healthcare utilisation data) were also not reported. There is insufficient evidence to determine the caries-inhibiting effect of slow-release fluoride glass beads. The body of evidence available is of very low quality and there is a potential

  15. CIEL*a*b* color space predictive models for colorimetry devices--analysis of perfume quality.

    PubMed

    Korifi, Rabia; Le Dréau, Yveline; Antinelli, Jean-François; Valls, Robert; Dupuy, Nathalie

    2013-01-30

    Color perception plays a major role in the consumer evaluation of perfume quality. Consumers need first to be entirely satisfied with the sensory properties of products, before other quality dimensions become relevant. The evaluation of complex mixtures color presents a challenge even for modern analytical techniques. A variety of instruments are available for color measurement. They can be classified as tristimulus colorimeters and spectrophotometers. Obsolescence of the electronics of old tristimulus colorimeter arises from the difficulty in finding repair parts and leads to its replacement by more modern instruments. High quality levels in color measurement, i.e., accuracy and reliability in color control are the major advantages of the new generation of color instrumentation, the integrating sphere spectrophotometer. Two models of spectrophotometer were tested in transmittance mode, employing the d/0° geometry. The CIEL(*)a(*)b(*) color space parameters were measured with each instrument for 380 samples of raw materials and bases used in the perfume compositions. The results were graphically compared between the colorimeter device and the spectrophotometer devices. All color space parameters obtained with the colorimeter were used as dependent variables to generate regression equations with values obtained from the spectrophotometers. The data was statistically analyzed to create predictive model between the reference and the target instruments through two methods. The first method uses linear regression analysis and the second method consists of partial least square regression (PLS) on each component. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. 32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

  17. 32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

  18. 32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

  19. 32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

  20. 32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

  1. Human research review of the TASER electronic control device.

    PubMed

    Ho, Jeffrey D; Dawes, Donald M; Heegaard, William G; Miner, James R

    2009-01-01

    TASER Electronic Control Devices have become mainstream methods of applying electricity to control unruly suspects. There has been speculation that they may be associated with worsening human physiology or death. The lay impressions that these devices are unsafe are not founded on known human research findings. This presentation briefly reviews the most pertinent human research on this subject.

  2. Crystal Growth of Device Quality Gaas in Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, H. C.

    1985-01-01

    The GaAs research evolves about these key thrust areas. The overall program combines: (1) studies of crystal growth on novel approaches to engineering of semiconductor material (i.e., GaAs and related compounds); (2) investigation and correlation of materials properties and electronic characteristics on a macro- and microscale; and (3) investigation of electronic properties and phenomena controlling device applications and device performance. This effort is aimed at the essential ground-based program which would insure successful experimentation with and eventually processing of GaAs in near zero gravity environment. It is believed that this program addresses in a unique way materials engineering aspects which bear directly on the future exploitation of the potential of GaAs and related materials in device and systems applications.

  3. A device for controlled jet injection of large volumes of liquid.

    PubMed

    Mckeage, James W; Ruddy, Bryan P; Nielsen, Poul M F; Taberner, Andrew J

    2016-08-01

    We present a needle-free jet injection device controllably actuated by a voice coil and capable of injecting up to 1.3 mL. This device is used to perform jet injections of ~900 μL into porcine tissue. This is the first time that delivery of such a large volume has been reported using an electronically controllable device. The controllability of this device is demonstrated with a series of ejections where the desired volume is ejected to within 1 % during an injection at a predetermined jet velocity.

  4. Simulation of devices mobility to estimate wireless channel quality metrics in 5G networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orlov, Yu.; Fedorov, S.; Samuylov, A.; Gaidamaka, Yu.; Molchanov, D.

    2017-07-01

    The problem of channel quality estimation for devices in a wireless 5G network is formulated. As a performance metrics of interest we choose the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, which depends essentially on the distance between the communicating devices. A model with a plurality of moving devices in a bounded three-dimensional space and a simulation algorithm to determine the distances between the devices for a given motion model are devised.

  5. Implementation of Adaptive Digital Controllers on Programmable Logic Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gwaltney, David A.; King, Kenneth D.; Smith, Keary J.; Monenegro, Justino (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Much has been made of the capabilities of FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) in the hardware implementation of fast digital signal processing. Such capability also makes an FPGA a suitable platform for the digital implementation of closed loop controllers. Other researchers have implemented a variety of closed-loop digital controllers on FPGA's. Some of these controllers include the widely used proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, state space controllers, neural network and fuzzy logic based controllers. There are myriad advantages to utilizing an FPGA for discrete-time control functions which include the capability for reconfiguration when SRAM-based FPGA's are employed, fast parallel implementation of multiple control loops and implementations that can meet space level radiation tolerance requirements in a compact form-factor. Generally, a software implementation on a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or microcontroller is used to implement digital controllers. At Marshall Space Flight Center, the Control Electronics Group has been studying adaptive discrete-time control of motor driven actuator systems using digital signal processor (DSP) devices. While small form factor, commercial DSP devices are now available with event capture, data conversion, pulse width modulated (PWM) outputs and communication peripherals, these devices are not currently available in designs and packages which meet space level radiation requirements. In general, very few DSP devices are produced that are designed to meet any level of radiation tolerance or hardness. The goal of this effort is to create a fully digital, flight ready controller design that utilizes an FPGA for implementation of signal conditioning for control feedback signals, generation of commands to the controlled system, and hardware insertion of adaptive control algorithm approaches. An alternative is required for compact implementation of such functionality to withstand the harsh environment

  6. Portable and wide-range solid-state transmission densitometer for quality control in film radiography

    PubMed Central

    Aramburo, Javier Morales; Gonzalez, Sigifredo Solano; Toledo, Jorge Toledo

    2010-01-01

    In biology, materials science, radiography quality control or film dosimetry in radiotherapy, a transmission densitometer is useful for measurements of optical density. The design proposed here is oriented to quality control in radiographic films. The instrument described here utilizes low-cost solid-state devices and is easy to construct. The use of 1-watt white light-emitting diode in this densitometer enables low power consumption and a cold light source. Moreover, the instrument does not need a reference light, which results in decreasing the number of parts and reducing the overall size of the apparatus. PMID:20927222

  7. 40 CFR 1700.14 - Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD... UNIFORM NATIONAL DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR VESSELS OF THE ARMED FORCES Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards § 1700.14 Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved] ...

  8. 40 CFR 1700.14 - Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD... UNIFORM NATIONAL DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR VESSELS OF THE ARMED FORCES Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards § 1700.14 Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved] ...

  9. 40 CFR 1700.14 - Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD... UNIFORM NATIONAL DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR VESSELS OF THE ARMED FORCES Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards § 1700.14 Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved] ...

  10. 40 CFR 1700.14 - Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD... UNIFORM NATIONAL DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR VESSELS OF THE ARMED FORCES Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards § 1700.14 Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved] ...

  11. 40 CFR 1700.14 - Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD... UNIFORM NATIONAL DISCHARGE STANDARDS FOR VESSELS OF THE ARMED FORCES Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards § 1700.14 Marine Pollution Control Device (MPCD) Performance Standards. [Reserved] ...

  12. Liver phantom for quality control and training in nuclear medicine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lima Ferreira, Fernanda Carla; Souza, Divanizia do Nascimento

    2011-10-01

    In nuclear medicine, liver scintigraphy aims to verify organ function based on the radionuclide concentration in the liver and bile flow and is also used to detect tumors. Therefore it is necessary to perform quality control tests in the gamma camera before running the exam to prevent false results. Quality control tests of the gamma camera should thus be performed before running the exam to prevent false results. Such tests generally use radioactive material inside phantoms for evaluation of gamma camera parameters in quality control procedures. Phantoms can also be useful for training doctors and technicians in nuclear medicine procedures. The phantom proposed here has artifacts that simulate nodules; it may take on different quantities, locations and sizes and it may also be mounted without the introduction of nodules. Thus, its images may show hot or cold nodules or no nodules. The phantom consists of acrylic plates hollowed out in the centre, with the geometry of an adult liver. Images for analyses of simulated liver scintigraphy were obtained with the detector device at 5 cm from the anterior surface of the phantom. These simulations showed that this object is suitable for quality control in nuclear medicine because it was possible to visualize artifacts larger than 7.9 mm using a 256×256 matrix and 1000 kcpm. The phantom constructed in this work will also be useful for training practitioners and technicians in order to prevent patients from repeat testing caused by error during examinations.

  13. Piezo Voltage Controlled Planar Hall Effect Devices

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Bao; Meng, Kang-Kang; Yang, Mei-Yin; Edmonds, K. W.; Zhang, Hao; Cai, Kai-Ming; Sheng, Yu; Zhang, Nan; Ji, Yang; Zhao, Jian-Hua; Zheng, Hou-Zhi; Wang, Kai-You

    2016-01-01

    The electrical control of the magnetization switching in ferromagnets is highly desired for future spintronic applications. Here we report on hybrid piezoelectric (PZT)/ferromagnetic (Co2FeAl) devices in which the planar Hall voltage in the ferromagnetic layer is tuned solely by piezo voltages. The change of planar Hall voltage is associated with magnetization switching through 90° in the plane under piezo voltages. Room temperature magnetic NOT and NOR gates are demonstrated based on the piezo voltage controlled Co2FeAl planar Hall effect devices without the external magnetic field. Our demonstration may lead to the realization of both information storage and processing using ferromagnetic materials. PMID:27329068

  14. Piezo Voltage Controlled Planar Hall Effect Devices.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bao; Meng, Kang-Kang; Yang, Mei-Yin; Edmonds, K W; Zhang, Hao; Cai, Kai-Ming; Sheng, Yu; Zhang, Nan; Ji, Yang; Zhao, Jian-Hua; Zheng, Hou-Zhi; Wang, Kai-You

    2016-06-22

    The electrical control of the magnetization switching in ferromagnets is highly desired for future spintronic applications. Here we report on hybrid piezoelectric (PZT)/ferromagnetic (Co2FeAl) devices in which the planar Hall voltage in the ferromagnetic layer is tuned solely by piezo voltages. The change of planar Hall voltage is associated with magnetization switching through 90° in the plane under piezo voltages. Room temperature magnetic NOT and NOR gates are demonstrated based on the piezo voltage controlled Co2FeAl planar Hall effect devices without the external magnetic field. Our demonstration may lead to the realization of both information storage and processing using ferromagnetic materials.

  15. Commercial motor vehicle speed control devices

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    This report reviews the problem of heavy vehicle speeding (in particular, speeding at greater than 65 mph) : and speeding-related crash involvements. The report describes and assesses devices available to control : truck speed, and addresses the ques...

  16. Method and apparatus for actively controlling a micro-scale flexural plate wave device

    DOEpatents

    Dohner, Jeffrey L.

    2001-01-01

    An actively controlled flexural plate wave device provides a micro-scale pump. A method of actively controlling a flexural plate wave device produces traveling waves in the device by coordinating the interaction of a magnetic field with actively controlled currents. An actively-controlled flexural plate wave device can be placed in a fluid channel and adapted for use as a micro-scale fluid pump to cool or drive micro-scale systems, for example, micro-chips, micro-electrical-mechanical devices, micro-fluid circuits, or micro-scale chemical analysis devices.

  17. Electron-beam lithography with character projection technique for high-throughput exposure with line-edge quality control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikeno, Rimon; Maruyama, Satoshi; Mita, Yoshio; Ikeda, Makoto; Asada, Kunihiro

    2016-07-01

    The high throughput of character projection (CP) electron-beam (EB) lithography makes it a promising technique for low-to-medium volume device fabrication with regularly arranged layouts, such as for standard-cell logics and memory arrays. However, non-VLSI applications such as MEMS and MOEMS may not be able to fully utilize the benefits of the CP method due to the wide variety of layout figures including curved and oblique edges. In addition, the stepwise shapes that appear because of the EB exposure process often result in intolerable edge roughness, which degrades device performances. In this study, we propose a general EB lithography methodology for such applications utilizing a combination of the CP and variable-shaped beam methods. In the process of layout data conversion with CP character instantiation, several control parameters were optimized to minimize the shot count, improve the edge quality, and enhance the overall device performance. We have demonstrated EB shot reduction and edge-quality improvement with our methodology by using a leading-edge EB exposure tool, ADVANTEST F7000S-VD02, and a high-resolution hydrogen silsesquioxane resist. Atomic force microscope observations were used to analyze the resist edge profiles' quality to determine the influence of the control parameters used in the data conversion process.

  18. Semi-active control of helicopter vibration using controllable stiffness and damping devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anusonti-Inthra, Phuriwat

    Semi-active concepts for helicopter vibration reduction are developed and evaluated in this dissertation. Semi-active devices, controllable stiffness devices or controllable orifice dampers, are introduced; (i) in the blade root region (rotor-based concept) and (ii) between the rotor and the fuselage as semi-active isolators (in the non-rotating frame). Corresponding semi-active controllers for helicopter vibration reduction are also developed. The effectiveness of the rotor-based semi-active vibration reduction concept (using stiffness and damping variation) is demonstrated for a 4-bladed hingeless rotor helicopter in moderate- to high-speed forward flight. A sensitivity study shows that the stiffness variation of root element can reduce hub vibrations when proper amplitude and phase are used. Furthermore, the optimal semi-active control scheme can determine the combination of stiffness variations that produce significant vibration reduction in all components of vibratory hub loads simultaneously. It is demonstrated that desired cyclic variations in properties of the blade root region can be practically achieved using discrete controllable stiffness devices and controllable dampers, especially in the flap and lag directions. These discrete controllable devices can produce 35--50% reduction in a composite vibration index representing all components of vibratory hub loads. No detrimental increases are observed in the lower harmonics of blade loads and blade response (which contribute to the dynamic stresses) and controllable device internal loads, when the optimal stiffness and damping variations are introduced. The effectiveness of optimal stiffness and damping variations in reducing hub vibration is retained over a range of cruise speeds and for variations in fundamental rotor properties. The effectiveness of the semi-active isolator is demonstrated for a simplified single degree of freedom system representing the semi-active isolation system. The rotor

  19. Fluid control structures in microfluidic devices

    DOEpatents

    Mathies, Richard A.; Grover, William H.; Skelley, Alison; Lagally, Eric; Liu, Chung N.

    2008-11-04

    Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.

  20. Fluid control structures in microfluidic devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mathies, Richard A.; Grover, William H.; Skelley, Alison

    2017-05-09

    Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.

  1. Fluid control structures in microfluidic devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skelley, Alison (Inventor); Mathies, Richard A. (Inventor); Lagally, Eric (Inventor); Grover, William H. (Inventor); Liu, Chung N. (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.

  2. [Quality control in anesthesiology].

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Ramón, J M

    1995-03-01

    The process of quality control and auditing of anesthesiology allows us to evaluate care given by a service and solve problems that are detected. Quality control is a basic element of care giving and is only secondarily an area of academic research; it is therefore a meaningless effort if the information does not serve to improve departmental procedures. Quality assurance procedures assume certain infrastructural requirements and an initial period of implementation and adjustment. The main objectives of quality control are the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to anesthesia, assurance of the availability and proper management of resources and, finally, the well-being and safety of the patient.

  3. Micropatterned photoalignment for wavefront controlled switchable optical devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glazar, Nikolaus

    Photoalignment is a well-established technique for surface alignment of the liquid crystal director. Previously, chrome masks were necessary for patterned photoalignment but were difficult to use, costly, and inflexible. To extend the capabilities of photoalignment we built an automated maskless multi-domain photoalignment device based on a DMD (digital multimirror device) projection system. The device is capable of creating arbitrary photoalignment patterns with micron-sized features. Pancharatnam-Berry phase (PB-phase) is a geometric phase that arises from cyclic change of polarization state. By varying the azimuthal anchoring angle in a hybrid-aligned liquid crystal cell we can control the spatial variation of the PB-phase shift. Using our automated photoalignment device to align the liquid crystal arbitrary wave front manipulations are possible. The PB-phase shift effect is maximized when the cell is tuned to have a half-wave retardation and disappears at full-wave retardation, so the cell can be switched on and off by applying a voltage. Two wavefront controlled devices developed using this technique will be discussed: A switchable liquid crystal phase shift mask for creating sub-diffraction sized photolithographic features, and a transparent diffractive display that utilizes a switchable liquid crystal diffraction grating.

  4. Advanced patient transfer assist device with intuitive interaction control.

    PubMed

    Humphreys, Heather C; Choi, Young Mi; Book, Wayne J

    2017-10-24

    This research aims to improve patient transfers by developing a new type of advanced robotic assist device. It has multiple actuated degrees of freedom and a powered steerable base to maximize maneuverability around obstacles. An intuitive interface and control strategy allows the caregiver to simply push on the machine in the direction of desired patient motion. The control integrates measurements of both force and proximity to mitigate any potential large collision forces and provides operators information about obstacles with a form of haptic feedback. Electro-hydraulic pump controlled actuation provides high force density for the actuation. Nineteen participants performed tests to compare transfer operations (transferring a 250-lb mannequin between a wheelchair, chair, bed, and floor) and interaction control of a prototype device with a commercially available patient lift. The testing included a time study of the transfer operations and subjective rating of device performance. The results show that operators perform transfer tasks significantly faster and rate performance higher using the prototype patient transfer assist device than with a current market patient lift. With further development, features of the new patient lift can help facilitate patient transfers that are safer, easier, and more efficient for caregivers.

  5. Smart-device environmental control systems: experiences of people with cervical spinal cord injuries.

    PubMed

    Hooper, Bethany; Verdonck, Michele; Amsters, Delena; Myburg, Michelle; Allan, Emily

    2017-09-06

    Environmental control systems (ECS) are devices that enable people with severe physical limitations to independently control household appliances. Recent advancements in the area of environmental control technology have led to the development of ECS that can be controlled through mainstream smart-devices. There is limited research on ECS within Australia and no known research addressing smart-device ECS. The current study sought to explore users' experiences with smart-device ECS within Australia. The study followed a single embedded case study method. Participants (n = 5) were existing ECS users with a cervical spinal cord injury. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants, reflexive journals and field notes. An inductive approach was used to analyze the data thematically. The experience of using a smart-device ECS presented both opportunities and costs to users. The opportunities included: independent control, choice, peace of mind, connection, effective resource use, and control over smart-phone functions and applications. The associated costs included: financial, time, frustration, and technical limitations. While findings are similar to previous research into traditional ECS this study indicates that smart-device ECS also offered a new opportunity for users to access mainstream smart-device functions and applications. Future research should investigate methods and resources that practitioners could utilize to better support new users of smart-device ECS. Implications for Rehabilitation As with traditional environmental control systems, users of smart environmental control systems report increased independence, choice and control. Smart-device environmental control systems provide users with access to mainstream smart-device functions and applications, which facilitate connection to family and the outside world. The costs to the user of smart-device environmental control systems include monetary and time investment, dealing

  6. Commercial jet fuel quality control

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Strauss, K.H.

    1995-05-01

    The paper discusses the purpose of jet fuel quality control between the refinery and the aircraft. It describes fixed equipment, including various types of filters, and the usefulness and limitations of this equipment. Test equipment is reviewed as are various surveillance procedures. These include the Air Transport Association specification ATA 103, the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5230-4, the International Air Transport Association Guidance Material for Fuel Quality Control and Fuelling Service and the Guidelines for Quality Control at Jointly Operated Fuel Systems. Some past and current quality control problems are briefly mentioned.

  7. Plasma Equilibrium Control in Nuclear Fusion Devices 2. Plasma Control in Magnetic Confinement Devices 2.1 Plasma Control in Tokamaks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuda, Takeshi

    The plasma control technique for use in large tokamak devices has made great developmental strides in the last decade, concomitantly with progress in the understanding of tokamak physics and in part facilitated by the substantial advancement in the computing environment. Equilibrium control procedures have thereby been established, and it has been pervasively recognized in recent years that the real-time feedback control of physical quantities is indispensable for the improvement and sustainment of plasma performance in a quasi-steady-state. Further development is presently undertaken to realize the “advanced plasma control” concept, where integrated fusion performance is achieved by the simultaneous feedback control of multiple physical quantities, combined with equilibrium control.

  8. Bidirectional Telemetry Controller for Neuroprosthetic Devices

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Vishnu; McCreery, Douglas B.; Han, Martin; Pikov, Victor

    2010-01-01

    We present versatile multifunctional programmable controller with bidirectional data telemetry, implemented using existing commercial microchips and standard Bluetooth protocol, which adds convenience, reliability, and ease-of-use to neuroprosthetic devices. Controller, weighing 190 g, is placed on animal's back and provides bidirectional sustained telemetry rate of 500 kb/s, allowing real-time control of stimulation parameters and viewing of acquired data. In continuously-active state, controller consumes ∼420 mW and operates without recharge for 8 h. It features independent 16-channel current-controlled stimulation, allowing current steering; customizable stimulus current waveforms; recording of stimulus voltage waveforms and evoked neuronal responses with stimulus artifact blanking circuitry. Flexibility, scalability, cost-efficiency, and a user-friendly computer interface of this device allow use in animal testing for variety of neuroprosthetic applications. Initial testing of the controller has been done in a feline model of brainstem auditory prosthesis. In this model, the electrical stimulation is applied to the array of microelectrodes implanted in the ventral cochlear nucleus, while the evoked neuronal activity was recorded with the electrode implanted in the contralateral inferior colliculus. Stimulus voltage waveforms to monitor the access impedance of the electrodes were acquired at the rate of 312 kilosamples/s. Evoked neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus was recorded after the blanking (transient silencing) of the recording amplifier during the stimulus pulse, allowing the detection of neuronal responses within 100 μs after the end of the stimulus pulse applied in the cochlear nucleus. PMID:19933010

  9. Peripheral controllers and devices--Part 1.

    PubMed

    Pinkert, J R; Wear, L L

    1992-10-01

    In this article, we looked at several peripherals, described their characteristics, and described how they are connected to computers. We included some discussions of problems caused by electrical and mechanical differences between computers and peripheral devices. During the past few years, many companies have addressed such problems. Numerous standards have been defined as a result of this work. These standards specify everything from what type of connectors will be used to the timing of electrical signals. They make it easier for peripheral manufacturers to design their devices for a wide range of computers. Peripherals and their controllers are important components of any computer system. Sometimes, however, other parts of the system, such as the control unit and main memory, receive more attention. Many engineers want to design new processors, but shy away from the design of peripherals and controllers; they consider such designs less glamorous. In reality, designs for some peripherals and their controllers can be more challenging than the design of the CPU itself. A computer without peripherals is of little use, other than as a paper weight. Until we attach peripherals to the computer, none of its power is accessible to the user. Peripherals turn computers into useful tools.

  10. Experimental and simulated control of lift using trailing edge devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooperman, A.; Blaylock, M.; van Dam, C. P.

    2014-12-01

    Two active aerodynamic load control (AALC) devices coupled with a control algorithm are shown to decrease the change in lift force experienced by an airfoil during a change in freestream velocity. Microtabs are small (1% chord) surfaces deployed perpendicular to an airfoil, while microjets are pneumatic jets with flow perpendicular to the surface of the airfoil near the trailing edge. Both devices are capable of producing a rapid change in an airfoil's lift coefficient. A control algorithm for microtabs has been tested in a wind tunnel using a modified S819 airfoil, and a microjet control algorithm has been simulated for a NACA 0012 airfoil using OVERFLOW. In both cases, the AALC devices have shown the ability to mitigate the changes in lift during a gust.

  11. Detection-gap-independent optical sensor design using divergence-beam-controlled slit lasers for wearable devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Young Zoon; Kim, Hyochul; Park, Yeonsang; Kim, Jineun; Lee, Min Kyung; Kim, Un Jeong; Roh, Young-Geun; Hwang, Sung Woo

    2016-09-01

    Wearable devices often employ optical sensors, such as photoplethysmography sensors, for detecting heart rates or other biochemical factors. Pulse waveforms, rather than simply detecting heartbeats, can clarify arterial conditions. However, most optical sensor designs require close skin contact to reduce power consumption while obtaining good quality signals without distortion. We have designed a detection-gap-independent optical sensor array using divergence-beam-controlled slit lasers and distributed photodiodes in a pulse-detection device wearable over the wrist's radial artery. It achieves high biosignal quality and low power consumption. The top surface of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser of 850 nm wavelength was covered by Au film with an open slit of width between 500 nm and 1500 nm, which generated laser emissions across a large divergence angle along an axis orthogonal to the slit direction. The sensing coverage of the slit laser diode (LD) marks a 50% improvement over nonslit LD sensor coverage. The slit LD sensor consumes 100% more input power than the nonslit LD sensor to obtain similar optical output power. The slit laser sensor showed intermediate performance between LD and light-emitting diode sensors. Thus, designing sensors with multiple-slit LD arrays can provide useful and convenient ways for incorporating optical sensors in wrist-wearable devices.

  12. 78 FR 36132 - National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-17

    ... traffic control devices used on all streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel... restructuring the MUTCD into two documents at this time. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about... do this; however, it is unclear at this time where this material would be located. It could be...

  13. 76 FR 46213 - National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-02

    ... design and application of traffic control devices, this Manual should not be considered a substitute for... retroreflectivity of longitudinal pavement markings. The deadline for comments to that docket has passed and the... the proposed revisions regarding maintaining minimum retroreflectivity of longitudinal pavement...

  14. Migrated Essure permanent birth control device: sonographic findings.

    PubMed

    Khati, Nadia Juliet; Gorodenker, Joseph; Brindle, Kathleen Ann

    2014-05-01

    We report a case of a migrated Essure permanent birth control device. The correct diagnosis was made on conventional two-dimensional and three-dimensional pelvic sonography 7 years after placement of the device when the patient presented with persistent right-sided pain. The 3-month post placement hysterosalpingogram had shown an appropriately occluded right fallopian tube but had overlooked the abnormal position of the right Essure device, which was too proximal and extending slightly in the uterine cavity. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. AN EVALUATION OF STORM DRAINAGE INLET DEVICES FOR STORMWATER QUALITY TREATMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    The activities summarized in this paper included the testing of three representative stormwater control devices that were located at storm drainage inlets. The two proprietary devices utilized screening and filtering (using filter fabric and a coarser mesh). A conventional catchb...

  16. Significant improvement of the quality of bystander first aid using an expert system with a mobile multimedia device.

    PubMed

    Ertl, Lorenz; Christ, Frank

    2007-08-01

    Better quality bystander first-aid could improve outcome rates for emergency victims significantly. In this case-control study, we hypothesised that expert knowledge presented step-by-step to untrained helpers using a personal digital assistant (PDA), would improve the quality of bystanders basic life support. We confronted 101 lay-helpers with two standard emergency situations. (1) An unconscious trauma victim with severe bleeding. (2) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Performance was assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). One group was supported by a PDA providing visual and audio instructions, whereas the control group acted only with their current knowledge. The expert system was programmed in HTML-code and displayed on the PDA's Internet browser. The maximum score obtainable was 24 points corresponding to optimal treatment. The control group without the PDA reached 14.8+/-3.5 (mean value+/-standard deviation), whereas the PDA supported group scored significantly higher (21.9+/-2.7, p<0.01). The difference in performance was measurable in all criteria tested and particularly notable in the items: placing in recovery position, airway management and quality of CPR. The PDA based expert system increased the performance of untrained helpers supplying emergency care significantly. Since Internet compatible mobile devices have become widely available, a significant quality improvement in bystander first-aid seems possible.

  17. Design of inductive sensors for tongue control system for computers and assistive devices.

    PubMed

    Lontis, Eugen R; Struijk, Lotte N S A

    2010-07-01

    The paper introduces a novel design of air-core inductive sensors in printed circuit board (PCB) technology for a tongue control system. The tongue control system provides a quadriplegic person with a keyboard and a joystick type of mouse for interaction with a computer or for control of an assistive device. Activation of inductive sensors was performed with a cylindrical, soft ferromagnetic material (activation unit). Comparative analysis of inductive sensors in PCB technology with existing hand-made inductive sensors was performed with respect to inductance, resistance, and sensitivity to activation when the activation unit was placed in the center of the sensor. Optimisation of the activation unit was performed in a finite element model. PCBs with air-core inductive sensors were manufactured in a 10 layers, 100 microm and 120 microm line width technology. These sensors provided quality signals that could drive the electronics of the hand-made sensors. Furthermore, changing the geometry of the sensors allowed generation of variable signals correlated with the 2D movement of the activation unit at the sensors' surface. PCB technology for inductive sensors allows flexibility in design, automation of production and ease of possible integration with supplying electronics. The basic switch function of the inductive sensor can be extended to two-dimensional movement detection for pointing devices.

  18. Re-Active Passive devices for control of noise transmission through a panel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carneal, James P.; Giovanardi, Marco; Fuller, Chris R.; Palumbo, Dan

    2008-01-01

    Re-Active Passive devices have been developed to control low-frequency (<1000 Hz) noise transmission through a panel. These devices use a combination of active, re-active, and passive technologies packaged into a single unit to control a broad frequency range utilizing the strength of each technology over its best suited frequency range. The Re-Active Passive device uses passive constrained layer damping to cover relatively high-frequency range (>150 Hz), reactive distributed vibration absorber to cover the medium-frequency range (50-200 Hz), and active control for controlling low frequencies (<150 Hz). The actuator was applied to control noise transmission through a panel mounted in the Transmission Loss Test Facility at Virginia Tech. Experimental results are presented for the bare panel, and combinations of passive treatment, reactive treatment, and active control. Results indicate that three Re-Active Passive devices were able to increase the overall broadband (15-1000 Hz) transmission loss by 9.4 dB. These three devices added a total of 285 g to the panel mass of 6.0 kg, or approximately 5%, not including control electronics.

  19. The service telemetry and control device for space experiment “GRIS”

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glyanenko, A. S.

    2016-02-01

    Problems of scientific devices control (for example, fine control of measuring paths), collecting auxiliary (service information about working capacity, conditions of experiment carrying out, etc.) and preliminary data processing are actual for any space device. Modern devices for space research it is impossible to imagine without devices that didn't use digital data processing methods and specialized or standard interfaces and computing facilities. For realization of these functions in “GRIS” experiment onboard ISS for purposes minimization of dimensions, power consumption, the concept “system-on-chip” was chosen and realized. In the programmable logical integrated scheme by Microsemi from ProASIC3 family with maximum capacity up to 3M system gates, the computing kernel and all necessary peripherals are created. In this paper we discuss structure, possibilities and resources the service telemetry and control device for “GRIS” space experiment.

  20. Thalamic DBS with a constant-current device in essential tremor: A controlled clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Wharen, Robert E; Okun, Michael S; Guthrie, Barton L; Uitti, Ryan J; Larson, Paul; Foote, Kelly; Walker, Harrison; Marshall, Frederick J; Schwalb, Jason; Ford, Blair; Jankovic, Joseph; Simpson, Richard; Dashtipour, Khashayar; Phibbs, Fenna; Neimat, Joseph S; Stewart, R Malcolm; Peichel, DeLea; Pahwa, Rajesh; Ostrem, Jill L

    2017-07-01

    This study of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) investigated whether a novel constant-current device improves tremor and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with essential tremor (ET). A prospective, controlled, multicenter study was conducted at 12 academic centers. We investigated the safety and efficacy of unilateral and bilateral constant-current DBS of the ventralis intermedius (VIM) nucleus of the thalamus in patients with essential tremor whose tremor was inadequately controlled by medications. The primary outcome measure was a rater-blinded assessment of the change in the target limb tremor score in the stimulation-on versus stimulation-off state six months following surgery. Multiple secondary outcomes were assessed at one-year follow-up, including motor, mood, and quality-of-life measures. 127 patients were implanted with VIM DBS. The blinded, primary outcome variable (n = 76) revealed a mean improvement of 1.25 ± 1.26 points in the target limb tremor rating scale (TRS) score in the arm contralateral to DBS (p < 0.001). Secondary outcome variables at one year revealed significant improvements (p ≤ 0.001) in quality of life, depression symptoms, and ADL scores. Forty-seven patients had a second contralateral VIM-DBS, and this group demonstrated reduction in second-sided tremor at 180 days (p < 0.001). Serious adverse events related to the surgery included infection (n = 3), intracranial hemorrhage (n = 3), and device explantation (n = 3). Unilateral and bilateral constant-current VIM DBS significantly improves upper extremity tremor, ADL, quality of life, and depression in patients with severe ET. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. An Energy Saving Green Plug Device for Nonlinear Loads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bloul, Albe; Sharaf, Adel; El-Hawary, Mohamed

    2018-03-01

    The paper presents a low cost a FACTS Based flexible fuzzy logic based modulated/switched tuned arm filter and Green Plug compensation (SFC-GP) scheme for single-phase nonlinear loads ensuring both voltage stabilization and efficient energy utilization. The new Green Plug-Switched filter compensator SFC modulated LC-Filter PWM Switched Capacitive Compensation Devices is controlled using a fuzzy logic regulator to enhance power quality, improve power factor at the source and reduce switching transients and inrush current conditions as well harmonic contents in source current. The FACTS based SFC-GP Device is a member of family of Green Plug/Filters/Compensation Schemes used for efficient energy utilization, power quality enhancement and voltage/inrush current/soft starting control using a dynamic error driven fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The device with fuzzy logic controller is validated using the Matlab / Simulink Software Environment for enhanced power quality (PQ), improved power factor and reduced inrush currents. This is achieved using modulated PWM Switching of the Filter-Capacitive compensation scheme to cope with dynamic type nonlinear and inrush cyclical loads..

  2. Complementary Paired G4FETs as Voltage-Controlled NDR Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mojarradi, Mohammad; Chen, Suheng; Blalock, Ben; Britton, Chuck; Prothro, Ben; Vandersand, James; Schrimph, Ron; Cristoloveanu, Sorin; Akavardar, Kerem; Gentil, P.

    2009-01-01

    It is possible to synthesize a voltage-controlled negative-differential-resistance (NDR) device or circuit by use of a pair of complementary G4FETs (four-gate field-effect transistors). [For more information about G4FETs, please see the immediately preceding article]. As shown in Figure 1, the present voltage-controlled NDR device or circuit is an updated version of a prior NDR device or circuit, known as a lambda diode, that contains a pair of complementary junction field-effect transistors (JFETs). (The lambda diode is so named because its current-versus- voltage plot bears some resemblance to an upper-case lambda.) The present version can be derived from the prior version by substituting G4FETs for the JFETs and connecting both JFET gates of each G4FET together. The front gate terminals of the G4FETs constitute additional terminals (that is, terminals not available in the older JFET version) to which one can apply control voltages VN and VP. Circuits in which NDR devices have been used include (1) Schmitt triggers and (2) oscillators containing inductance/ capacitance (LC) resonant circuits. Figure 2 depicts such circuits containing G4FET NDR devices like that of Figure 1. In the Schmitt trigger shown here, the G4FET NDR is loaded with an ordinary inversion-mode, p-channel, metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistor (inversion-mode PMOSFET), the VN terminal of the G4FET NDR device is used as an input terminal, and the input terminals of the PMOSFET and the G4FET NDR device are connected. VP can be used as an extra control voltage (that is, a control voltage not available in a typical prior Schmitt trigger) for adjusting the pinch-off voltage of the p-channel G4FET and thereby adjusting the trigger-voltage window. In the oscillator, a G4FET NDR device is loaded with a conventional LC tank circuit. As in other LC NDR oscillators, oscillation occurs because the NDR counteracts the resistance in the tank circuit. The advantage of this G4FET-NDR LC oscillator

  3. EXOS research on master controllers for robotic devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marcus, Beth A.; An, Ben; Eberman, Brian

    1992-01-01

    Two projects are currently being conducted by EXOS under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program with NASA. One project will develop a force feedback device for controlling robot hands, the other will develop an elbow and shoulder exoskeleton which can be integrated with other EXOS devices to provide whole robot arm and hand control. Aspects covered are the project objectives, important research issues which have arisen during the developments, and interim results of the projects. The Phase 1 projects currently underway will result in hardware prototypes and identification of research issues required for complete system development and/or integration.

  4. Status of the Superconducting Insertion Device Control at TLS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hu, K. H.; Wang, C. J.; Lee, Demi

    2007-01-19

    Superconducting insertion devices are installed at Taiwan Light Source to meet the rapidly growing demand of X-ray users. A control system supports the operation of all these superconducting insertion devices. Control system coordinates the operation of the main power supply and the trimming power supply to charge/discharge the magnet and provide essential interlock protection for the coils and vacuum ducts. Quench protection and various cryogenic interlocks are designed to prevent damage to the magnet. A friendly user interface supports routine operation. Various applications are also developed to aid the operation of these insertion devices. Design consideration and details of themore » implementation will be summarized in this report.« less

  5. 40 CFR 75.21 - Quality assurance and quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Quality assurance and quality control... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTINUOUS EMISSION MONITORING Operation and Maintenance Requirements § 75.21 Quality assurance and quality control requirements. (a) Continuous emission monitoring systems. The owner or...

  6. Joint CDRH (Center for Devices and Radiological Health) and state quality-assurance surveys in nuclear medicine: Phase 2 - radiopharmaceuticals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamilton, D.R.; Evans, C.D.

    The report discusses survey results on aspects of the quality assurance of radio-pharmaceuticals from 180 nuclear-medicine facilities in the United States. Data were collected from facilities in 8 states. Demographic information about nuclear-medicine operations and quality-assurance programs was gathered by state radiation-control-program personnel. The data collected from the survey show an incomplete acceptance of quality-assurance practices for radiopharmaceuticals. Most of the facilities in the survey indicated that, because an inferior radiopharmaceutical was prepared so infrequently, they did not believe it was cost-effective to perform extensive quality-assurance testing. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health hopes that the information from themore » survey will stimulate nuclear-medicine professionals and their organizations to encourage appropriate testing of all radiopharmaceuticals.« less

  7. Device Cleaning and Infection Control in Aerosol Therapy.

    PubMed

    O'Malley, Catherine A

    2015-06-01

    Aerosol delivery equipment used to administer inhaled medications includes the nebulizer, positive expiratory pressure devices added to the nebulizer, and valved holding chambers (spacers). These devices are semi-critical medical devices, and as such, infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines recommend that they be cleaned, disinfected, rinsed with sterile water, and air-dried. There is confusion surrounding the care of aerosol devices because of inconsistencies in the various published IPC guidelines, lack of a standard of practice among institutions and respiratory therapists (RTs), and manufacturer's instructions for use of these devices are not always compatible with guidelines or practice. Challenges lie in awareness of IPC guidelines and establishing a standard for the care of aerosol delivery devices among all stakeholders/manufacturers, governments, vendors, and users. The latest IPC guideline from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, reviewed and endorsed by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, has a recommendation for disposable nebulizers and a recommendation for reusable nebulizers. Reusable nebulizers should be cleaned, disinfected, rinsed with sterile water (if using a cold disinfectant), and air-dried between uses. The mouthpiece/mask of disposable nebulizers should be wiped with an alcohol pad, the residual volume should be rinsed out with sterile water after use, and the nebulizer should be replaced every 24 h. The RT plays a significant and responsible role in providing and teaching aerosol therapy to patients. The RT and all stakeholders need to work together to provide a standard of care for the safe use of aerosol delivery devices. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  8. A generic approach for examining the effectiveness of traffic control devices in school zones.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xiaohua; Li, Jiahui; Ding, Han; Zhang, Guohui; Rong, Jian

    2015-09-01

    The effectiveness and performance of traffic control devices in school zones have been impacted significantly by many factors, such as driver behavioral attributes, roadway geometric features, environmental characteristics, weather and visibility conditions, region-wide traffic regulations and policies, control modes, etc. When deploying traffic control devices in school zones, efforts are needed to clarify: (1) whether traffic control device installation is warranted; and (2) whether other device effectively complements this traffic control device and strengthens its effectiveness. In this study, a generic approach is developed to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of various traffic control devices deployed in school zones through driving simulator-based experiments. A Traffic Control Device Selection Model (TCDSM) is developed and two representative school zones are selected as the testbed in Beijing for driving simulation implementation to enhance its applicability. Statistical analyses are conducted to extract the knowledge from test data recorded by a driving simulator. Multiple measures of effectiveness (MOEs) are developed and adopted including average speed, relative speed difference, and standard deviation of acceleration for traffic control device performance quantification. The experimental tests and analysis results reveal that the appropriateness of the installation of certain traffic control devices can be statistically verified by TCDSM. The proposed approach provides a generic framework to assess traffic control device performance in school zones including experiment design, statistical formulation, data analysis, simulation model implementation, data interpretation, and recommendation development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Determining Desirable Cursor Control Device Characteristics for NASA Exploration Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sandor, Aniko; Holden, Kritina

    2007-01-01

    The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) that will travel to the moon and Mars, and all future Exploration vehicles and habitats will be highly computerized, necessitating an accurate method of interaction with the computers. The design of a cursor control device will have to take into consideration g-forces, vibration, gloved operations, and the specific types of tasks to be performed. The study described here is being undertaken to begin identifying characteristics of cursor control devices that will work well for the unique Exploration mission environments. The objective of the study is not to identify a particular device, but to begin identifying design characteristics that are usable and desirable for space missions. Most cursor control devices have strengths and weaknesses; they are more appropriate for some tasks and less suitable for others. The purpose of this study is to collect some initial usability data on a large number of commercially available and proprietary cursor control devices. A software test battery was developed for this purpose. Once data has been collected using these low-level, basic point/click/drag tasks, higher fidelity, scenario-driven evaluations will be conducted with a reduced set of devices. The standard tasks used for testing cursor control devices are based on a model of human movement known as Fitts law. Fitts law predicts that the time to acquire a target is logarithmically related to the distance over the target size. To gather data for analysis with this law, fundamental, low-level tasks are used such as dragging or pointing at various targets of different sizes from various distances. The first four core tasks for the study were based on the ISO 9241-9:(2000) document from the International Organization for Standardization that contains the requirements for non-keyboard input devices. These include two pointing tasks, one dragging and one tracking task. The fifth task from ISO 9241-9, the circular tracking task was not used

  10. 40 CFR 51.359 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Quality control. 51.359 Section 51.359....359 Quality control. Quality control measures shall insure that emission testing equipment is calibrated and maintained properly, and that inspection, calibration records, and control charts are...

  11. 40 CFR 51.359 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Quality control. 51.359 Section 51.359....359 Quality control. Quality control measures shall insure that emission testing equipment is calibrated and maintained properly, and that inspection, calibration records, and control charts are...

  12. 40 CFR 51.359 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Quality control. 51.359 Section 51.359....359 Quality control. Quality control measures shall insure that emission testing equipment is calibrated and maintained properly, and that inspection, calibration records, and control charts are...

  13. 40 CFR 51.359 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Quality control. 51.359 Section 51.359....359 Quality control. Quality control measures shall insure that emission testing equipment is calibrated and maintained properly, and that inspection, calibration records, and control charts are...

  14. Implementation of Adaptive Digital Controllers on Programmable Logic Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gwaltney, David A.; King, Kenneth D.; Smith, Keary J.; Ormsby, John (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Much has been made of the capabilities of FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) in the hardware implementation of fast digital signal processing (DSP) functions. Such capability also makes and FPGA a suitable platform for the digital implementation of closed loop controllers. There are myriad advantages to utilizing an FPGA for discrete-time control functions which include the capability for reconfiguration when SRAM- based FPGA's are employed, fast parallel implementation of multiple control loops and implementations that can meet space level radiation tolerance in a compact form-factor. Other researchers have presented the notion that a second order digital filter with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control functionality can be implemented in an FPGA. At Marshall Space Flight Center, the Control Electronics Group has been studying adaptive discrete-time control of motor driven actuator systems using digital signal processor (DSF) devices. Our goal is to create a fully digital, flight ready controller design that utilizes an FPGA for implementation of signal conditioning for control feedback signals, generation of commands to the controlled system, and hardware insertion of adaptive control algorithm approaches. While small form factor, commercial DSP devices are now available with event capture, data conversion, pulse width modulated outputs and communication peripherals, these devices are not currently available in designs and packages which meet space level radiation requirements. Meeting our goals requires alternative compact implementation of such functionality to withstand the harsh environment encountered on spacecraft. Radiation tolerant FPGA's are a feasible option for reaching these goals.

  15. Quality control in gastrointestinal surgery.

    PubMed

    Ramírez-Barba, Ector Jaime; Arenas-Moya, Diego; Vázquez-Guerrero, Arturo

    2011-01-01

    We analyzed the Mexican legal framework, identifying the vectors that characterize quality and control in gastrointestinal surgery. Quality is contemplated in the health protection rights determined according to the Mexican Constitution, established in the general health law and included as a specific goal in the actual National Development Plan and Health Sector Plan. Quality control implies planning, verification and application of corrective measures. Mexico has implemented several quality strategies such as certification of hospitals and regulatory agreements by the General Salubrity Council, creation of the National Health Quality Committee, generation of Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Certification of Medical Specialties, among others. Quality control in gastrointestinal surgery must begin at the time of medical education and continue during professional activities of surgeons, encouraging multidisciplinary teamwork, knowledge, abilities, attitudes, values and skills that promote homogeneous, safe and quality health services for the Mexican population.

  16. Methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bullis, W. M. (Editor)

    1972-01-01

    Significant accomplishments include development of a procedure to correct for the substantial differences of transistor delay time as measured with different instruments or with the same instrument at different frequencies; association of infrared response spectra of poor quality germanium gamma ray detectors with spectra of detectors fabricated from portions of a good crystal that had been degraded in known ways; and confirmation of the excellent quality and cosmetic appearance of ultrasonic bonds made with aluminum ribbon wire. Work is continuing on measurement of resistivity of semiconductor crystals; study of gold-doped silicon, development of the infrared response technique; evaluation of wire bonds and die attachment; and measurement of thermal properties of semiconductor devices, delay time and related carrier transport properties in junction devices, and noise properties of microwave diodes.

  17. Quality of life and handling experience with the PROSE device: an Indian scenario.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharya, Pradipta; Mahadevan, Rajeswari

    2017-11-01

    PROSE (prosthetic replacement of ocular surface ecosystem) device is a custom-designed, corneal vaulting scleral contact lens, which is used in the treatment of irregular corneal conditions to improve vision and comfort. The present study aimed at assessing the success of the PROSE device in an Indian scenario in terms of change in quality of life and to understand the handling issues related to the device use. Thirty-two subjects with various irregular corneal conditions meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Subjects were followed for three months after dispensing the PROSE device. Subjects' demographic details, high and low contrast visual acuity with habitual correction and PROSE device, Visual Function Questionnaire scores (NEI VFQ-25) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores pre- and post-PROSE treatment were collected and compared. An indigenously developed questionnaire was also administered during the follow-up visit for assessing the handling-related issues faced by the subjects while using the device. Forty eyes of 32 subjects were included in the study, of whom 30 reported for follow-up. The median NEI VFQ-25 score improved from 47.33 points to 77.27 points over a period of three months, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease in median OSDI score from 51.14 points to 13.63 points post-PROSE treatment (p < 0.05). Subjects reported no or very minimal handling-related difficulties associated with the use of the PROSE device. The PROSE treatment can be an effective mode of managing patients with irregular corneal conditions and significantly improved the vision-related quality of life of patients suffering from these conditions. The handling of the device is easy and can be mastered with adequate training. © 2017 Optometry Australia.

  18. Re-active Passive (RAP) Devices for Control of Noise Transmission through a Panel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carneal, James P.; Giovanardi, Marco; Fuller, Chris R.; Palumbo, Daniel L.

    2008-01-01

    Re-Active Passive (RAP) devices have been developed to control low frequency (<1000 Hz) noise transmission through a panel. These devices use a combination of active, re-active, and passive technologies packaged into a single unit to control a broad frequency range utilizing the strength of each technology over its best suited frequency range. The RAP device uses passive constrained layer damping to cover the relatively high frequency range (>200 Hz), reactive distributed vibration absorber) to cover the medium frequency range (75 to 250 Hz), and active control for controlling low frequencies (<200 Hz). The device was applied to control noise transmission through a panel mounted in a transmission loss test facility. Experimental results are presented for the bare panel, and combinations of passive treatment, reactive treatment, and active control. Results indicate that three RAP devices were able to increase the overall broadband (15-1000 Hz) transmission loss by 9.4 dB. These three devices added a total of 285 grams to the panel mass of 6.0 kg, or approximately 5%, not including control electronics.

  19. Traffic control device evaluation program : technical report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-03-01

    This project provides the Texas Department of Transportation with a mechanism to quickly and effectively conduct : high-priority, limited scope evaluations of traffic control devices. Work during the 20132014 fiscal year included : three main task...

  20. Motorist compliance with standard traffic control devices.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1989-04-01

    This report describes a study of motorist compliance with standard traffic control : devices. The research included a comprehensive review of past studies, contacts : with traffic, law enforcement, and department of motor vehicles personnel, and an :...

  1. Implantable physiologic controller for left ventricular assist devices with telemetry capability.

    PubMed

    Asgari, Siavash S; Bonde, Pramod

    2014-01-01

    Rotary type left ventricular assist devices have mitigated the problem of durability associated with earlier pulsatile pumps and demonstrated improved survival. However, the compromise is the loss of pulsatility due to continuous flow and retained percutaneous driveline leading to increased mortality and morbidity. Lack of pulsatility is implicated in increased gastrointestinal bleeding, aortic incompetence, and diastolic hypertension. We present a novel, wirelessly powered, ultra-compact, implantable physiologic controller capable of running a left ventricular assist device in a pulsatile mode with wireless power delivery. The schematic of our system was laid out on a circuit board to wirelessly receive power and run a left ventricular assist device with required safety and backup measures. We have embedded an antenna and wireless network for telemetry. Multiple signal processing steps and controlling algorithm were incorporated. The controller was tested in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The controller drove left ventricular assist devices continuously for 2 weeks in an in vitro setup and in vivo without any failure. Our controller is more power efficient than the current Food and Drug Administration-approved left ventricular assist device controllers. When used with electrocardiography synchronization, the controller allowed on-demand customization of operation with instantaneous flow and revolutions per minute changes, resulting in a pulsatile flow with adjustable pulse pressure. Our test results prove the system to be remarkably safe, accurate, and efficient. The unique combination of wireless powering and small footprint makes this system an ideal totally implantable physiologic left ventricular assist device system. Copyright © 2014 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Developing Control System of Electrical Devices with Operational Expense Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sendari, Siti; Wahyu Herwanto, Heru; Rahmawati, Yuni; Mukti Putranto, Dendi; Fitri, Shofiana

    2017-04-01

    The purpose of this research is to develop a system that can monitor and record home electrical device’s electricity usage. This system has an ability to control electrical devices in distance and predict the operational expense. The system was developed using micro-controllers and WiFi modules connected to PC server. The communication between modules is arranged by server via WiFi. Beside of reading home electrical devices electricity usage, the unique point of the proposed-system is the ability of micro-controllers to send electricity data to server for recording the usage of electrical devices. The testing of this research was done by Black-box method to test the functionality of system. Testing system run well with 0% error.

  3. General aviation fuel quality control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poitz, H.

    1983-01-01

    Quality control measures for aviation gasoline, and some of the differences between quality control on avgas and mogas are discussed. One thing to keep in mind is that with motor gasoline you can always pull off to the side of the road. It's not so easy to do in an airplane. Consequently, there are reasons for having the tight specifications and the tight quality control measures on avgas as compared to motor gasoline.

  4. Incentive spirometry combined with expiratory positive airway pressure improves asthma control and quality of life in asthma: a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Rondinel, Tatiana Zacarias; Corrêa, Isadora Faraco; Hoscheidt, Luíza Machado; Bueno, Mirelle Hugo; Da Silva, Luciano Muller Corrêa; Reppold, Caroline Tozzi; Dal Lago, Pedro

    2015-03-01

    The use of the incentive spirometer (IS) and expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) provides several benefits in patients with respiratory disorders. However, the effects of the use of these devices coupled (IS + EPAP) are still unknown in asthmatic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of IS associated with EPAP on exercise tolerance (six-minute walk test - 6MWT), lung function (by spirometry), asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire - ACQ) and quality of life (Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire - AQLQ) in patients with severe asthma. Patients were randomised into two groups: IS + EPAP (n = 8) and control (n = 6). The IS + EPAP group performed breathing exercises at home, twice daily for 20 min, over a period of 5 weeks. There was no significant difference in spirometric variables and in the distance walked in the 6MWT in both groups. However, the IS + EPAP group showed an improvement in asthma control (p = 0.002) and quality of life (p = 0.02). These findings demonstrate that the IS + EPAP protocol, when performed at home, provides an improvement in asthma control and quality of life for patients with severe asthma when evaluated by ACQ and AQLQ, respectively.

  5. Network-based production quality control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwon, Yongjin; Tseng, Bill; Chiou, Richard

    2007-09-01

    This study investigates the feasibility of remote quality control using a host of advanced automation equipment with Internet accessibility. Recent emphasis on product quality and reduction of waste stems from the dynamic, globalized and customer-driven market, which brings opportunities and threats to companies, depending on the response speed and production strategies. The current trends in industry also include a wide spread of distributed manufacturing systems, where design, production, and management facilities are geographically dispersed. This situation mandates not only the accessibility to remotely located production equipment for monitoring and control, but efficient means of responding to changing environment to counter process variations and diverse customer demands. To compete under such an environment, companies are striving to achieve 100%, sensor-based, automated inspection for zero-defect manufacturing. In this study, the Internet-based quality control scheme is referred to as "E-Quality for Manufacturing" or "EQM" for short. By its definition, EQM refers to a holistic approach to design and to embed efficient quality control functions in the context of network integrated manufacturing systems. Such system let designers located far away from the production facility to monitor, control and adjust the quality inspection processes as production design evolves.

  6. Traffic control device evaluation program : FY 2016.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-03-01

    This report presents findings on three different activities conducted in the Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program during the 2016 fiscal year. The first two activities are evaluations of full-matrix color light-emitting diode changeable message ...

  7. Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program : FY 2017

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-03-01

    This report presents findings on the activities conducted in the Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program during the 2017 fiscal year. The research on sponsored changeable message signs (continued from the previous year) was terminated by the Federa...

  8. Control device for prosthetic urinary sphincter cuff

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reinicke, Robert H. (Inventor)

    1983-01-01

    A device for controlling flow of fluid to and from a resilient inflatable cuff implanted about the urethra to control flow of urine therethrough. The device comprises a flexible bulb reservoir and a control unit that includes a manually operated valve that opens automatically when the bulb is squeezed to force fluid into the cuff for closing the urethra. The control unit also includes a movable valve seat member having a relatively large area exposed to pressure of fluid in a chamber that is connected to the cuff and which moves to a position in which the valve member is unseated by an abutment when fluid pressure in the chamber exceeds a predetermined value to thereby relieve excess fluid pressure in the cuff. The arrangement is such that the valve element is held closed against the seat member by the full differential in fluid pressures acting on both sides of the valve element until the seat member is moved away from the valve element to thus insure positive closing of the valve element until the seat member is moved out of engagement with the valve element by excess pressure differential.

  9. A Wirelessly Powered and Controlled Device for Optical Neural Control of Freely-Behaving Animals

    PubMed Central

    Wentz, Christian T.; Bernstein, Jacob G.; Monahan, Patrick; Guerra, Alexander; Rodriguez, Alex; Boyden, Edward S.

    2011-01-01

    Optogenetics, the ability to use light to activate and silence specific neuron types within neural networks in vivo and in vitro, is revolutionizing neuroscientists’ capacity to understand how defined neural circuit elements contribute to normal and pathological brain functions. Typically awake behaving experiments are conducted by inserting an optical fiber into the brain, tethered to a remote laser, or by utilizing an implanted LED, tethered to a remote power source. A fully wireless system would enable chronic or longitudinal experiments where long duration tethering is impractical, and would also support high-throughput experimentation. However, the high power requirements of light sources (LEDs, lasers), especially in the context of the high-frequency pulse trains often desired in experiments, precludes battery-powered approaches from being widely applicable. We have developed a headborne device weighing 2 grams capable of wirelessly receiving power using a resonant RF power link and storing the energy in an adaptive supercapacitor circuit, which can algorithmically control one or more headborne LEDs via a microcontroller. The device can deliver approximately 2W of power to the LEDs in steady state, and 4.3W in bursts. We also present an optional radio transceiver module (1 gram) which, when added to the base headborne device, enables real-time updating of light delivery protocols; dozens of devices can be simultaneously controlled from one computer. We demonstrate use of the technology to wirelessly drive cortical control of movement in mice. These devices may serve as prototypes for clinical ultra-precise neural prosthetics that use light as the modality of biological control. PMID:21701058

  10. 40 CFR 265.1088 - Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices. 265.1088 Section 265.1088 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Containers § 265.1088 Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices. (a) This section applies to each...

  11. 40 CFR 264.1087 - Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices. 264.1087 Section 264.1087 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY....1087 Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices. (a) This section applies to each closed-vent...

  12. Smart Rehabilitation Devices: Part I – Force Tracking Control

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Shufang; Lu, Ke-Qian; Sun, J. Q.; Rudolph, Katherine

    2008-01-01

    Resistance exercise has been widely reported to have positive rehabilitation effects for patients with neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions. This article presents prototypes of smart variable resistance exercise devices using magneto-rheological fluid dampers. An intelligent supervisory control for regulating the resistive force or torque of the device is developed, and is validated both numerically and experimentally. The device provides both isometric and isokinetic strength training for the human joints including knee, elbow, hip, and ankle. PMID:18504509

  13. An Automatic Occlusion Device for Remote Control of Tumor Tissue Ischemia

    PubMed Central

    El-Dahdah, Hamid; Wang, Bei; He, Guanglong; Xu, Ronald X.

    2015-01-01

    We developed an automatic occlusion device for remote control of tumor tissue ischemia. The device consists of a flexible cannula encasing a shape memory alloy wire with its distal end connected to surgical suture. Regional tissue occlusion was tested on both the benchtop and the animal models. In the benchtop test, the occlusion device introduced quantitative and reproducible changes of blood flow in a tissue simulating phantom embedding a vessel simulator. In the animal test, the device generated a cyclic pattern of reversible ischemia in the right hinder leg tissue of a black male C57BL/6 mouse. We also developed a multimodal detector that integrates near infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy for continuous monitoring of tumor tissue oxygenation, blood content, and oxygen tension changes. The multimodal detector was tested on a cancer xenograft nude mouse undergoing reversible tumor ischemia. The automatic occlusion device and the multi-modal detector can be potentially integrated for closed-loop feedback control of tumor tissue ischemia. Such an integrated occlusion device may be used in multiple clinical applications such as regional hypoperfusion control in tumor resection surgeries and thermal ablation processes. In addition, the proposed occlusion device can also be used as a research tool to understand tumor oxygen transport and hemodynamic characteristics. PMID:20082532

  14. 40 CFR 51.359 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Quality control. 51.359 Section 51.359 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS REQUIREMENTS FOR... to assure test accuracy. Computer control of quality assurance checks and quality control charts...

  15. Robust sleep quality quantification method for a personal handheld device.

    PubMed

    Shin, Hangsik; Choi, Byunghun; Kim, Doyoon; Cho, Jaegeol

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a novel method for sleep quality quantification using personal handheld devices. The proposed method used 3- or 6-axes signals, including acceleration and angular velocity, obtained from built-in sensors in a smartphone and applied a real-time wavelet denoising technique to minimize the nonstationary noise. Sleep or wake status was decided on each axis, and the totals were finally summed to calculate sleep efficiency (SE), regarded as sleep quality in general. The sleep experiment was carried out for performance evaluation of the proposed method, and 14 subjects participated. An experimental protocol was designed for comparative analysis. The activity during sleep was recorded not only by the proposed method but also by well-known commercial applications simultaneously; moreover, activity was recorded on different mattresses and locations to verify the reliability in practical use. Every calculated SE was compared with the SE of a clinically certified medical device, the Philips (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Actiwatch. In these experiments, the proposed method proved its reliability in quantifying sleep quality. Compared with the Actiwatch, accuracy and average bias error of SE calculated by the proposed method were 96.50% and -1.91%, respectively. The proposed method was vastly superior to other comparative applications with at least 11.41% in average accuracy and at least 6.10% in average bias; average accuracy and average absolute bias error of comparative applications were 76.33% and 17.52%, respectively.

  16. Optimized holographic femtosecond laser patterning method towards rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chenchu; Hu, Yanlei; Du, Wenqiang; Wu, Peichao; Rao, Shenglong; Cai, Ze; Lao, Zhaoxin; Xu, Bing; Ni, Jincheng; Li, Jiawen; Zhao, Gang; Wu, Dong; Chu, Jiaru; Sugioka, Koji

    2016-09-13

    Rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels is in highly demand for miniature lab-on-a-chip applications. This paper demonstrates the embellishment of existing microfluidic devices with integrated micropatterns via femtosecond laser MRAF-based holographic patterning (MHP) microfabrication, which proves two-photon polymerization (TPP) based on spatial light modulator (SLM) to be a rapid and powerful technology for chip functionalization. Optimized mixed region amplitude freedom (MRAF) algorithm has been used to generate high-quality shaped focus field. Base on the optimized parameters, a single-exposure approach is developed to fabricate 200 × 200 μm microstructure arrays in less than 240 ms. Moreover, microtraps, QR code and letters are integrated into a microdevice by the advanced method for particles capture and device identification. These results indicate that such a holographic laser embellishment of microfluidic devices is simple, flexible and easy to access, which has great potential in lab-on-a-chip applications of biological culture, chemical analyses and optofluidic devices.

  17. Optimized holographic femtosecond laser patterning method towards rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chenchu; Hu, Yanlei; Du, Wenqiang; Wu, Peichao; Rao, Shenglong; Cai, Ze; Lao, Zhaoxin; Xu, Bing; Ni, Jincheng; Li, Jiawen; Zhao, Gang; Wu, Dong; Chu, Jiaru; Sugioka, Koji

    2016-09-01

    Rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels is in highly demand for miniature lab-on-a-chip applications. This paper demonstrates the embellishment of existing microfluidic devices with integrated micropatterns via femtosecond laser MRAF-based holographic patterning (MHP) microfabrication, which proves two-photon polymerization (TPP) based on spatial light modulator (SLM) to be a rapid and powerful technology for chip functionalization. Optimized mixed region amplitude freedom (MRAF) algorithm has been used to generate high-quality shaped focus field. Base on the optimized parameters, a single-exposure approach is developed to fabricate 200 × 200 μm microstructure arrays in less than 240 ms. Moreover, microtraps, QR code and letters are integrated into a microdevice by the advanced method for particles capture and device identification. These results indicate that such a holographic laser embellishment of microfluidic devices is simple, flexible and easy to access, which has great potential in lab-on-a-chip applications of biological culture, chemical analyses and optofluidic devices.

  18. Material quality frontiers of MOVPE grown AlGaAs for minority carrier devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heckelmann, S.; Lackner, D.; Dimroth, F.; Bett, A. W.

    2017-04-01

    In this study, secondary ion mass spectroscopy of oxygen, deep level transient spectroscopy and power dependent relative photoluminescence are compared regarding their ability to resolve differences in AlxGa1-xAs material quality. AlxGa1-xAs samples grown with two different trimethylaluminum sources showing low and high levels of oxygen contamination are compared. As tested in the growth of minority carrier devices, i.e. AlxGa1-xAs solar cells, the two precursors clearly lead to different device characteristics. It is shown that secondary ion mass spectroscopy could not resolve the difference in oxygen concentration, whereas deep level transient spectroscopy and photoluminescence based measurements indicate the influence of the precursor oxygen level on the material quality.

  19. 7 CFR 981.42 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality control. 981.42 Section 981.42 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Quality Control § 981.42 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Except as provided in this...

  20. 7 CFR 981.42 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality control. 981.42 Section 981.42 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... Regulating Handling Quality Control § 981.42 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Except as provided in this...

  1. 7 CFR 981.42 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control. 981.42 Section 981.42 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Quality Control § 981.42 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Except as provided in this...

  2. 7 CFR 981.42 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality control. 981.42 Section 981.42 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Quality Control § 981.42 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Except as provided in this...

  3. Charge control microcomputer device for vehicle

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morishita, M.; Kouge, S.

    1986-08-26

    A charge control microcomputer device is described for a vehicle, comprising: an AC generator driven by an engine for generating an output current, the generator having armature coils and a field coil; a battery charged by a rectified output of the generator and generating a terminal voltage; a voltage regulator for controlling a current flowing in the field coil, to control an output voltage of the generator to a predetermined value; an engine controlling microcomputer for receiving engine parameter data from the engine, to control the operation of the engine; a charge control microcomputer for processing input data including datamore » on at least one engine parameter output from the engine controlling microcomputer, and charge system data including at least one of battery terminal voltage data, generator voltage data and generator output current data, to provide a reference voltage for the voltage regulator.« less

  4. Colorimetry as Quality Control Tool for Individual Inkjet-Printed Pediatric Formulations.

    PubMed

    Wickström, Henrika; Nyman, Johan O; Indola, Mathias; Sundelin, Heidi; Kronberg, Leif; Preis, Maren; Rantanen, Jukka; Sandler, Niklas

    2017-02-01

    Printing technologies were recently introduced to the pharmaceutical field for manufacturing of drug delivery systems. Printing allows on demand manufacturing of flexible pharmaceutical doses in a personalized manner, which is critical for a successful and safe treatment of patient populations with specific needs, such as children and the elderly, and patients facing multimorbidity. Printing of pharmaceuticals as technique generates new demands on the quality control procedures. For example, rapid quality control is needed as the printing can be done on demand and at the point of care. This study evaluated the potential use of a handheld colorimetry device for quality control of printed doses of vitamin Bs on edible rice and sugar substrates. The structural features of the substrates with and without ink were also compared. A multicomponent ink formulation with vitamin B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 6 was developed. Doses (4 cm 2 ) were prepared by applying 1-10 layers of yellow ink onto the white substrates using thermal inkjet technology. The colorimetric method was seen to be viable in detecting doses up to the 5th and 6th printed layers until color saturation of the yellow color parameter (b*) was observed on the substrates. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used as a reference method for the colorimetry measurements plotted against the number of printed layers. It was concluded that colorimetry could be used as a quality control tool for detection of different doses. However, optimization of the color addition needs to be done to avoid color saturation within the planned dose interval.

  5. Rapid toxicity detection in water quality control utilizing automated multispecies biomonitoring for permanent space stations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, E. L.; Young, R. C.; Smith, M. D.; Eagleson, K. W.

    1986-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate proposed design characteristics and applications of automated biomonitoring devices for real-time toxicity detection in water quality control on-board permanent space stations. Simulated tests in downlinking transmissions of automated biomonitoring data to Earth-receiving stations were simulated using satellite data transmissions from remote Earth-based stations.

  6. 7 CFR 930.44 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control. 930.44 Section 930.44 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Control § 930.44 Quality control. (a) Quality standards. The Board may establish, with the approval of the...

  7. 7 CFR 930.44 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality control. 930.44 Section 930.44 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Control § 930.44 Quality control. (a) Quality standards. The Board may establish, with the approval of the...

  8. 7 CFR 930.44 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality control. 930.44 Section 930.44 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Control § 930.44 Quality control. (a) Quality standards. The Board may establish, with the approval of the...

  9. 7 CFR 930.44 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality control. 930.44 Section 930.44 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... Control § 930.44 Quality control. (a) Quality standards. The Board may establish, with the approval of the...

  10. 40 CFR 65.146 - Nonflare control devices used for equipment leaks only.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL AIR RULE Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, and Routing to a Fuel Gas System or a Process § 65.146 Nonflare control devices used for equipment leaks only...

  11. Scalability of voltage-controlled filamentary and nanometallic resistance memory devices.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yang; Lee, Jong Ho; Chen, I-Wei

    2017-08-31

    Much effort has been devoted to device and materials engineering to realize nanoscale resistance random access memory (RRAM) for practical applications, but a rational physical basis to be relied on to design scalable devices spanning many length scales is still lacking. In particular, there is no clear criterion for switching control in those RRAM devices in which resistance changes are limited to localized nanoscale filaments that experience concentrated heat, electric current and field. Here, we demonstrate voltage-controlled resistance switching, always at a constant characteristic critical voltage, for macro and nanodevices in both filamentary RRAM and nanometallic RRAM, and the latter switches uniformly and does not require a forming process. As a result, area-scalability can be achieved under a device-area-proportional current compliance for the low resistance state of the filamentary RRAM, and for both the low and high resistance states of the nanometallic RRAM. This finding will help design area-scalable RRAM at the nanoscale. It also establishes an analogy between RRAM and synapses, in which signal transmission is also voltage-controlled.

  12. Rehabilitation device with variable resistance and intelligent control

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Shufang; Lu, Ke-Qian; Sun, J.Q.; Rudolph, Katherine

    2008-01-01

    Resistance exercise has been widely reported to have positive rehabilitation effects for patients with neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions. This paper presents an optimal design of magneto-rheological fluid dampers for variable resistance exercise device in the form of a knee brace. An intelligent supervisory control for regulating the resistive force or torque of the knee brace has also been studied. The device provides both isometric and isokinetic strength training for the knee. PMID:15694609

  13. Antimisting kerosene: Base fuel effects, blending and quality control techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yavrouian, A. H.; Ernest, J.; Sarohia, V.

    1984-01-01

    The problems associated with blending of the AMK additive with Jet A, and the base fuel effects on AMK properties are addressed. The results from the evaluation of some of the quality control techniques for AMK are presented. The principal conclusions of this investigation are: significant compositional differences for base fuel (Jet A) within the ASTM specification DI655; higher aromatic content of the base fuel was found to be beneficial for the polymer dissolution at ambient (20 C) temperature; using static mixer technology, the antimisting additive (FM-9) is in-line blended with Jet A, producing AMK which has adequate fire-protection properties 15 to 20 minutes after blending; degradability of freshly blended and equilibrated AMK indicated that maximum degradability is reached after adequate fire protection is obtained; the results of AMK degradability as measured by filter ratio, confirmed previous RAE data that power requirements to decade freshly blended AMK are significantly higher than equilibrated AMK; blending of the additive by using FM-9 concentrate in Jet A produces equilibrated AMK almost instantly; nephelometry offers a simple continuous monitoring capability and is used as a real time quality control device for AMK; and trajectory (jet thurst) and pressure drop tests are useful laboratory techniques for evaluating AMK quality.

  14. 14 CFR 21.139 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality control. 21.139 Section 21.139... PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCTS AND PARTS Production Certificates § 21.139 Quality control. The applicant must show that he has established and can maintain a quality control system for any product, for which he...

  15. 33 CFR 385.21 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Quality control. 385.21 Section... Processes § 385.21 Quality control. (a) The Corps of Engineers and the non-Federal sponsor shall prepare a quality control plan, in accordance with applicable Corps of Engineers regulations, for each product that...

  16. 14 CFR 21.139 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control. 21.139 Section 21.139... PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCTS AND PARTS Production Certificates § 21.139 Quality control. The applicant must show that he has established and can maintain a quality control system for any product, for which he...

  17. 33 CFR 385.21 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Quality control. 385.21 Section... Processes § 385.21 Quality control. (a) The Corps of Engineers and the non-Federal sponsor shall prepare a quality control plan, in accordance with applicable Corps of Engineers regulations, for each product that...

  18. 33 CFR 385.21 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Quality control. 385.21 Section... Processes § 385.21 Quality control. (a) The Corps of Engineers and the non-Federal sponsor shall prepare a quality control plan, in accordance with applicable Corps of Engineers regulations, for each product that...

  19. SeleCon: Scalable IoT Device Selection and Control Using Hand Gestures.

    PubMed

    Alanwar, Amr; Alzantot, Moustafa; Ho, Bo-Jhang; Martin, Paul; Srivastava, Mani

    2017-04-01

    Although different interaction modalities have been proposed in the field of human-computer interface (HCI), only a few of these techniques could reach the end users because of scalability and usability issues. Given the popularity and the growing number of IoT devices, selecting one out of many devices becomes a hurdle in a typical smarthome environment. Therefore, an easy-to-learn, scalable, and non-intrusive interaction modality has to be explored. In this paper, we propose a pointing approach to interact with devices, as pointing is arguably a natural way for device selection. We introduce SeleCon for device selection and control which uses an ultra-wideband (UWB) equipped smartwatch. To interact with a device in our system, people can point to the device to select it then draw a hand gesture in the air to specify a control action. To this end, SeleCon employs inertial sensors for pointing gesture detection and a UWB transceiver for identifying the selected device from ranging measurements. Furthermore, SeleCon supports an alphabet of gestures that can be used for controlling the selected devices. We performed our experiment in a 9 m -by-10 m lab space with eight deployed devices. The results demonstrate that SeleCon can achieve 84.5% accuracy for device selection and 97% accuracy for hand gesture recognition. We also show that SeleCon is power efficient to sustain daily use by turning off the UWB transceiver, when a user's wrist is stationary.

  20. 40 CFR 136.7 - Quality assurance and quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... quality control elements, where applicable, into the laboratory's documented standard operating procedure... quality control elements must be clearly documented in the written standard operating procedure for each... Methods contains QA/QC procedures in the Part 1000 section of the Standard Methods Compendium. The...

  1. 40 CFR 136.7 - Quality assurance and quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... quality control elements, where applicable, into the laboratory's documented standard operating procedure... quality control elements must be clearly documented in the written standard operating procedure for each... Methods contains QA/QC procedures in the Part 1000 section of the Standard Methods Compendium. The...

  2. 40 CFR 136.7 - Quality assurance and quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... quality control elements, where applicable, into the laboratory's documented standard operating procedure... quality control elements must be clearly documented in the written standard operating procedure for each... Methods contains QA/QC procedures in the Part 1000 section of the Standard Methods Compendium. The...

  3. A noble technique a using force-sensing resistor for immobilization-device quality assurance: A feasibility study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Min-Seok; Kim, Tae-Ho; Kang, Seong-Hee; Kim, Dong-Su; Kim, Kyeong-Hyeon; Shin, Dong-Seok; Noh, Yu-Yun; Koo, Hyun-Jae; Cheon, Geum Seong; Suh, Tae Suk; Kim, Siyong

    2016-03-01

    Many studies have reported that a patient can move even when an immobilization device is used. Researchers have developed an immobilization-device quality-assurance (QA) system that evaluates the validity of immobilization devices. The QA system consists of force-sensing-resistor (FSR) sensor units, an electric circuit, a signal conditioning device, and a control personal computer (PC) with in-house software. The QA system is designed to measure the force between an immobilization device and a patient's skin by using the FSR sensor unit. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using the QA system in radiation-exposure situations. When the FSR sensor unit was irradiated with a computed tomography (CT) beam and a treatment beam from a linear accelerator (LINAC), the stability of the output signal, the image artifact on the CT image, and changing the variation on the patient's dose were tested. The results of this study demonstrate that this system is promising in that it performed within the error range (signal variation on CT beam < 0.30 kPa, root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the two CT images according to presence or absence of the FSR sensor unit < 15 HU, signal variation on the treatment beam < 0.15 kPa, and dose difference between the presence and the absence of the FSR sensor unit < 0.02%). Based on the obtained results, we will volunteer tests to investigate the clinical feasibility of the QA system.

  4. Image enhancement and quality measures for dietary assessment using mobile devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Chang; Zhu, Fengqing; Khanna, Nitin; Boushey, Carol J.; Delp, Edward J.

    2012-03-01

    Measuring accurate dietary intake is considered to be an open research problem in the nutrition and health fields. We are developing a system, known as the mobile device food record (mdFR), to automatically identify and quantify foods and beverages consumed based on analyzing meal images captured with a mobile device. The mdFR makes use of a fiducial marker and other contextual information to calibrate the imaging system so that accurate amounts of food can be estimated from the scene. Food identification is a difficult problem since foods can dramatically vary in appearance. Such variations may arise not only from non-rigid deformations and intra-class variability in shape, texture, color and other visual properties, but also from changes in illumination and viewpoint. To address the color consistency problem, this paper describes illumination quality assessment methods implemented on a mobile device and three post color correction methods.

  5. Image Enhancement and Quality Measures for Dietary Assessment Using Mobile Devices

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Chang; Zhu, Fengqing; Khanna, Nitin; Boushey, Carol J.; Delp, Edward J.

    2016-01-01

    Measuring accurate dietary intake is considered to be an open research problem in the nutrition and health fields. We are developing a system, known as the mobile device food record (mdFR), to automatically identify and quantify foods and beverages consumed based on analyzing meal images captured with a mobile device. The mdFR makes use of a fiducial marker and other contextual information to calibrate the imaging system so that accurate amounts of food can be estimated from the scene. Food identification is a difficult problem since foods can dramatically vary in appearance. Such variations may arise not only from non-rigid deformations and intra-class variability in shape, texture, color and other visual properties, but also from changes in illumination and viewpoint. To address the color consistency problem, this paper describes illumination quality assessment methods implemented on a mobile device and three post color correction methods. PMID:28572695

  6. Design of a compact microfludic device for controllable cell distribution.

    PubMed

    Li, Jing-Liang; Day, Daniel; Gu, Min

    2010-11-21

    A compact microfluidic device with 96 microchambers allocated within four circular units was designed and examined for cell distribution. In each unit, cells were distributed to the surrounding chambers radially from the center. The circular arrangement of the chambers makes the design simple and compact. A controllable and quantitative cell distribution is achievable in this device. This design is significant to the microfluidic applications where controllable distribution of cells in multipule microchambers is demanded.

  7. Device For Controlling Crystallization Of Protein

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Noever, David A.

    1993-01-01

    Variable sandwich spacer enables optimization of evaporative driving force that governs crystallization of protein from solution. Mechanically more rigid than hanging-drop and sitting-drop devices. Large oscillations and dislodgment of drop of solution in response to vibrations suppressed by glass plates. Other advantages include: suitable for automated delivery, stable handling, and programmable evaporation of protein solution; controlled configuration enables simple and accurate determination of volume of solution without disrupting crystallization; pH and concentration of precipitant controlled dynamically because pH and concentration coupled to rate of evaporation, controllable via adjustment of gap between plates; and enables variation of ratio between surface area and volume of protein solution. Alternative version, plates oriented vertically instead of horizontally.

  8. Plastic optical fibre sensor for quality control in food industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novo, C.; Bilro, L.; Ferreira, R.; Alberto, N.; Antunes, P.; Leitão, C.; Nogueira, R.; Pinto, J. L.

    2013-05-01

    The present work addresses the need for new devices felt in the context of quality control, especially in the food industry. Due to the spectral dependence of the attenuation coefficient, a novel dual-parameter sensor for colour and refractive index was developed and tested. The sensor employs plastic optical fibres to measure the transmitted optical power in three measurement cells each with a different incident wavelength. The performance of the sensor was tested using several dyes at different concentrations and aqueous solutions of glycerine and ethanol. Results show that this technique allows the monitoring of refractive index and colour without cross-sensitivity.

  9. Net current control device. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fugate, D.; Cooper, J.H.

    1998-11-01

    Net currents generally result in elevated magnetic fields because the alternate paths are distant from the circuit conductors. Investigations have shown that one of the primary sources of power frequency magnetic fields in residential buildings is currents that return to their source via paths other than the neutral conductors. As part of EPRI`s Magnetic Field Shielding Project, ferromagnetic devices, called net current control (NCC) devices, were developed and tested for use in reducing net currents on electric power cables and the resulting magnetic fields. Applied to a residential service drop, an NCC device reduces net current by forcing current offmore » local non-utility ground paths, and back onto the neutral conductor. Circuit models and basic design equations for the NCC concept were developed, and proof-of-principles tests were carried out on an actual residence with cooperation from the local utility. After proving the basic concepts, three prototype NCC devices were built and tested on a simulated neighborhood power system. Additional prototypes were built for testing by interested EPRI utility members. Results have shown that the NCC prototypes installed on residential service drops reduce net currents to milliampere levels with compromising the safety of the ground system. Although the focus was on application to residential service cables, the NCC concept is applicable to single-phase and three-phase distribution systems as well.« less

  10. Deposition of device quality low H content, amorphous silicon films

    DOEpatents

    Mahan, A.H.; Carapella, J.C.; Gallagher, A.C.

    1995-03-14

    A high quality, low hydrogen content, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film is deposited by passing a stream of silane gas (SiH{sub 4}) over a high temperature, 2,000 C, tungsten (W) filament in the proximity of a high temperature, 400 C, substrate within a low pressure, 8 mTorr, deposition chamber. The silane gas is decomposed into atomic hydrogen and silicon, which in turn collides preferably not more than 20--30 times before being deposited on the hot substrate. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon films thus produced have only about one atomic percent hydrogen, yet have device quality electrical, chemical, and structural properties, despite this lowered hydrogen content. 7 figs.

  11. Deposition of device quality low H content, amorphous silicon films

    DOEpatents

    Mahan, Archie H.; Carapella, Jeffrey C.; Gallagher, Alan C.

    1995-01-01

    A high quality, low hydrogen content, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film is deposited by passing a stream of silane gas (SiH.sub.4) over a high temperature, 2000.degree. C., tungsten (W) filament in the proximity of a high temperature, 400.degree. C., substrate within a low pressure, 8 mTorr, deposition chamber. The silane gas is decomposed into atomic hydrogen and silicon, which in turn collides preferably not more than 20-30 times before being deposited on the hot substrate. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon films thus produced have only about one atomic percent hydrogen, yet have device quality electrical, chemical, and structural properties, despite this lowered hydrogen content.

  12. Power quality control of an autonomous wind-diesel power system based on hybrid intelligent controller.

    PubMed

    Ko, Hee-Sang; Lee, Kwang Y; Kang, Min-Jae; Kim, Ho-Chan

    2008-12-01

    Wind power generation is gaining popularity as the power industry in the world is moving toward more liberalized trade of energy along with public concerns of more environmentally friendly mode of electricity generation. The weakness of wind power generation is its dependence on nature-the power output varies in quite a wide range due to the change of wind speed, which is difficult to model and predict. The excess fluctuation of power output and voltages can influence negatively the quality of electricity in the distribution system connected to the wind power generation plant. In this paper, the authors propose an intelligent adaptive system to control the output of a wind power generation plant to maintain the quality of electricity in the distribution system. The target wind generator is a cost-effective induction generator, while the plant is equipped with a small capacity energy storage based on conventional batteries, heater load for co-generation and braking, and a voltage smoothing device such as a static Var compensator (SVC). Fuzzy logic controller provides a flexible controller covering a wide range of energy/voltage compensation. A neural network inverse model is designed to provide compensating control amount for a system. The system can be optimized to cope with the fluctuating market-based electricity price conditions to lower the cost of electricity consumption or to maximize the power sales opportunities from the wind generation plant.

  13. Development and control of a magnetorheological haptic device for robot assisted surgery.

    PubMed

    Shokrollahi, Elnaz; Goldenberg, Andrew A; Drake, James M; Eastwood, Kyle W; Kang, Matthew

    2017-07-01

    A prototype magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based actuator has been designed for tele-robotic surgical applications. This device is capable of generating forces up to 47 N, with input currents ranging from 0 to 1.5 A. We begin by outlining the physical design of the device, and then discuss a novel nonlinear model of the device's behavior. The model was developed using the Hammerstein-Wiener (H-W) nonlinear black-box technique and is intended to accurately capture the hysteresis behavior of the MR-fluid. Several experiments were conducted on the device to collect estimation and validation datasets to construct the model and assess its performance. Different estimating functions were used to construct the model, and their effectiveness is assessed based on goodness-of-fit and final-prediction-error measurements. A sigmoid network was found to have a goodness-of-fit of 95%. The model estimate was then used to tune a PID controller. Two control schemes were proposed to eliminate the hysteresis behavior present in the MR fluid device. One method uses a traditional force feedback control loop and the other is based on measuring the magnetic field using a Hall-effect sensor embedded within the device. The Hall-effect sensor scheme was found to be superior in terms of cost, simplicity and real-time control performance compared to the force control strategy.

  14. [Design and application of implantable medical device information management system].

    PubMed

    Cao, Shaoping; Yin, Chunguang; Zhao, Zhenying

    2013-03-01

    Through the establishment of implantable medical device information management system, with the aid of the regional joint sharing of resources, we further enhance the implantable medical device traceability management level, strengthen quality management, control of medical risk.

  15. A systematic quality assurance study in bone densitometry devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tuncman, Duygu; Kovan, Hatice; Kovan, Bilal; Demir, Bayram; Turkmen, Cuneyt

    2015-07-01

    Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and can result in devastating physical, psychosocial, and economic consequences. It occurs in women after menopause and affects most elderly. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is currently the most widely used method for the measurement of areal Bone Mineral Density (BMD) (g/cm2) .DXA is based on the variable absorption of X-ray by the different body components and uses high and low energy X-ray photons. There are two important values in the assessment of the DXA. These values are T-score and Z-score. The T-score is calculated by taking the difference between a patient's measured BMD with the mean BMD of the young normal population, matched for gender and ethnicity, and then by dividing the difference with the standard deviation (SD) of the BMD of the young normal population. T-score and also Z-score are directly depends on the Bone Mineral Density (BMD). BMD measurements should be made periodically in a patient life. But mostly, it is not possible with the same device. Therefore, in this study, for the quality assurance of bone densitometry devices, we evaluated the BMD results measured in the different Bone Densitometry (DXA) devices using a spine phantom.

  16. Seismic Response Control Of Structures Using Semi-Active and Passive Variable Stiffness Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salem, Mohamed M. A.

    Controllable devices such as Magneto-Rheological Fluid Dampers, Electro-Rheological Dampers, and controllable friction devices have been studied extensively with limited implementation in real structures. Such devices have shown great potential in reducing seismic demands, either as smart base isolation systems, or as smart devices for multistory structures. Although variable stiffness devices can be used for seismic control of structures, the vast majority of research effort has been given to the control of damping. The primary focus of this dissertation is to evaluate the seismic control of structures using semi-active and passive variable stiffness characteristics. Smart base isolation systems employing variable stiffness devices have been studied, and two semi-active control strategies are proposed. The control algorithms were designed to reduce the superstructure and base accelerations of seismically isolated structures subject to near-fault and far-field ground motions. Computational simulations of the proposed control algorithms on the benchmark structure have shown that excessive base displacements associated with the near-fault ground motions may be better mitigated with the use of variable stiffness devices. However, the device properties must be controllable to produce a wide range of stiffness changes for an effective control of the base displacements. The potential of controllable stiffness devices in limiting the base displacement due to near-fault excitation without compromising the performance of conventionally isolated structures, is illustrated. The application of passive variable stiffness devices for seismic response mitigation of multistory structures is also investigated. A stiffening bracing system (SBS) is proposed to replace the conventional bracing systems of braced frames. An optimization process for the SBS parameters has been developed. The main objective of the design process is to maintain a uniform inter-story drift angle over the

  17. Solid state carbon nanotube device for controllable trion electroluminescence emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Shuang; Ma, Ze; Wei, Nan; Liu, Huaping; Wang, Sheng; Peng, Lian-Mao

    2016-03-01

    Semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a direct chirality-dependent bandgap and reduced dimensionality-related quantum confinement effects, which are closely related to the performance of optoelectronic devices. Here, taking advantage of the large energy separations between neutral singlet excitons and charged excitons, i.e. trions in CNTs, we have achieved for the first time all trion electroluminescence (EL) emission from chirality-sorted (8,3) and (8,4) CNT-based solid state devices. We showed that strong trion emission can be obtained as a result of localized impact excitation and electrically injected holes, with an estimated efficiency of ~5 × 10-4 photons per injected hole. The importance of contact-controlled carrier injection (including symmetric and asymmetric contact configurations) and EL spectral stability for gradually increasing bias were also investigated. The realization of electrically induced pure trion emission opens up a new opportunity for CNT film-based optoelectronic devices, providing a new degree of freedom in controlling the devices to extend potential applications in spin or magnetic optoelectronics fields.Semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a direct chirality-dependent bandgap and reduced dimensionality-related quantum confinement effects, which are closely related to the performance of optoelectronic devices. Here, taking advantage of the large energy separations between neutral singlet excitons and charged excitons, i.e. trions in CNTs, we have achieved for the first time all trion electroluminescence (EL) emission from chirality-sorted (8,3) and (8,4) CNT-based solid state devices. We showed that strong trion emission can be obtained as a result of localized impact excitation and electrically injected holes, with an estimated efficiency of ~5 × 10-4 photons per injected hole. The importance of contact-controlled carrier injection (including symmetric and asymmetric contact configurations) and EL spectral stability for

  18. [Microcomputer control of a LED stimulus display device].

    PubMed

    Ohmoto, S; Kikuchi, T; Kumada, T

    1987-02-01

    A visual stimulus display system controlled by a microcomputer was constructed at low cost. The system consists of a LED stimulus display device, a microcomputer, two interface boards, a pointing device (a "mouse") and two kinds of software. The first software package is written in BASIC. Its functions are: to construct stimulus patterns using the mouse, to construct letter patterns (alphabet, digit, symbols and Japanese letters--kanji, hiragana, katakana), to modify the patterns, to store the patterns on a floppy disc, to translate the patterns into integer data which are used to display the patterns in the second software. The second software package, written in BASIC and machine language, controls display of a sequence of stimulus patterns in predetermined time schedules in visual experiments.

  19. Optimized holographic femtosecond laser patterning method towards rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Chenchu; Hu, Yanlei; Du, Wenqiang; Wu, Peichao; Rao, Shenglong; Cai, Ze; Lao, Zhaoxin; Xu, Bing; Ni, Jincheng; Li, Jiawen; Zhao, Gang; Wu, Dong; Chu, Jiaru; Sugioka, Koji

    2016-01-01

    Rapid integration of high-quality functional devices in microchannels is in highly demand for miniature lab-on-a-chip applications. This paper demonstrates the embellishment of existing microfluidic devices with integrated micropatterns via femtosecond laser MRAF-based holographic patterning (MHP) microfabrication, which proves two-photon polymerization (TPP) based on spatial light modulator (SLM) to be a rapid and powerful technology for chip functionalization. Optimized mixed region amplitude freedom (MRAF) algorithm has been used to generate high-quality shaped focus field. Base on the optimized parameters, a single-exposure approach is developed to fabricate 200 × 200 μm microstructure arrays in less than 240 ms. Moreover, microtraps, QR code and letters are integrated into a microdevice by the advanced method for particles capture and device identification. These results indicate that such a holographic laser embellishment of microfluidic devices is simple, flexible and easy to access, which has great potential in lab-on-a-chip applications of biological culture, chemical analyses and optofluidic devices. PMID:27619690

  20. Crystal growth of device quality GaAs in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, H. C.; Lagowski, J.

    1985-01-01

    The present program has been aimed at solving the fundamental and technological problems associated with Crystal Growth of Device Quality in Space. The initial stage of the program was devoted strictly to ground-based research. The unsolved problems associated with the growth of bulk GaAs in the presence of gravitational forces were explored. Reliable chemical, structural and electronic characterization methods were developed which would permit the direct relation of the salient materials parameters (particularly those affected by zero gravity conditions) to the electronic characteristics of single crystal GaAs, in turn to device performance. These relationships are essential for the development of optimum approaches and techniques. It was concluded that the findings on elemental semiconductors Ge and Si regarding crystal growth, segregation, chemical composition, defect interactions, and materials properties-electronic properties relationships are not necessarily applicable to GaAs (and to other semiconductor compounds). In many instances totally unexpected relationships were found to prevail.

  1. Computer controlled fluorometer device and method of operating same

    DOEpatents

    Kolber, Z.; Falkowski, P.

    1990-07-17

    A computer controlled fluorometer device and method of operating same, said device being made to include a pump flash source and a probe flash source and one or more sample chambers in combination with a light condenser lens system and associated filters and reflectors and collimators, as well as signal conditioning and monitoring means and a programmable computer means and a software programmable source of background irradiance that is operable according to the method of the invention to rapidly, efficiently and accurately measure photosynthetic activity by precisely monitoring and recording changes in fluorescence yield produced by a controlled series of predetermined cycles of probe and pump flashes from the respective probe and pump sources that are controlled by the computer means. 13 figs.

  2. Computer controlled fluorometer device and method of operating same

    DOEpatents

    Kolber, Zbigniew; Falkowski, Paul

    1990-01-01

    A computer controlled fluorometer device and method of operating same, said device being made to include a pump flash source and a probe flash source and one or more sample chambers in combination with a light condenser lens system and associated filters and reflectors and collimators, as well as signal conditioning and monitoring means and a programmable computer means and a software programmable source of background irradiance that is operable according to the method of the invention to rapidly, efficiently and accurately measure photosynthetic activity by precisely monitoring and recording changes in fluorescence yield produced by a controlled series of predetermined cycles of probe and pump flashes from the respective probe and pump sources that are controlled by the computer means.

  3. Voltage-Controlled Reconfigurable Spin-Wave Nanochannels and Logic Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rana, Bivas; Otani, YoshiChika

    2018-01-01

    Propagating spin waves (SWs) promise to be a potential information carrier in future spintronics devices with lower power consumption. Here, we propose reconfigurable nanochannels (NCs) generated by voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in an ultrathin ferromagnetic waveguide for SW propagation. Numerical micromagnetic simulations are performed to demonstrate the confinement of magnetostatic forward volumelike spin waves in NCs by VCMA. We demonstrate that the NCs, with a width down to a few tens of a nanometer, can be configured either into a straight or curved structure on an extended SW waveguide. The key advantage is that either a single NC or any combination of a number of NCs can be easily configured by VCMA for simultaneous propagation of SWs either with the same or different wave vectors according to our needs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the logic operation of a voltage-controlled magnonic xnor and universal nand gate and propose a voltage-controlled reconfigurable SW switch for the development of a multiplexer and demultiplexer. We find that the NCs and logic devices can even be functioning in the absence of the external-bias magnetic field. These results are a step towards the development of all-voltage-controlled magnonic devices with an ultralow power consumption.

  4. A device for automatic photoelectric control of the analytical gap for emission spectrographs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dietrich, John A.; Cooley, Elmo F.; Curry, Kenneth J.

    1977-01-01

    A photoelectric device has been built that automatically controls the analytical gap between electrodes during excitation period. The control device allows for precise control of the analytical gap during the arcing process of samples, resulting in better precision of analysis.

  5. SeleCon: Scalable IoT Device Selection and Control Using Hand Gestures

    PubMed Central

    Alanwar, Amr; Alzantot, Moustafa; Ho, Bo-Jhang; Martin, Paul; Srivastava, Mani

    2018-01-01

    Although different interaction modalities have been proposed in the field of human-computer interface (HCI), only a few of these techniques could reach the end users because of scalability and usability issues. Given the popularity and the growing number of IoT devices, selecting one out of many devices becomes a hurdle in a typical smarthome environment. Therefore, an easy-to-learn, scalable, and non-intrusive interaction modality has to be explored. In this paper, we propose a pointing approach to interact with devices, as pointing is arguably a natural way for device selection. We introduce SeleCon for device selection and control which uses an ultra-wideband (UWB) equipped smartwatch. To interact with a device in our system, people can point to the device to select it then draw a hand gesture in the air to specify a control action. To this end, SeleCon employs inertial sensors for pointing gesture detection and a UWB transceiver for identifying the selected device from ranging measurements. Furthermore, SeleCon supports an alphabet of gestures that can be used for controlling the selected devices. We performed our experiment in a 9m-by-10m lab space with eight deployed devices. The results demonstrate that SeleCon can achieve 84.5% accuracy for device selection and 97% accuracy for hand gesture recognition. We also show that SeleCon is power efficient to sustain daily use by turning off the UWB transceiver, when a user’s wrist is stationary. PMID:29683151

  6. Initial Asian experience in hysteroscopic sterilisation using the Essure permanent birth control device.

    PubMed

    Chern, Bernard; Siow, Anthony

    2005-09-01

    To present our initial experience in the use of the Essure permanent birth control device in a predominately Asian population. A retrospective study. Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore. Eighty women seeking permanent birth control. From 22 June 2001, women who sought sterilisation were counselled with regards to the various options of permanent birth control. Informed consent for hysteroscopic sterilisation was obtained only after the woman met the criteria for Essure permanent birth control. The sterilisation procedure was carried out without the need for general anaesthesia in a day surgery centre using the Essure permanent birth control device. The surgical details and post procedure follow up were analysed. Feasibility and safety of the Essure permanent birth control device in Asians and its non-placement rate. No serious adverse events or complications were encountered in using the Essure device. No pregnancies have been reported in our series to date. A significant reduction in the Essure device non-placement rate (20.0%vs 4.0%, P= 0.021) and mean operation time (27.3 vs 19.6 minutes, P= 0.006) were seen when patients were pre-medicated with spasmolytic agent and analgesia. The Essure permanent birth control device is safe and suitable for Asians. Its non-placement rate may be improved with pre-medication of spasmolytic agent and analgesia.

  7. QUALITY CONTROL OF PHARMACEUTICALS.

    PubMed

    LEVI, L; WALKER, G C; PUGSLEY, L I

    1964-10-10

    Quality control is an essential operation of the pharmaceutical industry. Drugs must be marketed as safe and therapeutically active formulations whose performance is consistent and predictable. New and better medicinal agents are being produced at an accelerated rate. At the same time more exacting and sophisticated analytical methods are being developed for their evaluation. Requirements governing the quality control of pharmaceuticals in accordance with the Canadian Food and Drugs Act are cited and discussed.

  8. 7 CFR 58.928 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.928 Section 58.928... Procedures § 58.928 Quality control tests. All dairy products and other ingredients shall be subject to inspection for quality and condition throughout each processing operation. Quality control tests shall be...

  9. Expert database system for quality control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Anne J.; Li, Zhi-Cheng

    1993-09-01

    There are more competitors today. Markets are not homogeneous they are fragmented into increasingly focused niches requiring greater flexibility in the product mix shorter manufacturing production runs and above allhigher quality. In this paper the author identified a real-time expert system as a way to improve plantwide quality management. The quality control expert database system (QCEDS) by integrating knowledge of experts in operations quality management and computer systems use all information relevant to quality managementfacts as well as rulesto determine if a product meets quality standards. Keywords: expert system quality control data base

  10. A Wearable Body Controlling Device for Application of Functional Electrical Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Taghavi, Nazita; Luecke, Greg R; Jeffery, Nicholas D

    2018-04-18

    In this research, we describe a new balancing device used to stabilize the rear quarters of a patient dog with spinal cord injuries. Our approach uses inertial measurement sensing and direct leg actuation to lay a foundation for eventual muscle control by means of direct functional electrical stimulation (FES). During this phase of development, we designed and built a mechanical test-bed to develop the control and stimulation algorithms before we use the device on our animal subjects. We designed the bionic test-bed to mimic the typical walking gait of a dog and use it to develop and test the functionality of the balancing device for stabilization of patient dogs with hindquarter paralysis. We present analysis for various muscle stimulation and balancing strategies, and our device can be used by veterinarians to tailor the stimulation strength and temporal distribution for any individual patient dog. We develop stabilizing muscle stimulation strategies using the robotic test-bed to enhance walking stability. We present experimental results using the bionic test-bed to demonstrate that the balancing device can provide an effective sensing strategy and deliver the required motion control commands for stabilizing an actual dog with a spinal cord injury.

  11. 7 CFR 58.335 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.335 Section 58.335... Procedures § 58.335 Quality control tests. All milk, cream and related products are subject to inspection for quality and condition throughout each processing operation. Quality control tests shall be made on flow...

  12. Quality Control of Pharmaceuticals

    PubMed Central

    Levi, Leo; Walker, George C.; Pugsley, L. I.

    1964-01-01

    Quality control is an essential operation of the pharmaceutical industry. Drugs must be marketed as safe and therapeutically active formulations whose performance is consistent and predictable. New and better medicinal agents are being produced at an accelerated rate. At the same time more exacting and sophisticated analytical methods are being developed for their evaluation. Requirements governing the quality control of pharmaceuticals in accordance with the Canadian Food and Drugs Act are cited and discussed. PMID:14199105

  13. Control Board Digital Interface Input Devices – Touchscreen, Trackpad, or Mouse?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomas A. Ulrich; Ronald L. Boring; Roger Lew

    The authors collaborated with a power utility to evaluate input devices for use in the human system interface (HSI) for a new digital Turbine Control System (TCS) at a nuclear power plant (NPP) undergoing a TCS upgrade. A standalone dynamic software simulation of the new digital TCS and a mobile kiosk were developed to conduct an input device study to evaluate operator preference and input device effectiveness. The TCS software presented the anticipated HSI for the TCS and mimicked (i.e., simulated) the turbine systems’ responses to operator commands. Twenty-four licensed operators from the two nuclear power units participated in themore » study. Three input devices were tested: a trackpad, mouse, and touchscreen. The subjective feedback from the survey indicates the operators preferred the touchscreen interface. The operators subjectively rated the touchscreen as the fastest and most comfortable input device given the range of tasks they performed during the study, but also noted a lack of accuracy for selecting small targets. The empirical data suggest the mouse input device provides the most consistent performance for screen navigation and manipulating on screen controls. The trackpad input device was both empirically and subjectively found to be the least effective and least desired input device.« less

  14. Placebo Devices as Effective Control Methods in Acupuncture Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Claire Shuiqing; Tan, Hsiewe Ying; Zhang, George Shengxi; Zhang, Anthony Lin; Xue, Charlie Changli; Xie, Yi Min

    2015-01-01

    While the use of acupuncture has been recognised by the World Health Organisation, its efficacy for many of the common clinical conditions is still undergoing validation through randomised controlled trials (RCTs). A credible placebo control for such RCTs to enable meaningful evaluation of its efficacy is to be established. While several non-penetrating acupuncture placebo devices, namely the Streitberger, the Park and the Takakura Devices, have been developed and used in RCTs, their suitability as inert placebo controls needs to be rigorously determined. This article systematically reviews these devices as placebo interventions. Electronic searches were conducted on four English and two Chinese databases from their inceptions to July 2014; hand searches of relevant references were also conducted. RCTs, in English or Chinese language, comparing acupuncture with one of the aforementioned devices as the control intervention on human participants with any clinical condition and evaluating clinically related outcomes were included. Thirty-six studies were included for qualitative analysis while 14 were in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis does not support the notion of either the Streitberger or the Park Device being inert control interventions while none of the studies involving the Takakura Device was included in the meta-analysis. Sixteen studies reported the occurrence of adverse events, with no significant difference between verum and placebo acupuncture. Author-reported blinding credibility showed that participant blinding was successful in most cases; however, when blinding index was calculated, only one study, which utilised the Park Device, seemed to have an ideal blinding scenario. Although the blinding index could not be calculated for the Takakura Device, it was the only device reported to enable practitioner blinding. There are limitations with each of the placebo devices and more rigorous studies are needed to further evaluate their effects and

  15. 30 CFR 28.31 - Quality control plans; contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Quality control plans; contents. 28.31 Section... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.31 Quality control plans; contents. (a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the management of quality, including: (1...

  16. [Highly quality-controlled radiation therapy].

    PubMed

    Shirato, Hiroki

    2005-04-01

    Advanced radiation therapy for intracranial disease has focused on set-up accuracy for the past 15 years. However, quality control in the prescribed dose is actually as important as the tumor set-up in radiation therapy. Because of the complexity of the three-dimensional radiation treatment planning system in recent years, the highly quality-controlled prescription of the dose has now been reappraised as the mainstream to improve the treatment outcome of radiation therapy for intracranial disease. The Japanese Committee for Quality Control of Radiation Therapy has developed fundamental requirements such as a QC committee in each hospital, a medical physicist, dosimetrists (QC members), and an external audit.

  17. Control by quality: proposition of a typology.

    PubMed

    Pujo, P; Pillet, M

    The application of Quality tools and methods in industrial management has always had a fundamental impact on the control of production. It influences the behavior of the actors concerned, while introducing the necessary notions and formalizations, especially for production systems with little or no automation, which constitute a large part of the industrial activity. Several quality approaches are applied in the workshop and are implemented at the level of the control. In this paper, the authors present a typology of the various approaches that have successively influenced control, such as statistical process control, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. First the authors present a parallel between production control and quality organizational structure. They note the duality between control, which is aimed at increasing productivity, and quality, which aims to satisfy the needs of the customer. They also note the hierarchical organizational structure of these two systems of management with, at each level, the notion of a feedback loop. This notion is fundamental to any kind of decision making. The paper is organized around the operational, tactical, and strategic levels, by describing for each level the main methods and tools for control by quality. The overview of these tools and methods starts at the operational level, with the Statistical Process Control, the Taguchi technique, and the "six sigma" approach. On the tactical level, we find a quality system approach, with a documented description of the procedures introduced in the firm. The management system can refer here to Quality Assurance, Total Productive Maintenance, or Management by Total Quality. The formalization through procedures of the rules of decision governing the process control enhances the validity of these rules. This leads to the enhancement of their reliability and to their consolidation. All this counterbalances the human, intrinsically fluctuating, behavior of the control

  18. Control solutions for robots using Android and iOS devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, A. William, III; Gray, Jeremy P.; Rudnick, Dave; Karlsen, Robert E.

    2012-06-01

    As more Soldiers seek to utilize robots to enhance their mission capabilities, controls are needed which are intuitive, portable, and adaptable to a wide range of mission tasks. Android™ and iOS™ devices have the potential to meet each of these requirements as well as being based on readily available hardware. This paper will focus on some of the ways in which an Android™ or iOS™ device could be used to control specific and varied robot mobility functions and payload tools. Several small unmanned ground vehicle (SUGV) payload tools will have been investigated at Camp Pendleton during a user assessment and mission feasibility study for automatic remote tool changing. This group of payload tools will provide a basis, to researchers, concerning what types of control functions are needed to fully utilize SUGV robotic capabilities. Additional, mobility functions using tablet devices have been used as part of the Safe Operation of Unmanned systems for Reconnaissance in Complex Environments Army Technology Objective (SOURCE ATO) which is investigating the safe operation of robotics. Using Android™ and iOS™ hand-held devices is not a new concept in robot manipulation. However, the authors of this paper hope to introduce some novel concepts that may serve to make the interaction between Soldier and machine more fluid and intuitive. By creating a better user experience, Android™ and iOS™ devices could help to reduce training time, enhance performance, and increase acceptance of robotics as valuable mission tools for Soldiers.

  19. Validation of gamma irradiator controls for quality and regulatory compliance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harding, Rorry B.; Pinteric, Francis J. A.

    1995-09-01

    Since 1978 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had both the legal authority and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations in place to require irradiator owners who process medical devices to produce evidence of Irradiation Process Validation. One of the key components of Irradiation Process Validation is the validation of the irradiator controls. However, it is only recently that FDA audits have focused on this component of the process validation. What is Irradiator Control System Validation? What constitutes evidence of control? How do owners obtain evidence? What is the irradiator supplier's role in validation? How does the ISO 9000 Quality Standard relate to the FDA's CGMP requirement for evidence of Control System Validation? This paper presents answers to these questions based on the recent experiences of Nordion's engineering and product management staff who have worked with several US-based irradiator owners. This topic — Validation of Irradiator Controls — is a significant regulatory compliance and operations issue within the irradiator suppliers' and users' community.

  20. The variable magnetic baffle as a control device for Kaufman thrusters.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poeschel, R. L.

    1972-01-01

    The variable magnetic baffle described in this paper aids in control of electron flow from the hollow cathode plasma into the main discharge region by augmenting the fringe magnetic field which impedes this electron flow in conventionally baffled Kaufman thrusters. A passive, low loss, and automatic control device is obtained by using the discharge current to excite the control winding. Used in conjunction with typical thruster control loops, stable operation has been obtained over a 10:1 throttling range with a 30 cm thruster. Discharge ignition and overcurrent recycling is also facilitated through use of this device in a permanent magnet thruster.

  1. Crash Tests of Work Zone Traffic Control Devices

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1990-02-01

    Full-scale vehicle crash tests evaluated performance of typical work zone traffic control devices. Modified test procedures and evaluation criteria from NCHRP Report 230 were used in 108 tests, providing significant insight into impact performance. P...

  2. Evaluation of traffic control devices : fifth-year activities.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-02-01

    This project was established to provide a means of conducting limited scope evaluations of numerous traffic : control device issues. During the fifth, and final, year of the project, researchers conducted four activities: : improving the interface fo...

  3. 78 FR 79300 - Cardiovascular Devices; Reclassification of Intra-Aortic Balloon and Control Systems for Acute...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-30

    ... balloon and control system (IABP) devices when indicated for acute coronary syndrome, cardiac and non... and non-cardiac surgery, or complications of heart failure. The special controls for this device are.... FDA-2013-N-0581] Cardiovascular Devices; Reclassification of Intra-Aortic Balloon and Control Systems...

  4. State-of-the-art robotic devices for ankle rehabilitation: Mechanism and control review.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Shahid; Jamwal, Prashant K; Ghayesh, Mergen H

    2017-12-01

    There is an increasing research interest in exploring use of robotic devices for the physical therapy of patients suffering from stroke and spinal cord injuries. Rehabilitation of patients suffering from ankle joint dysfunctions such as drop foot is vital and therefore has called for the development of newer robotic devices. Several robotic orthoses and parallel ankle robots have been developed during the last two decades to augment the conventional ankle physical therapy of patients. A comprehensive review of these robotic ankle rehabilitation devices is presented in this article. Recent developments in the mechanism design, actuation and control are discussed. The study encompasses robotic devices for treadmill and over-ground training as well as platform-based parallel ankle robots. Control strategies for these robotic devices are deliberated in detail with an emphasis on the assist-as-needed training strategies. Experimental evaluations of the mechanism designs and various control strategies of these robotic ankle rehabilitation devices are also presented.

  5. Touch-free, gesture-based control of medical devices and software based on the leap motion controller.

    PubMed

    Mauser, Stanislas; Burgert, Oliver

    2014-01-01

    There are several intra-operative use cases which require the surgeon to interact with medical devices. We used the Leap Motion Controller as input device and implemented two use-cases: 2D-Interaction (e.g. advancing EPR data) and selection of a value (e.g. room illumination brightness). The gesture detection was successful and we mapped its output to several devices and systems.

  6. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller a via network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor); Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. In one embodiment, the bus controller transmits messages to the network device interface containing a plurality of bits having a value defined by a transition between first and second states in the bits. The network device interface determines timing of the data sequence of the message and uses the determined timing to communicate with the bus controller.

  7. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is then converted by the network device interface into digital signals and transmitted back to the controller. In one advantageous embodiment, the network device interface is a state machine, such as an ASIC, that operates independent of a processor in communicating with the bus controller and data channels.

  8. Web Information Systems for Monitoring and Control of Indoor Air Quality at Subway Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Gi Heung; Choi, Gi Sang; Jang, Joo Hyoung

    In crowded subway stations indoor air quality (IAQ) is a key factor for ensuring the safety, health and comfort of passengers. In this study, a framework for web-based information system in VDN environment for monitoring and control of IAQ in subway stations is suggested. Since physical variables that describing IAQ need to be closely monitored and controlled in multiple locations in subway stations, concept of distributed monitoring and control network using wireless media needs to be implemented. Connecting remote wireless sensor network and device (LonWorks) networks to the IP network based on the concept of VDN can provide a powerful, integrated, distributed monitoring and control performance, making a web-based information system possible.

  9. 40 CFR 63.2251 - What are the requirements for the routine control device maintenance exemption?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the routine control device maintenance exemption? (a) You may request a routine control device..., explain why the maintenance cannot be accomplished during process shutdowns, describe how you plan to make... device is used to control a green rotary dryer, tube dryer, rotary strand dryer, or pressurized refiner...

  10. [Quality control in herbal supplements].

    PubMed

    Oelker, Luisa

    2005-01-01

    Quality and safety of food and herbal supplements are the result of a whole of different elements as good manufacturing practice and process control. The process control must be active and able to individuate and correct all possible hazards. The main and most utilized instrument is the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system the correct application of which can guarantee the safety of the product. Herbal supplements need, in addition to standard quality control, a set of checks to assure the harmlessness and safety of the plants used.

  11. A Wearable Body Controlling Device for Application of Functional Electrical Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Jeffery, Nicholas D.

    2018-01-01

    In this research, we describe a new balancing device used to stabilize the rear quarters of a patient dog with spinal cord injuries. Our approach uses inertial measurement sensing and direct leg actuation to lay a foundation for eventual muscle control by means of direct functional electrical stimulation (FES). During this phase of development, we designed and built a mechanical test-bed to develop the control and stimulation algorithms before we use the device on our animal subjects. We designed the bionic test-bed to mimic the typical walking gait of a dog and use it to develop and test the functionality of the balancing device for stabilization of patient dogs with hindquarter paralysis. We present analysis for various muscle stimulation and balancing strategies, and our device can be used by veterinarians to tailor the stimulation strength and temporal distribution for any individual patient dog. We develop stabilizing muscle stimulation strategies using the robotic test-bed to enhance walking stability. We present experimental results using the bionic test-bed to demonstrate that the balancing device can provide an effective sensing strategy and deliver the required motion control commands for stabilizing an actual dog with a spinal cord injury. PMID:29670039

  12. Methods of Measurement for Semiconductor Materials, Process Control, and Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bullis, W. M. (Editor)

    1973-01-01

    The development of methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices is reported. Significant accomplishments include: (1) Completion of an initial identification of the more important problems in process control for integrated circuit fabrication and assembly; (2) preparations for making silicon bulk resistivity wafer standards available to the industry; and (3) establishment of the relationship between carrier mobility and impurity density in silicon. Work is continuing on measurement of resistivity of semiconductor crystals; characterization of generation-recombination-trapping centers, including gold, in silicon; evaluation of wire bonds and die attachment; study of scanning electron microscopy for wafer inspection and test; measurement of thermal properties of semiconductor devices; determination of S-parameters and delay time in junction devices; and characterization of noise and conversion loss of microwave detector diodes.

  13. 40 CFR 60.2141 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2141 Section 60.2141 Protection of Environment... initial air pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection... startup. (b) Within 10 operating days following an air pollution control device inspection, all necessary...

  14. 40 CFR 60.2141 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2141 Section 60.2141 Protection of Environment... initial air pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection... startup. (b) Within 10 operating days following an air pollution control device inspection, all necessary...

  15. Distributed sensor architecture for intelligent control that supports quality of control and quality of service.

    PubMed

    Poza-Lujan, Jose-Luis; Posadas-Yagüe, Juan-Luis; Simó-Ten, José-Enrique; Simarro, Raúl; Benet, Ginés

    2015-02-25

    This paper is part of a study of intelligent architectures for distributed control and communications systems. The study focuses on optimizing control systems by evaluating the performance of middleware through quality of service (QoS) parameters and the optimization of control using Quality of Control (QoC) parameters. The main aim of this work is to study, design, develop, and evaluate a distributed control architecture based on the Data-Distribution Service for Real-Time Systems (DDS) communication standard as proposed by the Object Management Group (OMG). As a result of the study, an architecture called Frame-Sensor-Adapter to Control (FSACtrl) has been developed. FSACtrl provides a model to implement an intelligent distributed Event-Based Control (EBC) system with support to measure QoS and QoC parameters. The novelty consists of using, simultaneously, the measured QoS and QoC parameters to make decisions about the control action with a new method called Event Based Quality Integral Cycle. To validate the architecture, the first five Braitenberg vehicles have been implemented using the FSACtrl architecture. The experimental outcomes, demonstrate the convenience of using jointly QoS and QoC parameters in distributed control systems.

  16. Distributed Sensor Architecture for Intelligent Control that Supports Quality of Control and Quality of Service

    PubMed Central

    Poza-Lujan, Jose-Luis; Posadas-Yagüe, Juan-Luis; Simó-Ten, José-Enrique; Simarro, Raúl; Benet, Ginés

    2015-01-01

    This paper is part of a study of intelligent architectures for distributed control and communications systems. The study focuses on optimizing control systems by evaluating the performance of middleware through quality of service (QoS) parameters and the optimization of control using Quality of Control (QoC) parameters. The main aim of this work is to study, design, develop, and evaluate a distributed control architecture based on the Data-Distribution Service for Real-Time Systems (DDS) communication standard as proposed by the Object Management Group (OMG). As a result of the study, an architecture called Frame-Sensor-Adapter to Control (FSACtrl) has been developed. FSACtrl provides a model to implement an intelligent distributed Event-Based Control (EBC) system with support to measure QoS and QoC parameters. The novelty consists of using, simultaneously, the measured QoS and QoC parameters to make decisions about the control action with a new method called Event Based Quality Integral Cycle. To validate the architecture, the first five Braitenberg vehicles have been implemented using the FSACtrl architecture. The experimental outcomes, demonstrate the convenience of using jointly QoS and QoC parameters in distributed control systems. PMID:25723145

  17. [2011 after-service customer satisfaction survey of monitoring devices in Shanghai area].

    PubMed

    Wang, Lijun; Li, Bin; Qian, Jianguo; Cao, Shaoping; He, Dehua; Zheng, Yunxin

    2013-01-01

    In 2011, Shanghai Medical Equipment Management Quality Control Center launched the fifth after-sale service satisfaction survey for medical devices in Shanghai area. There are 8 classes medical devices involving in the survey. This paper demonstrates the investigation results of monitoring devices which are from different manufacturers.

  18. Quality control education in the community college

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, J. Griffen; Wilson, Steve

    1966-01-01

    This paper describes the Quality Control Program at Daytona Beach Junior College, including course descriptions. The program in quality control required communication between the college and the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC). The college has machinery established for certification of the learning process, and the society has the source of teachers who are competent in the technical field and who are the employers of the educational products. The associate degree for quality control does not have a fixed program, which can serve all needs, any more than all engineering degrees have identical programs. The main ideas which would be common to all quality control programs are the concept of economic control of a repetitive process and the concept of developing individual potentialities into individuals who are needed and productive.

  19. Electromechanical Devices and Controllers. Electronics Module 10. Instructor's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Ed

    This module is the tenth of 10 modules in the competency-based electronics series. Introductory materials include a listing of competencies addressed in the module, a parts/equipment list, and a cross-reference table of instructional materials. Six instructional units cover: electromechanical control devices; programmable logic controllers (PLC);…

  20. 23 CFR 1340.8 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... OBSERVATIONAL SURVEYS OF SEAT BELT USE Survey Design Requirements § 1340.8 Quality control. (a) Quality control... control monitors involved in seat belt use surveys shall have received training in data collection...) Statistical review. Survey results shall be reviewed and approved by a survey statistician, i.e., a person...

  1. 23 CFR 1340.8 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... OBSERVATIONAL SURVEYS OF SEAT BELT USE Survey Design Requirements § 1340.8 Quality control. (a) Quality control... control monitors involved in seat belt use surveys shall have received training in data collection...) Statistical review. Survey results shall be reviewed and approved by a survey statistician, i.e., a person...

  2. 23 CFR 1340.8 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... OBSERVATIONAL SURVEYS OF SEAT BELT USE Survey Design Requirements § 1340.8 Quality control. (a) Quality control... control monitors involved in seat belt use surveys shall have received training in data collection...) Statistical review. Survey results shall be reviewed and approved by a survey statistician, i.e., a person...

  3. Motorized CPM/CAM physiotherapy device with sliding-mode Fuzzy Neural Network control loop.

    PubMed

    Ho, Hung-Jung; Chen, Tien-Chi

    2009-11-01

    Continuous passive motion (CPM) and controllable active motion (CAM) physiotherapy devices promote rehabilitation of damaged joints. This paper presents a computerized CPM/CAM system that obviates the need for mechanical resistance devices such as springs. The system is controlled by a computer which performs sliding-mode Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) calculations online. CAM-type resistance force is generated by the active performance of an electric motor which is controlled so as to oppose the motion of the patient's leg. A force sensor under the patient's foot on the device pedal provides data for feedback in a sliding-mode FNN control loop built around the motor. Via an active impedance control feedback system, the controller drives the motor to behave similarly to a damped spring by generating and controlling the amplitude and direction of the pedal force in relation to the patient's leg. Experiments demonstrate the high sensitivity and speed of the device. The PC-based feedback nature of the control loop means that sophisticated auto-adaptable CPM/CAM custom-designed physiotherapy becomes possible. The computer base also allows extensive data recording, data analysis and network-connected remote patient monitoring.

  4. Instrument Quality Control.

    PubMed

    Jayakody, Chatura; Hull-Ryde, Emily A

    2016-01-01

    Well-defined quality control (QC) processes are used to determine whether a certain procedure or action conforms to a widely accepted standard and/or set of guidelines, and are important components of any laboratory quality assurance program (Popa-Burke et al., J Biomol Screen 14: 1017-1030, 2009). In this chapter, we describe QC procedures useful for monitoring the accuracy and precision of laboratory instrumentation, most notably automated liquid dispensers. Two techniques, gravimetric QC and photometric QC, are highlighted in this chapter. When used together, these simple techniques provide a robust process for evaluating liquid handler accuracy and precision, and critically underpin high-quality research programs.

  5. 14 CFR 145.211 - Quality control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control system. 145.211 Section 145...) SCHOOLS AND OTHER CERTIFICATED AGENCIES REPAIR STATIONS Operating Rules § 145.211 Quality control system. (a) A certificated repair station must establish and maintain a quality control system acceptable to...

  6. 18 CFR 12.40 - Quality control programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Quality control... PROJECT WORKS Other Responsibilities of Applicant or Licensee § 12.40 Quality control programs. (a... meeting any requirements or standards set by the Regional Engineer. If a quality control program is...

  7. 18 CFR 12.40 - Quality control programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quality control... PROJECT WORKS Other Responsibilities of Applicant or Licensee § 12.40 Quality control programs. (a... meeting any requirements or standards set by the Regional Engineer. If a quality control program is...

  8. 14 CFR 145.211 - Quality control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality control system. 145.211 Section 145...) SCHOOLS AND OTHER CERTIFICATED AGENCIES REPAIR STATIONS Operating Rules § 145.211 Quality control system. (a) A certificated repair station must establish and maintain a quality control system acceptable to...

  9. 40 CFR 65.158 - Performance test procedures for control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... simultaneously from multiple loading arms, each run shall represent at least one complete tank truck or tank car... the combustion air or as a secondary fuel into a boiler or process heater with a design capacity less... corrected to 3 percent oxygen if a combustion device is the control device. (A) The emission rate correction...

  10. Distributed control using linear momentum exchange devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sharkey, J. P.; Waites, Henry; Doane, G. B., III

    1987-01-01

    MSFC has successfully employed the use of the Vibrational Control of Space Structures (VCOSS) Linear Momentum Exchange Devices (LMEDs), which was an outgrowth of the Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratory (AFWAL) program, in a distributed control experiment. The control experiment was conducted in MSFC's Ground Facility for Large Space Structures Control Verification (GF/LSSCV). The GF/LSSCV's test article was well suited for this experiment in that the LMED could be judiciously placed on the ASTROMAST. The LMED placements were such that vibrational mode information could be extracted from the accelerometers on the LMED. The LMED accelerometer information was processed by the control algorithms so that the LMED masses could be accelerated to produce forces which would dampen the vibrational modes of interest. Experimental results are presented showing the LMED's capabilities.

  11. Creating a systems engineering approach for the manual on uniform traffic control devices.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-03-01

    The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides basic principles for use of traffic : control devices (TCD). However, most TCDs are not explicitly required, and the decision to use a given : TCD in a given situation is typically made b...

  12. Robust Control of Wide Bandgap Power Electronics Device Enabled Smart Grid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Tong

    In recent years, wide bandgap (WBG) devices enable power converters with higher power density and higher efficiency. On the other hand, smart grid technologies are getting mature due to new battery technology and computer technology. In the near future, the two technologies will form the next generation of smart grid enabled by WBG devices. This dissertation deals with two applications: silicon carbide (SiC) device used for medium voltage level interface (7.2 kV to 240 V) and gallium nitride (GaN) device used for low voltage level interface (240 V/120 V). A 20 kW solid state transformer (SST) is designed with 6 kHz switching frequency SiC rectifier. Then three robust control design methods are proposed for each of its smart grid operation modes. In grid connected mode, a new LCL filter design method is proposed considering grid voltage THD, grid current THD and current regulation loop robust stability with respect to the grid impedance change. In grid islanded mode, micro synthesis method combined with variable structure control is used to design a robust controller for grid voltage regulation. For grid emergency mode, multivariable controller designed using Hinfinity synthesis method is proposed for accurate power sharing. Controller-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) testbed considering 7-SST system is setup with Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS). The real TMS320F28335 DSP and Spartan 6 FPGA control board is used to interface a switching model SST in RTDS. And the proposed control methods are tested. For low voltage level application, a 3.3 kW smart grid hardware is built with 3 GaN inverters. The inverters are designed with the GaN device characterized using the proposed multi-function double pulse tester. The inverter is controlled by onboard TMS320F28379D dual core DSP with 200 kHz sampling frequency. Each inverter is tested to process 2.2 kW power with overall efficiency of 96.5 % at room temperature. The smart grid monitor system and fault interrupt devices (FID

  13. Quality Control in construction.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    behavioral scientists. In 1962, Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa gave shape to the form of training which featured intradepartmental groups of ten or so workers seated...and Japanese circles bears closer scrutiny. 4.3.1 Japanese Ingredients of Quality The founder of quality circles, Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa , gives six...around 51 a table; hence the name Quality Control Circle. 4 Dr. 0 Ishikawa was an engineering professor at Tokyo University, and the circles were

  14. Process Improvements in Training Device Acceptance Testing: A Study in Total Quality Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-12

    Quality Management , a small group of Government and industry specialists examined the existing training device acceptance test process for potential improvements. The agreed-to mission of the Air Force/Industry partnership was to continuously identify and promote implementable approaches to minimize the cost and time required for acceptance testing while ensuring that validated performance supports the user training requirements. Application of a Total Quality process improvement model focused on the customers and their requirements, analyzed how work was accomplished, and

  15. Evaluation of the leap motion controller as a new contact-free pointing device.

    PubMed

    Bachmann, Daniel; Weichert, Frank; Rinkenauer, Gerhard

    2014-12-24

    This paper presents a Fitts' law-based analysis of the user's performance in selection tasks with the Leap Motion Controller compared with a standard mouse device. The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a new contact-free input system for gesture-based human-computer interaction with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. Up to this point, there has hardly been any systematic evaluation of this new system available. With an error rate of 7.8% for the LMC and 2.8% for the mouse device, movement times twice as large as for a mouse device and high overall effort ratings, the Leap Motion Controller's performance as an input device for everyday generic computer pointing tasks is rather limited, at least with regard to the selection recognition provided by the LMC.

  16. 30 CFR 74.6 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Quality control. 74.6 Section 74.6 Mineral... control. The applicant shall describe the way in which each lot of components will be sampled and tested... of the CMDPSU will be maintained in production through adequate quality control procedures, MSHA and...

  17. 30 CFR 74.6 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Quality control. 74.6 Section 74.6 Mineral... control. The applicant shall describe the way in which each lot of components will be sampled and tested... of the CMDPSU will be maintained in production through adequate quality control procedures, MSHA and...

  18. 30 CFR 74.6 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Quality control. 74.6 Section 74.6 Mineral... control. The applicant shall describe the way in which each lot of components will be sampled and tested... of the CMDPSU will be maintained in production through adequate quality control procedures, MSHA and...

  19. [Introduction of Quality Management System Audit in Medical Device Single Audit Program].

    PubMed

    Wen, Jing; Xiao, Jiangyi; Wang, Aijun

    2018-01-30

    The audit of the quality management system in the medical device single audit program covers the requirements of several national regulatory authorities, which has a very important reference value. This paper briefly described the procedures and contents of this audit. Some enlightenment on supervision and inspection are discussed in China, for reference by the regulatory authorities and auditing organizations.

  20. Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Part 2.

    PubMed

    Akers, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    The tragedy surrounding the New England Compounding Center and contaminated steroid syringe preparations clearly points out what can happen if quality-assurance and quality-control procedures are not strictly practiced in the compounding of sterile preparations. This article is part 2 of a two-part article on requirements to comply with United States Pharmacopeia general chapters <797> and <1163> with respect to quality assurance of compounded sterile preparations. Part 1 covered documentation requirements, inspection procedures, compounding accuracy checks, and part of a discussion on bacterial endotoxin testing. Part 2 covers sterility testing, the completion from part 1 on bacterial endotoxin testing, a brief dicussion of United States Pharmacopeia <1163>, and advances in pharmaceutical quality systems.

  1. Guidance for Efficient Small Animal Imaging Quality Control.

    PubMed

    Osborne, Dustin R; Kuntner, Claudia; Berr, Stuart; Stout, David

    2017-08-01

    Routine quality control is a critical aspect of properly maintaining high-performance small animal imaging instrumentation. A robust quality control program helps produce more reliable data both for academic purposes and as proof of system performance for contract imaging work. For preclinical imaging laboratories, the combination of costs and available resources often limits their ability to produce efficient and effective quality control programs. This work presents a series of simplified quality control procedures that are accessible to a wide range of preclinical imaging laboratories. Our intent is to provide minimum guidelines for routine quality control that can assist preclinical imaging specialists in setting up an appropriate quality control program for their facility.

  2. Automated X-ray quality control of catalytic converters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shashishekhar, N.; Veselitza, D.

    2017-02-01

    Catalytic converters are devices attached to the exhaust system of automobile or other engines to eliminate or substantially reduce polluting emissions. They consist of coated substrates enclosed in a stainless steel housing. The substrate is typically made of ceramic honeycombs; however stainless steel foil honeycombs are also used. The coating is usually a slurry of alumina, silica, rare earth oxides and platinum group metals. The slurry also known as the wash coat is applied to the substrate in two doses, one on each end of the substrate; in some cases multiple layers of coating are applied. X-ray imaging is used to inspect the applied coating depth on a substrate to confirm compliance with quality requirements. Automated image analysis techniques are employed to measure the coating depth from the X-ray image. Coating depth is assessed by analysis of attenuation line profiles in the image. Edge detection algorithms with noise reduction and outlier rejection are used to calculate the coating depth at a specified point along an attenuation line profile. Quality control of the product is accomplished using several attenuation line profile regions for coating depth measurements, with individual pass or fail criteria specified for each region.

  3. Efficacy of the device combining high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and thermotherapy for relieving primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Lee, Banghyun; Hong, Seung Hwa; Kim, Kidong; Kang, Wee Chang; No, Jae Hong; Lee, Jung Ryeol; Jee, Byung Chul; Yang, Eun Joo; Cha, Eun-Jong; Kim, Yong Beom

    2015-11-01

    To investigate the efficacy and safety of the combined therapy with high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (hf-TENS) and thermotherapy in relieving primary dysmenorrheal pain. In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study, 115 women with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea were assigned to the study or control group at a ratio of 1:1. Subjects in the study group used an integrated hf-TENS/thermotherapy device, whereas control subjects used a sham device. A visual analog scale was used to measure pain intensity. Variables related to pain relief, including reduction rate of dysmenorrheal score, were compared between the groups. The dysmenorrheal score was significantly reduced in the study group compared to the control group following the use of the devices. The duration of pain relief was significantly increased in the study group compared to the control group. There were no differences between the groups in the brief pain inventory scores, numbers of ibuprofen tablets taken orally, and World Health Organization quality of life-BREF scores. No adverse events were observed related to the use of the study device. The combination of hf-TENS and thermotherapy was effective in relieving acute pain in women with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Ohio manual of uniform traffic control devices [2003

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of traffic control device and warrants for their use is to help to insure highway safety by providing for the orderly and predictable movement of all traffic and to provide such guidance and warnings as are needed. This manual sets forth ...

  5. 42 CFR 84.256 - Quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quality control requirements. 84.256 Section 84.256... § 84.256 Quality control requirements. (a) In addition to the construction and performance requirements specified in §§ 84.251, 84.252, 84.253, 84.254, and 84.255, the quality control requirements in paragraphs...

  6. 42 CFR 84.256 - Quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quality control requirements. 84.256 Section 84.256... § 84.256 Quality control requirements. (a) In addition to the construction and performance requirements specified in §§ 84.251, 84.252, 84.253, 84.254, and 84.255, the quality control requirements in paragraphs...

  7. 42 CFR 84.256 - Quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality control requirements. 84.256 Section 84.256... § 84.256 Quality control requirements. (a) In addition to the construction and performance requirements specified in §§ 84.251, 84.252, 84.253, 84.254, and 84.255, the quality control requirements in paragraphs...

  8. 42 CFR 84.256 - Quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quality control requirements. 84.256 Section 84.256... § 84.256 Quality control requirements. (a) In addition to the construction and performance requirements specified in §§ 84.251, 84.252, 84.253, 84.254, and 84.255, the quality control requirements in paragraphs...

  9. 42 CFR 84.256 - Quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality control requirements. 84.256 Section 84.256... § 84.256 Quality control requirements. (a) In addition to the construction and performance requirements specified in §§ 84.251, 84.252, 84.253, 84.254, and 84.255, the quality control requirements in paragraphs...

  10. Knowledge system and method for simulating chemical controlled release device performance

    DOEpatents

    Cowan, Christina E.; Van Voris, Peter; Streile, Gary P.; Cataldo, Dominic A.; Burton, Frederick G.

    1991-01-01

    A knowledge system for simulating the performance of a controlled release device is provided. The system includes an input device through which the user selectively inputs one or more data parameters. The data parameters comprise first parameters including device parameters, media parameters, active chemical parameters and device release rate; and second parameters including the minimum effective inhibition zone of the device and the effective lifetime of the device. The system also includes a judgemental knowledge base which includes logic for 1) determining at least one of the second parameters from the release rate and the first parameters and 2) determining at least one of the first parameters from the other of the first parameters and the second parameters. The system further includes a device for displaying the results of the determinations to the user.

  11. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor)

    2005-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is then converted by the network device interface into digital signals and transmitted back to the controller. In one advantageous embodiment, the network device interface uses a specialized protocol for communicating across the network bus that uses a low-level instruction set and has low overhead for data communication.

  12. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is then converted by the network device interface into digital signals and transmitted back to the controller. In one advantageous embodiment, the network device interface uses a specialized protocol for communicating across the network bus that uses a low-level instruction set and has low overhead for data communication.

  13. Controlled fabrication of high-quality carbon nanoscrolls from monolayer graphene.

    PubMed

    Xie, Xu; Ju, Long; Feng, Xiaofeng; Sun, Yinghui; Zhou, Ruifeng; Liu, Kai; Fan, Shoushan; Li, Qunqing; Jiang, Kaili

    2009-07-01

    We report a simple and effective way of fabricating high-quality carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs), using isopropyl alcohol solution to roll up monolayer graphene predefined on SiO(2)/Si substrates. Transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the CNS has a tube-like structure with a hollow core surrounded by graphene walls 0.35 nm apart. Raman spectroscopy studies show that the CNS is free of significant defects, and the electronic structure and phonon dispersion are slightly different from those of two-dimensional graphene. Finally, the CNS-based device is fabricated, directly on the SiO(2)/Si substrate. Electrical-transport measurements show that its resistance is weakly gate-dependent but strongly temperature-dependent. In addition, the CNS can sustain a high current density up to 5 x 10(7) A/cm(2), indicating that it is a good candidate for microcircuit interconnects. The controlled fabrication of high-quality CNSs may open up new opportunities for both fundamental and applied research of CNSs.

  14. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor); Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is then converted into digital signals and transmitted back to the controller. In one embodiment, the bus controller sends commands and data a defined bit rate, and the network device interface senses this bit rate and sends data back to the bus controller using the defined bit rate.

  15. Psychiatric Functioning and Quality of Life in Young Patients With Cardiac Rhythm Devices

    PubMed Central

    Panek, Kathryn A.; Labella, Madelyn; Taylor, George Alexander; Gauvreau, Kimberlee; Cecchin, Frank; Martuscello, Maria; Walsh, Edward P.; Berul, Charles I.; DeMaso, David R.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Less is known about depression, anxiety and quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents with pacemakers (PMs) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) than is known in adults with these devices. METHODS: A standardized psychiatric interview diagnosed anxiety/depressive disorders in a cross-sectional study. Self-report measures of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were obtained. Medical disease severity, family functioning and QoL data were collected. A total of 166 patients were enrolled (52 ICD, 114 PM; median age 15 years). RESULTS: Prevalence of current and lifetime psychiatric disorders was higher in patients with ICDs than PMs (Current: 27% vs. 11%, P = .02; Lifetime: 52% ICD vs. 34% PM, P = .01). Patients with ICDs had more anxiety than a healthy population (25% vs. 7%, P < .01). Patients with ICDs and PMs had similar levels of depression as a healthy population (ICD 10%, PM 4%, reference 4%, P = .29). In multivariate analysis including a medical disease score, demographics, exposure to beta-blockers, activity limitations, hospitalizations, shocks and procedures, the type of device (PM versus ICD) did not predict psychiatric diagnoses when age at implantation and the severity of medical disease were controlled for. Patients with ICDs and PMs had lower physical QoL scores (ICD 45, PM 47.5, Norm 53, P ≤ .03), but similar psychosocial functioning scores (ICD 49, PM 51, Norm 51, P ≥ .16) versus a normal reference population. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety is highly prevalent in young patients with ICDs, but the higher rates can be attributed to medical disease severity and age at implantation instead of type of device. PMID:24664095

  16. Embedded Control System for Smart Walking Assistance Device.

    PubMed

    Bosnak, Matevz; Skrjanc, Igor

    2017-03-01

    This paper presents the design and implementation of a unique control system for a smart hoist, a therapeutic device that is used in rehabilitation of walking. The control system features a unique human-machine interface that allows the human to intuitively control the system just by moving or rotating its body. The paper contains an overview of the complete system, including the design and implementation of custom sensors, dc servo motor controllers, communication interfaces and embedded-system based central control system. The prototype of the complete system was tested by conducting a 6-runs experiment on 11 subjects and results are showing that the proposed control system interface is indeed intuitive and simple to adopt by the user.

  17. Real-time computer treatment of THz passive device images with the high image quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trofimov, Vyacheslav A.; Trofimov, Vladislav V.

    2012-06-01

    We demonstrate real-time computer code improving significantly the quality of images captured by the passive THz imaging system. The code is not only designed for a THz passive device: it can be applied to any kind of such devices and active THz imaging systems as well. We applied our code for computer processing of images captured by four passive THz imaging devices manufactured by different companies. It should be stressed that computer processing of images produced by different companies requires using the different spatial filters usually. The performance of current version of the computer code is greater than one image per second for a THz image having more than 5000 pixels and 24 bit number representation. Processing of THz single image produces about 20 images simultaneously corresponding to various spatial filters. The computer code allows increasing the number of pixels for processed images without noticeable reduction of image quality. The performance of the computer code can be increased many times using parallel algorithms for processing the image. We develop original spatial filters which allow one to see objects with sizes less than 2 cm. The imagery is produced by passive THz imaging devices which captured the images of objects hidden under opaque clothes. For images with high noise we develop an approach which results in suppression of the noise after using the computer processing and we obtain the good quality image. With the aim of illustrating the efficiency of the developed approach we demonstrate the detection of the liquid explosive, ordinary explosive, knife, pistol, metal plate, CD, ceramics, chocolate and other objects hidden under opaque clothes. The results demonstrate the high efficiency of our approach for the detection of hidden objects and they are a very promising solution for the security problem.

  18. Simulated limnological effects of the Shasta Lake temperature control device

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartholow, J.; Hanna, R.B.; Saito, L.; Lieberman, D.; Horn, M.

    2001-01-01

    We estimated the effects of a temperature control device (TCD) on a suite of thermodynamic and limnological attributes for a large storage reservoir, Shasta Lake, in northern California. Shasta Dam was constructed in 1945 with a fixed-elevation penstock. The TCD was installed in 1997 to improve downstream temperatures for endangered salmonids by releasing epilimnetic waters in the winter/spring and hypolimnetic waters in the summer/fall. We calibrated a two-dimensional hydrodynamic reservoir water quality model, CE-QUAL-W2, and applied a structured design-of-experiment simulation procedure to predict the principal limnological effects of the TCD under a variety of environmental scenarios. Calibration goodness-of-fit ranged from good to poor depending on the constituent simulated, with an R2 of 0.9 for water temperature but 0.3 for phytoplankton. Although the chemical and thermal characteristics of the discharge changed markedly, the reservoir's characteristics remained relatively unchanged. Simulations showed the TCD causing an earlier onset and shorter duration of summer stratification, but no dramatic affect on Shasta's nutrient composition. Peak in-reservoir phytoplankton production may begin earlier and be stronger in the fall with the TCD, while outfall phytoplankton concentrations may be much greater in the spring. Many model predictions differed from our a priori expectations that had been shaped by an intensive, but limited-duration, data collection effort. Hydrologic and meteorological variables, most notably reservoir carryover storage at the beginning of the calendar year, influenced model predictions much more strongly than the TCD. Model results indicate that greater control over reservoir limnology and release quality may be gained by carefully managing reservoir volume through the year than with the TCD alone.

  19. Defect Characterization, Imaging, and Control in Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors and Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brillson, L. J.; Foster, G. M.; Cox, J.; Ruane, W. T.; Jarjour, A. B.; Gao, H.; von Wenckstern, H.; Grundmann, M.; Wang, B.; Look, D. C.; Hyland, A.; Allen, M. W.

    2018-03-01

    Wide-bandgap semiconductors are now leading the way to new physical phenomena and device applications at nanoscale dimensions. The impact of defects on the electronic properties of these materials increases as their size decreases, motivating new techniques to characterize and begin to control these electronic states. Leading these advances have been the semiconductors ZnO, GaN, and related materials. This paper highlights the importance of native point defects in these semiconductors and describes how a complement of spatially localized surface science and spectroscopy techniques in three dimensions can characterize, image, and begin to control these electronic states at the nanoscale. A combination of characterization techniques including depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging can describe the nature and distribution of defects at interfaces at both bulk and nanoscale surfaces, their metal interfaces, and inside nanostructures themselves. These features as well as temperature and mechanical strain inside wide-bandgap device structures at the nanoscale can be measured even while these devices are operating. These advanced capabilities enable several new directions for describing defects at the nanoscale, showing how they contribute to device degradation, and guiding growth processes to control them.

  20. Variable Emittance Electrochromic Devices for Satellite Thermal Control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demiryont, Hulya; Shannon, Kenneth C.

    2007-01-01

    An all-solid-state electrochromic device (ECD) was designed for electronic variable emissivity (VE) control. In this paper, a low weight (5g/m2) electrochromic thermal control device, the EclipseVEECD™, is detailed as a viable thermal control system for spacecraft outer surface temperatures. Discussion includes the technology's performance, satellite applications, and preparations for space based testing. This EclipseVEECD™ system comprises substrate/mirror electrode/active element/IR transparent electrode layers. This system tunes and modulates reflection/emittance from 5 μm to 15 μm region. Average reflectance/emittance modulation of the system from the 400 K to 250 K region is about 75%, while at room temperature (9.5 micron) reflectance/emittance is around 90%. Activation voltage of the EclipseVEECD™ is around ±1 Volt. The EclipseVEECD™ can be used as a smart thermal modulator for the thermal control of satellites and spacecraft by monitoring and adjusting the amount of energy emitted from the outer surfaces. The functionality of the EclipseVEECD™ was successfully demonstrated in vacuum using a multi-purpose heat dissipation/absorption test module, the EclipseHEAT™. The EclipseHEAT™ has been successfully flight checked and integrated onto the United States Naval Alchemy MidSTAR satellite, scheduled to launch December 2006.

  1. Modeling of endoluminal and interstitial ultrasound hyperthermia and thermal ablation: applications to device design, feedback control, and treatment planning

    PubMed Central

    Prakash, Punit; Salgaonkar, Vasant A.; Diederich, Chris J.

    2014-01-01

    Endoluminal and catheter-based ultrasound applicators are currently under development and are in clinical use for minimally invasive hyperthermia and thermal ablation of various tissue targets. Computational models play a critical role in in device design and optimization, assessment of therapeutic feasibility and safety, devising treatment monitoring and feedback control strategies, and performing patient-specific treatment planning with this technology. The critical aspects of theoretical modeling, applied specifically to endoluminal and interstitial ultrasound thermotherapy, are reviewed. Principles and practical techniques for modeling acoustic energy deposition, bioheat transfer, thermal tissue damage, and dynamic changes in the physical and physiological state of tissue are reviewed. The integration of these models and applications of simulation techniques in identification of device design parameters, development of real time feedback-control platforms, assessing the quality and safety of treatment delivery strategies, and optimization of inverse treatment plans are presented. PMID:23738697

  2. Charge control microcomputer device for vehicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morishita, M.; Kouge, S.

    1986-10-14

    This patent describes a charge control microcomputer device for a vehicle, comprising: speed changing means for transmitting the output torque of an engine. The speed changing means includes a slip clutch means having an output with a variable slippage amount with respect to its input and controlled in accordance with an operating instruction. The speed changing means further includes a speed change gear for changing the rotational speed input thereto at an output thereto, the speed change gear receiving the output of the slip clutch means; a charging generator driven by the output of the speed change gear; a batterymore » charged by an output voltage of the charging generator; a voltage regulator for controlling the output voltage of the charging generator to a predetermined value; an engine controlling microcomputer for receiving data from the engine, to control the engine, the engine data comprising at least an engine speed signal; a charge control microcomputer for processing engine data from the engine controlling microcomputer and charge system data including terminal voltage data from the battery and generated voltage data from the changing generator; and a display unit for displaying detection data, including fault detection data, form the charge control microcomputer.« less

  3. Evaluation of the Leap Motion Controller as a New Contact-Free Pointing Device

    PubMed Central

    Bachmann, Daniel; Weichert, Frank; Rinkenauer, Gerhard

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a Fitts' law-based analysis of the user's performance in selection tasks with the Leap Motion Controller compared with a standard mouse device. The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a new contact-free input system for gesture-based human-computer interaction with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. Up to this point, there has hardly been any systematic evaluation of this new system available. With an error rate of 7.8 % for the LMC and 2.8% for the mouse device, movement times twice as large as for a mouse device and high overall effort ratings, the Leap Motion Controller's performance as an input device for everyday generic computer pointing tasks is rather limited, at least with regard to the selection recognition provided by the LMC. PMID:25609043

  4. Local gate control in carbon nanotube quantum devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biercuk, Michael Jordan

    This thesis presents transport measurements of carbon nanotube electronic devices operated in the quantum regime. Nanotubes are contacted by source and drain electrodes, and multiple lithographically-patterned electrostatic gates are aligned to each device. Transport measurements of device conductance or current as a function of local gate voltages reveal that local gates couple primarily to the proximal section of the nanotube, hence providing spatially localized control over carrier density along the nanotube length. Further, using several different techniques we are able to produce local depletion regions along the length of a tube. This phenomenon is explored in detail for different contact metals to the nanotube. We utilize local gating techniques to study multiple quantum dots in carbon nanotubes produced both by naturally occurring defects, and by the controlled application of voltages to depletion gates. We study double quantum dots in detail, where transport measurements reveal honeycomb charge stability diagrams. We extract values of energy-level spacings, capacitances, and interaction energies for this system, and demonstrate independent control over all relevant tunneling rates. We report rf-reflectometry measurements of gate-defined carbon nanotube quantum dots with integrated charge sensors. Aluminum rf-SETs are electrostatically coupled to carbon nanotube devices and detect single electron charging phenomena in the Coulomb blockade regime. Simultaneous correlated measurements of single electron charging are made using reflected rf power from the nanotube itself and from the rf-SET on microsecond time scales. We map charge stability diagrams for the nanotube quantum dot via charge sensing, observing Coulomb charging diamonds beyond the first order. Conductance measurements of carbon nanotubes containing gated local depletion regions exhibit plateaus as a function of gate voltage, spaced by approximately 1e2/h, the quantum of conductance for a single

  5. Boundary layer control device for duct silencers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmitz, Fredric H. (Inventor); Soderman, Paul T. (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    A boundary layer control device includes a porous cover plate, an acoustic absorber disposed under the porous cover plate, and a porous flow resistive membrane interposed between the porous cover plate and the acoustic absorber. The porous flow resistive membrane has a flow resistance low enough to permit sound to enter the acoustic absorber and high enough to damp unsteady flow oscillations.

  6. Review of microfluidic cell culture devices for the control of gaseous microenvironments in vitro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, H.-M.; Lee, T.-A.; Ko, P.-L.; Chiang, H.-J.; Peng, C.-C.; Tung, Y.-C.

    2018-04-01

    Gaseous microenvironments play important roles in various biological activities in vivo. However, it is challenging to precisely control gaseous microenvironments in vitro for cell culture due to the high diffusivity nature of gases. In recent years, microfluidics has paved the way for the development of new types of cell culture devices capable of manipulating cellular microenvironments, and provides a powerful tool for in vitro cell studies. This paper reviews recent developments of microfluidic cell culture devices for the control of gaseous microenvironments, and discusses the advantages and limitations of current devices. We conclude with suggestions for the future development of microfluidic cell culture devices for the control of gaseous microenvironments.

  7. A Osteogenesis Distraction Device Enabling Control of Vertical Direction for Syndromic Craniosynostosis

    PubMed Central

    Fukawa, Toshihiko; Hirakawa, Takashi; Maegawa, Jiro

    2014-01-01

    Background: We have developed a hybrid facial osteogenesis distraction system that combines the advantages of external and internal distraction devices to enable control of both the distraction distance and vector. However, when the advanced maxilla has excessive clockwise rotation and shifts more downward vertically than planned, it might be impossible to pull it up to correct it. We invented devices attached to external distraction systems that can control the vertical vector of distraction to resolve this problem. The purpose of this article is to describe the result of utilizing the distraction system for syndromic craniosynostosis. Methods: In addition to a previously reported hybrid facial distraction system, the devices for controlling the vertical direction of the advanced maxilla were attached to the external distraction device. The vertical direction of the advanced maxilla can be controlled by adjustment of the spindle units. This system was used for 2 patients with Crouzon and Apert syndrome. Results: The system enabled control of the vertical distance, with no complications during the procedures. As a result, the maxilla could be advanced into the planned position including overcorrection without excessive clockwise rotation of distraction. Conclusion: Our system can alter the cases and bring them into the planned position, by controlling the vertical vector of distraction. We believe that this system might be effective in infants with syndromic craniosynostosis as it involves 2 osteotomies and horizontal and vertical direction of elongation can be controlled. PMID:25289307

  8. A biodegradable device for the controlled release of Piper nigrum (Piperaceae) standardized extract to control Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) larvae.

    PubMed

    Custódio, Kauê Muller; Oliveira, Joice Guilherme de; Moterle, Diego; Zepon, Karine Modolon; Prophiro, Josiane Somariva; Kanis, Luiz Alberto

    2016-01-01

    The significant increase in dengue, Zika, and chikungunya and the resistance of the Aedes aegypti mosquito to major insecticides emphasize the importance of studying alternatives to control this vector. The aim of this study was to develop a controlled-release device containing Piper nigrum extract and to study its larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. Piper nigrum extract was produced by maceration, standardized in piperine, and incorporated into cotton threads, which were inserted into hydrogel cylinders manufactured by the extrusion of carrageenan and carob. The piperine content of the extract and thread reservoirs was quantified by chromatography. The release profile from the device was assessed in aqueous medium and the larvicidal and residual activities of the standardized extract as well as of the controlled-release device were examined in Aedes aegypti larvae. The standardized extract contained 580mg/g of piperine and an LC50 value of 5.35ppm (24h) and the 3 cm thread reservoirs contained 13.83 ± 1.81mg of piperine. The device showed zero-order release of piperine for 16 days. The P. nigrum extract (25ppm) showed maximum residual larvicidal activity for 10 days, decreasing progressively thereafter. The device had a residual larvicidal activity for up to 37 days. The device provided controlled release of Piper nigrum extract with residual activity for 37 days. The device is easy to manufacture and may represent an effective alternative for the control of Aedes aegypti larvae in small water containers.

  9. Remote control of nanoscale devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Högberg, Björn

    2018-01-01

    Processes that occur at the nanometer scale have a tremendous impact on our daily lives. Sophisticated evolved nanomachines operate in each of our cells; we also, as a society, increasingly rely on synthetic nanodevices for communication and computation. Scientists are still only beginning to master this scale, but, recently, DNA nanotechnology (1)—in particular, DNA origami (2)—has emerged as a powerful tool to build structures precise enough to help us do so. On page 296 of this issue, Kopperger et al. (3) show that they are now also able to control the motion of a DNA origami device from the outside by applying electric fields.

  10. Surface EMG and intra-socket force measurement to control a prosthetic device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanford, Joe; Patterson, Rita; Popa, Dan

    2015-06-01

    Surface electromyography (SEMG) has been shown to be a robust and reliable interaction method allowing for basic control of powered prosthetic devices. Research has shown a marked decrease in EMG-classification efficiency throughout activities of daily life due to socket shift and movement and fatigue as well as changes in degree of fit of the socket throughout the subject's lifetime. Users with the most severe levels of amputation require the most complex devices with the greatest number of degrees of freedom. Controlling complex dexterous devices with limited available inputs requires the addition of sensing and interaction modalities. However, the larger the amputation severity, the fewer viable SEMG sites are available as control inputs. Previous work reported the use of intra-socket pressure, as measured during wrist flexion and extension, and has shown that it is possible to control a powered prosthetic device with pressure sensors. In this paper, we present data correlations of SEMG data with intra-socket pressure data. Surface EMG sensors and force sensors were housed within a simulated prosthetic cuff fit to a healthy-limbed subject. EMG and intra-socket force data was collected from inside the cuff as a subject performed pre-defined grip motions with their dominant hand. Data fusion algorithms were explored and allowed a subject to use both intra-socket pressure and SEMG data as control inputs for a powered prosthetic device. This additional input modality allows for an improvement in input classification as well as information regarding socket fit through out activities of daily life.

  11. Separation control by vortex generator devices in a transonic channel flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bur, Reynald; Coponet, Didier; Carpels, Yves

    2009-12-01

    An experimental study was conducted in a transonic channel to control by mechanical vortex generator devices the strong interaction between a shock wave and a separated turbulent boundary layer. Control devices—co-rotating and counter-rotating vane-type vortex generators—were implemented upstream of the shock foot region and tested both on a steady shock wave and on a forced shock oscillation configurations. The spanwise spacing of vortex generator devices along the channel appeared to be an important parameter to control the flow separation region. When the distance between each device is decreased, the vortices merging is more efficient to reduce the separation. Their placement upstream of the shock wave is determinant to ensure that vortices have mixed momentum all spanwise long before they reach the separation line, so as to avoid separation cells. Then, vortex generators slightly reduced the amplitude of the forced shock wave oscillation by delaying the upstream displacement of the leading shock.

  12. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor); Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is converted into digital signals and transmitted to the controller. In some embodiments, network device interfaces associated with different data channels coordinate communications with the other interfaces based on either a transition in a command message sent by the bus controller or a synchronous clock signal.

  13. Re-centering variable friction device for vibration control of structures subjected to near-field earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozbulut, Osman E.; Hurlebaus, Stefan

    2011-11-01

    This paper proposes a re-centering variable friction device (RVFD) for control of civil structures subjected to near-field earthquakes. The proposed hybrid device has two sub-components. The first sub-component of this hybrid device consists of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires that exhibit a unique hysteretic behavior and full recovery following post-transformation deformations. The second sub-component of the hybrid device consists of variable friction damper (VFD) that can be intelligently controlled for adaptive semi-active behavior via modulation of its voltage level. In general, installed SMA devices have the ability to re-center structures at the end of the motion and VFDs can increase the energy dissipation capacity of structures. The full realization of these devices into a singular, hybrid form which complements the performance of each device is investigated in this study. A neuro-fuzzy model is used to capture rate- and temperature-dependent nonlinear behavior of the SMA components of the hybrid device. An optimal fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is developed to modulate voltage level of VFDs for favorable performance in a RVFD hybrid application. To obtain optimal controllers for concurrent mitigation of displacement and acceleration responses, tuning of governing fuzzy rules is conducted by a multi-objective heuristic optimization. Then, numerical simulation of a multi-story building is conducted to evaluate the performance of the hybrid device. Results show that a re-centering variable friction device modulated with a fuzzy logic control strategy can effectively reduce structural deformations without increasing acceleration response during near-field earthquakes.

  14. MEMS device for spacecraft thermal control applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Swanson, Theordore D. (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A micro-electromechanical device that comprises miniaturized mechanical louvers, referred to as Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) louvers are employed to achieve a thermal control function for spacecraft and instruments. The MEMS louvers are another form of a variable emittance control coating and employ micro-electromechanical technology. In a function similar to traditional, macroscopic thermal louvers, the MEMS louvers of the present invention change the emissivity of a surface. With the MEMS louvers, as with the traditional macroscopic louvers, a mechanical vane or window is opened and closed to allow an alterable radiative view to space.

  15. 40 CFR 60.2706 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2706 Section 60.2706 Protection of Environment... pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be... meeting the amended emission limitations. (b) Within 10 operating days following an air pollution control...

  16. 40 CFR 60.2706 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2706 Section 60.2706 Protection of Environment... pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be... meeting the amended emission limitations. (b) Within 10 operating days following an air pollution control...

  17. 40 CFR 60.2706 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2706 Section 60.2706 Protection of Environment... pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be... meeting the amended emission limitations. (b) Within 10 operating days following an air pollution control...

  18. 7 CFR 58.928 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... quality test shall be made to determine product stability. ... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.928 Section 58.928... Procedures § 58.928 Quality control tests. All dairy products and other ingredients shall be subject to...

  19. 7 CFR 58.928 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... quality test shall be made to determine product stability. ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.928 Section 58.928... Procedures § 58.928 Quality control tests. All dairy products and other ingredients shall be subject to...

  20. 40 CFR 62.14441 - When must I inspect my HMIWI equipment and air pollution control devices?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... and air pollution control devices? 62.14441 Section 62.14441 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... my HMIWI equipment and air pollution control devices? (a) You must inspect your large, medium, small... inspect the air pollution control devices on your large, medium, small or small rural HMIWI by May 13...

  1. 40 CFR 62.14441 - When must I inspect my HMIWI equipment and air pollution control devices?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... and air pollution control devices? 62.14441 Section 62.14441 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... my HMIWI equipment and air pollution control devices? (a) You must inspect your large, medium, small... inspect the air pollution control devices on your large, medium, small or small rural HMIWI by May 13...

  2. California; Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District; Approval of Air Plan Revisions; Wood Burning Devices

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is taking final action to approve a revision to the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) portion of the California SIP concerning emissions of particulate matter (PM) from wood burning devices.

  3. 40 CFR 60.2151 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2151 Section 60.2151 Protection of Environment... annual air pollution control device inspection? On an annual basis (no more than 12 months following the previous annual air pollution control device inspection), you must complete the air pollution control...

  4. 40 CFR 60.2151 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2151 Section 60.2151 Protection of Environment... annual air pollution control device inspection? On an annual basis (no more than 12 months following the previous annual air pollution control device inspection), you must complete the air pollution control...

  5. Proteomics Quality Control: Quality Control Software for MaxQuant Results.

    PubMed

    Bielow, Chris; Mastrobuoni, Guido; Kempa, Stefan

    2016-03-04

    Mass spectrometry-based proteomics coupled to liquid chromatography has matured into an automatized, high-throughput technology, producing data on the scale of multiple gigabytes per instrument per day. Consequently, an automated quality control (QC) and quality analysis (QA) capable of detecting measurement bias, verifying consistency, and avoiding propagation of error is paramount for instrument operators and scientists in charge of downstream analysis. We have developed an R-based QC pipeline called Proteomics Quality Control (PTXQC) for bottom-up LC-MS data generated by the MaxQuant software pipeline. PTXQC creates a QC report containing a comprehensive and powerful set of QC metrics, augmented with automated scoring functions. The automated scores are collated to create an overview heatmap at the beginning of the report, giving valuable guidance also to nonspecialists. Our software supports a wide range of experimental designs, including stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC), tandem mass tags (TMT), and label-free data. Furthermore, we introduce new metrics to score MaxQuant's Match-between-runs (MBR) functionality by which peptide identifications can be transferred across Raw files based on accurate retention time and m/z. Last but not least, PTXQC is easy to install and use and represents the first QC software capable of processing MaxQuant result tables. PTXQC is freely available at https://github.com/cbielow/PTXQC .

  6. 7 CFR 981.442 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality control. 981.442 Section 981.442 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Administrative Rules and Regulations § 981.442 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Pursuant to § 981.42(a), the...

  7. 7 CFR 981.442 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality control. 981.442 Section 981.442 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... Administrative Rules and Regulations § 981.442 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Pursuant to § 981.42(a), the...

  8. 7 CFR 981.442 - Quality control.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control. 981.442 Section 981.442 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Administrative Rules and Regulations § 981.442 Quality control. (a) Incoming. Pursuant to § 981.42(a), the...

  9. Development and evaluation of multi-energy PbO dosimeter for quality assurance of image-guide radiation therapy devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyo-Tae; Heo, Ye-Ji; Han, Moo-Jae; Oh, Kyung-Min; Lee, Young-Kyu; Kim, Shin-Wook; Park, Sung-Kwang

    2017-04-01

    In radiation therapy, accurate radiotherapy treatment plan (RTP) reproduction is necessary to optimize the clinical results. Thus, attempts have recently been made to ensure high RTP reproducibility using image-guide radiation therapy (IGRT) technology. However, the clinical use of digital X-ray equipment requires extended quality assurance (QA) for those devices, since the IGRT device quality determines the precision of intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The study described in this paper was focused on developing a multi-energy PbO dosimeter for IGRT device QA. The Schottky-type polycrystalline PbO dosimeter with a Au/PbO/ITO structure was evaluated by comparing its response coincidence, dose linearity, measurement reproducibility, linear attenuation coefficient, and percent depth dose with those of Si diode and standard ionization chamber dosimeters.

  10. A decision support tool for selecting traffic control devices.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-07-01

    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and transportation profession continue updating and : publishing the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However, it is beyond the scope of : the MUTCD to provide the breadth of knowledge neces...

  11. [To evaluate the quality of life and peristomal skin ostomy patient with the new device Sensura].

    PubMed

    Crespo Fontán, Beatriz; Caparrós Sanz, María Rosario; Lainez Pardos, Pilar Lourdes; Davín Durban, Inmaculada

    2010-10-01

    In 2006, Coloplast launched in several European countries a new device for ostomy care called Sensura. This clinical research report includes only the results of the subpopulation included in Spain as a part of an international study involving many countries such as Denmark, United States, Canada, Australia, Poland, Netherlands, France, Slovakia, Germany, UK, Italy, Iceland, Japan, Czech Republic, Portugal, South Korea and Argentina. OBJECTIVES AND STUDY VARIABLES: The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the experience with Sensura, under normal conditions of use, with special attention to skin condition and quality of life. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the quality of life, through Quality of Life Questionnaire called "Stoma QoL". A secondary objective, is to study the correlation between quality of life and the peristomal skin condition. Other Secondary objectives include the evaluation of the patient's current device at the time of entering the study and by the other hand, the device Sensura and safety evaluation throughout the study. The study was designed as an open label non-comparative, multi-national Post Market study. The study period for each patient is 6 to 8 weeks +/- 4 days, which includes an initial visit and a final visit. The study population included people who carry a colostomy or ileostomy. Regarding Spain, a total of 10 sites participated and included a total of 131 patients. This report only presents results for nine sites and a total of 123 patients. The reason is that the last participating site began the study with a considerable delay The remaining subjects included in this site together with the other centers in Spain and the other participating countries will be included in the final international report, that will present the overall results. MEASUREMENT TOOLS. Stoma-QoL (Quality of Life Questionnaire for people with an ostomy). OST (Ostomy Skin Tool) instrument for the assessment of peristomal skin. As for the

  12. Contributions of CCLM to advances in quality control.

    PubMed

    Kazmierczak, Steven C

    2013-01-01

    Abstract The discipline of laboratory medicine is relatively young when considered in the context of the history of medicine itself. The history of quality control, within the context of laboratory medicine, also enjoys a relatively brief, but rich history. Laboratory quality control continues to evolve along with advances in automation, measurement techniques and information technology. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) has played a key role in helping disseminate information about the proper use and utility of quality control. Publication of important advances in quality control techniques and dissemination of guidelines concerned with laboratory quality control has undoubtedly helped readers of this journal keep up to date on the most recent developments in this field.

  13. Distortion in the thermal noise spectrum and quality factor of nanomechanical devices due to finite frequency resolution with applications to the atomic force microscope.

    PubMed

    Sader, John E; Sanelli, Julian; Hughes, Barry D; Monty, Jason P; Bieske, Evan J

    2011-09-01

    The thermal noise spectrum of nanomechanical devices is commonly used to characterize their mechanical properties and energy dissipation. This spectrum is measured from finite time series of Brownian motion of the device, which is windowed and Fourier transformed. Here, we present a theoretical and experimental investigation of the effect of such finite sampling on the measured device quality factor. We prove that if no spectral window is used, the thermal noise spectrum retains its original Lorentzian distribution but with a reduced quality factor, indicating an apparent enhancement in energy dissipation. A simple analytical formula is derived connecting the true and measured quality factors - this enables extraction of the true device quality factor from measured data. Common windows used to reduce spectral leakage are found to distort the (true) Lorentzian shape, potentially making fitting problematic. These findings are expected to be of particular importance for devices with high quality factors, where spectral resolution can be limited in practice. Comparison and validation using measurements on atomic force microscope cantilevers are presented. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  14. Rankine cycle condenser pressure control using an energy conversion device bypass valve

    DOEpatents

    Ernst, Timothy C; Nelson, Christopher R; Zigan, James A

    2014-04-01

    The disclosure provides a waste heat recovery system and method in which pressure in a Rankine cycle (RC) system of the WHR system is regulated by diverting working fluid from entering an inlet of an energy conversion device of the RC system. In the system, an inlet of a controllable bypass valve is fluidly coupled to a working fluid path upstream of an energy conversion device of the RC system, and an outlet of the bypass valve is fluidly coupled to the working fluid path upstream of the condenser of the RC system such that working fluid passing through the bypass valve bypasses the energy conversion device and increases the pressure in a condenser. A controller determines the temperature and pressure of the working fluid and controls the bypass valve to regulate pressure in the condenser.

  15. Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices: A Health Technology Assessment.

    PubMed

    2017-01-01

    complications (GRADE low) in high-risk PCI and cardiogenic shock. No randomized controlled trials or prospective observational studies with a control group have studied Impella CP and Impella 5.0 (other models of the device) in patients undergoing high-risk PCI or patients with cardiogenic shock. The economic model predicted that treatment with the Impella device would have fewer quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and higher costs than IABP in high-risk PCI patients. These observations were consistent even when uncertainty in model inputs and parameters was considered. We estimated that adopting Impella would increase costs by $2.9 to $11.5 million per year. On the basis of evidence of low to very low quality, Impella 2.5 devices were associated with improved hemodynamic stability, but had mortality rates and safety profile similar to IABPs in high-risk PCI and cardiogenic shock. Our cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that Impella 2.5 is likely associated with greater costs and fewer quality-adjusted life years than IABP.

  16. Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices: A Health Technology Assessment

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Christine; Djalalov, Sandjar; Xie, Xuanqian; Holubowich, Corinne

    2017-01-01

    ), bleeding (GRADE low), or vascular complications (GRADE low) in high-risk PCI and cardiogenic shock. No randomized controlled trials or prospective observational studies with a control group have studied Impella CP and Impella 5.0 (other models of the device) in patients undergoing high-risk PCI or patients with cardiogenic shock. The economic model predicted that treatment with the Impella device would have fewer quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and higher costs than IABP in high-risk PCI patients. These observations were consistent even when uncertainty in model inputs and parameters was considered. We estimated that adopting Impella would increase costs by $2.9 to $11.5 million per year. Conclusions On the basis of evidence of low to very low quality, Impella 2.5 devices were associated with improved hemodynamic stability, but had mortality rates and safety profile similar to IABPs in high-risk PCI and cardiogenic shock. Our cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that Impella 2.5 is likely associated with greater costs and fewer quality-adjusted life years than IABP. PMID:28232854

  17. Electronic 4-wheel drive control device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayato, S.; Takanori, S.; Shigeru, H.; Tatsunori, S.

    1984-01-01

    The internal rotation torque generated during operation of a 4-wheel drive vehicle is reduced using a control device whose clutch is attached to one part of the rear-wheel drive shaft. One torque sensor senses the drive torque associated with the rear wheel drive shaft. A second sensor senses the drive torque associated with the front wheel drive shaft. Revolution count sensors sense the revolutions of each drive shaft. By means of a microcomputer, the engagement of the clutch is changed to insure that the ratio of the torque sensors remains constant.

  18. 40 CFR 60.2716 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2716 Section 60.2716 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... annual air pollution control device inspection), you must complete the air pollution control device...

  19. 40 CFR 60.2716 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2716 Section 60.2716 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... annual air pollution control device inspection), you must complete the air pollution control device...

  20. 40 CFR 60.2716 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2716 Section 60.2716 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... annual air pollution control device inspection), you must complete the air pollution control device...

  1. 7 CFR 58.733 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.733 Section 58.733... Procedures § 58.733 Quality control tests. (a) Chemical analyses. The following chemical analyses shall be... pasteurization by means of the phosphatase test, as well as any other tests necessary to assure good quality...

  2. 7 CFR 58.733 - Quality control tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality control tests. 58.733 Section 58.733... Procedures § 58.733 Quality control tests. (a) Chemical analyses. The following chemical analyses shall be... pasteurization by means of the phosphatase test, as well as any other tests necessary to assure good quality...

  3. Direct cortical control of 3D neuroprosthetic devices.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Dawn M; Tillery, Stephen I Helms; Schwartz, Andrew B

    2002-06-07

    Three-dimensional (3D) movement of neuroprosthetic devices can be controlled by the activity of cortical neurons when appropriate algorithms are used to decode intended movement in real time. Previous studies assumed that neurons maintain fixed tuning properties, and the studies used subjects who were unaware of the movements predicted by their recorded units. In this study, subjects had real-time visual feedback of their brain-controlled trajectories. Cell tuning properties changed when used for brain-controlled movements. By using control algorithms that track these changes, subjects made long sequences of 3D movements using far fewer cortical units than expected. Daily practice improved movement accuracy and the directional tuning of these units.

  4. Crystal growth of device quality GaAs in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, Harry C.; Lagowski, Jacek

    1989-01-01

    The program on Crystal Growth of Device Quality GaAs in Space was initiated in 1977. The initial stage covering 1977 to 1984 was devoted strictly to ground-based research. By 1985 the program had evolved into its next logical stage aimed at space growth experiments; however, since the Challenger disaster, the program has been maintained as a ground-based program awaiting activation of experimentation in space. The overall prgram has produced some 80 original scientific publications on GaAs crystal growth, crystal characterization, and new approaches to space processing. Publication completed in the last three years are listed. Their key results are outlined and discussed in the twelve publications included as part of the report.

  5. Quality-control design for surface-water sampling in the National Water-Quality Network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Riskin, Melissa L.; Reutter, David C.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Mueller, David K.

    2018-04-10

    The data-quality objectives for samples collected at surface-water sites in the National Water-Quality Network include estimating the extent to which contamination, matrix effects, and measurement variability affect interpretation of environmental conditions. Quality-control samples provide insight into how well the samples collected at surface-water sites represent the true environmental conditions. Quality-control samples used in this program include field blanks, replicates, and field matrix spikes. This report describes the design for collection of these quality-control samples and the data management needed to properly identify these samples in the U.S. Geological Survey’s national database.

  6. Advanced strategies for quality control of Chinese medicines.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jing; Ma, Shuang-Cheng; Li, Shao-Ping

    2018-01-05

    Quality control is always the critical issue for Chinese medicines (CMs) with their worldwide increasing use. Different from western medicine, CMs are usually considered that multiple constituents are responsible for the therapeutic effects. Therefore, quality control of CMs is a challenge. In 2011, the strategies for quantification, related to the markers, reference compounds and approaches, in quality control of CMs were reviewed (Li, et al., J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 2011, 55, 802-809). Since then, some new strategies have been proposed in these fields. Therefore, the review on the strategies for quality control of CMs should be updated to improve the safety and efficacy of CMs. Herein, novel strategies related to quality marker discovery, reference compound development and advanced approaches (focused on glyco-analysis) for quality control, during 2011-2016, were summarized and discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. 30 CFR 74.9 - Quality assurance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Quality assurance. 74.9 Section 74.9 Mineral... DUST SAMPLING DEVICES Requirements for Continuous Personal Dust Monitors § 74.9 Quality assurance. (a) General requirements. The applicant shall establish and maintain a quality control system that assures...

  8. 30 CFR 28.30 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Quality control plans; filing requirements. 28... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.30 Quality control plans; filing... part, each applicant shall file with MSHA a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to...

  9. 30 CFR 28.30 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Quality control plans; filing requirements. 28... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.30 Quality control plans; filing... part, each applicant shall file with MSHA a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to...

  10. 30 CFR 28.30 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.30 Quality control plans; filing... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Quality control plans; filing requirements. 28... part, each applicant shall file with MSHA a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to...

  11. 30 CFR 28.30 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.30 Quality control plans; filing... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Quality control plans; filing requirements. 28... part, each applicant shall file with MSHA a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to...

  12. 30 CFR 28.30 - Quality control plans; filing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PROTECTION FOR TRAILING CABLES IN COAL MINES Quality Control § 28.30 Quality control plans; filing... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Quality control plans; filing requirements. 28... part, each applicant shall file with MSHA a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to...

  13. Optimizing the construction of devices to control inaccesible surfaces - case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niţu, E. L.; Costea, A.; Iordache, M. D.; Rizea, A. D.; Babă, Al

    2017-10-01

    The modern concept for the evolution of manufacturing systems requires multi-criteria optimization of technological processes and equipments, prioritizing associated criteria according to their importance. Technological preparation of the manufacturing can be developed, depending on the volume of production, to the limit of favourable economical effects related to the recovery of the costs for the design and execution of the technological equipment. Devices, as subsystems of the technological system, in the general context of modernization and diversification of machines, tools, semi-finished products and drives, are made in a multitude of constructive variants, which in many cases do not allow their identification, study and improvement. This paper presents a case study in which the multi-criteria analysis of some structures, based on a general optimization method, of novelty character, is used in order to determine the optimal construction variant of a control device. The rational construction of the control device confirms that the optimization method and the proposed calculation methods are correct and determine a different system configuration, new features and functions, and a specific method of working to control inaccessible surfaces.

  14. Cellular Strategies of Protein Quality Control

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Bryan; Retzlaff, Marco; Roos, Thomas; Frydman, Judith

    2011-01-01

    Eukaryotic cells must contend with a continuous stream of misfolded proteins that compromise the cellular protein homeostasis balance and jeopardize cell viability. An elaborate network of molecular chaperones and protein degradation factors continually monitor and maintain the integrity of the proteome. Cellular protein quality control relies on three distinct yet interconnected strategies whereby misfolded proteins can either be refolded, degraded, or delivered to distinct quality control compartments that sequester potentially harmful misfolded species. Molecular chaperones play a critical role in determining the fate of misfolded proteins in the cell. Here, we discuss the spatial and temporal organization of cellular quality control strategies and their implications for human diseases linked to protein misfolding and aggregation. PMID:21746797

  15. 21 CFR 211.22 - Responsibilities of quality control unit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Responsibilities of quality control unit. 211.22... Personnel § 211.22 Responsibilities of quality control unit. (a) There shall be a quality control unit that... have been fully investigated. The quality control unit shall be responsible for approving or rejecting...

  16. 21 CFR 211.22 - Responsibilities of quality control unit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Responsibilities of quality control unit. 211.22... Personnel § 211.22 Responsibilities of quality control unit. (a) There shall be a quality control unit that... have been fully investigated. The quality control unit shall be responsible for approving or rejecting...

  17. Collaborative Research: Fundamental studies of plasma control using surface embedded electronic devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Raja, Laxminarayan L.; PanneerChelvam, PremKumar; Levko, Dimtry

    2016-02-26

    The proposed study will investigate the effect of active electron injection of from electrode surfaces To the best of our knowledge, no such a study has ever been attempted even though it could lead to the formation of whole new classes of plasma based devices and systems. We are motivated by recent articles and simple theory which gives strong reason to believe that embedded electronic devices can be used to exert control over the SEE coefficient of semiconductor surfaces (and maybe other surface types as well). Furthermore, the research will explore how such sub-surface electronic devices can best be usedmore » to exert control over an associated plasma.« less

  18. 40 CFR 81.112 - Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Quality Control Regions § 81.112 Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (South Carolina) consists of the territorial area encompassed by the... Quality Control Region: Region 1. 81.107Greenwood Intrastate Air Quality Control Region: Region 2. 81...

  19. 40 CFR 81.112 - Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Quality Control Regions § 81.112 Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Charleston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (South Carolina) consists of the territorial area encompassed by the... Quality Control Region: Region 1. 81.107Greenwood Intrastate Air Quality Control Region: Region 2. 81...

  20. 7 CFR 275.21 - Quality control review reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality control review reports. 275.21 Section 275.21... Reporting on Program Performance § 275.21 Quality control review reports. (a) General. Each State agency shall submit reports on the performance of quality control reviews in accordance with the requirements...

  1. Flow control using audio tones in resonant microfluidic networks: towards cell-phone controlled lab-on-a-chip devices.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Reid H; Jain, Rahil; Browning, Yoni; Shah, Rachana; Kauffman, Peter; Dinh, Doan; Lutz, Barry R

    2016-08-16

    Fluid control remains a challenge in development of portable lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, we show that microfluidic networks driven by single-frequency audio tones create resonant oscillating flow that is predicted by equivalent electrical circuit models. We fabricated microfluidic devices with fluidic resistors (R), inductors (L), and capacitors (C) to create RLC networks with band-pass resonance in the audible frequency range available on portable audio devices. Microfluidic devices were fabricated from laser-cut adhesive plastic, and a "buzzer" was glued to a diaphragm (capacitor) to integrate the actuator on the device. The AC flowrate magnitude was measured by imaging oscillation of bead tracers to allow direct comparison to the RLC circuit model across the frequency range. We present a systematic build-up from single-channel systems to multi-channel (3-channel) networks, and show that RLC circuit models predict complex frequency-dependent interactions within multi-channel networks. Finally, we show that adding flow rectifying valves to the network creates pumps that can be driven by amplified and non-amplified audio tones from common audio devices (iPod and iPhone). This work shows that RLC circuit models predict resonant flow responses in multi-channel fluidic networks as a step towards microfluidic devices controlled by audio tones.

  2. 40 CFR 81.88 - Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Quality Control Regions § 81.88 Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Metropolitan Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (Montana) has been renamed the Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control... to by Montana authorities as follows: Sec. 481.168Great Falls Intrastate Air Quality Control Region...

  3. 40 CFR 81.88 - Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Quality Control Regions § 81.88 Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Metropolitan Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (Montana) has been renamed the Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control... to by Montana authorities as follows: Sec. 481.168Great Falls Intrastate Air Quality Control Region...

  4. 40 CFR 424.10 - Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices subcategory. 424.10 Section 424.10 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Open Electric Furnaces With Wet Air Pollution Control Devices Subcategory § 424.10 Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

  5. 40 CFR 424.10 - Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices subcategory. 424.10 Section 424.10 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Open Electric Furnaces With Wet Air Pollution Control Devices Subcategory § 424.10 Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

  6. 40 CFR 60.2716 - By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2716 Section 60.2716 Protection of Environment... Requirements § 60.2716 By what date must I conduct the annual air pollution control device inspection? On an annual basis (no more than 12 months following the previous annual air pollution control device...

  7. 40 CFR 60.2141 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2141 Section 60.2141 Protection of Environment... Compliance Requirements § 60.2141 By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be conducted within 60 days after...

  8. 40 CFR 424.10 - Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices subcategory. 424.10 Section 424.10 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Open Electric Furnaces With Wet Air Pollution Control Devices Subcategory § 424.10 Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

  9. 40 CFR 424.10 - Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices subcategory. 424.10 Section 424.10 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Open Electric Furnaces With Wet Air Pollution Control Devices Subcategory § 424.10 Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

  10. 40 CFR 424.10 - Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices subcategory. 424.10 Section 424.10 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Open Electric Furnaces With Wet Air Pollution Control Devices Subcategory § 424.10 Applicability; description of the open electric furnaces with wet air pollution control devices...

  11. 40 CFR 60.2141 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2141 Section 60.2141 Protection of Environment... Compliance Requirements § 60.2141 By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be conducted within 60 days after...

  12. 21 CFR 862.1660 - Quality control material (assayed and unassayed).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Chemistry... control material (assayed and unassayed) for clinical chemistry is a device intended for medical purposes for use in a test system to estimate test precision and to detect systematic analytical deviations...

  13. 21 CFR 862.1660 - Quality control material (assayed and unassayed).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Chemistry... control material (assayed and unassayed) for clinical chemistry is a device intended for medical purposes for use in a test system to estimate test precision and to detect systematic analytical deviations...

  14. 21 CFR 862.1660 - Quality control material (assayed and unassayed).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Chemistry... control material (assayed and unassayed) for clinical chemistry is a device intended for medical purposes for use in a test system to estimate test precision and to detect systematic analytical deviations...

  15. Design of belt conveyor electric control device based on CC-link bus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Goufen; Zhan, Minhua; Li, Jiehua

    2016-01-01

    In view of problem of the existing coal mine belt conveyor is no field bus communication function, two levels belt conveyor electric control system design is proposed based on field bus. Two-stage belt conveyor electric control system consists of operation platform, PLC control unit, various sensors, alarm device and the water spraying device. The error protection is realized by PLC programming, made use of CC-Link bus technology, the data share and the cooperative control came true between host station and slave station. The real-time monitor was achieved by the touch screen program. Practical application shows that the system can ensure the coalmine production, and improve the automatic level of the coalmine transport equipment.

  16. Mobile monolithic polymer elements for flow control in microfluidic devices

    DOEpatents

    Hasselbrink, Jr., Ernest F.; Rehm, Jason E.; Shepodd, Timothy J.

    2004-08-31

    A cast-in-place and lithographically shaped mobile, monolithic polymer element for fluid flow control in microfluidic devices and method of manufacture. Microfluid flow control devices, or microvalves that provide for control of fluid or ionic current flow can be made incorporating a cast-in-place, mobile monolithic polymer element, disposed within a microchannel, and driven by either fluid or gas pressure against a retaining or sealing surface. The polymer elements are made by the application of lithographic methods to monomer mixtures formulated in such a way that the polymer will not bond to microchannel walls. The polymer elements can seal against pressures greater than 5000 psi, and have a response time on the order of milliseconds. By the use of energetic radiation it is possible to depolymerize selected regions of the polymer element to form shapes that cannot be produced by conventional lithographic patterning and would be impossible to machine.

  17. Achieving Ohmic Contact for High-quality MoS2 Devices on Hexagonal Boron Nitride

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Xu

    MoS2, among many other transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), holds great promise for future applications in nano-electronics, opto-electronics and mechanical devices due to its ultra-thin nature, flexibility, sizable band-gap, and unique spin-valley coupled physics. However, there are two main challenges that hinder careful study of this material. Firstly, it is hard to achieve Ohmic contacts to mono-layer MoS2, particularly at low temperatures (T) and low carrier densities. Secondly, materials' low quality and impurities introduced during the fabrication significantly limit the electron mobility of mono- and few-layer MoS2 to be substantially below theoretically predicted limits, which has hampered efforts to observe its novel quantum transport behaviours. Traditional low work function metals doesn't necessary provide good electron injection to thin MoS2 due to metal oxidation, Fermi level pinning, etc. To address the first challenge, we tried multiple contact schemes and found that mono-layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and cobalt (Co) provide robust Ohmic contact. The mono-layer spacer serves two advantageous purposes: it strongly interacts with the transition metal, reducing its work function by over 1 eV; and breaks the metal-TMDCs interaction to eliminate the interfacial states that cause Fermi level pinning. We measure a flat-band Schottky barrier of 16 meV, which makes thin tunnel barriers upon doping the channels, and thus achieve low-T contact resistance of 3 kohm.um at a carrier density of 5.3x10. 12/cm. 2. Similar to graphene, eliminating all potential sources of disorder and scattering is the key to achieving high performance in MoS2 devices. We developed a van der Waals heterostructure device platform where MoS2 layers are fully encapsulated within h-BN and electrically contacted in a multi-terminal geometry using gate-tunable graphene electrodes. The h-BN-encapsulation provides excellent protection from environmental factors, resulting in

  18. Devices for preventing percutaneous exposure injuries caused by needles in healthcare personnel.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Viraj K; Lavoie, Marie-Claude; Verbeek, Jos H; Pahwa, Manisha

    2017-11-14

    moderate quality evidence in two ITS studies that introduction of legislation on the use of safety-engineered devices reduced the rate of NSIs among healthcare workers. There was also low quality evidence which showed a decrease in the trend over time for NSI rates.Twenty out of 24 studies had a high risk of bias and the lack of evidence of a beneficial effect could be due to both confounding and bias. This does not mean that these devices are not effective. For safe blood collection systems, we found very low quality evidence of inconsistent effects on NSIs. For safe passive intravenous systems, we found very low quality evidence of a decrease in NSI and a reduction in the incidence of blood leakage events but moderate quality evidence that active systems may increase exposure to blood. For safe injection needles, the introduction of multiple safety devices or the introduction of sharps containers the evidence was inconsistent or there was no clear evidence of a benefit. There was low to moderate quality evidence that introduction of legislation probably reduces NSI rates.More high-quality cluster-randomised controlled studies that include cost-effectiveness measures are needed, especially in countries where both NSIs and blood-borne infections are highly prevalent.

  19. Efficiency of a pneumatic device in controlling cuff pressure of polyurethane-cuffed tracheal tubes: a randomized controlled study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of a pneumatic device in controlling cuff pressure (Pcuff) in patients intubated with polyurethane-cuffed tracheal tubes. Secondary objectives were to determine the impact of continuous control of Pcuff, and cuff shape on microaspiration of gastric contents. Methods Prospective randomized controlled study. All patients requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation ≥48 h were eligible. The first 32 patients were intubated with tapered polyurethane-cuffed, and the 32 following patients were intubated with cylindrical polyurethane-cuffed tracheal tubes. Patients randomly received 24 h of continuous control of Pcuff using a pneumatic device (Nosten®), and 24 h of routine care of Pcuff using a manometer. Target Pcuff was 25 cmH2O. Pcuff was continuously recorded, and pepsin was quantitatively measured in all tracheal aspirates during these periods. Results The pneumatic device was efficient in controlling Pcuff (med [IQ] 26 [24, 28] vs 22 [20, 28] cmH2O, during continuous control of Pcuff and routine care, respectively; p = 0.017). In addition, percentage of patients with underinflation (31% vs 68%) or overinflation (53% vs 100%) of tracheal cuff, and percentage of time spent with underinflation (0.9 [0, 17] vs 14% [4, 30]) or overinflation (0 [0, 2] vs 32% [9, 54]) were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced during continuous control of Pcuff compared with routine care. No significant difference was found in microaspiration of gastric content between continuous control of Pcuff compared with routine care, or between patients intubated with tapered compared with cylindrical polyurethane-cuffed tracheal tubes. Conclusion The pneumatic device was efficient in controlling Pcuff in critically ill patients intubated with polyurethane-cuffed tracheal tubes. Trial registration The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (NCT01351259) PMID:24369057

  20. 40 CFR 61.349 - Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Emission Standard for Benzene Waste Operations § 61.349 Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices... efficiency of 95 weight percent or greater, or shall recover or control the benzene emissions vented to it..., or shall recover or control the benzene emissions vented to it with an efficiency of 98 weight...

  1. 40 CFR 61.349 - Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Emission Standard for Benzene Waste Operations § 61.349 Standards: Closed-vent systems and control devices... efficiency of 95 weight percent or greater, or shall recover or control the benzene emissions vented to it..., or shall recover or control the benzene emissions vented to it with an efficiency of 98 weight...

  2. 40 CFR 60.2706 - By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air pollution control device inspection? 60.2706 Section 60.2706 Protection of Environment... Requirements § 60.2706 By what date must I conduct the initial air pollution control device inspection? (a) The initial air pollution control device inspection must be conducted within 60 days after installation of the...

  3. 7 CFR 58.141 - Alternate quality control program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Alternate quality control program. 58.141 Section 58... Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Milk § 58.141 Alternate quality control program. When a plant has in operation an acceptable quality program, at the producer level, which is approved by the...

  4. 21 CFR 111.105 - What must quality control personnel do?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What must quality control personnel do? 111.105... for Quality Control § 111.105 What must quality control personnel do? Quality control personnel must... manufacturing record. To do so, quality control personnel must perform operations that include: (a) Approving or...

  5. Researching on Control Device of Prestressing Wire Reinforcement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Si, Jianhui; Guo, Yangbo; Liu, Maoshe

    2017-06-01

    This paper mainly introduces a device for controlling prestress and its related research methods, the advantage of this method is that the reinforcement process is easy to operate and control the prestress of wire rope accurately. The relationship between the stress and strain of the steel wire rope is monitored during the experiment, and the one - to - one relationship between the controllable position and the pretightening force of the steel wire rope is confirmed by the 5mm steel wire rope, and the results are analyzed theoretically by the measured elastic modulus. The results show that the method can effectively control the prestressing force, and the result provides a reference method for strengthening the concrete column with prestressed steel strand.

  6. Improving Quality Control of Asphalt Pavement with RAP Using a Portable Infrared Spectroscopy Device

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-01

    This project has investigated the effectiveness of a Portable Infrared Spectrometer (PIRS) device in estimating percent of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and its contribution into oxidative aging of a new asphalt mixture immediately after productio...

  7. Linear motion device and method for inserting and withdrawing control rods

    DOEpatents

    Smith, Jay E.

    1984-01-01

    A linear motion device, more specifically a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) for inserting and withdrawing control rods into a reactor core, is capable of independently and sequentially positioning two sets of control rods with a single motor stator and rotor. The CRDM disclosed can control more than one control rod lead screw without incurring a substantial increase in the size of the mechanism.

  8. Growth of High-Quality GaAs on Ge by Controlling the Thickness and Growth Temperature of Buffer Layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Xu-Liang; Pan, Jiao-Qing; Yu, Hong-Yan; Li, Shi-Yan; Wang, Bao-Jun; Bian, Jing; Wang, Wei

    2014-12-01

    High-quality GaAs thin films grown on miscut Ge substrates are crucial for GaAs-based devices on silicon. We investigate the effect of different thicknesses and temperatures of GaAs buffer layers on the crystal quality and surface morphology of GaAs on Ge by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Through high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements, it is demonstrated that the full width at half maximum for the GaAs epilayer (Ge substrate) peak could achieve 19.3 (11.0) arcsec. The value of etch pit density could be 4×104 cm-2. At the same time, GaAs surfaces with no pyramid-shaped pits are obtained when the buffer layer growth temperature is lower than 360°C, due to effective inhibition of initial nucleation at terraces of the Ge surface. In addition, it is shown that large island formation at the initial stage of epitaxial growth is a significant factor for the final rough surface and that this initial stage should be carefully controlled when a device quality GaAs surface is desired.

  9. Theoretical approach to society-wide environmental quality control

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ayano, K.

    1982-01-01

    The study outlines the basis for a theory of societal control of environmental quality in the US based on the concepts and philosophy of company-wide quality control which has developed in Japan as a cross-disciplinary approach to problem-solving in the industrial realm. The basic concepts are: 1) every member of society, as a producer of environmental products and services for future generations, in principle has the responsibility to control the quality of his output; 2) environment quality is the quality of life, or the fitness of use of environment for humans; and 3) societal control is any activity necessary formore » quality production of environmental products and services continuously or in the long run. A motivator-hygiene theory of environmental quality is identified, and a proposal is made that the policy provision must be formulated differently between those aimed at hygiene factors of environmental quality and those aimed at motivators, the former in a collectivistic manner, the latter as an individual problem. The concept of societal cost of environmental quality is introduced. Based on the motivator-hygiene theory of environmental quality, the collectivistic and individual approaches are differentiated and discussed.« less

  10. Aerodynamic Control-Augmentation Devices For Saturn-Class Launch Vehicles With Aft Centers Of Gravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barret, Chris

    1995-01-01

    Report describes study of aerodynamic flight-control-augmentation devices proposed for use in increasing payload capabilities of future launch vehicles by allowing more aft centers of gravity. Proposed all-movable devices not only provide increased control authority during ascent trajectory, but also reduce engine gimballing requirements and enhance crew safety. Report proposes various aerodynamic control surfaces mounted fore and aft on Saturn-class launch vehicle.

  11. 40 CFR 60.692-5 - Standards: Closed vent systems and control devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (for example, condensers and adsorbers) shall be designed and operated to recover the VOC emissions... systems and control devices. (a) Enclosed combustion devices shall be designed and operated to reduce the... them. (e)(1) Closed vent systems shall be designed and operated with no detectable emissions, as...

  12. Magnetic Control of Locked Modes in Present Devices and ITER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volpe, F. A.; Sabbagh, S.; Sweeney, R.; Hender, T.; Kirk, A.; La Haye, R. J.; Strait, E. J.; Ding, Y. H.; Rao, B.; Fietz, S.; Maraschek, M.; Frassinetti, L.; in, Y.; Jeon, Y.; Sakakihara, S.

    2014-10-01

    The toroidal phase of non-rotating (``locked'') neoclassical tearing modes was controlled in several devices by means of applied magnetic perturbations. Evidence is presented from various tokamaks (ASDEX Upgrade, DIII-D, JET, J-TEXT, KSTAR), spherical tori (MAST, NSTX) and a reversed field pinch (EXTRAP-T2R). Furthermore, the phase of interchange modes was controlled in the LHD helical device. These results share a common interpretation in terms of torques acting on the mode. Based on this interpretation, it is predicted that control-coil currents will be sufficient to control the phase of locking in ITER. This will be possible both with the internal coils and with the external error-field-correction coils, and might have promising consequences for disruption avoidance (by aiding the electron cyclotron current drive stabilization of locked modes), as well as for spatially distributing heat loads during disruptions. This work was supported in part by the US Department of Energy under DE-SC0008520, DE-FC-02-04ER54698 and DE-AC02-09CH11466.

  13. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  14. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  15. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  16. Quality Control in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogarth, Charles P.

    The status of quality control in U.S. higher education is discussed with an overview of the functions and structure of public and private colleges and universities. The book is divided into seven chapters: (1) outside controls (accrediting groups, governmental groups and other groups); (2) structure (board of control, president, organization); (3)…

  17. Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor); Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    A communications system and method are provided for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is converted into digital signals and transmitted to the controller. Network device interfaces associated with different data channels can coordinate communications with the other interfaces based on either a transition in a command message sent by the bus controller or a synchronous clock signal.

  18. Controlling Ionic Transport for Device Design in Synthetic Nanopores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalman, Eric Boyd

    Polymer nanopores present a number of behaviors not seen in microscale systems, such as ion current rectification, ionic selectivity, size exclusion and potential dependent ion concentrations in and near the pore. The existence of these effects stems from the small size of nanopores with respect to the characteristic length scales of surface interactions at the interface between the nanopore surface and the solution within it. The large surface-to-volume ratio due to the nanoscale geometry of a nanopore, as well as similarity in scale between geometry and interaction demands the solution interact with the nanopore walls. As surfaces in solution almost always carry residual charge, these surface forces are primarily the electrostatic interactions between the charge groups on the pore surface and the ions in solution. These interactions may be used by the experimentalist to control ionic transport through synthetic nanopores, and use them as a template for the construction of devices. In this research, we present our work on creating a number of ionic analogs to seminal electronic devices, specifically diodes, and transistors, by controlling ionic transport through the electrostatic interactions between a single synthetic nanopore and ions. Control is achieved by "doping" the effective charge carrier concentration in specific regions of the nanopore through manipulation of the pore's surface charge. This manipulation occurs through two mechanisms: chemical modification of the surface charge and electrostatic manipulation of the local internal nanopore potential using a gate electrode. Additionally, the innate selectivity of the charged nanopores walls allows for the separation of charges in solution. This well-known effect, which spawns measureable quantities, the streaming potential and current, has been used to create nanoscale water desalination membranes. We attempt to create a device using membranes with large nanopore densities for the desalination of water

  19. Clinically Significant Pocket Hematoma Increases Long-Term Risk of Device Infection: BRUISE CONTROL INFECTION Study.

    PubMed

    Essebag, Vidal; Verma, Atul; Healey, Jeff S; Krahn, Andrew D; Kalfon, Eli; Coutu, Benoit; Ayala-Paredes, Felix; Tang, Anthony S; Sapp, John; Sturmer, Marcio; Keren, Arieh; Wells, George A; Birnie, David H

    2016-03-22

    The BRUISE CONTROL trial (Bridge or Continue Coumadin for Device Surgery Randomized Controlled Trial) demonstrated that a strategy of continued warfarin during cardiac implantable electronic device surgery was safe and reduced the incidence of clinically significant pocket hematoma (CSH). CSH was defined as a post-procedure hematoma requiring further surgery and/or resulting in prolongation of hospitalization of at least 24 h, and/or requiring interruption of anticoagulation. Previous studies have inconsistently associated hematoma with the subsequent development of device infection; reasons include the retrospective nature of many studies, lack of endpoint adjudication, and differing subjective definitions of hematoma. The BRUISE CONTROL INFECTION (Bridge or Continue Coumadin for Device Surgery Randomized Controlled Trial Extended Follow-Up for Infection) prospectively examined the association between CSH and subsequent device infection. The study included 659 patients with a primary outcome of device-related infection requiring hospitalization, defined as 1 or more of the following: pocket infection; endocarditis; and bloodstream infection. Outcomes were verified by a blinded adjudication committee. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of infection. The overall 1-year device-related infection rate was 2.4% (16 of 659). Infection occurred in 11% of patients (7 of 66) with previous CSH and in 1.5% (9 of 593) without CSH. CSH was the only independent predictor and was associated with a >7-fold increased risk of infection (hazard ratio: 7.7; 95% confidence interval: 2.9 to 20.5; p < 0.0001). Empiric antibiotics upon development of hematoma did not reduce long-term infection risk. CSH is associated with a significantly increased risk of infection requiring hospitalization within 1 year following cardiac implantable electronic device surgery. Strategies aimed at reducing hematomas may decrease the long-term risk of infection. (Bridge or Continue

  20. Quality Control Technician.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

    This document contains 18 units to consider for use in a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of quality control technician. All the units listed will not necessarily apply to every situation or tech prep consortium, nor will all the competencies within each unit be appropriate. Several units appear within each specific occupation and…

  1. Investigations of the Impact of Biodiesel Metal Contaminants on Emissions Control Devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brookshear, Daniel W; Lance, Michael J; Mccormick, Robert

    Biodiesel is a renewable fuel with the potential to displace a portion of petroleum use. However, as with any alternative fuel, in order to be a viable choice it must be compatible with the emissions control devices. The finished biodiesel product can contain up to 5 ppm Na + K and 5 ppm Ca + Mg, and these metal impurities can lead to durability issues with the devices used to control emissions in diesel vehicles. Significant work has been performed to understand how the presence of these metals impacts each individual component of diesel emissions control systems, and this chaptermore » summarizes the findings of these research efforts.« less

  2. Investigations of the Impact of Biodiesel Metal Contaminants on Emissions Control Devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brookshear, D. W.; Lance, M. J.; McCormick, Robert L.

    Biodiesel is a renewable fuel with the potential to displace a portion of petroleum use. However, as with any alternative fuel, in order to be a viable choice it must be compatible with the emissions control devices. The finished biodiesel product can contain up to 5 ppm Na+K and 5 ppm Ca+Mg, and these metal impurities can lead to durability issues with the devices used to control emissions in diesel vehicles. Significant work has been performed to understand how the presence of these metals impacts each individual component of diesel emissions control systems, and this chapter summarizes the findings ofmore » these research efforts.« less

  3. Microgravity cursor control device evaluation for Space Station Freedom workstations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adam, Susan; Holden, Kritina L.; Gillan, Douglas; Rudisill, Marianne

    1991-01-01

    This research addressed direct manipulation interface (curser-controlled device) usability in microgravity. The data discussed are from KC-135 flights. This included pointing and dragging movements over a variety of angles and distances. Detailed error and completion time data provided researchers with information regarding cursor control shape, selection button arrangement, sensitivity, selection modes, and considerations for future research.

  4. 40 CFR 81.77 - Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.77 Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region. The Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region...

  5. 40 CFR 81.77 - Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.77 Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region. The Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region...

  6. 40 CFR 81.77 - Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.77 Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region. The Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region...

  7. 40 CFR 81.77 - Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.77 Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region. The Puerto Rico Air Quality Control Region...

  8. Mobile monolithic polymer elements for flow control in microfluidic devices

    DOEpatents

    Hasselbrink, Jr., Ernest F.; Rehm, Jason E [Alameda, CA; Shepodd, Timothy J [Livermore, CA; Kirby, Brian J [San Francisco, CA

    2005-11-11

    A cast-in-place and lithographically shaped mobile, monolithic polymer element for fluid flow control in microfluidic devices and method of manufacture. Microfluid flow control devices, or microvalves that provide for control of fluid or ionic current flow can be made incorporating a cast-in-place, mobile monolithic polymer element, disposed within a microchannel, and driven by fluid pressure (either liquid or gas) against a retaining or sealing surface. The polymer elements are made by the application of lithographic methods to monomer mixtures formulated in such a way that the polymer will not bond to microchannel walls. The polymer elements can seal against pressures greater than 5000 psi, and have a response time on the order of milliseconds. By the use of energetic radiation it is possible to depolymerize selected regions of the polymer element to form shapes that cannot be produced by conventional lithographic patterning and would be impossible to machine.

  9. Intermediate-term and long-term outcome of piggyback drainage: connecting glaucoma drainage device to a device in-situ for improved intraocular pressure control.

    PubMed

    Dervan, Edward; Lee, Edward; Giubilato, Antonio; Khanam, Tina; Maghsoudlou, Panayiotis; Morgan, William H

    2017-11-01

    This study provides results of a treatment option for patients with failed primary glaucoma drainage device. The study aimed to describe and evaluate the long-term intraocular pressure control and complications of a new technique joining a second glaucoma drainage device directly to an existing glaucoma drainage device termed 'piggyback drainage'. This is a retrospective, interventional cohort study. Eighteen eyes of 17 patients who underwent piggyback drainage between 2004 and 2013 inclusive have been studied. All patients had prior glaucoma drainage device with uncontrolled intraocular pressure. The piggyback technique involved suturing a Baerveldt (250 or 350 mm) or Molteno3 glaucoma drainage device to an unused scleral quadrant and connecting the silicone tube to the primary plate bleb. Failure of intraocular pressure control defined as an intraocular pressure greater than 21 mmHg on maximal therapy on two separate occasions or further intervention to control intraocular pressure. The intraocular pressure was controlled in seven eyes (39%) at last follow-up with a mean follow-up time of 74.2 months. The mean preoperative intraocular pressure was 27.1 mmHg (95% confidence interval 23.8-30.3) compared with 18.4 mmHg (95% confidence interval 13.9-22.8) at last follow-up. The mean time to failure was 57.1 months (95% confidence interval 32.2-82), and the mean time to further surgery was 72.3 months (95% confidence interval 49.9-94.7). Lower preoperative intraocular pressure was associated with longer duration of intraocular pressure control (P = 0.048). If the intraocular pressure was controlled over 2 years, it continued to be controlled over the long term. Two eyes (11%) experienced corneal decompensation. Piggyback drainage represents a viable surgical alternative for the treatment of patients with severe glaucoma with failing primary glaucoma drainage device, particularly in those at high risk of corneal decompensation. © 2017 Royal Australian and New Zealand

  10. 21 CFR 111.105 - What must quality control personnel do?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What must quality control personnel do? 111.105..., LABELING, OR HOLDING OPERATIONS FOR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS Production and Process Control System: Requirements for Quality Control § 111.105 What must quality control personnel do? Quality control personnel must...

  11. Silk-based resorbable electronic devices for remotely controlled therapy and in vivo infection abatement.

    PubMed

    Tao, Hu; Hwang, Suk-Won; Marelli, Benedetto; An, Bo; Moreau, Jodie E; Yang, Miaomiao; Brenckle, Mark A; Kim, Stanley; Kaplan, David L; Rogers, John A; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G

    2014-12-09

    A paradigm shift for implantable medical devices lies at the confluence between regenerative medicine, where materials remodel and integrate in the biological milieu, and technology, through the use of recently developed material platforms based on biomaterials and bioresorbable technologies such as optics and electronics. The union of materials and technology in this context enables a class of biomedical devices that can be optically or electronically functional and yet harmlessly degrade once their use is complete. We present here a fully degradable, remotely controlled, implantable therapeutic device operating in vivo to counter a Staphylococcus aureus infection that disappears once its function is complete. This class of device provides fully resorbable packaging and electronics that can be turned on remotely, after implantation, to provide the necessary thermal therapy or trigger drug delivery. Such externally controllable, resorbable devices not only obviate the need for secondary surgeries and retrieval, but also have extended utility as therapeutic devices that can be left behind at a surgical or suturing site, following intervention, and can be externally controlled to allow for infection management by either thermal treatment or by remote triggering of drug release when there is retardation of antibiotic diffusion, deep infections are present, or when systemic antibiotic treatment alone is insufficient due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. After completion of function, the device is safely resorbed into the body, within a programmable period.

  12. Power quality improvement by using STATCOM control scheme in wind energy generation interface to grid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirmani, Sheeraz; Kumar, Brijesh

    2018-01-01

    “Electric Power Quality (EPQ) is a term that refers to maintaining the near sinusoidal waveform of power distribution bus voltages and currents at rated magnitude and frequency”. Today customers are more aware of the seriousness that the power quality possesses, this prompt the utilities to assure good quality of power to their customer. The power quality is basically customer centric. Increased focus of utilities toward maintaining reliable power supply by employing power quality improvement tools has reduced the power outages and black out considerably. Good power quality is the characteristic of reliable power supply. Low power factor, harmonic pollution, load imbalance, fast voltage variations are some common parameters which are used to define the power quality. If the power quality issues are not checked i.e. the parameters that define power quality doesn't fall within the predefined standards than it will lead into high electricity bill, high running cost in industries, malfunctioning of equipments, challenges in connecting renewable. Capacitor banks, FACTS devices, harmonic filters, SVC’s (static voltage compensators), STATCOM (Static-Compensator) are the solutions to achieve the power quality. The performance of Wind turbine generators is affected by poor quality power, at the same time these wind power generating plant affects the power quality negatively. This paper presents the STATCOM-BESS (battery energy storage system) system and studies its impact on the power quality in a system which consists of wind turbine generator, non linear load, hysteresis controller for controlling the operation of STATCOM and grid. The model is simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink. This scheme mitigates the power quality issues, improves voltage profile and also reduces harmonic distortion of the waveforms. BESS level out the imbalances caused in real power due to intermittent nature of wind power available due to varying wind speeds.

  13. Analysis of quality control data of eight modern radiotherapy linear accelerators: the short- and long-term behaviours of the outputs and the reproducibility of quality control measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapanen, Mika; Tenhunen, Mikko; Hämäläinen, Tuomo; Sipilä, Petri; Parkkinen, Ritva; Järvinen, Hannu

    2006-07-01

    Quality control (QC) data of radiotherapy linear accelerators, collected by Helsinki University Central Hospital between the years 2000 and 2004, were analysed. The goal was to provide information for the evaluation and elaboration of QC of accelerator outputs and to propose a method for QC data analysis. Short- and long-term drifts in outputs were quantified by fitting empirical mathematical models to the QC measurements. Normally, long-term drifts were well (<=1%) modelled by either a straight line or a single-exponential function. A drift of 2% occurred in 18 ± 12 months. The shortest drift times of only 2-3 months were observed for some new accelerators just after the commissioning but they stabilized during the first 2-3 years. The short-term reproducibility and the long-term stability of local constancy checks, carried out with a sealed plane parallel ion chamber, were also estimated by fitting empirical models to the QC measurements. The reproducibility was 0.2-0.5% depending on the positioning practice of a device. Long-term instabilities of about 0.3%/month were observed for some checking devices. The reproducibility of local absorbed dose measurements was estimated to be about 0.5%. The proposed empirical model fitting of QC data facilitates the recognition of erroneous QC measurements and abnormal output behaviour, caused by malfunctions, offering a tool to improve dose control.

  14. An Examination of the Impact of an Assistive Technology Device on the Quality of Adult/Young Child Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plunkett, Diane M.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to gain greater understanding of the potential benefits of assistive technology (AT) devices on young children's social development. Specifically, changes to the quality of the adult/young child social interactions as a function of the child's access to and use of his/her personal AT device was examined. Using a…

  15. An all-joint-control master device for single-port laparoscopic surgery robots.

    PubMed

    Shim, Seongbo; Kang, Taehun; Ji, Daekeun; Choi, Hyunseok; Joung, Sanghyun; Hong, Jaesung

    2016-08-01

    Robots for single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) typically have all of their joints located inside abdomen during surgery, whereas with the da Vinci system, only the tip part of the robot arm is inserted and manipulated. A typical master device that controls only the tip with six degrees of freedom (DOFs) is not suitable for use with SPLS robots because of safety concerns. We designed an ergonomic six-DOF master device that can control all of the joints of an SPLS robot. We matched each joint of the master, the slave, and the human arm to decouple all-joint motions of the slave robot. Counterbalance masses were used to reduce operator fatigue. Mapping factors were determined based on kinematic analysis and were used to achieve all-joint control with minimal error at the tip of the slave robot. The proposed master device has two noteworthy features: efficient joint matching to the human arm to decouple each joint motion of the slave robot and accurate mapping factors, which can minimize the trajectory error of the tips between the master and the slave. We confirmed that the operator can manipulate the slave robot intuitively with the master device and that both tips have similar trajectories with minimal error.

  16. TL dosimetry for quality control of CR mammography imaging systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaona, E.; Nieto, J. A.; Góngora, J. A. I. D.; Arreola, M.; Enríquez, J. G. F.

    The aim of this work is to estimate the average glandular dose with thermoluminescent (TL) dosimetry and comparison with quality imaging in computed radiography (CR) mammography. For a measuring dose, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) use a phantom, so that dose and image quality are assessed with the same test object. The mammography is a radiological image to visualize early biological manifestations of breast cancer. Digital systems have two types of image-capturing devices, full field digital mammography (FFDM) and CR mammography. In Mexico, there are several CR mammography systems in clinical use, but only one system has been approved for use by the FDA. Mammography CR uses a photostimulable phosphor detector (PSP) system. Most CR plates are made of 85% BaFBr and 15% BaFI doped with europium (Eu) commonly called barium flourohalideE We carry out an exploratory survey of six CR mammography units from three different manufacturers and six dedicated X-ray mammography units with fully automatic exposure. The results show three CR mammography units (50%) have a dose greater than 3.0 mGy without demonstrating improved image quality. The differences between doses averages from TLD system and dosimeter with ionization chamber are less than 10%. TLD system is a good option for average glandular dose measurement for X-rays with a HVL (0.35-0.38 mmAl) and kVp (24-26) used in quality control procedures with ACR Mammography Accreditation Phantom.

  17. A Total Quality-Control Plan with Right-Sized Statistical Quality-Control.

    PubMed

    Westgard, James O

    2017-03-01

    A new Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments option for risk-based quality-control (QC) plans became effective in January, 2016. Called an Individualized QC Plan, this option requires the laboratory to perform a risk assessment, develop a QC plan, and implement a QC program to monitor ongoing performance of the QC plan. Difficulties in performing a risk assessment may limit validity of an Individualized QC Plan. A better alternative is to develop a Total QC Plan including a right-sized statistical QC procedure to detect medically important errors. Westgard Sigma Rules provides a simple way to select the right control rules and the right number of control measurements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Biomimetic patterned surfaces for controllable friction in micro- and nanoscale devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Arvind; Suh, Kahp-Yang

    2013-12-01

    Biomimetics is the study and simulation of biological systems for desired functional properties. It involves the transformation of underlying principles discovered in nature into man-made technologies. In this context, natural surfaces have significantly inspired and motivated new solutions for micro- and nano-scale devices (e.g., Micro/Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems, MEMS/NEMS) towards controllable friction, during their operation. As a generic solution to reduce friction at small scale, various thin films/coatings have been employed in the last few decades. In recent years, inspiration from `Lotus Effect' has initiated a new research direction for controllable friction with biomimetic patterned surfaces. By exploiting the intrinsic hydrophobicity and ability to reduce contact area, such micro- or nano-patterned surfaces have demonstrated great strength and potential for applications in MEMS/NEMS devices. This review highlights recent advancements on the design, development and performance of these biomimetic patterned surfaces. Also, we present some hybrid approaches to tackle current challenges in biomimetic tribological applications for MEMS/NEMS devices.

  19. [Effects of aerobic exercise program and relaxation techniques on anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial].

    PubMed

    Arcos-Carmona, Isabel María; Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María; Matarán-Peñarrocha, Guillermo Adolfo; Gutiérrez-Rubio, Ana Belén; Ramos-González, Elena; Moreno-Lorenzo, Carmen

    2011-10-08

    Fibromyalgia is considered as a combination of physical, psychological and social disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to determine the benefits of aerobic exercise program and progressive relaxation techniques on anxiety, quality of sleep, depression and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. An experimental study was performed with a placebo control group. Fifty-six fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to intervention (aerobic exercises+progressive relaxation techniques) and placebo (sham treatment with disconnected magnet therapy device) groups. Outcome measures were anxiety (STAI- State Trait Anxiety Inventory), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh sleep quality index), depression (Beck depression inventory) and quality of life (questionnaire SF-36). Measures were performed at baseline and after 10-weeks treatment. After 10 weeks of treatment, the intervention group showed significant reduction (p<0.05) in sleep duration, trait anxiety and quality of life. The combination of aerobic exercise program and progressive relaxation techniques contribute to improve night rest, trait anxiety and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  20. Assistive Device Use in Visually Impaired Older Adults: Role of Control Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Stefanie; Wahl, Hans-Werner; Schilling, Oliver; Burmedi, David

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: We investigate whether psychological control, conceptually framed within the life-span theory of control by Heckhausen and Schulz, drives assistive device use in visually impaired elders. In particular, we expect the two primary control modes differentiated in the life-span theory of control (i.e., selective primary and compensatory…

  1. Linear motion device and method for inserting and withdrawing control rods

    DOEpatents

    Smith, J.E.

    Disclosed is a linear motion device and more specifically a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) for inserting and withdrawing control rods into a reactor core. The CRDM and method disclosed is capable of independently and sequentially positioning two sets of control rods with a single motor stator and rotor. The CRDM disclosed can control more than one control rod lead screw without incurring a substantial increase in the size of the mechanism.

  2. Modern traffic control devices to improve safety at rural intersections.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-12-01

    "Engineers with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) frequently make changes to traffic control devices : (TCDs) to improve intersection safety. To use available funds judiciously, engineers make incremental changes in : order to select the...

  3. Respiratory protective device design using control system techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burgess, W. A.; Yankovich, D.

    1972-01-01

    The feasibility of a control system analysis approach to provide a design base for respiratory protective devices is considered. A system design approach requires that all functions and components of the system be mathematically identified in a model of the RPD. The mathematical notations describe the operation of the components as closely as possible. The individual component mathematical descriptions are then combined to describe the complete RPD. Finally, analysis of the mathematical notation by control system theory is used to derive compensating component values that force the system to operate in a stable and predictable manner.

  4. 18 CFR 12.40 - Quality control programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... PROJECT WORKS Other Responsibilities of Applicant or Licensee § 12.40 Quality control programs. (a) General rule. During any construction, repair, or modification of project works, including any corrective... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Quality control...

  5. 18 CFR 12.40 - Quality control programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... PROJECT WORKS Other Responsibilities of Applicant or Licensee § 12.40 Quality control programs. (a) General rule. During any construction, repair, or modification of project works, including any corrective... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Quality control...

  6. 18 CFR 12.40 - Quality control programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... PROJECT WORKS Other Responsibilities of Applicant or Licensee § 12.40 Quality control programs. (a) General rule. During any construction, repair, or modification of project works, including any corrective... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Quality control...

  7. 46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Production quality control requirements. 164.019-13....019-13 Production quality control requirements. (a) General. Each component manufacturer shall establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing...

  8. 46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Production quality control requirements. 164.019-13....019-13 Production quality control requirements. (a) General. Each component manufacturer shall establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing...

  9. 46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Production quality control requirements. 164.019-13....019-13 Production quality control requirements. (a) General. Each component manufacturer shall establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing...

  10. 46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Production quality control requirements. 164.019-13....019-13 Production quality control requirements. (a) General. Each component manufacturer shall establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing...

  11. 46 CFR 164.019-13 - Production quality control requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Production quality control requirements. 164.019-13....019-13 Production quality control requirements. (a) General. Each component manufacturer shall establish procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used in production, manufacturing...

  12. Comparison of a continuous temperature-controlled cryotherapy device to a simple icing regimen following outpatient knee arthroscopy.

    PubMed

    Woolf, Shane K; Barfield, William R; Merrill, Keith D; McBryde, Angus M

    2008-01-01

    This prospective, randomized study compared postoperative pain control with use of a continuous temperature-controlled cryotherapy system versus a traditional ice therapy regimen following outpatient knee arthroscopy. Patients with unilateral knee pathology scheduled for outpatient arthroscopic surgery were included. Patients with major ligament reconstructions were excluded. A specific cold therapy regimen was begun postoperatively and continued for 2 weeks as adjunctive management of postoperative pain. Preoperative and postoperative pain intensity, pain type, functionality, and sleep quality were assessed. Patients were randomly assigned to either an ice or a continuous cryotherapy group. Follow-up questionnaires were completed on 5 postoperative days. Data were analyzed using a chi-square test with a level of significance at P < 0.05. Fifty-three patients completed the study. Pain intensity was similar between groups throughout the course of the study. Among patients who reported experiencing night pain, 36% of those in the continuous cryotherapy group were able to sleep soundly with minimal awakening through postoperative day 2 versus 5.9% among the ice therapy group (P = 0.04). No significant differences existed between groups regarding functional ability, and no differences were noted on other follow-up days. These findings support use of continuous temperature-controlled cold therapy devices for nighttime pain control and improved quality of life in the early period following routine knee arthroscopy.

  13. Hands-free device control using sound picked up in the ear canal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chhatpar, Siddharth R.; Ngia, Lester; Vlach, Chris; Lin, Dong; Birkhimer, Craig; Juneja, Amit; Pruthi, Tarun; Hoffman, Orin; Lewis, Tristan

    2008-04-01

    Hands-free control of unmanned ground vehicles is essential for soldiers, bomb disposal squads, and first responders. Having their hands free for other equipment and tasks allows them to be safer and more mobile. Currently, the most successful hands-free control devices are speech-command based. However, these devices use external microphones, and in field environments, e.g., war zones and fire sites, their performance suffers because of loud ambient noise: typically above 90dBA. This paper describes the development of technology using the ear as an output source that can provide excellent command recognition accuracy even in noisy environments. Instead of picking up speech radiating from the mouth, this technology detects speech transmitted internally through the ear canal. Discreet tongue movements also create air pressure changes within the ear canal, and can be used for stealth control. A patented earpiece was developed with a microphone pointed into the ear canal that captures these signals generated by tongue movements and speech. The signals are transmitted from the earpiece to an Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) through a wired connection. The UMPC processes the signals and utilizes them for device control. The processing can include command recognition, ambient noise cancellation, acoustic echo cancellation, and speech equalization. Successful control of an iRobot PackBot has been demonstrated with both speech (13 discrete commands) and tongue (5 discrete commands) signals. In preliminary tests, command recognition accuracy was 95% with speech control and 85% with tongue control.

  14. PACS quality control and automatic problem notifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Honeyman-Buck, Janice C.; Jones, Douglas; Frost, Meryll M.; Staab, Edward V.

    1997-05-01

    One side effect of installing a clinical PACS Is that users become dependent upon the technology and in some cases it can be very difficult to revert back to a film based system if components fail. The nature of system failures range from slow deterioration of function as seen in the loss of monitor luminance through sudden catastrophic loss of the entire PACS networks. This paper describes the quality control procedures in place at the University of Florida and the automatic notification system that alerts PACS personnel when a failure has happened or is anticipated. The goal is to recover from a failure with a minimum of downtime and no data loss. Routine quality control is practiced on all aspects of PACS, from acquisition, through network routing, through display, and including archiving. Whenever possible, the system components perform self and between platform checks for active processes, file system status, errors in log files, and system uptime. When an error is detected or a exception occurs, an automatic page is sent to a pager with a diagnostic code. Documentation on each code, trouble shooting procedures, and repairs are kept on an intranet server accessible only to people involved in maintaining the PACS. In addition to the automatic paging system for error conditions, acquisition is assured by an automatic fax report sent on a daily basis to all technologists acquiring PACS images to be used as a cross check that all studies are archived prior to being removed from the acquisition systems. Daily quality control is preformed to assure that studies can be moved from each acquisition and contrast adjustment. The results of selected quality control reports will be presented. The intranet documentation server will be described with the automatic pager system. Monitor quality control reports will be described and the cost of quality control will be quantified. As PACS is accepted as a clinical tool, the same standards of quality control must be established

  15. Considerations for an institution for evaluation of diabetes technology devices to improve their quality in the European Union.

    PubMed

    Heinemann, Lutz; Freckmann, Guido; Koschinsky, Theodor

    2013-03-01

    All medical devices used for self-monitoring of blood glucose (BG), insulin injection, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, and continuous glucose monitoring in the European Union (EU) must have a Communauté Européenne (CE) mark. However, the approval process for obtaining this mark is different from that used by the European Medicines Agency in the EU for drugs or by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States for such medical and in vitro diagnostic devices. The notified bodies involved in the CE mark process perform this evaluation in cooperation with the manufacturers. They have only limited diabetes know-how; they have to handle all kinds of medical devices. There are devices for therapy on the market in the EU (i.e., they have market approval) that do not fulfill quality requirements, as indicated, for example, in the international norm ISO 15197 for BG test systems. Evaluation of the performance of such systems is usually provided by the manufacturers. What is missing in the EU is an independent institution that performs regular and critical evaluation of the quality of devices used for diabetes therapy before and also after their market approval. The work of such an institution would focus on BG test systems (these represent two-thirds of the market of medical devices for diabetes treatment) but would also evaluate the performance of other devices. It has to be clarified what legal framework is required for such an institution and how it can be financed; probably this can be done in a shared manner by the manufacturers of such devices and the health insurance companies. Positive evaluation results should be a prerequisite prior to any reimbursement for such devices. © 2013 Diabetes Technology Society.

  16. A Review of Commercial and Medical-Grade Physiological Monitoring Devices for Biofeedback-Assisted Quality of Life Improvement Studies.

    PubMed

    Nogueira, Pedro; Urbano, Joana; Reis, Luís Paulo; Cardoso, Henrique Lopes; Silva, Daniel Castro; Rocha, Ana Paula; Gonçalves, Joaquim; Faria, Brígida Mónica

    2018-04-17

    With the rise in wearable technology and "health culture", we are seeing an increasing interest and affordances in studying how to not only prolong life expectancy but also in how to improve individuals' quality of life. On the one hand, this attempts to give meaning to the increasing life expectancy, as living above a certain threshold of pain and lack of autonomy or mobility is both degrading and unfair. On the other hand, it lowers the cost of continuous care, as individuals with high quality of life indexes tend to have lower hospital readmissions or secondary complications, not to mention higher physical and mental health. In this paper, we evaluate the current state of the art in physiological therapy (biofeedback) along with the existing medical grade and consumer grade hardware for physiological research. We provide a quick primer on the most commonly monitored physiologic metrics, as well as a brief discussion on the current state of the art in biofeedback-assisted medical applications. We then go on to present a comparative analysis between medical and consumer grade biofeedback devices and discuss the hardware specifications and potential practical applications of each consumer grade device in terms of functionality and adaptability for controlled (laboratory) and uncontrolled (field) studies. We end this article with some empirical observations based on our study so that readers might use take them into consideration when arranging a laboratory or real-world experience, thus avoiding costly time delays and material expenditures.

  17. Quality by control: Towards model predictive control of mammalian cell culture bioprocesses.

    PubMed

    Sommeregger, Wolfgang; Sissolak, Bernhard; Kandra, Kulwant; von Stosch, Moritz; Mayer, Martin; Striedner, Gerald

    2017-07-01

    The industrial production of complex biopharmaceuticals using recombinant mammalian cell lines is still mainly built on a quality by testing approach, which is represented by fixed process conditions and extensive testing of the end-product. In 2004 the FDA launched the process analytical technology initiative, aiming to guide the industry towards advanced process monitoring and better understanding of how critical process parameters affect the critical quality attributes. Implementation of process analytical technology into the bio-production process enables moving from the quality by testing to a more flexible quality by design approach. The application of advanced sensor systems in combination with mathematical modelling techniques offers enhanced process understanding, allows on-line prediction of critical quality attributes and subsequently real-time product quality control. In this review opportunities and unsolved issues on the road to a successful quality by design and dynamic control implementation are discussed. A major focus is directed on the preconditions for the application of model predictive control for mammalian cell culture bioprocesses. Design of experiments providing information about the process dynamics upon parameter change, dynamic process models, on-line process state predictions and powerful software environments seem to be a prerequisite for quality by control realization. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Analytical approaches to quality assurance and quality control in rangeland monitoring data

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Producing quality data to support land management decisions is the goal of every rangeland monitoring program. However, the results of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) efforts to improve data quality are rarely reported. The purpose of QA and QC is to prevent and describe non-sampling...

  19. An Investigation of the Performance of Various Reaction Control Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunter, Paul A.

    1959-01-01

    An investigation of a small-scale reaction control devices in still air with both subsonic and supersonic internal flows has shown that lateral forces approaching 70 percent of the resultant force of the undeflected jet can be obtained. These results were obtained with a tilted extension at a deflection of 40 deg. The tests of tilted extensions indicated an optimum length-to-diameter ratio of approximately 0.75 to 1.00, dependent upon the deflection angle. For the two geometric types of spoiler tabs tested, blockage-area ratio appears to be the only variable affecting the lateral force developed. Usable values of lateral force were developed by the full-eyelid type of device with reasonably small losses in the thrust and weight flow. Somewhat larger values of lateral force were developed by injecting a secondary flow normal to the primary jet, but for conditions of these tests the losses in thrust and weight flow were large. Relatively good agreement with other investigations was obtained for several of the devices. The agreement of the present results with those of an investigation made with larger-scale equipment indicates that Reynolds number may not be critical for these tests. In as much as the effects of external flow could influence the performance and other factors affecting the choice of a reaction control for a specific use, it would appear desirable to make further tests of the devices described in this report in the presence of external flow.

  20. Professional Development for Water Quality Control Personnel.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepard, Clinton Lewis

    This study investigated the availability of professional development opportunities for water quality control personnel in the midwest. The major objective of the study was to establish a listing of educational opportunities for the professional development of water quality control personnel and to compare these with the opportunities technicians…