Virtual hand: a 3D tactile interface to virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.; Borrel, Paul

2008-02-01

We introduce a novel system that allows users to experience the sensation of touch in a computer graphics environment. In this system, the user places his/her hand on an array of pins, which is moved about space on a 6 degree-of-freedom robot arm. The surface of the pins defines a surface in the virtual world. This "virtual hand" can move about the virtual world. When the virtual hand encounters an object in the virtual world, the heights of the pins are adjusted so that they represent the object's shape, surface, and texture. A control system integrates pin and robot arm motions to transmit information about objects in the computer graphics world to the user. It also allows the user to edit, change and move the virtual objects, shapes and textures. This system provides a general framework for touching, manipulating, and modifying objects in a 3-D computer graphics environment, which may be useful in a wide range of applications, including computer games, computer aided design systems, and immersive virtual worlds.

Role of Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

PubMed

Lin, Zi-Mei; Wang, Yao; Liu, Chun-Mei; Yan, Cao-Xin; Huang, Pin-Tong

2018-06-01

We investigated the role of the virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technique in diagnosing Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and in distinguishing various HT-related thyroid dysfunctions. Two hundred HT patients and 100 healthy volunteers (the control group) were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of VTQ in predicting HT was calculated as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (A Z ). The HT patients were further classified into three subgroups on the basis of serologic tests of thyroid function: hyperthyroidism, euthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Comparisons of shear wave velocity (SWV) between three subgroups were evaluated by analysis of variance. The mean SWV of the control group was significantly lower than that of the HT group (1.93 ± 0.33 m/s vs. 2.32 ± 0.49 m/s, p <0.001). A z was 0.734 with a cut-off value of 1.86 m/s for performance of SWV in distinguishing between HT and a healthy thyroid; the sensitivity and specificity were 82.5% and 50.0%, respectively. Mean SWV values in the three HT subgroups (hyperthyroidism [2.07 ± 0.37 cm/s] vs. euthyroidism [2.20 ± 0.40 cm/s] vs. hypothyroidism [2.49 ± 0.46 cm/s]) were significantly different (p <0.05). Our results suggest that VTQ is a promising technique for assessing HT and HT-related thyroid dysfunction. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous Deformable Modeling of Bio-Tissues and Haptic Force Rendering for Bio-Object Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Shiyong; Lee, Yuan-Shin; Narayan, Roger J.

This paper presents a novel technique for modeling soft biological tissues as well as the development of an innovative interface for bio-manufacturing and medical applications. Heterogeneous deformable models may be used to represent the actual internal structures of deformable biological objects, which possess multiple components and nonuniform material properties. Both heterogeneous deformable object modeling and accurate haptic rendering can greatly enhance the realism and fidelity of virtual reality environments. In this paper, a tri-ray node snapping algorithm is proposed to generate a volumetric heterogeneous deformable model from a set of object interface surfaces between different materials. A constrained local static integration method is presented for simulating deformation and accurate force feedback based on the material properties of a heterogeneous structure. Biological soft tissue modeling is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed techniques. By integrating the heterogeneous deformable model into a virtual environment, users can both observe different materials inside a deformable object as well as interact with it by touching the deformable object using a haptic device. The presented techniques can be used for surgical simulation, bio-product design, bio-manufacturing, and medical applications.

Development and Evaluation of a Novel Pan-Specialty Virtual Reality Surgical Simulator for Smartphones.

PubMed

Nehme, Jean; Bahsoun, Ali N; Chow, Andre

2016-01-01

Touch Surgery is a novel simulator that allows cognitive task simulation and rehearsal of surgical procedures. Touch Surgery is designed for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. This allows a global community of surgical professionals to review the steps of a procedure and test their competence. Content on Touch Surgery is developed with expert surgeons in the field from world leading institutions. Here we describe the development of Touch Surgery, its adoption by the global training community.

Contact geometry and mechanics predict friction forces during tactile surface exploration.

PubMed

Janko, Marco; Wiertlewski, Michael; Visell, Yon

2018-03-20

When we touch an object, complex frictional forces are produced, aiding us in perceiving surface features that help to identify the object at hand, and also facilitating grasping and manipulation. However, even during controlled tactile exploration, sliding friction forces fluctuate greatly, and it is unclear how they relate to the surface topography or mechanics of contact with the finger. We investigated the sliding contact between the finger and different relief surfaces, using high-speed video and force measurements. Informed by these experiments, we developed a friction force model that accounts for surface shape and contact mechanical effects, and is able to predict sliding friction forces for different surfaces and exploration speeds. We also observed that local regions of disconnection between the finger and surface develop near high relief features, due to the stiffness of the finger tissues. Every tested surface had regions that were never contacted by the finger; we refer to these as "tactile blind spots". The results elucidate friction force production during tactile exploration, may aid efforts to connect sensory and motor function of the hand to properties of touched objects, and provide crucial knowledge to inform the rendering of realistic experiences of touch contact in virtual reality.

Virtual Simulation in Enhancing Procedural Training for Fluoroscopy-guided Lumbar Puncture: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Ali, Saad; Qandeel, Monther; Ramakrishna, Rishi; Yang, Carina W

2018-02-01

Fluoroscopy-guided lumbar puncture (FGLP) is a basic procedural component of radiology residency and neuroradiology fellowship training. Performance of the procedure with limited experience is associated with increased patient discomfort as well as increased radiation dose, puncture attempts, and complication rate. Simulation in health care is a developing field that has potential for enhancing procedural training. We demonstrate the design and utility of a virtual reality simulator for performing FGLP. An FGLP module was developed on an ImmersiveTouch platform, which digitally reproduces the procedural environment with a hologram-like projection. From computed tomography datasets of healthy adult spines, we constructed a 3-D model of the lumbar spine and overlying soft tissues. We assigned different physical characteristics to each tissue type, which the user can experience through haptic feedback while advancing a virtual spinal needle. Virtual fluoroscopy as well as 3-D images can be obtained for procedural planning and guidance. The number of puncture attempts, the distance to the target, the number of fluoroscopic shots, and the approximate radiation dose can be calculated. Preliminary data from users who participated in the simulation were obtained in a postsimulation survey. All users found the simulation to be a realistic replication of the anatomy and procedure and would recommend to a colleague. On a scale of 1-5 (lowest to highest) rating the virtual simulator training overall, the mean score was 4.3 (range 3-5). We describe the design of a virtual reality simulator for performing FGLP and present the initial experience with this new technique. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Results of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging by Combined Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses for Evaluation of Breast Lesions.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Wan, Cai-Feng; Du, Jing; Li, Feng-Hua

2018-04-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of a new elastographic technique, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging, and its diagnostic performance for characterizing breast lesions. One hundred consecutive female patients with 126 breast lesions were enrolled in our study. After routine breast ultrasound examinations, the patients underwent ARFI elasticity imaging. Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) and Virtual Touch tissue quantification (Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) were used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the elasticity and hardness of tumors. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ARFI for discrimination between benign and malignant breast lesions. Pathologic analysis revealed 40 lesions in the malignant group and 86 lesions in the benign group. Different VTI patterns were observed in benign and malignant breast lesions. Eighty lesions (93.0%) of benign group had pattern 1, 2, or 3, whereas all pattern 4b lesions (n = 20 [50.0%]) were malignant. Regarding the quantitative analysis, the mean VTI-to-B-mode area ratio, internal shear wave velocity, and marginal shear wave velocity of benign lesions were statistically significantly lower than those of malignant lesions (all P < .001). The cutoff point for a scoring system constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ARFI was estimated to be between 3 and 4 points for malignancy, with sensitivity of 77.5%, specificity of 96.5%, accuracy of 90.5%, and an area under the curve of 0.933. The application of ARFI technology has shown promising results by noninvasively providing substantial complementary information and could potentially serve as an effective diagnostic tool for differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions. © 2018 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography in evaluation of triple-negative breast cancer: A preliminary experience.

PubMed

Wan, Jing; Wu, Rong; Yao, Minghua; Xu, Guang; Liu, Hui; Pu, Huan; Xiang, Lihua; Zhang, Shupin

2018-05-19

To assess the elastographic features of triple-negative breast cancers and evaluate the diagnostic value of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) for the characterization of triple-negative breast cancers. This study analyzed data from 234 women with breast cancer. Patients were categorized into three groups; 1) triple-negative breast cancers (n = 48); 2) ER-positive tumors (n = 128) and 3) HER2-positive tumors (n = 58). Mean tumor stiffness was evaluated by virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) and quantified as both qualitative scores (1-5) and shear wave velocity (SWV) (m/s). The relationship between mean SWV and tumor parameters, including tumor size, tumor type, histologic grade and lymph node status, were investigated using multiple linear regression. Triple-negative tumor were more likely to have a large invasive size (p = 0.002), high histological grade (p < 0.001), lymph node involvement (p = 0.022) and strong ki-67 expression (p < 0.001). The highest mean SWV value were recorded in triple-negative tumors (7.36 m/s±1.83), followed by HER2+ tumors (6.65 m/s±2.26) and ER+ tumors (6.60 m/s±2.35) (p = 0.122). Triple-negative tumors were also associated with increased stiffness than ER+ tumors and HER2+ tumors (p = 0.016), as measured by qualitative VTI scores. Tumor size was independently associated with mean SWV value on adjusted regression (p < 0.001). Triple-negative breast cancer is associated with high stiffness scores and SWV in ARFI. The latter may be considered a useful complementary tool in evaluation of triple-negative breast cancer.

Non-invasive liver fibrosis score calculated by combination of virtual touch tissue quantification and serum liver functional tests in chronic hepatitis C patients.

PubMed

Takaki, Shintaro; Kawakami, Yoshiiku; Miyaki, Daisuke; Nakahara, Takashi; Naeshiro, Noriaki; Murakami, Eisuke; Tanaka, Mio; Honda, Yohji; Yokoyama, Satoe; Nagaoki, Yuko; Kawaoka, Tomokazu; Hiramatsu, Akira; Tsuge, Masataka; Hiraga, Nobuhiko; Imamura, Michio; Hyogo, Hideyuki; Aikata, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Shoichi; Arihiro, Koji; Chayama, Kazuaki

2014-03-01

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology, involving the shear wave velocity (SWV) with virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ), are currently available for the assessment of liver fibrosis, while there is no index derived from the combination of SWV and blood tests. The aim of this study was to develop a new index for assessment of liver fibrosis. The subjects were 176 consecutive patients with hepatitis C (training set [n = 120] and validation set [n = 56]) who underwent liver biopsy in our institution. In the training set, SWV, international normalized ratio (INR) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) correlated independently and significantly with fibrosis. According to this, we developed the VIA index = -1.282 + 0.965 × SWV + 1.785 INR + 0.00185 ALT. The areas under the receiver-operator curve (AUROC) of the VIA index were 0.838 for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (≥F2), 0.904 for the severe fibrosis (≥F3) and 0.958 for the cirrhosis (F4) in the training set. While in the validation set, AUROC of the VIA index were 0.917 for F2 or higher, 0.906 for F3 or higher and 1.000 for F4, respectively. AUROC of the VIA index was improved compared to SWV alone, equivalent for VIA for the diagnosis of F2 or higher, and superior to that of FIB-4 index and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index for the diagnosis of F3 or higher and F4. The VIA index is potentially more useful for assessment of liver fibrosis than SWV alone, and easily and accurately measures liver fibrosis stage. © 2013 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging for the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Lymph Nodes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Peige; Zhang, Li; Zheng, Shaoping; Yu, Cheng; Xie, Mingxing; Lv, Qing

2016-01-01

To evaluate the overall performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) in differentiating between benign and malignant lymph nodes (LNs) by conducting a meta-analysis. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were comprehensively searched for potential studies through August 13th, 2016. Studies that investigated the diagnostic power of ARFI for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant LNs by using virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) or virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) were collected. The included articles were published in English or Chinese. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC) were calculated by means of a bivariate mixed-effects regression model. Meta-regression analysis was performed to identify the potential sources of between study heterogeneity. Fagan plot analysis was used to explore the clinical utilities. Publication bias was assessed using Deek's funnel plot. Nine studies involving 1084 LNs from 929 patients were identified to analyze in the meta-analysis. The summary sensitivity and specificity of ARFI in detecting malignant LNs were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.91) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82-0.92), respectively. The AUC was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.95). The pooled DOR was 49.59 (95% CI, 26.11-94.15). Deek's funnel plot revealed no significant publication bias. ARFI is a promising tool for the differentiation of benign and malignant LNs with high sensitivity and specificity.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules with concurrent Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

PubMed

Liu, Bo-Ji; Xu, Hui-Xiong; Zhang, Yi-Feng; Xu, Jun-Mei; Li, Dan-Dan; Bo, Xiao-Wan; Li, Xiao-Long; Guo, Le-Hang; Xu, Xiao-Hong; Qu, Shen

2015-03-01

The purpose of the study was to explore the diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules in patients with coexistent Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). A total of 141 pathological proven nodules in 141 HT patients (7 males and 134 females, mean age 50.1 years, range 23-75 years) received conventional ultrasound (US), elasticity imaging (EI) and ARFI elastography, including virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ), before surgery. Shear wave velocity (SWV) and SWV ratio were measured for each nodule on VTQ. The US, EI and ARFI elastography features were compared between benign and malignant nodules in HT patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses and area under curve (AUC) were performed to assess the diagnostic performance. Pathologically, 70 nodules were benign and 71 nodules were malignant. Significant differences were found between benign and malignant nodules in HT patients for EI (EI score) and ARFI (VTI grade and SWV) (all P value <0.05). The AUCs for EI, VTI, SWV and SWV ratio were 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59-0.77], 0.90 (95% CI: 0.84-0.95), 0.77 (95%CI: 0.70-0.85) and 0.74 (95%CI: 0.66-0.82), respectively. The cut-off points were EI score ≥3, VTI grade ≥4, SWV ≥2.58 m/s and SWV ratio ≥1.03, respectively. In conclusion, ARFI elastography is useful for differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules in HT patients. The diagnostic performance of ARFI elastography is better than EI.

Combined value of Virtual Touch tissue quantification and conventional sonographic features for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules smaller than 10 mm.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiping; Shi, Qiusheng; Gu, Jiying; Jiang, Luying; Bai, Min; Liu, Long; Wu, Ying; Du, Lianfang

2014-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the value of sonographic features including Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules smaller than 10 mm. Seventy-one thyroid nodules smaller than 10 mm with pathologic diagnoses were included in this study. The conventional sonographic features and quantitative elasticity features (VTQ) were observed and compared between benign and malignant nodules. There were 39 benign and 32 malignant nodules according to histopathologic examination. When compared with benign nodules, malignant nodules were more frequently taller than wide, poorly defined, and markedly hypoechoic (P < .05). Color Doppler sonographic features were not significantly different between benign and malignant nodules. The VTQ value for malignant nodules (mean ± SD 3.260 ± 0.725 m/s) was significantly higher than that of benign ones (2.108 ± 0.455 m/s; P < .001). The cutoff point for the differential diagnosis was 2.910 m/s, with sensitivity, specificity, a positive predictive value, a negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of 71.9%, 100%, 100%, 81.2%, and 87.3% respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that a taller-than-wide shape, a poorly defined boundary, marked hypoechogenicity, and a VTQ value greater than 2.910 m/s were independent risk factors for malignancy, with odds ratios of 69.366, 41.864, 5.945, and 64.991. The combination of VTQ with a taller-than-wide shape had the highest sensitivity and specificity of 90.6% and 97.4%. The shape, margin, echogenicity, and VTQ value are useful sonographic criteria for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules smaller than 10 mm. When VTQ was combined with B-mode sonographic features, the sensitivity was improved significantly.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging for the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Lymph Nodes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Yu, Cheng; Xie, Mingxing; Lv, Qing

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate the overall performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) in differentiating between benign and malignant lymph nodes (LNs) by conducting a meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were comprehensively searched for potential studies through August 13th, 2016. Studies that investigated the diagnostic power of ARFI for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant LNs by using virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) or virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) were collected. The included articles were published in English or Chinese. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC) were calculated by means of a bivariate mixed-effects regression model. Meta-regression analysis was performed to identify the potential sources of between study heterogeneity. Fagan plot analysis was used to explore the clinical utilities. Publication bias was assessed using Deek’s funnel plot. Results Nine studies involving 1084 LNs from 929 patients were identified to analyze in the meta-analysis. The summary sensitivity and specificity of ARFI in detecting malignant LNs were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–0.91) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82–0.92), respectively. The AUC was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90–0.95). The pooled DOR was 49.59 (95% CI, 26.11–94.15). Deek’s funnel plot revealed no significant publication bias. Conclusion ARFI is a promising tool for the differentiation of benign and malignant LNs with high sensitivity and specificity. PMID:27855188

[Effect of elastic strain rate ratio method and virtual touch tissue quantification on the diagnosis of breast masses].

PubMed

Gong, LiJie; He, Yan; Tian, Peng; Yan, Yan

2016-07-01

To determine the effect of elastic strain rate ratio method and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) on the diagnosis of breast masses.
 Sixty female patients with breast cancer, who received surgical treatment in Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, were enrolled. All patients signed the informed consent paperwork and they were treated by routine ultrasound examination, compression elastography (CE) examination, and VTQ examination in turn. Strain ratio (SR) was checked by CE and shear wave velocity (SWV) value was measured by VTQ. The diagnostic values of different methods were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors.
 The maximum diameter and SWV value of the benign tumors were lower than those of the malignant tumors, and the SR ratio of benign masses was higher than that of malignant tumors (P<0.01). The AUC, sensitivity and specificity for elastic strain rate and VTQ for single or combined use were higher than those of conventional ultrasound (0.904, 97.5%, 69.2%; 0.946, 87.5%, 87.2%; 0.976, 90%, 97.4% vs 0.783, 85%, 61.5%). The AUC and specificity of VTQ were higher than those of the elastic strain rate (0.946, 87.2% vs 0.904, 69.2%), but the sensitivity of VTQ was higher than that of the latter (87.5% vs 97.5%). The AUC and specificity for combination of both methods were higher than those of single method, but the sensitivity was lower than that of the elastic strain rate. 
 Combination of elastic strain rate ratio method with VTQ possesses the best diagnostic value and the highest diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of breast mass than that used alone.

Interactive Virtual and Physical Manipulatives for Improving Students' Spatial Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Oai; Fang, Ning

2018-01-01

An innovative educational technology called interactive virtual and physical manipulatives (VPM) is developed to improve students' spatial skills. With VPM technology, not only can students touch and play with real-world physical manipulatives in their hands but also they can see how the corresponding virtual manipulatives (i.e., computer…

Fronto-Parietal Brain Responses to Visuotactile Congruence in an Anatomical Reference Frame

PubMed Central

Limanowski, Jakub; Blankenburg, Felix

2018-01-01

Spatially and temporally congruent visuotactile stimulation of a fake hand together with one’s real hand may result in an illusory self-attribution of the fake hand. Although this illusion relies on a representation of the two touched body parts in external space, there is tentative evidence that, for the illusion to occur, the seen and felt touches also need to be congruent in an anatomical reference frame. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a somatotopical, virtual reality-based setup to isolate the neuronal basis of such a comparison. Participants’ index or little finger was synchronously touched with the index or little finger of a virtual hand, under congruent or incongruent orientations of the real and virtual hands. The left ventral premotor cortex responded significantly more strongly to visuotactile co-stimulation of the same versus different fingers of the virtual and real hand. Conversely, the left anterior intraparietal sulcus responded significantly more strongly to co-stimulation of different versus same fingers. Both responses were independent of hand orientation congruence and of spatial congruence of the visuotactile stimuli. Our results suggest that fronto-parietal areas previously associated with multisensory processing within peripersonal space and with tactile remapping evaluate the congruence of visuotactile stimulation on the body according to an anatomical reference frame. PMID:29556183

Fronto-Parietal Brain Responses to Visuotactile Congruence in an Anatomical Reference Frame.

PubMed

Limanowski, Jakub; Blankenburg, Felix

2018-01-01

Spatially and temporally congruent visuotactile stimulation of a fake hand together with one's real hand may result in an illusory self-attribution of the fake hand. Although this illusion relies on a representation of the two touched body parts in external space, there is tentative evidence that, for the illusion to occur, the seen and felt touches also need to be congruent in an anatomical reference frame. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a somatotopical, virtual reality-based setup to isolate the neuronal basis of such a comparison. Participants' index or little finger was synchronously touched with the index or little finger of a virtual hand, under congruent or incongruent orientations of the real and virtual hands. The left ventral premotor cortex responded significantly more strongly to visuotactile co-stimulation of the same versus different fingers of the virtual and real hand. Conversely, the left anterior intraparietal sulcus responded significantly more strongly to co-stimulation of different versus same fingers. Both responses were independent of hand orientation congruence and of spatial congruence of the visuotactile stimuli. Our results suggest that fronto-parietal areas previously associated with multisensory processing within peripersonal space and with tactile remapping evaluate the congruence of visuotactile stimulation on the body according to an anatomical reference frame.

Bimanual Interaction with Interscopic Multi-Touch Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöning, Johannes; Steinicke, Frank; Krüger, Antonio; Hinrichs, Klaus; Valkov, Dimitar

Multi-touch interaction has received considerable attention in the last few years, in particular for natural two-dimensional (2D) interaction. However, many application areas deal with three-dimensional (3D) data and require intuitive 3D interaction techniques therefore. Indeed, virtual reality (VR) systems provide sophisticated 3D user interface, but then lack efficient 2D interaction, and are therefore rarely adopted by ordinary users or even by experts. Since multi-touch interfaces represent a good trade-off between intuitive, constrained interaction on a touch surface providing tangible feedback, and unrestricted natural interaction without any instrumentation, they have the potential to form the foundation of the next generation user interface for 2D as well as 3D interaction. In particular, stereoscopic display of 3D data provides an additional depth cue, but until now the challenges and limitations for multi-touch interaction in this context have not been considered. In this paper we present new multi-touch paradigms and interactions that combine both traditional 2D interaction and novel 3D interaction on a touch surface to form a new class of multi-touch systems, which we refer to as interscopic multi-touch surfaces (iMUTS). We discuss iMUTS-based user interfaces that support interaction with 2D content displayed in monoscopic mode and 3D content usually displayed stereoscopically. In order to underline the potential of the proposed iMUTS setup, we have developed and evaluated two example interaction metaphors for different domains. First, we present intuitive navigation techniques for virtual 3D city models, and then we describe a natural metaphor for deforming volumetric datasets in a medical context.

Inertial Sensor-Based Touch and Shake Metaphor for Expressive Control of 3D Virtual Avatars

PubMed Central

Patil, Shashidhar; Chintalapalli, Harinadha Reddy; Kim, Dubeom; Chai, Youngho

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present an inertial sensor-based touch and shake metaphor for expressive control of a 3D virtual avatar in a virtual environment. An intuitive six degrees-of-freedom wireless inertial motion sensor is used as a gesture and motion control input device with a sensor fusion algorithm. The algorithm enables user hand motions to be tracked in 3D space via magnetic, angular rate, and gravity sensors. A quaternion-based complementary filter is implemented to reduce noise and drift. An algorithm based on dynamic time-warping is developed for efficient recognition of dynamic hand gestures with real-time automatic hand gesture segmentation. Our approach enables the recognition of gestures and estimates gesture variations for continuous interaction. We demonstrate the gesture expressivity using an interactive flexible gesture mapping interface for authoring and controlling a 3D virtual avatar and its motion by tracking user dynamic hand gestures. This synthesizes stylistic variations in a 3D virtual avatar, producing motions that are not present in the motion database using hand gesture sequences from a single inertial motion sensor. PMID:26094629

Force Sensitive Handles and Capacitive Touch Sensor for Driving a Flexible Haptic-Based Immersive System

PubMed Central

Covarrubias, Mario; Bordegoni, Monica; Cugini, Umberto

2013-01-01

In this article, we present an approach that uses both two force sensitive handles (FSH) and a flexible capacitive touch sensor (FCTS) to drive a haptic-based immersive system. The immersive system has been developed as part of a multimodal interface for product design. The haptic interface consists of a strip that can be used by product designers to evaluate the quality of a 3D virtual shape by using touch, vision and hearing and, also, to interactively change the shape of the virtual object. Specifically, the user interacts with the FSH to move the virtual object and to appropriately position the haptic interface for retrieving the six degrees of freedom required for both manipulation and modification modalities. The FCTS allows the system to track the movement and position of the user's fingers on the strip, which is used for rendering visual and sound feedback. Two evaluation experiments are described, which involve both the evaluation and the modification of a 3D shape. Results show that the use of the haptic strip for the evaluation of aesthetic shapes is effective and supports product designers in the appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of the shape. PMID:24113680

The sense of body ownership relaxes temporal constraints for multisensory integration.

PubMed

Maselli, Antonella; Kilteni, Konstantina; López-Moliner, Joan; Slater, Mel

2016-08-03

Experimental work on body ownership illusions showed how simple multisensory manipulation can generate the illusory experience of an artificial limb as being part of the own-body. This work highlighted how own-body perception relies on a plastic brain representation emerging from multisensory integration. The flexibility of this representation is reflected in the short-term modulations of physiological states and perceptual processing observed during these illusions. Here, we explore the impact of ownership illusions on the temporal dimension of multisensory integration. We show that, during the illusion, the temporal window for integrating touch on the physical body with touch seen on a virtual body representation, increases with respect to integration with visual events seen close but separated from the virtual body. We show that this effect is mediated by the ownership illusion. Crucially, the temporal window for visuotactile integration was positively correlated with participants' scores rating the illusory experience of owning the virtual body and touching the object seen in contact with it. Our results corroborate the recently proposed causal inference mechanism for illusory body ownership. As a novelty, they show that the ensuing illusory causal binding between stimuli from the real and fake body relaxes constraints for the integration of bodily signals.

Force sensitive handles and capacitive touch sensor for driving a flexible haptic-based immersive system.

PubMed

Covarrubias, Mario; Bordegoni, Monica; Cugini, Umberto

2013-10-09

In this article, we present an approach that uses both two force sensitive handles (FSH) and a flexible capacitive touch sensor (FCTS) to drive a haptic-based immersive system. The immersive system has been developed as part of a multimodal interface for product design. The haptic interface consists of a strip that can be used by product designers to evaluate the quality of a 3D virtual shape by using touch, vision and hearing and, also, to interactively change the shape of the virtual object. Specifically, the user interacts with the FSH to move the virtual object and to appropriately position the haptic interface for retrieving the six degrees of freedom required for both manipulation and modification modalities. The FCTS allows the system to track the movement and position of the user's fingers on the strip, which is used for rendering visual and sound feedback. Two evaluation experiments are described, which involve both the evaluation and the modification of a 3D shape. Results show that the use of the haptic strip for the evaluation of aesthetic shapes is effective and supports product designers in the appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of the shape.

The meaning of the virtual Midas touch: an ERP study in economic decision making.

PubMed

Spapé, Michiel M; Hoggan, Eve E; Jacucci, Giulio; Ravaja, Niklas

2015-03-01

The Midas touch refers to the altruistic effects of a brief touch. Though these effects have often been replicated, they remain poorly understood. We investigate the psychophysiology of the effect using remotely transmitted, precisely timed, tactile messages in an economic decision-making game called Ultimatum. Participants were more likely to accept offers after receiving a remotely transmitted touch. Furthermore, we found distinct effects of touch on event-related potentials evoked by (a) feedback regarding accepted and rejected offers, (b) decision cues related to proposals, and (c) the haptic and auditory cues themselves. In each case, a late positive effect of touch was observed and related to the P3. Given the role of the P3 in memory-related functions, the results indicate an indirect relationship between touch and generosity that relies on memory. This hypothesis was further tested and confirmed in the positive effects of touch on later proposals. © 2014 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Feeling Touched: Emotional Modulation of Somatosensory Potentials to Interpersonal Touch.

PubMed

Ravaja, N; Harjunen, V; Ahmed, I; Jacucci, G; Spapé, M M

2017-01-12

Although the previous studies have shown that an emotional context may alter touch processing, it is not clear how visual contextual information modulates the sensory signals, and at what levels does this modulation take place. Therefore, we investigated how a toucher's emotional expressions (anger, happiness, fear, and sadness) modulate touchee's somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) in different temporal ranges. Participants were presented with tactile stimulation appearing to originate from expressive characters in virtual reality. Touch processing was indexed using SEPs, and self-reports of touch experience were collected. Early potentials were found to be amplified after angry, happy and sad facial expressions, while late potentials were amplified after anger but attenuated after happiness. These effects were related to two stages of emotional modulation of tactile perception: anticipation and interpretation. The findings show that not only does touch affect emotion, but also emotional expressions affect touch perception. The affective modulation of touch was initially obtained as early as 25 ms after the touch onset suggesting that emotional context is integrated to the tactile sensation at a very early stage.

Feeling Touched: Emotional Modulation of Somatosensory Potentials to Interpersonal Touch

PubMed Central

Ravaja, N.; Harjunen, V.; Ahmed, I.; Jacucci, G.; Spapé, M. M.

2017-01-01

Although the previous studies have shown that an emotional context may alter touch processing, it is not clear how visual contextual information modulates the sensory signals, and at what levels does this modulation take place. Therefore, we investigated how a toucher’s emotional expressions (anger, happiness, fear, and sadness) modulate touchee’s somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) in different temporal ranges. Participants were presented with tactile stimulation appearing to originate from expressive characters in virtual reality. Touch processing was indexed using SEPs, and self-reports of touch experience were collected. Early potentials were found to be amplified after angry, happy and sad facial expressions, while late potentials were amplified after anger but attenuated after happiness. These effects were related to two stages of emotional modulation of tactile perception: anticipation and interpretation. The findings show that not only does touch affect emotion, but also emotional expressions affect touch perception. The affective modulation of touch was initially obtained as early as 25 ms after the touch onset suggesting that emotional context is integrated to the tactile sensation at a very early stage. PMID:28079157

Affordance Access Matters: Preschool Children's Learning Progressions While Interacting with Touch-Screen Mathematics Apps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bullock, Emma P.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Watts, Christina M.; Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the research on mathematics app use by very young children, and specifically mathematics apps for touch-screen mobile devices that contain virtual manipulatives. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected in parallel, analyzed…

The role of virtual articulator in prosthetic and restorative dentistry.

PubMed

Koralakunte, Pavankumar Ravi; Aljanakh, Mohammad

2014-07-01

Virtual reality is a computer based technology linked with the future of dentistry and dental practice. The virtual articulator is one such application in prosthetic and restorative dentistry based on virtual reality that will significantly reduce the limitations of the mechanical articulator, and by simulation of real patient data, allow analyses with regard to static and dynamic occlusion as well as to jaw relation. It is the purpose of this article to present the concepts and strategies for a future replacement of the mechanical articulator by a virtual one. Also, a brief note on virtual reality haptic system has been highlighted along with newly developed touch enabled virtual articulator.

“Seeing” and “feeling” architecture: how bodily self-consciousness alters architectonic experience and affects the perception of interiors

PubMed Central

Pasqualini, Isabella; Llobera, Joan; Blanke, Olaf

2013-01-01

Over the centuries architectural theory evolved several notions of embodiment, proposing in the nineteenth and twentieth century that architectonic experience is related to physiological responses of the observer. Recent advances in the cognitive neuroscience of embodiment (or bodily self-consciousness) enable empirical studies of architectonic embodiment. Here, we investigated how architecture modulates bodily self-consciousness by adapting a video-based virtual reality (VR) setup previously used to investigate visuo-tactile mechanisms of bodily self-consciousness. While standing in two different interiors, participants were filmed from behind and watched their own virtual body online on a head-mounted display (HMD). Visuo-tactile strokes were applied in synchronous or asynchronous mode to the participants and their virtual body. Two interiors were simulated in the laboratory by placing the sidewalls either far or near from the participants, generating a large and narrow room. We tested if bodily self-consciousness was differently modulated when participants were exposed to both rooms and whether these changes depend on visuo-tactile stimulation. We measured illusory touch, self-identification, and performed length estimations. Our data show that synchronous stroking of the physical and the virtual body induces illusory touch and self-identification with the virtual body, independent of room-size. Moreover, in the narrow room we observed weak feelings of illusory touch with the sidewalls and of approaching walls. These subjective changes were complemented by a stroking-dependent modulation of length estimation only in the narrow room with participants judging the room-size more accurately during conditions of illusory self-identification. We discuss our findings and previous notions of architectonic embodiment in the context of the cognitive neuroscience of bodily self-consciousness and propose an empirical framework grounded in architecture, cognitive neuroscience, and VR. PMID:23805112

"Seeing" and "feeling" architecture: how bodily self-consciousness alters architectonic experience and affects the perception of interiors.

PubMed

Pasqualini, Isabella; Llobera, Joan; Blanke, Olaf

2013-01-01

Over the centuries architectural theory evolved several notions of embodiment, proposing in the nineteenth and twentieth century that architectonic experience is related to physiological responses of the observer. Recent advances in the cognitive neuroscience of embodiment (or bodily self-consciousness) enable empirical studies of architectonic embodiment. Here, we investigated how architecture modulates bodily self-consciousness by adapting a video-based virtual reality (VR) setup previously used to investigate visuo-tactile mechanisms of bodily self-consciousness. While standing in two different interiors, participants were filmed from behind and watched their own virtual body online on a head-mounted display (HMD). Visuo-tactile strokes were applied in synchronous or asynchronous mode to the participants and their virtual body. Two interiors were simulated in the laboratory by placing the sidewalls either far or near from the participants, generating a large and narrow room. We tested if bodily self-consciousness was differently modulated when participants were exposed to both rooms and whether these changes depend on visuo-tactile stimulation. We measured illusory touch, self-identification, and performed length estimations. Our data show that synchronous stroking of the physical and the virtual body induces illusory touch and self-identification with the virtual body, independent of room-size. Moreover, in the narrow room we observed weak feelings of illusory touch with the sidewalls and of approaching walls. These subjective changes were complemented by a stroking-dependent modulation of length estimation only in the narrow room with participants judging the room-size more accurately during conditions of illusory self-identification. We discuss our findings and previous notions of architectonic embodiment in the context of the cognitive neuroscience of bodily self-consciousness and propose an empirical framework grounded in architecture, cognitive neuroscience, and VR.

Combination of elastography and tissue quantification using the acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for differential diagnosis of breast masses.

PubMed

Tozaki, Mitsuhiro; Isobe, Sachiko; Sakamoto, Masaaki

2012-10-01

We evaluated the diagnostic performance of elastography and tissue quantification using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for differential diagnosis of breast masses. There were 161 mass lesions. First, lesion correspondence on ARFI elastographic images to those on the B-mode images was evaluated: no findings on ARFI images (pattern 1), lesions that were bright inside (pattern 2), lesions that were dark inside (pattern 4), lesions that contained both bright and dark areas (pattern 3). In addition, pattern 4 was subdivided into 4a (dark area same as B-mode lesion) and 4b (dark area larger than lesion). Next, shear wave velocity (SWV) was measured using virtual touch tissue quantification. There were 13 pattern 1 lesions and five pattern 2 lesions; all of these lesions were benign, whereas all pattern 4b lesions (n = 43) were malignant. When the value of 3.59 m/s was chosen as the cutoff value, the combination of elastography and tissue quantification showed 91 % (83-91) sensitivity, 93 % (65-70) specificity, and 92 % (148-161) accuracy. The combination of elastography and tissue quantification is thought to be a promising ultrasound technique for differential diagnosis of breast-mass lesions.

The design of light pipe with microstructures for touch screen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bo; Lu, Kan; Liu, Pengfei; Wei, Xiaona

2010-11-01

Touch screen has a very wide range of applications. Most of them are used in public information inquiries, for instance, service inquiries in telecommunication bureau, tax bureau, bank system, electric department, etc...Touch screen can also be used for entertainment and virtual reality applications too. Traditionally, touch screen was composed of pairs of infrared LED and correspondent receivers which were all installed in the screen frame. Arrays of LED were set in the adjacent sides of the frame of an infrared touch screen while arrays of the infrared receivers were fixed in each opposite side, so that the infrared detecting network was formed. While the infrared touch screen has some technical limitations nowadays such as the low resolution, limitations of touching methods and fault response due to environmental disturbances. The plastic material has a relatively high absorption rate for infrared light, which greatly limits the size of the touch screen. Our design uses laser diode as source and change the traditional inner structure of touch screen by using a light pipe with microstructures. The geometric parameters of the light pipe and the microstructures were obtained through equation solving. Simulation results prove that the design method for touch screen proposed in this paper could achieve high resolution and large size of touch screen.

First Person Experience of Body Transfer in Virtual Reality

PubMed Central

Slater, Mel; Spanlang, Bernhard; Sanchez-Vives, Maria V.; Blanke, Olaf

2010-01-01

Background Altering the normal association between touch and its visual correlate can result in the illusory perception of a fake limb as part of our own body. Thus, when touch is seen to be applied to a rubber hand while felt synchronously on the corresponding hidden real hand, an illusion of ownership of the rubber hand usually occurs. The illusion has also been demonstrated using visuomotor correlation between the movements of the hidden real hand and the seen fake hand. This type of paradigm has been used with respect to the whole body generating out-of-the-body and body substitution illusions. However, such studies have only ever manipulated a single factor and although they used a form of virtual reality have not exploited the power of immersive virtual reality (IVR) to produce radical transformations in body ownership. Principal Findings Here we show that a first person perspective of a life-sized virtual human female body that appears to substitute the male subjects' own bodies was sufficient to generate a body transfer illusion. This was demonstrated subjectively by questionnaire and physiologically through heart-rate deceleration in response to a threat to the virtual body. This finding is in contrast to earlier experimental studies that assume visuotactile synchrony to be the critical contributory factor in ownership illusions. Our finding was possible because IVR allowed us to use a novel experimental design for this type of problem with three independent binary factors: (i) perspective position (first or third), (ii) synchronous or asynchronous mirror reflections and (iii) synchrony or asynchrony between felt and seen touch. Conclusions The results support the notion that bottom-up perceptual mechanisms can temporarily override top down knowledge resulting in a radical illusion of transfer of body ownership. The research also illustrates immersive virtual reality as a powerful tool in the study of body representation and experience, since it supports experimental manipulations that would otherwise be infeasible, with the technology being mature enough to represent human bodies and their motion. PMID:20485681

Achievement of Virtual and Real Objects Using a Short-Term Motor Learning Protocol in People with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Massetti, Thais; Fávero, Francis Meire; Menezes, Lilian Del Ciello de; Alvarez, Mayra Priscila Boscolo; Crocetta, Tânia Brusque; Guarnieri, Regiani; Nunes, Fátima L S; Monteiro, Carlos Bandeira de Mello; Silva, Talita Dias da

2018-04-01

To evaluate whether people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) practicing a task in a virtual environment could improve performance given a similar task in a real environment, as well as distinguishing whether there is transference between performing the practice in virtual environment and then a real environment and vice versa. Twenty-two people with DMD were evaluated and divided into two groups. The goal was to reach out and touch a red cube. Group A began with the real task and had to touch a real object, and Group B began with the virtual task and had to reach a virtual object using the Kinect system. ANOVA showed that all participants decreased the movement time from the first (M = 973 ms) to the last block of acquisition (M = 783 ms) in both virtual and real tasks and motor learning could be inferred by the short-term retention and transfer task (with increasing distance of the target). However, the evaluation of task performance demonstrated that the virtual task provided an inferior performance when compared to the real task in all phases of the study, and there was no effect for sequence. Both virtual and real tasks promoted improvement of performance in the acquisition phase, short-term retention, and transfer. However, there was no transference of learning between environments. In conclusion, it is recommended that the use of virtual environments for individuals with DMD needs to be considered carefully.

The Role of Virtual Articulator in Prosthetic and Restorative Dentistry

PubMed Central

Aljanakh, Mohammad

2014-01-01

Virtual reality is a computer based technology linked with the future of dentistry and dental practice. The virtual articulator is one such application in prosthetic and restorative dentistry based on virtual reality that will significantly reduce the limitations of the mechanical articulator, and by simulation of real patient data, allow analyses with regard to static and dynamic occlusion as well as to jaw relation. It is the purpose of this article to present the concepts and strategies for a future replacement of the mechanical articulator by a virtual one. Also, a brief note on virtual reality haptic system has been highlighted along with newly developed touch enabled virtual articulator. PMID:25177664

To Enforce or Not to Enforce? The Use of Collaborative Interfaces to Promote Social Skills in Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Sasson, Ayelet; Lamash, Liron; Gal, Eynat

2013-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine whether a technological touch activated Collaborative Puzzle Game (CPG) increased positive social behaviors in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). The CPG involved construction of a virtual puzzle by selecting and dragging pieces into the solution area on a touch screen table. The…

Virtual patient simulator for distributed collaborative medical education.

PubMed

Caudell, Thomas P; Summers, Kenneth L; Holten, Jim; Hakamata, Takeshi; Mowafi, Moad; Jacobs, Joshua; Lozanoff, Beth K; Lozanoff, Scott; Wilks, David; Keep, Marcus F; Saiki, Stanley; Alverson, Dale

2003-01-01

Project TOUCH (Telehealth Outreach for Unified Community Health; http://hsc.unm.edu/touch) investigates the feasibility of using advanced technologies to enhance education in an innovative problem-based learning format currently being used in medical school curricula, applying specific clinical case models, and deploying to remote sites/workstations. The University of New Mexico's School of Medicine and the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i face similar health care challenges in providing and delivering services and training to remote and rural areas. Recognizing that health care needs are local and require local solutions, both states are committed to improving health care delivery to their unique populations by sharing information and experiences through emerging telehealth technologies by using high-performance computing and communications resources. The purpose of this study is to describe the deployment of a problem-based learning case distributed over the National Computational Science Alliance's Access Grid. Emphasis is placed on the underlying technical components of the TOUCH project, including the virtual reality development tool Flatland, the artificial intelligence-based simulation engine, the Access Grid, high-performance computing platforms, and the software that connects them all. In addition, educational and technical challenges for Project TOUCH are identified. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Virtual Reality on a Desktop Hailed as New Tool in Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jeffrey R.

2000-01-01

Describes college and university educational applications of desktop virtual reality to provide a more human touch to interactive distance education programs and impress the brain with more vivid images. Critics suggest the technology is too costly and time consuming and may even distract students from the content of an online course. (DB)

Virtual reality in surgical training.

PubMed

Lange, T; Indelicato, D J; Rosen, J M

2000-01-01

Virtual reality in surgery and, more specifically, in surgical training, faces a number of challenges in the future. These challenges are building realistic models of the human body, creating interface tools to view, hear, touch, feel, and manipulate these human body models, and integrating virtual reality systems into medical education and treatment. A final system would encompass simulators specifically for surgery, performance machines, telemedicine, and telesurgery. Each of these areas will need significant improvement for virtual reality to impact medicine successfully in the next century. This article gives an overview of, and the challenges faced by, current systems in the fast-changing field of virtual reality technology, and provides a set of specific milestones for a truly realistic virtual human body.

What Will Users Expect from Virtual Learning Methods? A Conceptual Model to Analyze Future Leaning Method Enhancements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perera, Indika

2010-01-01

ICT (information and communication technologies) add enormous approaches to utilize computing into users' daily lives. Every aspect of social needs has been touched by ICT, including learning. VL (virtual learning), with the life span of slightly above a decade, still looks for possible approaches to enhance its functions with significant pressure…

Low cost heads-up virtual reality (HUVR) with optical tracking and haptic feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margolis, Todd; DeFanti, Thomas A.; Dawe, Greg; Prudhomme, Andrew; Schulze, Jurgen P.; Cutchin, Steve

2011-03-01

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have created a new, relatively low-cost augmented reality system that enables users to touch the virtual environment they are immersed in. The Heads-Up Virtual Reality device (HUVR) couples a consumer 3D HD flat screen TV with a half-silvered mirror to project any graphic image onto the user's hands and into the space surrounding them. With his or her head position optically tracked to generate the correct perspective view, the user maneuvers a force-feedback (haptic) device to interact with the 3D image, literally 'touching' the object's angles and contours as if it was a tangible physical object. HUVR can be used for training and education in structural and mechanical engineering, archaeology and medicine as well as other tasks that require hand-eye coordination. One of the most unique characteristics of HUVR is that a user can place their hands inside of the virtual environment without occluding the 3D image. Built using open-source software and consumer level hardware, HUVR offers users a tactile experience in an immersive environment that is functional, affordable and scalable.

Virtual reality in neurosurgical education: part-task ventriculostomy simulation with dynamic visual and haptic feedback.

PubMed

Lemole, G Michael; Banerjee, P Pat; Luciano, Cristian; Neckrysh, Sergey; Charbel, Fady T

2007-07-01

Mastery of the neurosurgical skill set involves many hours of supervised intraoperative training. Convergence of political, economic, and social forces has limited neurosurgical resident operative exposure. There is need to develop realistic neurosurgical simulations that reproduce the operative experience, unrestricted by time and patient safety constraints. Computer-based, virtual reality platforms offer just such a possibility. The combination of virtual reality with dynamic, three-dimensional stereoscopic visualization, and haptic feedback technologies makes realistic procedural simulation possible. Most neurosurgical procedures can be conceptualized and segmented into critical task components, which can be simulated independently or in conjunction with other modules to recreate the experience of a complex neurosurgical procedure. We use the ImmersiveTouch (ImmersiveTouch, Inc., Chicago, IL) virtual reality platform, developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to simulate the task of ventriculostomy catheter placement as a proof-of-concept. Computed tomographic data are used to create a virtual anatomic volume. Haptic feedback offers simulated resistance and relaxation with passage of a virtual three-dimensional ventriculostomy catheter through the brain parenchyma into the ventricle. A dynamic three-dimensional graphical interface renders changing visual perspective as the user's head moves. The simulation platform was found to have realistic visual, tactile, and handling characteristics, as assessed by neurosurgical faculty, residents, and medical students. We have developed a realistic, haptics-based virtual reality simulator for neurosurgical education. Our first module recreates a critical component of the ventriculostomy placement task. This approach to task simulation can be assembled in a modular manner to reproduce entire neurosurgical procedures.

Goal-Directed Movement Enhances Body Representation Updating

PubMed Central

Wen, Wen; Muramatsu, Katsutoshi; Hamasaki, Shunsuke; An, Qi; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Tamura, Yusuke; Yamashita, Atsushi; Asama, Hajime

2016-01-01

Body representation refers to perception, memory, and cognition related to the body and is updated continuously by sensory input. The present study examined the influence of goals on body representation updating with two experiments of the rubber hand paradigm. In the experiments, participants moved their hidden left hands forward and backward either in response to instruction to touch a virtual object or without any specific goal, while a virtual left hand was presented 250 mm above the real hand and moved in synchrony with the real hand. Participants then provided information concerning the perceived heights of their real left hands and rated their sense of agency and ownership of the virtual hand. Results of Experiment 1 showed that when participants moved their hands with the goal of touching a virtual object and received feedback indicating goal attainment, the perceived positions of their real hands shifted more toward that of the virtual hand relative to that in the condition without a goal, indicating that their body representations underwent greater modification. Furthermore, results of Experiment 2 showed that the effect of goal-directed movement occurred in the active condition, in which participants moved their own hands, but did not occur in the passive condition, in which participants’ hands were moved by the experimenter. Therefore, we concluded that the sense of agency probably contributed to the updating of body representation involving goal-directed movement. PMID:27445766

A touch probe method of operating an implantable RFID tag for orthopedic implant identification.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoyu; Berger, J Lee; Ogirala, Ajay; Mickle, Marlin H

2013-06-01

The major problem in operating an implantable radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag embedded on an orthopedic implant is low efficiency because of metallic interference. To improve the efficiency, this paper proposes a method of operating an implantable passive RFID tag using a touch probe at 13.56 MHz. This technology relies on the electric field interaction between two pairs of electrodes, one being a part of the touch probe placed on the surface of tissue and the other being a part of the tag installed under the tissue. Compared with using a conventional RFID antenna such as a loop antenna, this method has a better performance in the near field operation range to reduce interference with the orthopedic implant. Properly matching the touch probe and the tag to the tissue and the implant reduces signal attenuation and increases the overall system efficiency. The experiments have shown that this method has a great performance in the near field transcutaneous operation and can be used for orthopedic implant identification.

A Touch Sensing Technique Using the Effects of Extremely Low Frequency Fields on the Human Body

PubMed Central

Elfekey, Hatem; Bastawrous, Hany Ayad; Okamoto, Shogo

2016-01-01

Touch sensing is a fundamental approach in human-to-machine interfaces, and is currently under widespread use. Many current applications use active touch sensing technologies. Passive touch sensing technologies are, however, more adequate to implement low power or energy harvesting touch sensing interfaces. This paper presents a passive touch sensing technique based on the fact that the human body is affected by the surrounding extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields, such as those of AC power lines. These external ELF fields induce electric potentials on the human body—because human tissues exhibit some conductivity at these frequencies—resulting in what is called AC hum. We therefore propose a passive touch sensing system that detects this hum noise when a human touch occurs, thus distinguishing between touch and non-touch events. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is validated by designing and implementing a flexible touch sensing keyboard. PMID:27918416

A Touch Sensing Technique Using the Effects of Extremely Low Frequency Fields on the Human Body.

PubMed

Elfekey, Hatem; Bastawrous, Hany Ayad; Okamoto, Shogo

2016-12-02

Touch sensing is a fundamental approach in human-to-machine interfaces, and is currently under widespread use. Many current applications use active touch sensing technologies. Passive touch sensing technologies are, however, more adequate to implement low power or energy harvesting touch sensing interfaces. This paper presents a passive touch sensing technique based on the fact that the human body is affected by the surrounding extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields, such as those of AC power lines. These external ELF fields induce electric potentials on the human body-because human tissues exhibit some conductivity at these frequencies-resulting in what is called AC hum. We therefore propose a passive touch sensing system that detects this hum noise when a human touch occurs, thus distinguishing between touch and non-touch events. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is validated by designing and implementing a flexible touch sensing keyboard.

Diagnostic accuracy of shear wave elastography for prediction of breast malignancy in patients with pathological nipple discharge

PubMed Central

Guo, Xiaobo; Liu, Ying; Li, Wanhu

2016-01-01

Objectives Pathological nipple discharge (PND) may indicate malignant breast lesions. As the role of shear wave elastography (SWE) in predicting these malignant lesions has not yet been evaluated, we aim to evaluate the diagnostic value of SWE for this condition. Design Prospective diagnostic accuracy study comparing a combination of qualitative and quantitative measurements of SWE (index test) to a ductoscopy and microdochectomy for histological diagnosis (reference test). Setting Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing military command. Participants A total of 379 patients with PND were finally included from January, 2011 to March 2014, after we screened 1084 possible candidates. All participants were evaluated through SWE, with qualitative parameters generated by Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) and quantitative parameters generated by Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ). All the patients were consented to receive a ductoscopy and microdochectomy for histological diagnosis, and the results were set as a reference test. Outcome measures Sensitivity and specificity of the combined VTI and VTQ of the SWE for detection of malignancy in patients with PND. Results The 379 participants presented with 404 lesions. The results of pathological examination showed that 326 (80.7%) of the 404 lesions were benign and the other 78 (19.3%) were malignant. An area under the curve of elasticity score, VTQm and VTQc, were 0.872, 0.825 and 0.857, respectively, with the corresponding cut-off point as 2.50, 2.860 m/s and 3.015 m/s, respectively. After a combination of these measurements, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), were 89.7%, 72.1%, 43.5% and 96.7%, respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed 82% of the sensitivity and 96.8% of the specificity, in which patients with no pathological findings in ductoscopy were excluded. Conclusions Ultrasonographic elastography is sensitive for patients with PND and could be used as a triage test before ductoscopy examination. Studies for further improvement of diagnostic sensitivity are warranted. PMID:26801462

Design and evaluation of an augmented reality simulator using leap motion.

PubMed

Wright, Trinette; de Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

2017-10-01

Advances in virtual and augmented reality (AR) are having an impact on the medical field in areas such as surgical simulation. Improvements to surgical simulation will provide students and residents with additional training and evaluation methods. This is particularly important for procedures such as the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which residents perform regularly. Simulators such as NeuroTouch, have been designed to aid in training associated with this procedure. The authors have designed an affordable and easily accessible ETV simulator, and compare it with the existing NeuroTouch for its usability and training effectiveness. This simulator was developed using Unity, Vuforia and the leap motion (LM) for an AR environment. The participants, 16 novices and two expert neurosurgeons, were asked to complete 40 targeting tasks. Participants used the NeuroTouch tool or a virtual hand controlled by the LM to select the position and orientation for these tasks. The length of time to complete each task was recorded and the trajectory log files were used to calculate performance. The resulting data from the novices' and experts' speed and accuracy are compared, and they discuss the objective performance of training in terms of the speed and accuracy of targeting accuracy for each system.

Design and evaluation of an augmented reality simulator using leap motion

PubMed Central

de Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

2017-01-01

Advances in virtual and augmented reality (AR) are having an impact on the medical field in areas such as surgical simulation. Improvements to surgical simulation will provide students and residents with additional training and evaluation methods. This is particularly important for procedures such as the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which residents perform regularly. Simulators such as NeuroTouch, have been designed to aid in training associated with this procedure. The authors have designed an affordable and easily accessible ETV simulator, and compare it with the existing NeuroTouch for its usability and training effectiveness. This simulator was developed using Unity, Vuforia and the leap motion (LM) for an AR environment. The participants, 16 novices and two expert neurosurgeons, were asked to complete 40 targeting tasks. Participants used the NeuroTouch tool or a virtual hand controlled by the LM to select the position and orientation for these tasks. The length of time to complete each task was recorded and the trajectory log files were used to calculate performance. The resulting data from the novices' and experts' speed and accuracy are compared, and they discuss the objective performance of training in terms of the speed and accuracy of targeting accuracy for each system. PMID:29184667

Miniature spray-painting booth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fee, K. W.

1970-01-01

Transparent spray booth provides method for quality painting and repair of surfaces in clean room or other specialized environments. Overspray and virtually all contaminating vapor and odor can be eliminated. Touch-up painting is achieved with spray gun.

A haptic unit designed for magnetic-resonance-guided biopsy.

PubMed

Tse, Z T H; Elhawary, H; Rea, M; Young, I; Davis, B L; Lamperth, M

2009-02-01

The magnetic fields present in the magnetic resonance (MR) environment impose severe constraints on any mechatronic device present in its midst, requiring alternative actuators, sensors, and materials to those conventionally used in traditional system engineering. In addition the spatial constraints of closed-bore scanners require a physical separation between the radiologist and the imaged region of the patient. This configuration produces a loss of the sense of touch from the target anatomy for the clinician, which often provides useful information. To recover the force feedback from the tissue, an MR-compatible haptic unit, designed to be integrated with a five-degrees-of-freedom mechatronic system for MR-guided prostate biopsy, has been developed which incorporates position control and force feedback to the operator. The haptic unit is designed to be located inside the scanner isocentre with the master console in the control room. MR compatibility of the device has been demonstrated, showing a negligible degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio and virtually no geometric distortion. By combining information from the position encoder and force sensor, tissue stiffness measurement along the needle trajectory is demonstrated in a lamb liver to aid diagnosis of suspected cancerous tissue.

Integration of advanced technologies to enhance problem-based learning over distance: Project TOUCH.

PubMed

Jacobs, Joshua; Caudell, Thomas; Wilks, David; Keep, Marcus F; Mitchell, Steven; Buchanan, Holly; Saland, Linda; Rosenheimer, Julie; Lozanoff, Beth K; Lozanoff, Scott; Saiki, Stanley; Alverson, Dale

2003-01-01

Distance education delivery has increased dramatically in recent years as a result of the rapid advancement of communication technology. The National Computational Science Alliance's Access Grid represents a significant advancement in communication technology with potential for distance medical education. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the TOUCH project (Telehealth Outreach for Unified Community Health; http://hsc.unm.edu/touch) with special emphasis on the process of problem-based learning case development for distribution over the Access Grid. The objective of the TOUCH project is to use emerging Internet-based technology to overcome geographic barriers for delivery of tutorial sessions to medical students pursuing rotations at remote sites. The TOUCH project also is aimed at developing a patient simulation engine and an immersive virtual reality environment to achieve a realistic health care scenario enhancing the learning experience. A traumatic head injury case is developed and distributed over the Access Grid as a demonstration of the TOUCH system. Project TOUCH serves as an example of a computer-based learning system for developing and implementing problem-based learning cases within the medical curriculum, but this system should be easily applied to other educational environments and disciplines involving functional and clinical anatomy. Future phases will explore PC versions of the TOUCH cases for increased distribution. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A Review of Simulators with Haptic Devices for Medical Training.

PubMed

Escobar-Castillejos, David; Noguez, Julieta; Neri, Luis; Magana, Alejandra; Benes, Bedrich

2016-04-01

Medical procedures often involve the use of the tactile sense to manipulate organs or tissues by using special tools. Doctors require extensive preparation in order to perform them successfully; for example, research shows that a minimum of 750 operations are needed to acquire sufficient experience to perform medical procedures correctly. Haptic devices have become an important training alternative and they have been considered to improve medical training because they let users interact with virtual environments by adding the sense of touch to the simulation. Previous articles in the field state that haptic devices enhance the learning of surgeons compared to current training environments used in medical schools (corpses, animals, or synthetic skin and organs). Consequently, virtual environments use haptic devices to improve realism. The goal of this paper is to provide a state of the art review of recent medical simulators that use haptic devices. In particular we focus on stitching, palpation, dental procedures, endoscopy, laparoscopy, and orthopaedics. These simulators are reviewed and compared from the viewpoint of used technology, the number of degrees of freedom, degrees of force feedback, perceived realism, immersion, and feedback provided to the user. In the conclusion, several observations per area and suggestions for future work are provided.

Virtual reality for emergency training

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

Altinkemer, K.

1995-12-31

Virtual reality is a sequence of scenes generated by a computer as a response to the five different senses. These senses are sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Other senses that can be used in virtual reality include balance, pheromonal, and immunological senses. Many application areas include: leisure and entertainment, medicine, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and training. Virtual reality is especially important when it is used for emergency training and management of natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, tornados and other situations which are hard to emulate. Classical training methods for these extraordinary environments lack the realistic surroundings that virtual reality can provide.more » In order for virtual reality to be a successful training tool the design needs to include certain aspects; such as how real virtual reality should be and how much fixed cost is entailed in setting up the virtual reality trainer. There are also pricing questions regarding the price per training session on virtual reality trainer, and the appropriate training time length(s).« less

Rendering edge enhancement tactile phenomenon by friction variation in dynamic touch.

PubMed

Abdolvahab, Mohammad

2011-01-04

Variable friction tactile displays have been recently used to render virtual textures and gratings. Neural basis of perceptual mechanism of detection of edge-like features resulting in discrimination of virtual gratings during active touching these tactile actuators is studied using a finite-element biomechanical model of human fingertip. The predicted neural response of the mechanoreceptors, i.e. the computed strain energy density at the location of selected mechanoreceptors as a measure of neural discharge rate of the corresponding receptors, to local reduction of friction between fingerpad and surface are shown to exhibit a similar shape as the edge enhancement phenomenon, particularly in a sudden burst at the boundary of variable friction regions. This phenomenon is supposed to account for the illusion of virtual edges rendered through the modification of contact forces. The presence of this sudden burst under varied model parameters was investigated. It was shown that while the appearance of this phenomenon in simulation results was invariant to model parameters, associated alteration of the edge enhancement ratio might be considered for the purpose of the tuning of the variable friction tactile display. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of bodily self-consciousness: changing responses to the Full Body Illusion in childhood.

PubMed

Cowie, Dorothy; McKenna, Aisling; Bremner, Andrew J; Aspell, Jane E

2018-05-01

The present work investigates the development of bodily self-consciousness and its relation to multisensory bodily information, by measuring for the first time the development of responses to the full body illusion in childhood. We tested three age groups of children: 6- to 7-year-olds (n = 28); 8- to 9-year-olds (n = 21); 10- to 11-year-olds (n = 19), and a group of adults (n = 31). Each participant wore a head-mounted display (HMD) which displayed a view from a video camera positioned 2 metres behind their own back. Thus, they could view a virtual body from behind. We manipulated visuo-tactile synchrony by showing the participants a view of their virtual back being stroked with a stick at the same time and same place as their real back (synchronous condition), or at different times and places (asynchronous condition). After each period of stroking, we measured three aspects of bodily self-consciousness: drift in perceived self-location, self-identification with the virtual body, and touch referral to the virtual body. Results show that self-identification with the virtual body was significantly stronger in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition even in the youngest group tested; however, the size of this effect increased with age. Touch referral to the virtual body was greater in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition only for 10- to 11-year-olds and adults. Drift in perceived self-location was greater in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition only for adults. Thus, the youngest age tested can self-identify with a virtual body, but the links between multisensory signals and bodily self-consciousness develop significantly across childhood. This suggests a long period of development of the bodily self and exciting potential for the use of virtual reality technologies with children. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Virtual environment tactile system

DOEpatents

Renzi, Ronald

1996-01-01

A method for providing a realistic sense of touch in virtual reality by means of programmable actuator assemblies is disclosed. Each tactile actuator assembly consists of a number of individual actuators whose movement is controlled by a computer and associated drive electronics. When an actuator is energized, the rare earth magnet and the associated contactor, incorporated within the actuator, are set in motion by the opposing electromagnetic field of a surrounding coil. The magnet pushes the contactor forward to contact the skin resulting in the sensation of touch. When the electromagnetic field is turned off, the rare earth magnet and the contactor return to their neutral positions due to the magnetic equilibrium caused by the interaction with the ferrous outer sleeve. The small size and flexible nature of the actuator assemblies permit incorporation into a glove, boot or body suit. The actuator has additional applications, such as, for example, as an accelerometer, an actuator for precisely controlled actuations or to simulate the sensation of braille letters.

Virtual environment tactile system

DOEpatents

Renzi, R.

1996-12-10

A method for providing a realistic sense of touch in virtual reality by means of programmable actuator assemblies is disclosed. Each tactile actuator assembly consists of a number of individual actuators whose movement is controlled by a computer and associated drive electronics. When an actuator is energized, the rare earth magnet and the associated contactor, incorporated within the actuator, are set in motion by the opposing electromagnetic field of a surrounding coil. The magnet pushes the contactor forward to contact the skin resulting in the sensation of touch. When the electromagnetic field is turned off, the rare earth magnet and the contactor return to their neutral positions due to the magnetic equilibrium caused by the interaction with the ferrous outer sleeve. The small size and flexible nature of the actuator assemblies permit incorporation into a glove, boot or body suit. The actuator has additional applications, such as, for example, as an accelerometer, an actuator for precisely controlled actuations or to simulate the sensation of braille letters. 28 figs.

Innovative application of virtual display technique in virtual museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiankang

2017-09-01

Virtual museum refers to display and simulate the functions of real museum on the Internet in the form of 3 Dimensions virtual reality by applying interactive programs. Based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language, virtual museum building and its effective interaction with the offline museum lie in making full use of 3 Dimensions panorama technique, virtual reality technique and augmented reality technique, and innovatively taking advantages of dynamic environment modeling technique, real-time 3 Dimensions graphics generating technique, system integration technique and other key virtual reality techniques to make sure the overall design of virtual museum.3 Dimensions panorama technique, also known as panoramic photography or virtual reality, is a technique based on static images of the reality. Virtual reality technique is a kind of computer simulation system which can create and experience the interactive 3 Dimensions dynamic visual world. Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, is a technique which simulates and mixes the information (visual, sound, taste, touch, etc.) that is difficult for human to experience in reality. These technologies make virtual museum come true. It will not only bring better experience and convenience to the public, but also be conducive to improve the influence and cultural functions of the real museum.

Touch imprint cytology with massively parallel sequencing (TIC-seq): a simple and rapid method to snapshot genetic alterations in tumors.

PubMed

Amemiya, Kenji; Hirotsu, Yosuke; Goto, Taichiro; Nakagomi, Hiroshi; Mochizuki, Hitoshi; Oyama, Toshio; Omata, Masao

2016-12-01

Identifying genetic alterations in tumors is critical for molecular targeting of therapy. In the clinical setting, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is usually employed for genetic analysis. However, DNA extracted from FFPE tissue is often not suitable for analysis because of its low levels and poor quality. Additionally, FFPE sample preparation is time-consuming. To provide early treatment for cancer patients, a more rapid and robust method is required for precision medicine. We present a simple method for genetic analysis, called touch imprint cytology combined with massively paralleled sequencing (touch imprint cytology [TIC]-seq), to detect somatic mutations in tumors. We prepared FFPE tissues and TIC specimens from tumors in nine lung cancer patients and one patient with breast cancer. We found that the quality and quantity of TIC DNA was higher than that of FFPE DNA, which requires microdissection to enrich DNA from target tissues. Targeted sequencing using a next-generation sequencer obtained sufficient sequence data using TIC DNA. Most (92%) somatic mutations in lung primary tumors were found to be consistent between TIC and FFPE DNA. We also applied TIC DNA to primary and metastatic tumor tissues to analyze tumor heterogeneity in a breast cancer patient, and showed that common and distinct mutations among primary and metastatic sites could be classified into two distinct histological subtypes. TIC-seq is an alternative and feasible method to analyze genomic alterations in tumors by simply touching the cut surface of specimens to slides. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Three-dimensional touch interface for medical education.

PubMed

Panchaphongsaphak, Bundit; Burgkart, Rainer; Riener, Robert

2007-05-01

We present the technical principle and evaluation of a multimodal virtual reality (VR) system for medical education, called a touch simulator. This touch simulator comes with an innovative three-dimensional (3-D) touch sensitive input device. The device comprises a six-axis force-torque sensor connected to a tangible object representing the shape of an anatomical structure. Information related to the point of contact is recorded by the sensor, processed, and audiovisually displayed. The touch simulator provides a high level of user-friendliness and fidelity compared to other purely graphically oriented simulation environments. In this paper, the touch simulator has been realized as an interactive neuroanatomical training simulator. The user can visualize and manipulate graphical information of the brain surface or different cross-sectional slices by a finger-touch on a brain-like shaped tangible object. We evaluated the system by theoretical derivations, experiments, and subjective questionnaires. In the theoretical analysis, we could show that the contact point estimation error mainly depends on the accuracy and the noise of the sensor, the amount and direction of the applied force, and the geometry of the tangible object. The theoretical results could be validated by experiments: applying a normal force of 10 N on a 120 mm x 120 mm x 120 mm cube causes a maximum error of 2.5 +/- 0.7 mm. This error becomes smaller when increasing the contact force. Based on the survey results, the touch simulator may be a useful tool for assisting medical schools in the visualization of brain image data and the study of neuroanatomy.

The role of affordances in children's learning performance and efficiency when using virtual manipulative mathematics touch-screen apps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Bullock, Emma K.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Tucker, Stephen I.; Watts, Christina M.; Westenskow, Arla; Anderson-Pence, Katie L.; Maahs-Fladung, Cathy; Boyer-Thurgood, Jennifer; Gulkilik, Hilal; Jordan, Kerry

2016-03-01

This paper focuses on understanding the role that affordances played in children's learning performance and efficiency during clinical interviews of their interactions with mathematics apps on touch-screen devices. One hundred children, ages 3 to 8, each used six different virtual manipulative mathematics apps during 30-40-min interviews. The study used a convergent mixed methods design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently to answer the research questions (Creswell and Plano Clark 2011). Videos were used to capture each child's interactions with the virtual manipulative mathematics apps, document learning performance and efficiency, and record children's interactions with the affordances within the apps. Quantitized video data answered the research question on differences in children's learning performance and efficiency between pre- and post-assessments. A Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test was used to explore these data. Qualitative video data was used to identify affordance access by children when using each app, identifying 95 potential helping and hindering affordances among the 18 apps. The results showed that there were changes in children's learning performance and efficiency when children accessed a helping or a hindering affordance. Helping affordances were more likely to be accessed by children who progressed between the pre- and post-assessments, and the same affordances had helping and hindering effects for different children. These results have important implications for the design of virtual manipulative mathematics learning apps.

SeaTouch: A Haptic and Auditory Maritime Environment for Non Visual Cognitive Mapping of Blind Sailors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonnet, Mathieu; Jacobson, Dan; Vieilledent, Stephane; Tisseau, Jacques

Navigating consists of coordinating egocentric and allocentric spatial frames of reference. Virtual environments have afforded researchers in the spatial community with tools to investigate the learning of space. The issue of the transfer between virtual and real situations is not trivial. A central question is the role of frames of reference in mediating spatial knowledge transfer to external surroundings, as is the effect of different sensory modalities accessed in simulated and real worlds. This challenges the capacity of blind people to use virtual reality to explore a scene without graphics. The present experiment involves a haptic and auditory maritime virtual environment. In triangulation tasks, we measure systematic errors and preliminary results show an ability to learn configurational knowledge and to navigate through it without vision. Subjects appeared to take advantage of getting lost in an egocentric “haptic” view in the virtual environment to improve performances in the real environment.

Calmodulin Gene Family in Potato: Developmental and Touch-Induced Expression of the mRNA Encoding a Novel Isoform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takezawa, D.; Liu, Z. H.; An, G.; Poovaiah, B. W.

1995-01-01

Eight genomic clones of potato calmodulin (PCM1 to 8) were isolated and characterized. Sequence comparisons of different genes revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of PCM1 had several unique substitutions, especially in the fourth Ca(2+)-binding area. The expression patterns of different genes were studied by northern analysis using the 3'-untranslated regions as probes. The expression of PCM1, 5, and 8 was highest in the stolon tip and it decreased during tuber development. The expression of PCM6 did not vary much in the tissues tested, except in the leaves, where the expression was lower; whereas, the expression of PCM4 was very low in all the tissues. The expression of PCM2 and PCM3 was not detected in any of the tissues tested. Among these genes, only PCM1 showed increased expression following touch stimulation. To study the regulation of PCM1, transgenic potato plants carrying the PCM1 promoter fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene were produced. GUS expression was found to be developmentally regulated and touch-responsive, indicating a positive correlation between the expression of PCM1 and GUS mRNAs. These results suggest that the 5'-flanking region of PCM1 controls developmental and touch-induced expression. X-Gluc staining patterns revealed that GUS localization is high in meristematic tissues such as the stem apex, stolon tip, and vascular regions.

Human-scale interaction for virtual model displays: a clear case for real tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, George C.; McDowall, Ian E.; Bolas, Mark T.

1998-04-01

We describe a hand-held user interface for interacting with virtual environments displayed on a Virtual Model Display. The tool, constructed entirely of transparent materials, is see-through. We render a graphical counterpart of the tool on the display and map it one-to-one with the real tool. This feature, combined with a capability for touch- sensitive, discrete input, results in a useful spatial input device that is visually versatile. We discuss the tool's design and interaction techniques it supports. Briefly, we look at the human factors issues and engineering challenges presented by this tool and, in general, by the class of hand-held user interfaces that are see-through.

Technology in Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazner, Steve, Comp.

2012-01-01

Technology touches people's lives virtually every second of the day. The work world is especially rich with changing technologies, new innovations, and continually revised processes for greater effectiveness and efficiency. One could easily say that a boiler is a boiler, or a carpet is a carpet, but the reality is that all components of all the…

Story Lab: Student Data Privacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herold, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Student data privacy is an increasingly high-profile--and controversial--issue that touches schools and families across the country. There are stories to tell in virtually every community. About three dozen states have passed legislation addressing student data privacy in the past two years, and eight different proposals were floating around…

Zooming in on Children's Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Steven; Shumway, Jessica F.; Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Jordan, Kerry E.

2016-01-01

Teachers increasingly use virtual manipulatives and other apps on touch-screen devices (e.g., "iPads") in an effort to help students understand mathematics concepts. However, students experience these apps and their affordances in different ways. The purpose of this article is to inform teachers' decisions about app implementation in the…

Adding the Human Touch to Asynchronous Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, Cynthia Wheatley

2018-01-01

For learners to actively accept responsibility in a virtual classroom platform, it is necessary to provide special motivation extending across the traditional classroom setting into asynchronous online learning. This article explores specific ways to do this that bridge the gap between ground and online students' learning experiences, and how…

Simple force feedback for small virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiefele, Jens; Albert, Oliver; van Lier, Volker; Huschka, Carsten

1998-08-01

In today's civil flight training simulators only the cockpit and all its interaction devices exist as physical mockups. All other elements such as flight behavior, motion, sound, and the visual system are virtual. As an extension to this approach `Virtual Flight Simulation' tries to subsidize the cockpit mockup by a 3D computer generated image. The complete cockpit including the exterior view is displayed on a Head Mounted Display (HMD), a BOOM, or a Cave Animated Virtual Environment. In most applications a dataglove or virtual pointers are used as input devices. A basic problem of such a Virtual Cockpit simulation is missing force feedback. A pilot cannot touch and feel buttons, knobs, dials, etc. he tries to manipulate. As a result, it is very difficult to generate realistic inputs into VC systems. `Seating Bucks' are used in automotive industry to overcome the problem of missing force feedback. Only a seat, steering wheel, pedal, stick shift, and radio panel are physically available. All other geometry is virtual and therefore untouchable but visible in the output device. In extension to this concept a `Seating Buck' for commercial transport aircraft cockpits was developed. Pilot seat, side stick, pedals, thrust-levers, and flaps lever are physically available. All other panels are simulated by simple flat plastic panels. They are located at the same location as their real counterparts only lacking the real input devices. A pilot sees the entire photorealistic cockpit in a HMD as 3D geometry but can only touch the physical parts and plastic panels. In order to determine task performance with the developed Seating Buck, a test series was conducted. Users press buttons, adapt dials, and turn knobs. In a first test, a complete virtual environment was used. The second setting had a plastic panel replacing all input devices. Finally, as cross reference the participants had to repeat the test with a complete physical mockup of the input devices. All panels and physical devices can be easily relocated to simulate a different type of cockpit. Maximal 30 minutes are needed for a complete adaptation. So far, an Airbus A340 and a generic cockpit are supported.

Sensorimotor enhancement with a mixed reality system for balance and mobility rehabilitation.

PubMed

Fung, Joyce; Perez, Claire F

2011-01-01

We have developed a mixed reality system incorporating virtual reality (VR), surface perturbations and light touch for gait rehabilitation. Haptic touch has emerged as a novel and efficient technique to improve postural control and dynamic stability. Our system combines visual display with the manipulation of physical environments and addition of haptic feedback to enhance balance and mobility post stroke. A research study involving 9 participants with stroke and 9 age-matched healthy individuals show that the haptic cue provided while walking is an effective means of improving gait stability in people post stroke, especially during challenging environmental conditions such as downslope walking.

Residual heat of laparoscopic energy devices: how long must the surgeon wait to touch additional tissue?

PubMed

Govekar, Henry R; Robinson, Thomas N; Stiegmann, Greg V; McGreevy, Francis T

2011-11-01

Energy devices are essential laparoscopic tools. Residual heat is defined as the increased instrument temperature after energy activation is completed. This study aimed to determine the length of time a surgeon needs to wait before touching other tissue using four common laparoscopic energy sources. Thermal imaging quantified instrument and tissue temperature ex vivo using monopolar coagulation, argon beam coagulation, ultrasonic dissection, and bipolar tissue fusion devices. To simulate realistic operative usage, each instrument was activated for 5 s four consecutive times with 5 s pauses between fires. Thermal conductivity to bovine liver tissue was measured 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 s after final activation. The maximum increase in instrument tip temperature was 172 ± 63°C for the ultrasonic dissection, 81 ± 18°C for the monopolar coagulation, 46 ± 19°C for the bipolar tissue fusion, and 1 ± 1°C for the argon beam coagulation (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Touching the instrument tip to tissue at four intervals after the final activation (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 s) found that ultrasonic energy raised the tissue temperature higher (maximum change, 58°C) than the other three energy devices at all four time points (P < 0.05). Ultrasonic energy instruments have greater residual heat than monopolar electrosurgery, bipolar tissue fusion, and argon beam. The ultrasonic energy instrument tips heated tissue more than 20°C from baseline even 20 s after activation; whereas all the other energy sources raised the tissue temperature less than 20°C by 5 s. These practical findings may alter a surgeon's usage of these common energy devices.

Explaining Away the Body: Experiences of Supernaturally Caused Touch and Touch on Non-Hand Objects within the Rubber Hand Illusion

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In rubber hand illusions and full body illusions, touch sensations are projected to non-body objects such as rubber hands, dolls or virtual bodies. The robustness, limits and further perceptual consequences of such illusions are not yet fully explored or understood. A number of experiments are reported that test the limits of a variant of the rubber hand illusion. Methodology/Principal Findings A variant of the rubber hand illusion is explored, in which the real and foreign hands are aligned in personal space. The presence of the illusion is ascertained with participants' scores and temperature changes of the real arm. This generates a basic illusion of touch projected to a foreign arm. Participants are presented with further, unusual visuotactile stimuli subsequent to onset of the basic illusion. Such further visuotactile stimulation is found to generate very unusual experiences of supernatural touch and touch on a non-hand object. The finding of touch on a non-hand object conflicts with prior findings, and to resolve this conflict a further hypothesis is successfully tested: that without prior onset of the basic illusion this unusual experience does not occur. Conclusions/Significance A rubber hand illusion is found that can arise when the real and the foreign arm are aligned in personal space. This illusion persists through periods of no tactile stimulation and is strong enough to allow very unusual experiences of touch felt on a cardboard box and experiences of touch produced at a distance, as if by supernatural causation. These findings suggest that one's visual body image is explained away during experience of the illusion and they may be of further importance to understanding the role of experience in delusion formation. The findings of touch on non-hand objects may help reconcile conflicting results in this area of research. In addition, new evidence is provided that relates to the recently discovered psychologically induced temperature changes that occur during the illusion. PMID:20195378

Electroconvergent cautery.

PubMed

Patil, A A; Yamanashi, W

1994-10-01

A new cautery system known as the electroconvergent cautery system is described. This cautery system uses a radiofrequency current of 13.56 MHz. The current is passed through an amplifier, an impedance matching system, and a loading and tuning coil into a probe. After the probe tip is touched to the tissue, the mismatch of impedance between the probe tip and the generator is minimized to almost zero, resulting in high-current density at the probe tip, which causes pinpoint heating of the tissue at the point where it is touched by the probe without spread of heat to the surrounding tissue. This heat can cut and vaporize tissue and coagulate vessels. The probe can also be used to coagulate vessels with standard surgical forceps. Because convergence of energy is used for tissue heating, a grounding pad is not needed. The system can also be used under cerebrospinal fluid or saline.

Neurosurgical tactile discrimination training with haptic-based virtual reality simulation.

PubMed

Patel, Achal; Koshy, Nick; Ortega-Barnett, Juan; Chan, Hoi C; Kuo, Yong-Fan; Luciano, Cristian; Rizzi, Silvio; Matulyauskas, Martin; Kania, Patrick; Banerjee, Pat; Gasco, Jaime

2014-12-01

To determine if a computer-based simulation with haptic technology can help surgical trainees improve tactile discrimination using surgical instruments. Twenty junior medical students participated in the study and were randomized into two groups. Subjects in Group A participated in virtual simulation training using the ImmersiveTouch simulator (ImmersiveTouch, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) that required differentiating the firmness of virtual spheres using tactile and kinesthetic sensation via haptic technology. Subjects in Group B did not undergo any training. With their visual fields obscured, subjects in both groups were then evaluated on their ability to use the suction and bipolar instruments to find six elastothane objects with areas ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 cm2 embedded in a urethane foam brain cavity model while relying on tactile and kinesthetic sensation only. A total of 73.3% of the subjects in Group A (simulation training) were able to find the brain cavity objects in comparison to 53.3% of the subjects in Group B (no training) (P  =  0.0183). There was a statistically significant difference in the total number of Group A subjects able to find smaller brain cavity objects (size ≤ 2.5 cm2) compared to that in Group B (72.5 vs. 40%, P  =  0.0032). On the other hand, no significant difference in the number of subjects able to detect larger objects (size ≧ 3 cm2) was found between Groups A and B (75 vs. 80%, P  =  0.7747). Virtual computer-based simulators with integrated haptic technology may improve tactile discrimination required for microsurgical technique.

Have 3D, Will Travel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Mike R.; Birrell, Bob; Williams, Toni

2005-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is primarily a visual technology. Elements such as haptics (touch feedback) and sound can augment an experience, but the visual cues are the prime driver of what an audience will experience from a VR presentation. At its inception in 2001 the Centre for Advanced Visualization (CFAV) at Niagara College of Arts and Technology…

Virtual Earth System Laboratory (VESL): A Virtual Research Environment for The Visualization of Earth System Data and Process Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, D. L. C.; Quinn, J. D.; Larour, E. Y.; Halkides, D. J.

2017-12-01

The Virtual Earth System Laboratory (VESL) is a Web application, under continued development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine, for the visualization of Earth System data and process simulations. As with any project of its size, we have encountered both successes and challenges during the course of development. Our principal point of success is the fact that VESL users can interact seamlessly with our earth science simulations within their own Web browser. Some of the challenges we have faced include retrofitting the VESL Web application to respond to touch gestures, reducing page load time (especially as the application has grown), and accounting for the differences between the various Web browsers and computing platforms.

The Role of Interactional Quality in Learning from Touch Screens during Infancy: Context Matters.

PubMed

Zack, Elizabeth; Barr, Rachel

2016-01-01

Interactional quality has been shown to enhance learning during book reading and play, but has not been examined during touch screen use. Learning to apply knowledge from a touch screen is complex for infants because it involves transfer of learning between a two-dimensional (2D) screen and three-dimensional (3D) object in the physical world. This study uses a touch screen procedure to examine interactional quality measured via maternal structuring, diversity of maternal language, and dyadic emotional responsiveness and infant outcomes during a transfer of learning task. Fifty 15-month-old infants and their mothers participated in this semi-naturalistic teaching task. Mothers were given a 3D object, and a static image of the object presented on a touch screen. Mothers had 5 min to teach their infant that a button on the real toy works in the same way as a virtual button on the touch screen (or vice versa). Overall, 64% of infants learned how to make the button work, transferring learning from the touch screen to the 3D object or vice versa. Infants were just as successful in the 3D to 2D transfer direction as they were in the 2D to 3D transfer direction. A cluster analysis based on emotional responsiveness, the proportion of diverse maternal verbal input, and amount of maternal structuring resulted in two levels of interactional quality: high quality and moderate quality. A logistic regression revealed the level of interactional quality predicted infant transfer. Infants were 19 times more likely to succeed and transfer learning between the touch screen and real object if they were in a high interactional quality dyad, even after controlling for infant activity levels. The present findings suggest that interactional quality between mother and infant plays an important role in making touch screens effective teaching tools for infants' learning.

The Role of Interactional Quality in Learning from Touch Screens during Infancy: Context Matters

PubMed Central

Zack, Elizabeth; Barr, Rachel

2016-01-01

Interactional quality has been shown to enhance learning during book reading and play, but has not been examined during touch screen use. Learning to apply knowledge from a touch screen is complex for infants because it involves transfer of learning between a two-dimensional (2D) screen and three-dimensional (3D) object in the physical world. This study uses a touch screen procedure to examine interactional quality measured via maternal structuring, diversity of maternal language, and dyadic emotional responsiveness and infant outcomes during a transfer of learning task. Fifty 15-month-old infants and their mothers participated in this semi-naturalistic teaching task. Mothers were given a 3D object, and a static image of the object presented on a touch screen. Mothers had 5 min to teach their infant that a button on the real toy works in the same way as a virtual button on the touch screen (or vice versa). Overall, 64% of infants learned how to make the button work, transferring learning from the touch screen to the 3D object or vice versa. Infants were just as successful in the 3D to 2D transfer direction as they were in the 2D to 3D transfer direction. A cluster analysis based on emotional responsiveness, the proportion of diverse maternal verbal input, and amount of maternal structuring resulted in two levels of interactional quality: high quality and moderate quality. A logistic regression revealed the level of interactional quality predicted infant transfer. Infants were 19 times more likely to succeed and transfer learning between the touch screen and real object if they were in a high interactional quality dyad, even after controlling for infant activity levels. The present findings suggest that interactional quality between mother and infant plays an important role in making touch screens effective teaching tools for infants’ learning. PMID:27625613

Microsurgical Performance After Sleep Interruption: A NeuroTouch Simulator Study.

PubMed

Micko, Alexander; Knopp, Karoline; Knosp, Engelbert; Wolfsberger, Stefan

2017-10-01

In times of the ubiquitous debate about doctors' working hour restrictions, it is still questionable if the physician's performance is impaired by high work load and long shifts. In this study, we evaluated the impact of sleep interruption on neurosurgical performance. Ten medical students and 10 neurosurgical residents were tested on the virtual-reality simulator NeuroTouch by performing an identical microsurgical task, well rested (baseline test), and after sleep interruption at night (stress test). Deviation of total score, timing, and excessive force on tissue were evaluated. In addition, vital parameters and self-assessment were analyzed. After sleep interruption, total performance score increased significantly (45.1 vs. 48.7, baseline vs. stress test, P = 0.048) while timing remained stable (10.1 vs. 10.4 minutes for baseline vs. stress test, P > 0.05) for both students and residents. Excessive force decreased in both groups during the stress test for the nondominant hand (P = 0.05). For the dominant hand, an increase of excessive force was encountered in the group of residents (P = 0.05). In contrast to their results, participants of both groups assessed their performance worse during the stress test. In our study, we found an increase of neurosurgical simulator performance in neurosurgical residents and medical students under simulated night shift conditions. Further, microsurgical dexterity remained unchanged. Based on our results and the data in the available literature, we cannot confirm that working hour restrictions will have a positive effect on neurosurgical performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical Holistic Medicine: Classic Art of Healingor the Therapeutic Touch

PubMed Central

Ventegodt, Søren; Morad, Mohammed; Merrick, Joav

2004-01-01

Touching is often a forgotten part of medicine. The manual medicine or therapeutic touch (TT) is much more powerful than many modern, biomedically oriented physicians think. Pain and discomfort can be alleviated just by touching the sick area and in this way help the patient to be in better contact with the tissue and organs of their body. Lack of presence in the body seems to be connected with many symptoms that can be readily reversed simply by sensitive touch. When touch is combined with therapeutic work on mind and feelings, holistic healing seems to be facilitated and many problems can be solved in a direct and easy way in the clinic without drugs. This paper gives examples of the strength of manual medicine or therapeutic touch in its most simple form, and points to the power of physical contact between physician and his patient in the context of the theory and practice of holistic healing. Intimacy seems highly beneficial for the process of healing and it is very important to distinguish clearly between intimacy and sexuality for the physician and his patent to be able to give and receive touch without fear and without holding back emotionally. PMID:15010568

Virtual Planetary Analysis Environment for Remote Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keely, Leslie; Beyer, Ross; Edwards. Laurence; Lees, David

2009-01-01

All of the data for NASA's current planetary missions and most data for field experiments are collected via orbiting spacecraft, aircraft, and robotic explorers. Mission scientists are unable to employ traditional field methods when operating remotely. We have developed a virtual exploration tool for remote sites with data analysis capabilities that extend human perception quantitatively and qualitatively. Scientists and mission engineers can use it to explore a realistic representation of a remote site. It also provides software tools to "touch" and "measure" remote sites with an immediacy that boosts scientific productivity and is essential for mission operations.

Using mixed reality, force feedback and tactile augmentation to improve the realism of medical simulation.

PubMed

Fisher, J Brian; Porter, Susan M

2002-01-01

This paper describes an application of a display approach which uses chromakey techniques to composite real and computer-generated images allowing a user to see his hands and medical instruments collocated with the display of virtual objects during a medical training simulation. Haptic feedback is provided through the use of a PHANTOM force feedback device in addition to tactile augmentation, which allows the user to touch virtual objects by introducing corresponding real objects in the workspace. A simplified catheter introducer insertion simulation was developed to demonstrate the capabilities of this approach.

Development of a cognitive function test using virtual reality technology: examination in healthy participants.

PubMed

Sakai, Hiromi; Nagano, Akinori; Seki, Keiko; Okahashi, Sayaka; Kojima, Maki; Luo, Zhiwei

2018-07-01

We developed a virtual reality test to assess the cognitive function of Japanese people in near-daily-life environment, namely, a virtual shopping test (VST). In this test, participants were asked to execute shopping tasks using touch panel operations in a "virtual shopping mall." We examined differences in VST performances among healthy participants of different ages and correlations between VST and screening tests, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Everyday Memory Checklist (EMC). We included 285 healthy participants between 20 and 86 years of age in seven age groups. Therefore, each VST index tended to decrease with advancing age; differences among age groups were significant. Most VST indices had a significantly negative correlation with MMSE and significantly positive correlation with EMC. VST may be useful for assessing general cognitive decline; effects of age must be considered for proper interpretation of the VST scores.

Virtual wall-based haptic-guided teleoperated surgical robotic system for single-port brain tumor removal surgery.

PubMed

Seung, Sungmin; Choi, Hongseok; Jang, Jongseong; Kim, Young Soo; Park, Jong-Oh; Park, Sukho; Ko, Seong Young

2017-01-01

This article presents a haptic-guided teleoperation for a tumor removal surgical robotic system, so-called a SIROMAN system. The system was developed in our previous work to make it possible to access tumor tissue, even those that seat deeply inside the brain, and to remove the tissue with full maneuverability. For a safe and accurate operation to remove only tumor tissue completely while minimizing damage to the normal tissue, a virtual wall-based haptic guidance together with a medical image-guided control is proposed and developed. The virtual wall is extracted from preoperative medical images, and the robot is controlled to restrict its motion within the virtual wall using haptic feedback. Coordinate transformation between sub-systems, a collision detection algorithm, and a haptic-guided teleoperation using a virtual wall are described in the context of using SIROMAN. A series of experiments using a simplified virtual wall are performed to evaluate the performance of virtual wall-based haptic-guided teleoperation. With haptic guidance, the accuracy of the robotic manipulator's trajectory is improved by 57% compared to one without. The tissue removal performance is also improved by 21% ( p < 0.05). The experiments show that virtual wall-based haptic guidance provides safer and more accurate tissue removal for single-port brain surgery.

Virtually Naked: Virtual Environment Reveals Sex-Dependent Nature of Skin Disclosure

PubMed Central

Lomanowska, Anna M.; Guitton, Matthieu J.

2012-01-01

The human tendency to reveal or cover naked skin reflects a competition between the individual propensity for social interactions related to sexual appeal and interpersonal touch versus climatic, environmental, physical, and cultural constraints. However, due to the ubiquitous nature of these constraints, isolating on a large scale the spontaneous human tendency to reveal naked skin has remained impossible. Using the online 3-dimensional virtual world of Second Life, we examined spontaneous human skin-covering behavior unhindered by real-world climatic, environmental, and physical variables. Analysis of hundreds of avatars revealed that virtual females disclose substantially more naked skin than virtual males. This phenomenon was not related to avatar hypersexualization as evaluated by measurement of sexually dimorphic body proportions. Furthermore, analysis of skin-covering behavior of a population of culturally homogeneous avatars indicated that the propensity of female avatars to reveal naked skin persisted despite explicit cultural norms promoting less revealing attire. These findings have implications for further understanding how sex-specific aspects of skin disclosure influence human social interactions in both virtual and real settings. PMID:23300580

Virtually naked: virtual environment reveals sex-dependent nature of skin disclosure.

PubMed

Lomanowska, Anna M; Guitton, Matthieu J

2012-01-01

The human tendency to reveal or cover naked skin reflects a competition between the individual propensity for social interactions related to sexual appeal and interpersonal touch versus climatic, environmental, physical, and cultural constraints. However, due to the ubiquitous nature of these constraints, isolating on a large scale the spontaneous human tendency to reveal naked skin has remained impossible. Using the online 3-dimensional virtual world of Second Life, we examined spontaneous human skin-covering behavior unhindered by real-world climatic, environmental, and physical variables. Analysis of hundreds of avatars revealed that virtual females disclose substantially more naked skin than virtual males. This phenomenon was not related to avatar hypersexualization as evaluated by measurement of sexually dimorphic body proportions. Furthermore, analysis of skin-covering behavior of a population of culturally homogeneous avatars indicated that the propensity of female avatars to reveal naked skin persisted despite explicit cultural norms promoting less revealing attire. These findings have implications for further understanding how sex-specific aspects of skin disclosure influence human social interactions in both virtual and real settings.

Teacher Labor Agreements: Formulas for Flexibility or Failure? Education Outlook. No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick M.; Loup, Coby

2008-01-01

Some four decades after the advent of collective bargaining in public education, the labor agreements it has produced now touch virtually all aspects of school district operations, from how teachers are paid and assigned to how they can be evaluated, how or whether they can be disciplined or fired, when and where they complete professional…

Haptics in forensics: the possibilities and advantages in using the haptic device for reconstruction approaches in forensic science.

PubMed

Buck, Ursula; Naether, Silvio; Braun, Marcel; Thali, Michael

2008-09-18

Non-invasive documentation methods such as surface scanning and radiological imaging are gaining in importance in the forensic field. These three-dimensional technologies provide digital 3D data, which are processed and handled in the computer. However, the sense of touch gets lost using the virtual approach. The haptic device enables the use of the sense of touch to handle and feel digital 3D data. The multifunctional application of a haptic device for forensic approaches is evaluated and illustrated in three different cases: the representation of bone fractures of the lower extremities, by traffic accidents, in a non-invasive manner; the comparison of bone injuries with the presumed injury-inflicting instrument; and in a gunshot case, the identification of the gun by the muzzle imprint, and the reconstruction of the holding position of the gun. The 3D models of the bones are generated from the Computed Tomography (CT) images. The 3D models of the exterior injuries, the injury-inflicting tools and the bone injuries, where a higher resolution is necessary, are created by the optical surface scan. The haptic device is used in combination with the software FreeForm Modelling Plus for touching the surface of the 3D models to feel the minute injuries and the surface of tools, to reposition displaced bone parts and to compare an injury-causing instrument with an injury. The repositioning of 3D models in a reconstruction is easier, faster and more precisely executed by means of using the sense of touch and with the user-friendly movement in the 3D space. For representation purposes, the fracture lines of bones are coloured. This work demonstrates that the haptic device is a suitable and efficient application in forensic science. The haptic device offers a new way in the handling of digital data in the virtual 3D space.

Virtual Instrumentation for a Fiber-Optics-Based Artificial Nerve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, Donald R.; Kyaw, Thet Mon; Griffin, DeVon (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A LabView-based computer interface for fiber-optic artificial nerves has been devised as a Masters thesis project. This project involves the use of outputs from wavelength multiplexed optical fiber sensors (artificial nerves), which are capable of producing dense optical data outputs for physical measurements. The potential advantages of using optical fiber sensors for sensory function restoration is the fact that well defined WDM-modulated signals can be transmitted to and from the sensing region allowing networked units to replace low-level nerve functions for persons desirous of "intelligent artificial limbs." Various FO sensors can be designed with high sensitivity and the ability to be interfaced with a wide range of devices including miniature shielded electrical conversion units. Our Virtual Instrument (VI) interface software package was developed using LabView's "Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench" package. The virtual instrument has been configured to arrange and encode the data to develop an intelligent response in the form of encoded digitized signal outputs. The architectural layout of our nervous system is such that different touch stimuli from different artificial fiber-optic nerve points correspond to gratings of a distinct resonant wavelength and physical location along the optical fiber. Thus, when an automated, tunable diode laser sends scans, the wavelength spectrum of the artificial nerve, it triggers responses that are encoded with different touch stimuli by way wavelength shifts in the reflected Bragg resonances. The reflected light is detected and a resulting analog signal is fed into ADC1 board and DAQ card. Finally, the software has been written such that the experimenter is able to set the response range during data acquisition.

Adaptive space warping to enhance passive haptics in an arthroscopy surgical simulator.

PubMed

Spillmann, Jonas; Tuchschmid, Stefan; Harders, Matthias

2013-04-01

Passive haptics, also known as tactile augmentation, denotes the use of a physical counterpart to a virtual environment to provide tactile feedback. Employing passive haptics can result in more realistic touch sensations than those from active force feedback, especially for rigid contacts. However, changes in the virtual environment would necessitate modifications of the physical counterparts. In recent work space warping has been proposed as one solution to overcome this limitation. In this technique virtual space is distorted such that a variety of virtual models can be mapped onto one single physical object. In this paper, we propose as an extension adaptive space warping; we show how this technique can be employed in a mixed-reality surgical training simulator in order to map different virtual patients onto one physical anatomical model. We developed methods to warp different organ geometries onto one physical mock-up, to handle different mechanical behaviors of the virtual patients, and to allow interactive modifications of the virtual structures, while the physical counterparts remain unchanged. Various practical examples underline the wide applicability of our approach. To the best of our knowledge this is the first practical usage of such a technique in the specific context of interactive medical training.

AR Feels "Softer" than VR: Haptic Perception of Stiffness in Augmented versus Virtual Reality.

PubMed

Gaffary, Yoren; Le Gouis, Benoit; Marchal, Maud; Argelaguet, Ferran; Arnaldi, Bruno; Lecuyer, Anatole

2017-11-01

Does it feel the same when you touch an object in Augmented Reality (AR) or in Virtual Reality (VR)? In this paper we study and compare the haptic perception of stiffness of a virtual object in two situations: (1) a purely virtual environment versus (2) a real and augmented environment. We have designed an experimental setup based on a Microsoft HoloLens and a haptic force-feedback device, enabling to press a virtual piston, and compare its stiffness successively in either Augmented Reality (the virtual piston is surrounded by several real objects all located inside a cardboard box) or in Virtual Reality (the same virtual piston is displayed in a fully virtual scene composed of the same other objects). We have conducted a psychophysical experiment with 12 participants. Our results show a surprising bias in perception between the two conditions. The virtual piston is on average perceived stiffer in the VR condition compared to the AR condition. For instance, when the piston had the same stiffness in AR and VR, participants would select the VR piston as the stiffer one in 60% of cases. This suggests a psychological effect as if objects in AR would feel "softer" than in pure VR. Taken together, our results open new perspectives on perception in AR versus VR, and pave the way to future studies aiming at characterizing potential perceptual biases.

Beyond the Lorax? The Greening of the American Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowell, Clare

2008-01-01

As recently as a generation ago, playtime meant outdoor activity that put children in touch with nature. Now, it's chat rooms, video games, and virtual nature. The result is "videophilia" as opposed to "biophilia." This nature-deficit disorder has spurred a national movement that has made its way to Capitol Hill in the form of a proposed No Child…

Virtual reality simulator: demonstrated use in neurosurgical oncology.

PubMed

Clarke, David B; D'Arcy, Ryan C N; Delorme, Sebastien; Laroche, Denis; Godin, Guy; Hajra, Sujoy Ghosh; Brooks, Rupert; DiRaddo, Robert

2013-04-01

The overriding importance of patient safety, the complexity of surgical techniques, and the challenges associated with teaching surgical trainees in the operating room are all factors driving the need for innovative surgical simulation technologies. Despite these issues, widespread use of virtual reality simulation technology in surgery has not been fully implemented, largely because of the technical complexities in developing clinically relevant and useful models. This article describes the successful use of the NeuroTouch neurosurgical simulator in the resection of a left frontal meningioma. The widespread application of surgical simulation technology has the potential to decrease surgical risk, improve operating room efficiency, and fundamentally change surgical training.

Grasping trajectories in a virtual environment adhere to Weber's law.

PubMed

Ozana, Aviad; Berman, Sigal; Ganel, Tzvi

2018-06-01

Virtual-reality and telerobotic devices simulate local motor control of virtual objects within computerized environments. Here, we explored grasping kinematics within a virtual environment and tested whether, as in normal 3D grasping, trajectories in the virtual environment are performed analytically, violating Weber's law with respect to object's size. Participants were asked to grasp a series of 2D objects using a haptic system, which projected their movements to a virtual space presented on a computer screen. The apparatus also provided object-specific haptic information upon "touching" the edges of the virtual targets. The results showed that grasping movements performed within the virtual environment did not produce the typical analytical trajectory pattern obtained during 3D grasping. Unlike as in 3D grasping, grasping trajectories in the virtual environment adhered to Weber's law, which indicates relative resolution in size processing. In addition, the trajectory patterns differed from typical trajectories obtained during 3D grasping, with longer times to complete the movement, and with maximum grip apertures appearing relatively early in the movement. The results suggest that grasping movements within a virtual environment could differ from those performed in real space, and are subjected to irrelevant effects of perceptual information. Such atypical pattern of visuomotor control may be mediated by the lack of complete transparency between the interface and the virtual environment in terms of the provided visual and haptic feedback. Possible implications of the findings to movement control within robotic and virtual environments are further discussed.

Microsurgery Simulator of Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping with Interactive Cerebral Deformation Featuring a Virtual Arachnoid.

PubMed

Shono, Naoyuki; Kin, Taichi; Nomura, Seiji; Miyawaki, Satoru; Saito, Toki; Imai, Hideaki; Nakatomi, Hirofumi; Oyama, Hiroshi; Saito, Nobuhito

2018-05-01

A virtual reality simulator for aneurysmal clipping surgery is an attractive research target for neurosurgeons. Brain deformation is one of the most important functionalities necessary for an accurate clipping simulator and is vastly affected by the status of the supporting tissue, such as the arachnoid membrane. However, no virtual reality simulator implementing the supporting tissue of the brain has yet been developed. To develop a virtual reality clipping simulator possessing interactive brain deforming capability closely dependent on arachnoid dissection and apply it to clinical cases. Three-dimensional computer graphics models of cerebral tissue and surrounding structures were extracted from medical images. We developed a new method for modifiable cerebral tissue complex deformation by incorporating a nonmedical image-derived virtual arachnoid/trabecula in a process called multitissue integrated interactive deformation (MTIID). MTIID made it possible for cerebral tissue complexes to selectively deform at the site of dissection. Simulations for 8 cases of actual clipping surgery were performed before surgery and evaluated for their usefulness in surgical approach planning. Preoperatively, each operative field was precisely reproduced and visualized with the virtual brain retraction defined by users. The clear visualization of the optimal approach to treating the aneurysm via an appropriate arachnoid incision was possible with MTIID. A virtual clipping simulator mainly focusing on supporting tissues and less on physical properties seemed to be useful in the surgical simulation of cerebral aneurysm clipping. To our knowledge, this article is the first to report brain deformation based on supporting tissues.

3D workflow for HDR image capture of projection systems and objects for CAVE virtual environments authoring with wireless touch-sensitive devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prusten, Mark J.; McIntyre, Michelle; Landis, Marvin

2006-02-01

A 3D workflow pipeline is presented for High Dynamic Range (HDR) image capture of projected scenes or objects for presentation in CAVE virtual environments. The methods of HDR digital photography of environments vs. objects are reviewed. Samples of both types of virtual authoring being the actual CAVE environment and a sculpture are shown. A series of software tools are incorporated into a pipeline called CAVEPIPE, allowing for high-resolution objects and scenes to be composited together in natural illumination environments [1] and presented in our CAVE virtual reality environment. We also present a way to enhance the user interface for CAVE environments. The traditional methods of controlling the navigation through virtual environments include: glove, HUD's and 3D mouse devices. By integrating a wireless network that includes both WiFi (IEEE 802.11b/g) and Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1) protocols the non-graphical input control device can be eliminated. Therefore wireless devices can be added that would include: PDA's, Smart Phones, TabletPC's, Portable Gaming consoles, and PocketPC's.

Virtual Manufacturing (la Fabrication virtuelle)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-01

with moving parts and subassemblies, • verification of product subcomponents and systems operations through kinematics studies, and • realism ...dimensions, parts moved in mechanism based directions, and realism of interaction is increased through use of sound, touch and other parameters. For the...direct converters from CAD systems. A simple cinematic package is also high on the requirement to be able to simulate motions as well as an interface to

Virtual reality interface devices in the reorganization of neural networks in the brain of patients with neurological diseases.

PubMed

Gatica-Rojas, Valeska; Méndez-Rebolledo, Guillermo

2014-04-15

Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels (hearing, sight, touch, and smell), permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual reality interface devices such as the Nintendo® Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addition, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases (chronic stroke and cerebral palsy) have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients' brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies.

Virtual reality interface devices in the reorganization of neural networks in the brain of patients with neurological diseases

PubMed Central

Gatica-Rojas, Valeska; Méndez-Rebolledo, Guillermo

2014-01-01

Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels (hearing, sight, touch, and smell), permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual reality interface devices such as the Nintendo® Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addition, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases (chronic stroke and cerebral palsy) have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients’ brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies. PMID:25206907

Topographic modelling of haptic properties of tissue products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, B.-G.; Fall, A.; Rosen, S.; Farbrot, A.; Bergström, P.

2014-03-01

The way a product or material feels when touched, haptics, has been shown to be a property that plays an important role when consumers determine the quality of products For tissue products in constant touch with the skin, softness" becomes a primary quality parameter. In the present work, the relationship between topography and the feeling of the surface has been investigated for commercial tissues with varying degree of texture from the low textured crepe tissue to the highly textured embossed- and air-dried tissue products. A trained sensory panel at was used to grade perceived haptic "roughness". The technique used to characterize the topography was Digital light projection (DLP) technique, By the use of multivariate statistics, strong correlations between perceived roughness and topography were found with predictability of above 90 percent even though highly textured products were included. Characterization was made using areal ISO 25178-2 topography parameters in combination with non-contacting topography measurement. The best prediction ability was obtained when combining haptic properties with the topography parameters auto-correlation length (Sal), peak material volume (Vmp), core roughness depth (Sk) and the maximum height of the surface (Sz).

Viewing the body modulates tactile receptive fields.

PubMed

Haggard, Patrick; Christakou, Anastasia; Serino, Andrea

2007-06-01

Tactile discrimination performance depends on the receptive field (RF) size of somatosensory cortical (SI) neurons. Psychophysical masking effects can reveal the RF of an idealized "virtual" somatosensory neuron. Previous studies show that top-down factors strongly affect tactile discrimination performance. Here, we show that non-informative vision of the touched body part influences tactile discrimination by modulating tactile RFs. Ten subjects performed spatial discrimination between touch locations on the forearm. Performance was improved when subjects saw their forearm compared to viewing a neutral object in the same location. The extent of visual information was relevant, since restricted view of the forearm did not have this enhancing effect. Vibrotactile maskers were placed symmetrically on either side of the tactile target locations, at two different distances. Overall, masking significantly impaired discrimination performance, but the spatial gradient of masking depended on what subjects viewed. Viewing the body reduced the effect of distant maskers, but enhanced the effect of close maskers, as compared to viewing a neutral object. We propose that viewing the body improves functional touch by sharpening tactile RFs in an early somatosensory map. Top-down modulation of lateral inhibition could underlie these effects.

Open Touch/Sound Maps: A system to convey street data through haptic and auditory feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaklanis, Nikolaos; Votis, Konstantinos; Tzovaras, Dimitrios

2013-08-01

The use of spatial (geographic) information is becoming ever more central and pervasive in today's internet society but the most of it is currently inaccessible to visually impaired users. However, access in visual maps is severely restricted to visually impaired and people with blindness, due to their inability to interpret graphical information. Thus, alternative ways of a map's presentation have to be explored, in order to enforce the accessibility of maps. Multiple types of sensory perception like touch and hearing may work as a substitute of vision for the exploration of maps. The use of multimodal virtual environments seems to be a promising alternative for people with visual impairments. The present paper introduces a tool for automatic multimodal map generation having haptic and audio feedback using OpenStreetMap data. For a desired map area, an elevation map is being automatically generated and can be explored by touch, using a haptic device. A sonification and a text-to-speech (TTS) mechanism provide also audio navigation information during the haptic exploration of the map.

Touch Spray Mass Spectrometry for In Situ Analysis of Complex Samples

PubMed Central

Kerian, Kevin S.; Jarmusch, Alan K.; Cooks, R. Graham

2014-01-01

Touch spray, a spray-based ambient in-situ ionization method, uses a small probe, e.g. a teasing needle to pick up sample and the application of voltage and solvent to cause field-induced droplet emission. Compounds extracted from the microsample are incorporated into the sprayed micro droplets. Performance tests include disease state of tissue, microorganism identification, and therapeutic drug quantitation. Chemical derivatization is performed simultaneously with ionization. PMID:24756256

Virtual Tissues and Developmental Systems Biology (book chapter)

EPA Science Inventory

Virtual tissue (VT) models provide an in silico environment to simulate cross-scale properties in specific tissues or organs based on knowledge of the underlying biological networks. These integrative models capture the fundamental interactions in a biological system and enable ...

Human-computer interface glove using flexible piezoelectric sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Youngsu; Seo, Jeonggyu; Kim, Jun-Sik; Park, Jung-Min

2017-05-01

In this note, we propose a human-computer interface glove based on flexible piezoelectric sensors. We select polyvinylidene fluoride as the piezoelectric material for the sensors because of advantages such as a steady piezoelectric characteristic and good flexibility. The sensors are installed in a fabric glove by means of pockets and Velcro bands. We detect changes in the angles of the finger joints from the outputs of the sensors, and use them for controlling a virtual hand that is utilized in virtual object manipulation. To assess the sensing ability of the piezoelectric sensors, we compare the processed angles from the sensor outputs with the real angles from a camera recoding. With good agreement between the processed and real angles, we successfully demonstrate the user interaction system with the virtual hand and interface glove based on the flexible piezoelectric sensors, for four hand motions: fist clenching, pinching, touching, and grasping.

Literature Mining and Knowledge Discovery Tools for Virtual Tissues

EPA Science Inventory

Virtual Tissues (VTs) are in silico models that simulate the cellular fabric of tissues to analyze complex relationships and predict multicellular behaviors in specific biological systems such as the mature liver (v-Liver™) or developing embryo (v-Embryo™). VT models require inpu...

Periprosthetic Artifact Reduction Using Virtual Monochromatic Imaging Derived From Gemstone Dual-Energy Computed Tomography and Dedicated Software.

PubMed

Reynoso, Exequiel; Capunay, Carlos; Rasumoff, Alejandro; Vallejos, Javier; Carpio, Jimena; Lago, Karen; Carrascosa, Patricia

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of combined virtual monochromatic imaging and metal artifact reduction software (MARS) for the evaluation of musculoskeletal periprosthetic tissue. Measurements were performed in periprosthetic and remote regions in 80 patients using a high-definition scanner. Polychromatic images with and without MARS and virtual monochromatic images were obtained. Periprosthetic polychromatic imaging (PI) showed significant differences compared with remote areas among the 3 tissues explored (P < 0.0001). No significant differences were observed between periprosthetic and remote tissues using monochromatic imaging with MARS (P = 0.053 bone, P = 0.32 soft tissue, and P = 0.13 fat). However, such differences were significant using PI with MARS among bone (P = 0.005) and fat (P = 0.02) tissues. All periprosthetic areas were noninterpretable using PI, compared with 11 (9%) using monochromatic imaging. The combined use of virtual monochromatic imaging and MARS reduced periprosthetic artifacts, achieving attenuation levels comparable to implant-free tissue.

A prototype percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography training simulator with real-time breathing motion.

PubMed

Villard, P F; Vidal, F P; Hunt, C; Bello, F; John, N W; Johnson, S; Gould, D A

2009-11-01

We present here a simulator for interventional radiology focusing on percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC). This procedure consists of inserting a needle into the biliary tree using fluoroscopy for guidance. The requirements of the simulator have been driven by a task analysis. The three main components have been identified: the respiration, the real-time X-ray display (fluoroscopy) and the haptic rendering (sense of touch). The framework for modelling the respiratory motion is based on kinematics laws and on the Chainmail algorithm. The fluoroscopic simulation is performed on the graphic card and makes use of the Beer-Lambert law to compute the X-ray attenuation. Finally, the haptic rendering is integrated to the virtual environment and takes into account the soft-tissue reaction force feedback and maintenance of the initial direction of the needle during the insertion. Five training scenarios have been created using patient-specific data. Each of these provides the user with variable breathing behaviour, fluoroscopic display tuneable to any device parameters and needle force feedback. A detailed task analysis has been used to design and build the PTC simulator described in this paper. The simulator includes real-time respiratory motion with two independent parameters (rib kinematics and diaphragm action), on-line fluoroscopy implemented on the Graphics Processing Unit and haptic feedback to feel the soft-tissue behaviour of the organs during the needle insertion.

Virtual microscopy and digital pathology in training and education.

PubMed

Hamilton, Peter W; Wang, Yinhai; McCullough, Stephen J

2012-04-01

Traditionally, education and training in pathology has been delivered using textbooks, glass slides and conventional microscopy. Over the last two decades, the number of web-based pathology resources has expanded dramatically with centralized pathological resources being delivered to many students simultaneously. Recently, whole slide imaging technology allows glass slides to be scanned and viewed on a computer screen via dedicated software. This technology is referred to as virtual microscopy and has created enormous opportunities in pathological training and education. Students are able to learn key histopathological skills, e.g. to identify areas of diagnostic relevance from an entire slide, via a web-based computer environment. Students no longer need to be in the same room as the slides. New human-computer interfaces are also being developed using more natural touch technology to enhance the manipulation of digitized slides. Several major initiatives are also underway introducing online competency and diagnostic decision analysis using virtual microscopy and have important future roles in accreditation and recertification. Finally, researchers are investigating how pathological decision-making is achieved using virtual microscopy and modern eye-tracking devices. Virtual microscopy and digital pathology will continue to improve how pathology training and education is delivered. © 2012 The Authors APMIS © 2012 APMIS.

Speeded Reaching Movements around Invisible Obstacles

PubMed Central

Hudson, Todd E.; Wolfe, Uta; Maloney, Laurence T.

2012-01-01

We analyze the problem of obstacle avoidance from a Bayesian decision-theoretic perspective using an experimental task in which reaches around a virtual obstacle were made toward targets on an upright monitor. Subjects received monetary rewards for touching the target and incurred losses for accidentally touching the intervening obstacle. The locations of target-obstacle pairs within the workspace were varied from trial to trial. We compared human performance to that of a Bayesian ideal movement planner (who chooses motor strategies maximizing expected gain) using the Dominance Test employed in Hudson et al. (2007). The ideal movement planner suffers from the same sources of noise as the human, but selects movement plans that maximize expected gain in the presence of that noise. We find good agreement between the predictions of the model and actual performance in most but not all experimental conditions. PMID:23028276

Use of ARFI elastography in the prediction of placental invasion anomaly via a new Virtual Touch Quantification Technique.

PubMed

Cim, Numan; Tolunay, Harun Egemen; Boza, Baris; Arslan, Harun; Ates, Can; İlik, İbrahim; Tezcan, Fatih Mehmet; Yıldızhan, Recep; Sahin, Hanım Guler; Yavuz, Alpaslan

2018-03-22

We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of placental elasticity in predicting a placental invasion anomaly with the Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) technique. Pregnant women in the third trimester with suspected placental invasion anomaly were enrolled into the research (n = 58). The placenta was evaluated and divided into three equal parts as foetal edge (inner 1/3 of placenta), maternal edge (outer 1/3 of placenta) and the central part (central 1/3 of placenta). Shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements were used in the elastographic evaluation of placentas by VTQ. We performed the measurements at the different regions of placenta for sampling the variety areas of the placenta. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Elastography scores were significantly higher in the group in which an invasion was detected during the surgery of patients with preoperative placental invasion suspicion. A significant difference in the measurements of the inner, central and outer third of the placenta between the groups was found (p < .001). In this study, we have shown higher SWV scores of placental measurements of the patients with preoperative suspected anomalies and an invasion detected during their surgery. These findings may reflect an event at the tissue elasticity level and we hope that the use of the VTQ technique may contribute to an early prediction of placental invasions before surgery in the future via new research. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Placenta invasion anomalies (PIA's) are characterized by haemorrhages which can threat the mother's life. Placental invasion anomalies are among the most important causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis is very important condition in reducing the mortality and morbidity. Gray scale ultrasonography (US) is mostly used in early diagnosis of PIA's. Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI) is a new elastographic ultrasonography technic. We aimed to evaluate a new method in the early diagnosis of PIA's using ARFI technique. There is no study in the diagnosis of PIA's by ARFI in the literature to our knowledge. We think that this original study will contribute to the literature. What do the results of this study add? We showed the accuracy of ARFI in determination of PIA's. ARFI scores were significantly higher in the group in which invasion was detected during surgery of patients with preoperative placental invasion suspicion. What are the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our findings may reflect an event at the tissue elasticity level and we hope that the use of VTQ technique may contribute to early predict of placental invasions before surgery in the future via new researches. Early diagnosis of placental invasion anomalies may reduce mortality and morbidity.

Virtual Reality Exploration and Planning for Precision Colorectal Surgery.

PubMed

Guerriero, Ludovica; Quero, Giuseppe; Diana, Michele; Soler, Luc; Agnus, Vincent; Marescaux, Jacques; Corcione, Francesco

2018-06-01

Medical software can build a digital clone of the patient with 3-dimensional reconstruction of Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine images. The virtual clone can be manipulated (rotations, zooms, etc), and the various organs can be selectively displayed or hidden to facilitate a virtual reality preoperative surgical exploration and planning. We present preliminary cases showing the potential interest of virtual reality in colorectal surgery for both cases of diverticular disease and colonic neoplasms. This was a single-center feasibility study. The study was conducted at a tertiary care institution. Two patients underwent a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for diverticular disease, and 1 patient underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for cancer. The 3-dimensional virtual models were obtained from preoperative CT scans. The virtual model was used to perform preoperative exploration and planning. Intraoperatively, one of the surgeons was manipulating the virtual reality model, using the touch screen of a tablet, which was interactively displayed to the surgical team. The main outcome was evaluation of the precision of virtual reality in colorectal surgery planning and exploration. In 1 patient undergoing laparoscopic left hemicolectomy, an abnormal origin of the left colic artery beginning as an extremely short common trunk from the inferior mesenteric artery was clearly seen in the virtual reality model. This finding was missed by the radiologist on CT scan. The precise identification of this vascular variant granted a safe and adequate surgery. In the remaining cases, the virtual reality model helped to precisely estimate the vascular anatomy, providing key landmarks for a safer dissection. A larger sample size would be necessary to definitively assess the efficacy of virtual reality in colorectal surgery. Virtual reality can provide an enhanced understanding of crucial anatomical details, both preoperatively and intraoperatively, which could contribute to improve safety in colorectal surgery.

Rapid prototyping, astronaut training, and experiment control and supervision: distributed virtual worlds for COLUMBUS, the European Space Laboratory module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freund, Eckhard; Rossmann, Juergen

2002-02-01

In 2004, the European COLUMBUS Module is to be attached to the International Space Station. On the way to the successful planning, deployment and operation of the module, computer generated and animated models are being used to optimize performance. Under contract of the German Space Agency DLR, it has become IRF's task to provide a Projective Virtual Reality System to provide a virtual world built after the planned layout of the COLUMBUS module let astronauts and experimentators practice operational procedures and the handling of experiments. The key features of the system currently being realized comprise the possibility for distributed multi-user access to the virtual lab and the visualization of real-world experiment data. Through the capabilities to share the virtual world, cooperative operations can be practiced easily, but also trainers and trainees can work together more effectively sharing the virtual environment. The capability to visualize real-world data will be used to introduce measured data of experiments into the virtual world online in order to realistically interact with the science-reference model hardware: The user's actions in the virtual world are translated into corresponding changes of the inputs of the science reference model hardware; the measured data is than in turn fed back into the virtual world. During the operation of COLUMBUS, the capabilities for distributed access and the capabilities to visualize measured data through the use of metaphors and augmentations of the virtual world may be used to provide virtual access to the COLUMBUS module, e.g. via Internet. Currently, finishing touches are being put to the system. In November 2001 the virtual world shall be operational, so that besides the design and the key ideas, first experimental results can be presented.

Virtual reality interactive media for universitas sumatera utara - a campus introduction and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmat, R. F.; Anthonius; Muchtar, M. A.; Hizriadi, A.; Syahputra, M. F.

2018-03-01

Universitas Sumatera Utara is one of the public universities that have over 100 buildings with total area of more than 133.141 square meters. Information delivery on the location of the institutional buildings becomes challenging since the university land reaches 93.4 Ha. The information usually delivers orally, in video presentation and in the form of two-dimensional such as maps, posters, and brochures. These three techniques of information delivery have their advantages and disadvantages. Thus, we know that virtual reality has come to existence, touching every domain of knowledge. In this paper we study and implement virtual reality as a new approach to distribute the information to cover all of the deficiencies. The utilization of virtual reality technology combined with 3D modeling is aims to introduce and inform the location of USU institutional buildings in interactive and innovative ways. With the application existence, the campus introduction is expected to be more convenient so that all the USU students will be able to find the exact location of the building they are headed for.

Molecularly Stretchable Electronics for Energy and Healthcare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipomi, Darren

The term ``plastic electronics'' masks the wide range of mechanical behavior possessed by films of π-conjugated (semiconducting) small molecules and polymers. Such materials are promising for biosensors, large-area displays, low-energy lighting, and low-cost photovoltaic modules. There is also an apparent trade-off between electronic performance and mechanical compliance in films of some of the best-performing semiconducting polymers, which fracture at tensile strains not significantly greater than those at which conventional inorganic semiconductors fail. The design of intrinsically deformable electronic materials-i.e., imagine a semiconducting rubber band-would facilitate roll-to-roll production, mechanical robustness for potable applications, and conformal bonding to curved surfaces. This seminar describes my group's efforts to understand and control the structural parameters that influence the mechanical properties of π-conjugated polymers. The techniques we employ include synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy and microstructural characterization, computation from the molecular to continuum level, and electrical measurements of devices. A complex picture emerges for the interplay between molecular structure, the way the process of solidification influences the morphology, and how molecular structure and morphology combine to produce a film with a given modulus, elastic range, ductility, and toughness. We are also exploring ways to introduce other properties into organic semiconductors that are inspired by biological tissue. That is, not just elasticity and toughness, but also biodegradability and the capacity for self-repair. The seminar will also touch on our use of self-assembled metallic nanoislands on graphene for ultra-sensitive mechanical sensing using piezoresistive and ``piezoplasmonic'' mechanisms. The applications for these materials are in detecting human motion and measuring the mechanics of cardiac and musculoskeletal cells. My group is broadly interested in the intersection of soft materials and human touch for virtual and augmented reality, and I will briefly mention our work in these areas. Invited speaker #45067.

HyFinBall: A Two-Handed, Hybrid 2D/3D Desktop VR Interface for Visualization

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

user study . This is done in the context of a rich, visual analytics interface containing coordinated views with 2D and 3D visualizations and...the user interface (hardware and software), the design space, as well as preliminary results of a formal user study . This is done in the context of a ... virtual reality , user interface , two-handed interface , hybrid user interface , multi-touch, gesture,

Ambient ionization mass spectrometric analysis of human surgical specimens to distinguish renal cell carcinoma from healthy renal tissue.

PubMed

Alfaro, Clint M; Jarmusch, Alan K; Pirro, Valentina; Kerian, Kevin S; Masterson, Timothy A; Cheng, Liang; Cooks, R Graham

2016-08-01

Touch spray-mass spectrometry (TS-MS) is an ambient ionization technique (ionization of unprocessed samples in the open air) that may find intraoperative applications in quickly identifying the disease state of cancerous tissues and in defining surgical margins. In this study, TS-MS was performed on fresh kidney tissue (∼1-5 cm(3)), within 1 h of resection, from 21 human subjects afflicted by renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The preliminary diagnostic value of TS-MS data taken from freshly resected tissue was evaluated. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the negative ion mode (m/z 700-1000) data provided the separation between RCC (16 samples) and healthy renal tissue (13 samples). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on the PCA-compressed data estimated sensitivity (true positive rate) and specificity (true negative rate) of 98 and 95 %, respectively, based on histopathological evaluation. The results indicate that TS-MS might provide rapid diagnostic information in spite of the complexity of unprocessed kidney tissue and the presence of interferences such as urine and blood. Desorption electrospray ionization-MS imaging (DESI-MSI) in the negative ionization mode was performed on the tissue specimens after TS-MS analysis as a reference method. The DESI imaging experiments provided phospholipid profiles (m/z 700-1000) that also separated RCC and healthy tissue in the PCA space, with PCA-LDA sensitivity and specificity of 100 and 89 %, respectively. The TS and DESI loading plots indicated that different ions contributed most to the separation of RCC from healthy renal tissue (m/z 794 [PC 34:1 + Cl](-) and 844 [PC 38:4 + Cl](-) for TS vs. m/z 788 [PS 36:1 - H](-) and 810 [PS 38:4 - H](-) for DESI), while m/z 885 ([PI 38:4 - H](-)) was important in both TS and DESI. The prospect, remaining hurdles, and future work required for translating TS-MS into a method of intraoperative tissue diagnosis are discussed. Graphical abstract Touch spray-mass spectrometry used for lipid profiling of fresh human renal cell carcinoma. Left) Photograph of the touch spray probe pointed at the MS inlet. Right) Average mass spectra of healthy renal tissue (blue) and RCC (red).

Creation of a 3-dimensional virtual dental patient for computer-guided surgery and CAD-CAM interim complete removable and fixed dental prostheses: A clinical report.

PubMed

Harris, Bryan T; Montero, Daniel; Grant, Gerald T; Morton, Dean; Llop, Daniel R; Lin, Wei-Shao

2017-02-01

This clinical report proposes a digital workflow using 2-dimensional (2D) digital photographs, a 3D extraoral facial scan, and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) volumetric data to create a 3D virtual patient with craniofacial hard tissue, remaining dentition (including surrounding intraoral soft tissue), and the realistic appearance of facial soft tissue at an exaggerated smile under static conditions. The 3D virtual patient was used to assist the virtual diagnostic tooth arrangement process, providing patient with a pleasing preoperative virtual smile design that harmonized with facial features. The 3D virtual patient was also used to gain patient's pretreatment approval (as a communication tool), design a prosthetically driven surgical plan for computer-guided implant surgery, and fabricate the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) interim prostheses. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Touch influences perceived gloss

PubMed Central

Adams, Wendy J.; Kerrigan, Iona S.; Graf, Erich W.

2016-01-01

Identifying an object’s material properties supports recognition and action planning: we grasp objects according to how heavy, hard or slippery we expect them to be. Visual cues to material qualities such as gloss have recently received attention, but how they interact with haptic (touch) information has been largely overlooked. Here, we show that touch modulates gloss perception: objects that feel slippery are perceived as glossier (more shiny).Participants explored virtual objects that varied in look and feel. A discrimination paradigm (Experiment 1) revealed that observers integrate visual gloss with haptic information. Observers could easily detect an increase in glossiness when it was paired with a decrease in friction. In contrast, increased glossiness coupled with decreased slipperiness produced a small perceptual change: the visual and haptic changes counteracted each other. Subjective ratings (Experiment 2) reflected a similar interaction – slippery objects were rated as glossier and vice versa. The sensory system treats visual gloss and haptic friction as correlated cues to surface material. Although friction is not a perfect predictor of gloss, the visual system appears to know and use a probabilistic relationship between these variables to bias perception – a sensible strategy given the ambiguity of visual clues to gloss. PMID:26915492

Novel thigmomorphogenetic responses in Carica papaya: touch decreases anthocyanin levels and stimulates petiole cork outgrowths

PubMed Central

Porter, Brad W.; Zhu, Yun J.; Webb, David T.; Christopher, David A.

2009-01-01

Background and Aims Because of its rapid growth rate, relative ease of transformation, sequenced genome and low gene number relative to Arabidopsis, the tropical fruit tree, Carica papaya, can serve as a complementary genetic model for complex traits. Here, new phenotypes and touch-regulated gene homologues have been identified that can be used to advance the understanding of thigmomorphogenesis, a multigenic response involving mechanoreception and morphological change. Methods Morphological alterations were quantified, and microscopy of tissue was conducted. Assays for hypocotyl anthocyanins, lignin and chlorophyll were performed, and predicted genes from C. papaya were compared with Arabidopsis touch-inducible (TCH) and Mechanosensitive channel of Small conductance-like genes (MscS-like or MSL). In addition, the expression of two papaya TCH1 homologues was characterized. Key Results On the abaxial side of petioles, treated plants were found to have novel, hypertrophic outgrowths associated with periderm and suberin. Touched plants also had higher lignin, dramatically less hypocotyl anthocyanins and chlorophyll, increased hypocotyl diameter, and decreased leaf width, stem length and root fresh weight. Papaya was found to have fewer MSL genes than Arabidopsis, and four touch-regulated genes in Arabidopsis had no counterparts in papaya. Water-spray treatment was found to enhance the expression of two papaya TCH1 homologues whereas induction following touch was only slightly correlated. Conclusions The novel petiole outgrowths caused by non-wounding, mechanical perturbation may be the result of hardening mechanisms, including added lignin, providing resistance against petiole movement. Inhibition of anthocyanin accumulation following touch, a new phenotypic association, may be caused by diversion of p-coumaroyl CoA away from chalcone synthase for lignin synthesis. The absence of MSL and touch-gene homologues indicates that papaya may have a smaller set of touch-regulated genes. The genes and novel touch-regulated phenotypes identified here will contribute to a more comprehensive view of thigmomorphogenesis in plants. PMID:19182220

Novel thigmomorphogenetic responses in Carica papaya: touch decreases anthocyanin levels and stimulates petiole cork outgrowths.

PubMed

Porter, Brad W; Zhu, Yun J; Webb, David T; Christopher, David A

2009-04-01

Because of its rapid growth rate, relative ease of transformation, sequenced genome and low gene number relative to Arabidopsis, the tropical fruit tree, Carica papaya, can serve as a complementary genetic model for complex traits. Here, new phenotypes and touch-regulated gene homologues have been identified that can be used to advance the understanding of thigmomorphogenesis, a multigenic response involving mechanoreception and morphological change. Morphological alterations were quantified, and microscopy of tissue was conducted. Assays for hypocotyl anthocyanins, lignin and chlorophyll were performed, and predicted genes from C. papaya were compared with Arabidopsis touch-inducible (TCH) and Mechanosensitive channel of Small conductance-like genes (MscS-like or MSL). In addition, the expression of two papaya TCH1 homologues was characterized. On the abaxial side of petioles, treated plants were found to have novel, hypertrophic outgrowths associated with periderm and suberin. Touched plants also had higher lignin, dramatically less hypocotyl anthocyanins and chlorophyll, increased hypocotyl diameter, and decreased leaf width, stem length and root fresh weight. Papaya was found to have fewer MSL genes than Arabidopsis, and four touch-regulated genes in Arabidopsis had no counterparts in papaya. Water-spray treatment was found to enhance the expression of two papaya TCH1 homologues whereas induction following touch was only slightly correlated. The novel petiole outgrowths caused by non-wounding, mechanical perturbation may be the result of hardening mechanisms, including added lignin, providing resistance against petiole movement. Inhibition of anthocyanin accumulation following touch, a new phenotypic association, may be caused by diversion of p-coumaroyl CoA away from chalcone synthase for lignin synthesis. The absence of MSL and touch-gene homologues indicates that papaya may have a smaller set of touch-regulated genes. The genes and novel touch-regulated phenotypes identified here will contribute to a more comprehensive view of thigmomorphogenesis in plants.

A discrete mechanics framework for real time virtual surgical simulations with application to virtual laparoscopic nephrectomy.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiangmin; Zhang, Nan; Sha, Desong; Shen, Yunhe; Tamma, Kumar K; Sweet, Robert

2009-01-01

The inability to render realistic soft-tissue behavior in real time has remained a barrier to face and content aspects of validity for many virtual reality surgical training systems. Biophysically based models are not only suitable for training purposes but also for patient-specific clinical applications, physiological modeling and surgical planning. When considering the existing approaches for modeling soft tissue for virtual reality surgical simulation, the computer graphics-based approach lacks predictive capability; the mass-spring model (MSM) based approach lacks biophysically realistic soft-tissue dynamic behavior; and the finite element method (FEM) approaches fail to meet the real-time requirement. The present development stems from physics fundamental thermodynamic first law; for a space discrete dynamic system directly formulates the space discrete but time continuous governing equation with embedded material constitutive relation and results in a discrete mechanics framework which possesses a unique balance between the computational efforts and the physically realistic soft-tissue dynamic behavior. We describe the development of the discrete mechanics framework with focused attention towards a virtual laparoscopic nephrectomy application.

A remote instruction system empowered by tightly shared haptic sensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishino, Hiroaki; Yamaguchi, Akira; Kagawa, Tsuneo; Utsumiya, Kouichi

2007-09-01

We present a system to realize an on-line instruction environment among physically separated participants based on a multi-modal communication strategy. In addition to visual and acoustic information, commonly used communication modalities in network environments, our system provides a haptic channel to intuitively conveying partners' sense of touch. The human touch sensation, however, is very sensitive for delays and jitters in the networked virtual reality (NVR) systems. Therefore, a method to compensate for such negative factors needs to be provided. We show an NVR architecture to implement a basic framework that can be shared by various applications and effectively deals with the problems. We take a hybrid approach to implement both data consistency by client-server and scalability by peer-to-peer models. As an application system built on the proposed architecture, a remote instruction system targeted at teaching handwritten characters and line patterns on a Korea-Japan high-speed research network also is mentioned.

Tactile Data Entry for Extravehicular Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Richard J.; Olowin, Aaron B.; Hannaford, Blake; Sands, O Scott

2012-01-01

In the task-saturated environment of extravehicular activity (EVA), an astronaut's ability to leverage suit-integrated information systems is limited by a lack of options for data entry. In particular, bulky gloves inhibit the ability to interact with standard computing interfaces such as a mouse or keyboard. This paper presents the results of a preliminary investigation into a system that permits the space suit gloves themselves to be used as data entry devices. Hand motion tracking is combined with simple finger gesture recognition to enable use of a virtual keyboard, while tactile feedback provides touch-based context to the graphical user interface (GUI) and positive confirmation of keystroke events. In human subject trials, conducted with twenty participants using a prototype system, participants entered text significantly faster with tactile feedback than without (p = 0.02). The results support incorporation of vibrotactile information in a future system that will enable full touch typing and general mouse interactions using instrumented EVA gloves.

Multimodal Virtual Environments: MAGIC Toolkit and Visual-Haptic Interaction Paradigms

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

2.7.3 Load/Save Options ..... 2.7.4 Information Display .... 2.8 Library Files. 2.9 Evaluation .............. 3 Visual-Haptic Interactions 3.1...Northwestern University[ Colgate , 1994]. It is possible for a user to touch one side of a thin object and be propelled out the opposite side, because...when there is a high correlation in motion and force between the visual and haptic realms. * Chapter 7 concludes with an evaluation of the application

Utilization of virtual reality for endotracheal intubation training.

PubMed

Mayrose, James; Kesavadas, T; Chugh, Kevin; Joshi, Dhananjay; Ellis, David G

2003-10-01

Tracheal intubation is performed for urgent airway control in injured patients. Current methods of training include working on cadavers and manikins, which lack the realism of a living human being. Work in this field has been limited due to the complex nature of simulating in real-time, the interactive forces and deformations which occur during an actual patient intubation. This study addressed the issue of intubation training in an attempt to bridge the gap between actual and virtual patient scenarios. The haptic device along with the real-time performance of the simulator give it both visual and physical realism. The three-dimensional viewing and interaction available through virtual reality make it possible for physicians, pre-hospital personnel and students to practice many endotracheal intubations without ever touching a patient. The ability for a medical professional to practice a procedure multiple times prior to performing it on a patient will both enhance the skill of the individual while reducing the risk to the patient.

A 3D virtual reality simulator for training of minimally invasive surgery.

PubMed

Mi, Shao-Hua; Hou, Zeng-Gunag; Yang, Fan; Xie, Xiao-Liang; Bian, Gui-Bin

2014-01-01

For the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in the field of cardiovascular disease treatment. However, these complex medical procedures require a combination of rich experience and technical skills. In this paper, a 3D virtual reality simulator for core skills training in minimally invasive surgery is presented. The system can generate realistic 3D vascular models segmented from patient datasets, including a beating heart, and provide a real-time computation of force and force feedback module for surgical simulation. Instruments, such as a catheter or guide wire, are represented by a multi-body mass-spring model. In addition, a realistic user interface with multiple windows and real-time 3D views are developed. Moreover, the simulator is also provided with a human-machine interaction module that gives doctors the sense of touch during the surgery training, enables them to control the motion of a virtual catheter/guide wire inside a complex vascular model. Experimental results show that the simulator is suitable for minimally invasive surgery training.

Freeform object design and simultaneous manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Weihan; Lin, Heng; Leu, Ming C.

2003-04-01

Today's product design, especially the consuming product design, focuses more and more on individuation, originality, and the time to market. One way to meet these challenges is using the interactive and creationary product design methods and rapid prototyping/rapid tooling. This paper presents a novel Freeform Object Design and Simultaneous Manufacturing (FODSM) method that combines the natural interaction feature in the design phase and simultaneous manufacturing feature in the prototyping phase. The natural interactive three-dimensional design environment is achieved by adopting virtual reality technology. The geometry of the designed object is defined through the process of "virtual sculpting" during which the designer can touch and visualize the designed object and can hear the virtual manufacturing environment noise. During the designing process, the computer records the sculpting trajectories and automatically translates them into NC codes so as to simultaneously machine the designed part. The paper introduced the principle, implementation process, and key techniques of the new method, and compared it with other popular rapid prototyping methods.

Mechanism of Kinect-based virtual reality training for motor functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke.

PubMed

Bao, Xiao; Mao, Yurong; Lin, Qiang; Qiu, Yunhai; Chen, Shaozhen; Li, Le; Cates, Ryan S; Zhou, Shufeng; Huang, Dongfeng

2013-11-05

The Kinect-based virtual reality system for the Xbox 360 enables users to control and interact with the game console without the need to touch a game controller, and provides rehabilitation training for stroke patients with lower limb dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, 18 healthy subjects and five patients after subacute stroke were included. The five patients were scanned using functional MRI prior to training, 3 weeks after training and at a 12-week follow-up, and then compared with healthy subjects. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test scores of the hemiplegic upper limbs of stroke patients were significantly increased 3 weeks after training and at the 12-week follow-up. Functional MRI results showed that contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex was activated after Kinect-based virtual reality training in the stroke patients compared with the healthy subjects. Contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex, the bilateral supplementary motor area and the ipsilateral cerebellum were also activated during hand-clenching in all 18 healthy subjects. Our findings indicate that Kinect-based virtual reality training could promote the recovery of upper limb motor function in subacute stroke patients, and brain reorganization by Kinect-based virtual reality training may be linked to the contralateral sensorimotor cortex.

Mechanism of Kinect-based virtual reality training for motor functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke

PubMed Central

Bao, Xiao; Mao, Yurong; Lin, Qiang; Qiu, Yunhai; Chen, Shaozhen; Li, Le; Cates, Ryan S.; Zhou, Shufeng; Huang, Dongfeng

2013-01-01

The Kinect-based virtual reality system for the Xbox 360 enables users to control and interact with the game console without the need to touch a game controller, and provides rehabilitation training for stroke patients with lower limb dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, 18 healthy subjects and five patients after subacute stroke were included. The five patients were scanned using functional MRI prior to training, 3 weeks after training and at a 12-week follow-up, and then compared with healthy subjects. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test scores of the hemiplegic upper limbs of stroke patients were significantly increased 3 weeks after training and at the 12-week follow-up. Functional MRI results showed that contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex was activated after Kinect-based virtual reality training in the stroke patients compared with the healthy subjects. Contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex, the bilateral supplementary motor area and the ipsilateral cerebellum were also activated during hand-clenching in all 18 healthy subjects. Our findings indicate that Kinect-based virtual reality training could promote the recovery of upper limb motor function in subacute stroke patients, and brain reorganization by Kinect-based virtual reality training may be linked to the contralateral sensorimotor cortex. PMID:25206611

Virtual reality in rhinology-a new dimension of clinical experience.

PubMed

Klapan, Ivica; Raos, Pero; Galeta, Tomislav; Kubat, Goranka

2016-07-01

There is often a need to more precisely identify the extent of pathology and the fine elements of intracranial anatomic features during the diagnostic process and during many operations in the nose, sinus, orbit, and skull base region. In two case reports, we describe the methods used in the diagnostic workup and surgical therapy in the nose and paranasal sinus region. Besides baseline x-ray, multislice computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, operative field imaging was performed via a rapid prototyping model, virtual endoscopy, and 3-D imaging. Different head tissues were visualized in different colors, showing their anatomic interrelations and the extent of pathologic tissue within the operative field. This approach has not yet been used as a standard preoperative or intraoperative procedure in otorhinolaryngology. In this way, we tried to understand the new, visualized "world of anatomic relations within the patient's head" by creating an impression of perception (virtual perception) of the given position of all elements in a particular anatomic region of the head, which does not exist in the real world (virtual world). This approach was aimed at upgrading the diagnostic workup and surgical therapy by ensuring a faster, safer and, above all, simpler operative procedure. In conclusion, any ENT specialist can provide virtual reality support in implementing surgical procedures, with additional control of risks and within the limits of normal tissue, without additional trauma to the surrounding tissue in the anatomic region. At the same time, the virtual reality support provides an impression of the virtual world as the specialist navigates through it and manipulates virtual objects.

2D virtual texture on 3D real object with coded structured light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molinier, Thierry; Fofi, David; Salvi, Joaquim; Gorria, Patrick

2008-02-01

Augmented reality is used to improve color segmentation on human body or on precious no touch artifacts. We propose a technique to project a synthesized texture on real object without contact. Our technique can be used in medical or archaeological application. By projecting a suitable set of light patterns onto the surface of a 3D real object and by capturing images with a camera, a large number of correspondences can be found and the 3D points can be reconstructed. We aim to determine these points of correspondence between cameras and projector from a scene without explicit points and normals. We then project an adjusted texture onto the real object surface. We propose a global and automatic method to virtually texture a 3D real object.

[Tools for laparoscopic skill development - available trainers and simulators].

PubMed

Jaksa, László; Haidegger, Tamás; Galambos, Péter; Kiss, Rita

2017-10-01

The laparoscopic minimally invasive surgical technique is widely employed on a global scale. However, the efficient and ethical teaching of this technique requires equipment for surgical simulation. These educational devices are present on the market in the form of box trainers and virtual reality simulators, or some combination of those. In this article, we present a systematic overview of commercially available surgical simulators describing the most important features of each product. Our overview elaborates on box trainers and virtual reality simulators, and also touches on surgical robotics simulators, together with operating room workflow simulators, for the sake of completeness. Apart from presenting educational tools, we evaluated the literature of laparoscopic surgical education and simulation, to provide a complete picture of the unfolding trends in this field. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(40): 1570-1576.

Dental optical coherence domain reflectometry explorer

DOEpatents

Everett, Matthew J.; Colston, Jr., Billy W.; Sathyam, Ujwal S.; Da Silva, Luiz B.

2001-01-01

A hand-held, fiber optic based dental device with optical coherence domain reflectometry (OCDR) sensing capabilities provides a profile of optical scattering as a function of depth in the tissue at the point where the tip of the dental explorer touches the tissue. This system provides information on the internal structure of the dental tissue, which is then used to detect caries and periodontal disease. A series of profiles of optical scattering or tissue microstructure are generated by moving the explorer across the tooth or other tissue. The profiles are combined to form a cross-sectional, or optical coherence tomography (OCT), image.

Neuroelectric Virtual Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Kevin; Jorgensen, Charles

2000-01-01

This paper presents recent results in neuroelectric pattern recognition of electromyographic (EMG) signals used to control virtual computer input devices. The devices are designed to substitute for the functions of both a traditional joystick and keyboard entry method. We demonstrate recognition accuracy through neuroelectric control of a 757 class simulation aircraft landing at San Francisco International Airport using a virtual joystick as shown. This is accomplished by a pilot closing his fist in empty air and performing control movements that are captured by a dry electrode array on the arm which are then analyzed and routed through a flight director permitting full pilot outer loop control of the simulation. We then demonstrate finer grain motor pattern recognition through a virtual keyboard by having a typist tap his traders on a typical desk in a touch typist position. The EMG signals are then translated to keyboard presses and displayed. The paper describes the bioelectric pattern recognition methodology common to both examples. Figure 2 depicts raw EMG data from typing, the numeral '8' and the numeral '9'. These two gestures are very close in appearance and statistical properties yet are distinguishable by our hidden Kharkov model algorithms. Extensions of this work to NASA emissions and robotic control are considered.

Nomad devices for interactions in immersive virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Paul; Kemeny, Andras; Merienne, Frédéric; Chardonnet, Jean-Rémy; Thouvenin, Indira Mouttapa; Posselt, Javier; Icart, Emmanuel

2013-03-01

Renault is currently setting up a new CAVE™, a 5 rear-projected wall virtual reality room with a combined 3D resolution of 100 Mpixels, distributed over sixteen 4k projectors and two 2k projector as well as an additional 3D HD collaborative powerwall. Renault's CAVE™ aims at answering needs of the various vehicle conception steps [1]. Starting from vehicle Design, through the subsequent Engineering steps, Ergonomic evaluation and perceived quality control, Renault has built up a list of use-cases and carried out an early software evaluation in the four sided CAVE™ of Institute Image, called MOVE. One goal of the project is to study interactions in a CAVE™, especially with nomad devices such as IPhone or IPad to manipulate virtual objects and to develop visualization possibilities. Inspired by nomad devices current uses (multi-touch gestures, IPhone UI look'n'feel and AR applications), we have implemented an early feature set taking advantage of these popular input devices. In this paper, we present its performance through measurement data collected in our test platform, a 4-sided homemade low-cost virtual reality room, powered by ultra-short-range and standard HD home projectors.

Effect of Load Carriage on Upper Limb Performance.

PubMed

Hadid, Amir; Katz, Inbar; Haker, Tal; Zeilig, Gabi; Defrin, Ruth; Epstein, Yoram; Gefen, Amit

2017-05-01

Carrying heavy backpacks are often associated with shoulder discomfort or pain, loss of sensorimotor functions, and brachial plexus injuries that might hamper performance. On the basis of previous research, the cause of these symptoms could be tissue deformations of the brachial plexus and the subclavian artery caused by the shoulder straps. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the upper extremity hemodynamic and neural function and to assess how they are associated with brachial plexus tissue deformation during heavy load carriage. Ten young healthy adults carried for 45 min a backpack load (40% of their body weight) while standing freely, followed by 15 min of recovery (unloaded). Index-finger microvascular flow and sensorimotor function were measured before and after carrying the load, and after recovery. The following sensorimotor functions were measured: light touch thresholds by the index finger and little finger, forearm thermal sensation thresholds, and gross motor function. In addition, marksmanship accuracy, as an indication for fine motor function, was tested. Load carriage resulted in an average decrease of ~40% in microvascular flow and a significant decrement in light touch sensation (P < 0.05), but not in thermal sensation and gross motor functions. An increase in the light touch threshold was highly correlated with a reduced index-finger microvascular blood flow (r = 0.79, P = 0.007). These physiological effects were associated with a functional 34% decrement in the accuracy of target acquisition. Heavy load carriage resulted in impaired light touch sensitivity and fine motor function, which were associated with reduced finger microvascular blood flow.

Air Force System Safety Handbook, Designing the Safest Possible Systems Consistent with Mission Requirements and Cost Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-07-01

acceptance is not as simple a matter as it may first appear. Several points must be kept in mind. (1) Risk is a fundamental reality . (2) Risk...1) Proper preparation of an SSPP requires coming to grips with the hard realities of program execution. It involves the exami- nation and...Interfaces. (32:48) Since the conduct of a system safety program will eventually touch on virtually every other element of a system devel- opment program, a

USGS: providing scientific understanding of the sagebrush biome

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

Early explorers wrote about the vast sea of sagebrush that stretched in front of them. Today, the consequences of land-use practices, invasion by exotic plants, and altered disturbance regimes have touched virtually all of these seemingly endless expanses. Increasing human populations in the western United States, the infrastructure necessary to support these populations, and a growing demand for natural resources exert a large influence. Changes within the biome have resulted in its designation as one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America.

Examining New Technologies, Legislation, Standards and Budgets [and] Libraries: Global Reach, Local Touch [and] Achieving Professional Standards [and] Putting Knowledge To Work [and] View from the Head of the Table [and] Copyright is My Life [and] Leadership in Library and Information Services [and] PIALA in Micronesia [and] Te Rau Herenga.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voogt, Leo; Ford, Barbara J.; Hendry, J.; Bender, David; Field, Judy; Whitney, Paul; Adams, Karen; Crotts, Joanne Tarpley; Cooper, Sue

1997-01-01

Representatives from seven international library associations give a global view of the library and information sector by outlining goals of the international library association and discussing information literacy, repositioning libraries at the center of the information society, "virtual associations," reassessing library roles and…

Impact of irrigation flow rate and intrapericardial fluid on cooled-tip epicardial radiofrequency ablation.

PubMed

Aryana, Arash; O'Neill, Padraig Gearoid; Pujara, Deep K; Singh, Steve K; Bowers, Mark R; Allen, Shelley L; d'Avila, André

2016-08-01

The optimal irrigation flow rate (IFR) during epicardial radiofrequency (RF) ablation has not been established. This study specifically examined the impact of IFR and intrapericardial fluid (IPF) accumulation during epicardial RF ablation. Altogether, 452 ex vivo RF applications (10 g for 60 seconds) delivered to the epicardial surface of bovine myocardium using 3 open-irrigated ablation catheters (ThermoCool SmartTouch, ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF, and FlexAbility) and 50 in vivo RF applications delivered (ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF) in 4 healthy adult swine in the presence or absence of IPF were examined. Ex vivo, RF was delivered at low (≤3 mL/min), reduced (5-7 mL/min), and high (≥10 mL/min) IFRs using intermediate (25-35 W) and high (35-45 W) power. In vivo, applications were delivered (at 9.3 ± 2.2 g for 60 seconds at 39 W) using reduced (5 mL/min) and high (15 mL/min) IFRs. Ex vivo, surface lesion diameter inversely correlated with IFR, whereas maximum lesion diameter and depth did not differ. While steam pops occurred more frequently at low IFR using high power (ThermoCool SmartTouch and ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF), tissue disruption was rare and did not vary with IFR. In vivo, charring/steam pop was not detected. Although there were no discernible differences in lesion size with IFR, surface lesion diameter, maximum diameter, depth, and volume were all smaller in the presence of IPF at both IFRs. Cooled-tip epicardial RF ablation created using reduced IFRs (5-7 mL/min) yields lesion sizes similar to those created using high IFRs (≥10 mL/min) without an increase in steam pop/tissue disruption, whereas the presence of IPF significantly reduces the lesion size. Copyright © 2016 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Usage Position and Virtual Keyboard Design Affect Upper-Body Kinematics, Discomfort, and Usability during Prolonged Tablet Typing

PubMed Central

Lin, Ming-I Brandon; Hong, Ruei-Hong; Chang, Jer-Hao; Ke, Xin-Min

2015-01-01

Purpose The increase in tablet usage allows people to perform computer work in non-traditional office environments. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of changes in tablet keyboard design on postures of the upper extremities and neck, discomfort, and usability under different usage positions during prolonged touch-typing. Methods Eighteen healthy participants familiar with touch-screen devices were randomized into three usage positions (desk, lap, and bed) and completed six, 60-minute typing sessions using three virtual keyboard designs (standard, wide, split). Electrogoniometers continuously measured the postures of the wrists, elbow, and neck. Body discomfort and system usability were evaluated by questionnaires before and immediately after each typing session. Results Separate linear mixed effects models on various postural measures and subjective ratings are conducted with usage position as the between-subject factors, keyboard design and typing duration as the with-in subject factors were conducted. Using the tablet in bed led to more extended wrists but a more natural elbow flexion than the desk position. The angled split virtual keyboard significantly reduced the extent of wrist ulnar deviation than the keyboard with either standard or wide design. However, little difference was observed across the usage position and keyboard design. When the postural data were compared between the middle and end of typing sessions, the wrists, elbow, and neck all exhibited a substantially increased range of joint movements (13% to 38%). The discomfort rating also increased significantly over time in every upper body region investigated. Additionally, the split keyboard design received a higher usability rating in the bed position, whereas participants had more satisfactory experience while using the wide keyboard in the traditional desk setting. Conclusions Prolonged use of tablets in non-traditional office environments may result in awkward postures in the upper body that may expose users to greater risks of developing musculoskeletal symptoms. Adequate virtual keyboard designs show the potential to alleviate some postural effects and improve the user experience without changing the tablet form factors. PMID:26629989

Effects of Therapeutic Touch on Healing of the Skin in Rats.

PubMed

Thomaz de Souza, André Luiz; Carvalho Rosa, David Patrick; Blanco, Bruno Anjos; Passaglia, Patrícia; Stabile, Angelita Maria

Therapeutic touch is a complementary treatment directed toward the balance of the energy field surrounding living beings. This study's aim was to investigate the effect of therapeutic touch on wound area contraction and fibroblast proliferation in rat skin. This study was conducted using 24 male Wistar rats with dorsal wounds of diameter 8mm. The rats were divided into the following two groups: a control group: in this, the wounds were sanitized with filtered water and neutral-pH soap and a treatment group: in this, the wounds were sanitized as in the control group but the rats also underwent to daily sessions of therapeutic touch. Wound area was measured on days 1, 4, and 7 using imagelab software, version 2.4 R.C. On days 4 and 7, six animals in each group were euthanized so that the lesioned tissue could be collected for fibroblast counts and histological evaluations. On days 1 and 4, wound areas were similar in both groups. Moreover, no significant differences in fibroblast counts were observed on day 4. On day 7, however, fibroblast counts were significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group, with a subsequent wound shrinkage. These data indicate that therapeutic touch may accelerate wound repair, possibly by increasing fibroblast activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanically Compliant Electronic Materials for Wearable Photovoltaics and Human-Machine Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Timothy Francis, III

Applications of stretchable electronic materials for human-machine interfaces are described herein. Intrinsically stretchable organic conjugated polymers and stretchable electronic composites were used to develop stretchable organic photovoltaics (OPVs), mechanically robust wearable OPVs, and human-machine interfaces for gesture recognition, American Sign Language Translation, haptic control of robots, and touch emulation for virtual reality, augmented reality, and the transmission of touch. The stretchable and wearable OPVs comprise active layers of poly-3-alkylthiophene:phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3AT:PCBM) and transparent conductive electrodes of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and devices could only be fabricated through a deep understanding of the connection between molecular structure and the co-engineering of electronic performance with mechanical resilience. The talk concludes with the use of composite piezoresistive sensors two smart glove prototypes. The first integrates stretchable strain sensors comprising a carbon-elastomer composite, a wearable microcontroller, low energy Bluetooth, and a 6-axis accelerometer/gyroscope to construct a fully functional gesture recognition glove capable of wirelessly translating American Sign Language to text on a cell phone screen. The second creates a system for the haptic control of a 3D printed robot arm, as well as the transmission of touch and temperature information.

Virtual Plant Tissue: Building Blocks for Next-Generation Plant Growth Simulation

PubMed Central

De Vos, Dirk; Dzhurakhalov, Abdiravuf; Stijven, Sean; Klosiewicz, Przemyslaw; Beemster, Gerrit T. S.; Broeckhove, Jan

2017-01-01

Motivation: Computational modeling of plant developmental processes is becoming increasingly important. Cellular resolution plant tissue simulators have been developed, yet they are typically describing physiological processes in an isolated way, strongly delimited in space and time. Results: With plant systems biology moving toward an integrative perspective on development we have built the Virtual Plant Tissue (VPTissue) package to couple functional modules or models in the same framework and across different frameworks. Multiple levels of model integration and coordination enable combining existing and new models from different sources, with diverse options in terms of input/output. Besides the core simulator the toolset also comprises a tissue editor for manipulating tissue geometry and cell, wall, and node attributes in an interactive manner. A parameter exploration tool is available to study parameter dependence of simulation results by distributing calculations over multiple systems. Availability: Virtual Plant Tissue is available as open source (EUPL license) on Bitbucket (https://bitbucket.org/vptissue/vptissue). The project has a website https://vptissue.bitbucket.io. PMID:28523006

Simulating Microdosimetry of Environmental Chemicals for EPA’s Virtual Liver

EPA Science Inventory

US EPA Virtual Liver (v-Liver) is a cellular systems model of hepatic tissues aimed at predicting chemical-induced adverse effects through agent-based modeling. A primary objective of the project is to extrapolate in vitro data to in vivo outcomes. Agent-based approaches to tissu...

The spontaneous return of sensibility in breasts reconstructed with autologous tissues.

PubMed

Shaw, W W; Orringer, J S; Ko, C Y; Ratto, L L; Mersmann, C A

1997-02-01

Some spontaneous return of sensibility following autologous tissue breast reconstruction is often suspected but not well documented. In the present study, objective touch-pressure, pain, temperature, and vibratory sensibilities were recorded in 33 autologous breast reconstructions at an average of 25.2 months postoperatively. Correlation of the sensory return with patients' satisfaction toward reconstruction was done by a detailed questionnaire. All except one patient regained a variety of sensibilities touch pressure in 97 percent of patients (averaging 81.05 gm/mm2 versus control of 7.98 gm/mm2), pain in 88 percent of patients, heat in 64 percent of patients (45 percent of quadrants), cold in 82 percent of patients (67 percent of quadrants), and high- and low-frequency vibration in 100 percent of patients (high in 90 percent of quadrants, low in 96 percent). Subjectively, 94 percent considered their chest comfortable to touch following reconstruction compared with 34 percent following mastectomy. On a scale from 1 to 10, patients rated their reconstructions an average of 9.3. Our findings confirm the spontaneous return of sensibility following a variety of autologous tissue breast reconstructions. The value of the sensory return is suggested by the high degree of satisfaction in nearly all patients. Further attempts to correlate the degree of sensory return with the degree of satisfaction were inconclusive because of the uniformly high satisfaction reported by the patients. The mechanism of reinnervation appears to come both from the skin margins and from the deep surface of the flap. Future developments in breast reconstruction should take into consideration the eventual quality of sensory return.

Evaluation of Wearable Haptic Systems for the Fingers in Augmented Reality Applications.

PubMed

Maisto, Maurizio; Pacchierotti, Claudio; Chinello, Francesco; Salvietti, Gionata; De Luca, Alessandro; Prattichizzo, Domenico

2017-01-01

Although Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for almost five decades, only recently we have witnessed AR systems and applications entering in our everyday life. Representative examples of this technological revolution are the smartphone games "Pokémon GO" and "Ingress" or the Google Translate real-time sign interpretation app. Even if AR applications are already quite compelling and widespread, users are still not able to physically interact with the computer-generated reality. In this respect, wearable haptics can provide the compelling illusion of touching the superimposed virtual objects without constraining the motion or the workspace of the user. In this paper, we present the experimental evaluation of two wearable haptic interfaces for the fingers in three AR scenarios, enrolling 38 participants. In the first experiment, subjects were requested to write on a virtual board using a real chalk. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces between the chalk and the board. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to pick and place virtual and real objects. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces due to the weight of the virtual objects. In the third experiment, subjects were asked to balance a virtual sphere on a real cardboard. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces due to the weight of the virtual sphere rolling on the cardboard. Providing haptic feedback through the considered wearable device significantly improved the performance of all the considered tasks. Moreover, subjects significantly preferred conditions providing wearable haptic feedback.

Impact of Virtual Touch Quantification in Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse for Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss in Chronic Liver Diseases

PubMed Central

Nishikawa, Hiroki; Nishimura, Takashi; Enomoto, Hirayuki; Iwata, Yoshinori; Ishii, Akio; Miyamoto, Yuho; Ishii, Noriko; Yuri, Yukihisa; Takata, Ryo; Hasegawa, Kunihiro; Nakano, Chikage; Yoh, Kazunori; Aizawa, Nobuhiro; Sakai, Yoshiyuki; Ikeda, Naoto; Takashima, Tomoyuki; Nishiguchi, Shuhei; Iijima, Hiroko

2017-01-01

Background and aims: We sought to clarify the relationship between virtual touch quantification (VTQ) in acoustic radiation force impulse and skeletal muscle mass as assessed by bio-electronic impedance analysis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs, n = 468, 222 males and 246 females, median age = 62 years). Patients and methods: Decreased skeletal muscle index (D-SMI) was defined as skeletal muscle index (SMI) <7.0 kg/m2 for males and as SMI <5.7 kg/m2 for females, according to the recommendations in current Japanese guidelines. We examined the correlation between SMI and VTQ levels and investigated factors linked to D-SMI in the univariate and multivariate analyses. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) for the presence of D-SMI was also calculated. Results: In patients with D-SMI, the median VTQ level was 1.64 meters/second (m/s) (range, 0.93–4.32 m/s), while in patients without D-SMI, the median VTQ level was 1.11 m/s (range, 0.67–4.09 m/s) (p < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, higher VTQ was found to be an independent predictor linked to the presence of D-SMI (p < 0.0001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, body mass index had the highest AUROC (0.805), followed by age (0.721) and VTQ (0.706). Conclusion: VTQ levels can be useful for predicting D-SMI in patients with CLDs. PMID:28621757

An efficient and scalable deformable model for virtual reality-based medical applications.

PubMed

Choi, Kup-Sze; Sun, Hanqiu; Heng, Pheng-Ann

2004-09-01

Modeling of tissue deformation is of great importance to virtual reality (VR)-based medical simulations. Considerable effort has been dedicated to the development of interactively deformable virtual tissues. In this paper, an efficient and scalable deformable model is presented for virtual-reality-based medical applications. It considers deformation as a localized force transmittal process which is governed by algorithms based on breadth-first search (BFS). The computational speed is scalable to facilitate real-time interaction by adjusting the penetration depth. Simulated annealing (SA) algorithms are developed to optimize the model parameters by using the reference data generated with the linear static finite element method (FEM). The mechanical behavior and timing performance of the model have been evaluated. The model has been applied to simulate the typical behavior of living tissues and anisotropic materials. Integration with a haptic device has also been achieved on a generic personal computer (PC) platform. The proposed technique provides a feasible solution for VR-based medical simulations and has the potential for multi-user collaborative work in virtual environment.

Tactile exploration of virtual objects for blind and sighted people: the role of beta 1 EEG band in sensory substitution and supramodal mental mapping

PubMed Central

Brayda, L.; De Carli, F.; Chellali, R.; Famà, F.; Bruzzo, C.; Lucagrossi, L.; Rodriguez, G.

2012-01-01

The neural correlates of exploration and cognitive mapping in blindness remain elusive. The role of visuo-spatial pathways in blind vs. sighted subjects is still under debate. In this preliminary study, we investigate, as a possible estimation of the activity in the visuo-spatial pathways, the EEG patterns of blind and blindfolded-sighted subjects during the active tactile construction of cognitive maps from virtual objects compared with rest and passive tactile stimulation. Ten blind and ten matched, blindfolded-sighted subjects participated in the study. Events were defined as moments when the finger was only stimulated (passive stimulation) or the contour of a virtual object was touched (during active exploration). Event-related spectral power and coherence perturbations were evaluated within the beta 1 band (14–18 Hz). They were then related to a subjective cognitive-load estimation required by the explorations [namely, perceived levels of difficulty (PLD)]. We found complementary cues for sensory substitution and spatial processing in both groups: both blind and sighted subjects showed, while exploring, late power decreases and early power increases, potentially associated with motor programming and touch, respectively. The latter involved occipital areas only for blind subjects (long-term plasticity) and only during active exploration, thus supporting tactile-to-visual sensory substitution. In both groups, coherences emerged among the fronto-central, centro-parietal, and occipito-temporal derivations associated with visuo-spatial processing. This seems in accordance with mental map construction involving spatial processing, sensory-motor processing, and working memory. The observed involvement of the occipital regions suggests that a substitution process also occurs in sighted subjects. Only during explorations did coherence correlate positively with PLD for both groups and in derivations, which can be related to visuo-spatial processing, supporting the existence of supramodal spatial processing independently of vision capabilities. PMID:22338024

First-Person Perspective Virtual Body Posture Influences Stress: A Virtual Reality Body Ownership Study

PubMed Central

Bergström, Ilias; Kilteni, Konstantina; Slater, Mel

2016-01-01

In immersive virtual reality (IVR) it is possible to replace a person’s real body by a life-sized virtual body that is seen from first person perspective to visually substitute their own. Multisensory feedback from the virtual to the real body (such as the correspondence of touch and also movement) can also be present. Under these conditions participants typically experience a subjective body ownership illusion (BOI) over the virtual body, even though they know that it is not their real one. In most studies and applications the posture of the real and virtual bodies are as similar as possible. Here we were interested in whether the BOI is diminished when there are gross discrepancies between the real and virtual body postures. We also explored whether a comfortable or uncomfortable virtual body posture would induce feelings and physiological responses commensurate with the posture. We carried out an experiment with 31 participants in IVR realized with a wide field-of-view head-mounted display. All participants were comfortably seated. Sixteen of them were embodied in a virtual body designed to be in a comfortable posture, and the remainder in an uncomfortable posture. The results suggest that the uncomfortable body posture led to lesser subjective BOI than the comfortable one, but that participants in the uncomfortable posture experienced greater awareness of their autonomic physiological responses. Moreover their heart rate, heart rate variability, and the number of mistakes in a cognitive task were associated with the strength of their BOI in the uncomfortable posture: greater heart rate, lower heart rate variability and more mistakes were associated with higher levels of the BOI. These findings point in a consistent direction—that the BOI over a body that is in an uncomfortable posture can lead to subjective, physiological and cognitive effects consistent with discomfort that do not occur with the BOI over a body in a comfortable posture. PMID:26828365

Development of a virtual reality training system for endoscope-assisted submandibular gland removal.

PubMed

Miki, Takehiro; Iwai, Toshinori; Kotani, Kazunori; Dang, Jianwu; Sawada, Hideyuki; Miyake, Minoru

2016-11-01

Endoscope-assisted surgery has widely been adopted as a basic surgical procedure, with various training systems using virtual reality developed for this procedure. In the present study, a basic training system comprising virtual reality for the removal of submandibular glands under endoscope assistance was developed. The efficacy of the training system was verified in novice oral surgeons. A virtual reality training system was developed using existing haptic devices. Virtual reality models were constructed from computed tomography data to ensure anatomical accuracy. Novice oral surgeons were trained using the developed virtual reality training system. The developed virtual reality training system included models of the submandibular gland and surrounding connective tissues and blood vessels entering the submandibular gland. Cutting or abrasion of the connective tissue and manipulations, such as elevation of blood vessels, were reproduced by the virtual reality system. A training program using the developed system was devised. Novice oral surgeons were trained in accordance with the devised training program. Our virtual reality training system for endoscope-assisted removal of the submandibular gland is effective in the training of novice oral surgeons in endoscope-assisted surgery. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Validation of an endothelial roll preparation for Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty by a cornea bank using "no touch" dissection technique.

PubMed

Marty, Anne-Sophie; Burillon, Carole; Desanlis, Adeline; Damour, Odile; Kocaba, Viridiana; Auxenfans, Céline

2016-06-01

Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) selectively replaces the damaged posterior part of the cornea. However, the DMEK technique relies on a manually-performed dissection that is time-consuming, requires training and presents a potential risk of endothelial graft damages leading to surgery postponement when performed by surgeons in the operative room. To validate precut corneal tissue preparation for DMEK provided by a cornea bank in order to supply a quality and security precut endothelial tissue. The protocol was a technology transfer from the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS) to Lyon Cornea Bank, after formation in NIIOS to the DMEK "no touch" dissection technique. The technique has been validated in selected conditions (materials, microscope) and after a learning curve, cornea bank technicians prepared endothelial tissue for DMEK. Endothelial cells densities (ECD) were evaluated before and after preparation, after storage and transport to the surgery room. Microbiological and histological controls have been done. Twenty corneas were manually dissected; 18 without tears. Nineteen endothelial grafts formed a double roll. The ECD loss after cutting was 3.3 % (n = 19). After transportation 7 days later, we found an ECD loss of 25 % (n = 12). Three days after cutting and transportation, we found 2.1 % of ECD loss (n = 7). Histology found an endothelial cells monolayer lying on Descemet membrane. The mean thickness was 12 ± 2.2 µm (n = 4). No microbial contamination was found (n = 19). Endothelial roll stability has been validated at 3 days in our cornea bank. Cornea bank technicians trained can deliver to surgeons an ECD controlled, safety and ready to use endothelial tissue, for DMEK by "no touch" technique, allowing time saving, quality and security for surgeons.

Active tactile exploration using a brain-machine-brain interface.

PubMed

O'Doherty, Joseph E; Lebedev, Mikhail A; Ifft, Peter J; Zhuang, Katie Z; Shokur, Solaiman; Bleuler, Hannes; Nicolelis, Miguel A L

2011-10-05

Brain-machine interfaces use neuronal activity recorded from the brain to establish direct communication with external actuators, such as prosthetic arms. It is hoped that brain-machine interfaces can be used to restore the normal sensorimotor functions of the limbs, but so far they have lacked tactile sensation. Here we report the operation of a brain-machine-brain interface (BMBI) that both controls the exploratory reaching movements of an actuator and allows signalling of artificial tactile feedback through intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) of the primary somatosensory cortex. Monkeys performed an active exploration task in which an actuator (a computer cursor or a virtual-reality arm) was moved using a BMBI that derived motor commands from neuronal ensemble activity recorded in the primary motor cortex. ICMS feedback occurred whenever the actuator touched virtual objects. Temporal patterns of ICMS encoded the artificial tactile properties of each object. Neuronal recordings and ICMS epochs were temporally multiplexed to avoid interference. Two monkeys operated this BMBI to search for and distinguish one of three visually identical objects, using the virtual-reality arm to identify the unique artificial texture associated with each. These results suggest that clinical motor neuroprostheses might benefit from the addition of ICMS feedback to generate artificial somatic perceptions associated with mechanical, robotic or even virtual prostheses.

Weintek interfaces for controlling the position of a robotic arm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barz, C.; Ilia, M.; Ilut, T.; Pop-Vadean, A.; Pop, P. P.; Dragan, F.

2016-08-01

The paper presents the use of Weintek panels to control the position of a robotic arm, operated step by step on the three motor axes. PLC control interface is designed with a Weintek touch screen. The HMI Weintek eMT3070a is the user interface in the process command of the PLC. This HMI controls the local PLC, entering the coordinate on the axes X, Y and Z. The subject allows the development in a virtual environment for e-learning and monitoring the robotic arm actions.

Hypermedia = hypercommunication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laff, Mark R.

1990-01-01

New hardware and software technology gave application designers the freedom to use new realism in human computer interaction. High-quality images, motion video, stereo sound and music, speech, touch, gesture provide richer data channels between the person and the machine. Ultimately, this will lead to richer communication between people with the computer as an intermediary. The whole point of hyper-books, hyper-newspapers, virtual worlds, is to transfer the concept and relationships, the 'data structure', from the mind of creator to that of user. Some of the characteristics of this rich information channel are discussed, and some examples are presented.

Concise Review: Tissue-Engineered Skin and Nerve Regeneration in Burn Treatment

PubMed Central

Blais, Mathieu; Parenteau-Bareil, Rémi; Cadau, Sébastien

2013-01-01

Burns not only destroy the barrier function of the skin but also alter the perceptions of pain, temperature, and touch. Different strategies have been developed over the years to cover deep and extensive burns with the ultimate goal of regenerating the barrier function of the epidermis while recovering an acceptable aesthetic aspect. However, patients often complain about a loss of skin sensation and even cutaneous chronic pain. Cutaneous nerve regeneration can occur from the nerve endings of the wound bed, but it is often compromised by scar formation or anarchic wound healing. Restoration of pain, temperature, and touch perceptions should now be a major challenge to solve in order to improve patients' quality of life. In addition, the cutaneous nerve network has been recently highlighted to play an important role in epidermal homeostasis and may be essential at least in the early phase of wound healing through the induction of neurogenic inflammation. Although the nerve regeneration process was studied largely in the context of nerve transections, very few studies have been aimed at developing strategies to improve it in the context of cutaneous wound healing. In this concise review, we provide a description of the characteristics of and current treatments for extensive burns, including tissue-engineered skin approaches to improve cutaneous nerve regeneration, and describe prospective uses for autologous skin-derived adult stem cells to enhance recovery of the skin's sense of touch. PMID:23734060

Proximity and touch sensing using deformable ionic conductors (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madden, John D. W.; Dobashi, Yuta; Sarwar, Mirza S.; Preston, Eden C.; Wyss, Justin K. M.; Woehling, Vincent; Nguyen, Tran-Minh-Giao; Plesse, Cedric; Vidal, Frédéric; Naficy, Sina; Spinks, Geoffrey M.

2017-04-01

There is increasing interest in creating bendable and stretchable electronic interfaces that can be worn or applied to virtually any surface. The electroactive polymer community is well placed to add value by incorporating sensors and actuators. Recent work has demonstrated transparent dielectric elastomer actuation as well as pressure, stretch or touch sensing. Here we present two alternative forms of sensing. The first uses ionically conductive and stretchable gels as electrodes in capacitive sensors that detect finger proximity. In this case the finger acts as a third electrode, reducing capacitance between the two gel electrodes as it approaches, which can be detected even during bending and stretching. Very light finger touch is readily detected even during deformation of the substrate. Lateral resolution is achieved by creating a sensor array. In the second approach, electrodes placed beneath a salt containing gel are able to detect ion currents generated by the deformation of the gel. In this approach, applied pressure results in ion currents that create a potential difference around the point of contact, leading to a voltage and current in the electrodes without any need for input electrical energy. The mechanism may be related to effects seen in ionomeric polymer metal composites (IPMCs), but with the response in plane rather than through the thickness of the film. Ultimately, these ionically conductive materials that can also be transparent and actuate, have the potential to be used in wearable devices.

PyMOL mControl: Manipulating molecular visualization with mobile devices.

PubMed

Lam, Wendy W T; Siu, Shirley W I

2017-01-02

Viewing and manipulating three-dimensional (3D) structures in molecular graphics software are essential tasks for researchers and students to understand the functions of molecules. Currently, the way to manipulate a 3D molecular object is mainly based on mouse-and-keyboard control that is usually difficult and tedious to learn. While gesture-based and touch-based interactions are increasingly popular in interactive software systems, their suitability in handling molecular graphics has not yet been sufficiently explored. Here, we designed the gesture-based and touch-based interaction methods to manipulate virtual objects in PyMOL utilizing the motion and touch sensors in a mobile device. Three fundamental viewing controls-zooming, translation and rotation-and frequently used functions were implemented. Results from a pilot user study reveal that task performances on viewing controls using a mobile device are slightly reduced as compared to mouse-and-keyboard method. However, it is considered to be more suitable for oral presentations and equally suitable for education scenarios such as school classes. Overall, PyMOL mControl provides an alternative way to manipulate objects in molecular graphic software with new user experiences. The software is freely available at http://cbbio.cis.umac.mo/mcontrol.html. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):76-83, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Using Virtual Microscopy to Scaffold Learning of Pathology: A Naturalistic Experiment on the Role of Visual and Conceptual Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nivala, Markus; Saljo, Roger; Rystedt, Hans; Kronqvist, Pauliina; Lehtinen, Erno

2012-01-01

New representational technologies, such as virtual microscopy, create new affordances for medical education. In the article, a study on the following two issues is reported: (a) How does collaborative use of virtual microscopy shape students' engagement with and learning from virtual slides of tissue specimen? (b) How do visual and conceptual cues…

Study of the tactile perception of bathroom tissues: Comparison between the sensory evaluation by a handfeel panel and a tribo-acoustic artificial finger.

PubMed

Thieulin, C; Pailler-Mattei, C; Vargiolu, R; Lancelot, S; Zahouani, H

2017-02-01

Tactile perception is one of the sensorial modes most stimulated by our daily environment. In particular, perceived softness is an important parameter for judging the sensory quality of surfaces and fabrics. Unfortunately, its assessment greatly depends on the tactile sense of each person, which in turn depends on many factors. Currently, the predominant method for evaluating the tactile perception of fabrics is the human handfeel panel. This qualitative approach does not permit the quantitative measure of touch feel perception. In this study, we present a new artificial finger device to investigate the tactile sensing of ten bathroom tissues. It enables simultaneously measuring the friction and vibrations caused when sliding an artificial finger on the surface of the tissue. The comparison between the results obtained with the artificial finger and the tactile perception evaluated using a handfeel panel showed that the artificial finger is able to separate the two parts of the tactile perception of bathroom tissues: softness and surface texture (velvetiness). The statistical analysis suggests that there is a good correlation between the vibrations measured with the artificial finger and the softness evaluated by the panel. It then shows that the friction measured by the artificial finger is related to the surface texture of a bathroom tissue. The ability of the artificial finger to mimic human touch is demonstrated. Finally, a Principal Component Analysis orders the signatures of the tactile perception of the bathroom tissues in four different groups. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Elastography for Efficacy Evaluation after Hepatocellular Carcinoma Radiofrequency Ablation: A Comparative Study with Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

PubMed Central

Xu, Xiaohong; Luo, Liangping; Chen, Jiexin; Wang, Jiexin; Zhou, Honglian; Li, Mingyi; Jin, Zhanqiang; Chen, Nianping; Miao, Huilai; Lin, Manzhou; Dai, Wei; Ahuja, Anil T.; Wang, Yi-Xiang J.

2014-01-01

Aim. To explore acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in assessing residual tumors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Materials and Methods. There were 83 HCC lesions among 72 patients. All patients were examined with ARFI, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and CT or MRI. Tumor brightness on virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and shear wave velocity (SWV) were assessed before and approximately one month after RFA. Results. There were 14 residual tumors after RFA. VTI showed that all the tumors were darker after RFA. VTI was not able to distinguish the ablated lesions and the residual tumors. 13 residual tumor lesions were detected by CEUS. All completely ablated nodules had SWV demonstration of x.xx., while with those residual nodules, 6 tumors had x.xx measurement and 8 tumors had measurable SWV. nine lesions with residual tumors occurred in cirrhosis subjects and 5 lesions with residual tumors occurred in fibrosis subjects; there was no residual tumor in the normal liver subjects. Conclusion. VTI technique cannot demonstrate residual tumor post RFA. While SWV measurement of less than x.xx is likely associated with residual tumors, measurement of less than x.xx cannot exclude residual tumors. Liver cirrhosis is associated with decreased chance of a complete ablation. PMID:24895624

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Technology in the Differential Diagnosis of Solid Breast Masses with Different Sizes: Which Features Are Most Efficient?

PubMed

Bai, Min; Zhang, Hui-Ping; Xing, Jin-Fang; Shi, Qiu-Sheng; Gu, Ji-Ying; Li, Fan; Chen, Hui-Li; Zhang, Xue-Mei; Fang, Yun; Du, Lian-Fang

2015-01-01

To evaluate diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for solid breast masses with different sizes and determine which features are most efficient. 271 solid breast masses in 242 women were examined with ARFI, and their shear wave velocities (SWVs), Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) patterns, and area ratios (ARs) were measured and compared with their histopathological outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were calculated to assess diagnostic performance of ARFI for small masses (6-14 mm) and big masses (15-30 mm). SWV of mass was shown to be positively associated with mass size (P < 0.001). For small masses, area under ROC (Az) of AR was larger than that of SWV (P < 0.001) and VTI pattern (P < 0.001); no significant difference was found between Az of SWV and that of VTI pattern (P = 0.906). For big masses, Az of VTI pattern was less than that of SWV (P = 0.008) and AR (P = 0.002); no significant difference was identified between Az of SWV and that of AR (P = 0.584). For big masses, SWV and AR are both efficient measures; nevertheless, for small masses, AR seems to be the best feature.

Tools virtualization for command and control systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piszczek, Marek; Maciejewski, Marcin; Pomianek, Mateusz; Szustakowski, Mieczysław

2017-10-01

Information management is an inseparable part of the command process. The result is that the person making decisions at the command post interacts with data providing devices in various ways. Tools virtualization process can introduce a number of significant modifications in the design of solutions for management and command. The general idea involves replacing physical devices user interface with their digital representation (so-called Virtual instruments). A more advanced level of the systems "digitalization" is to use the mixed reality environments. In solutions using Augmented reality (AR) customized HMI is displayed to the operator when he approaches to each device. Identification of device is done by image recognition of photo codes. Visualization is achieved by (optical) see-through head mounted display (HMD). Control can be done for example by means of a handheld touch panel. Using the immersive virtual environment, the command center can be digitally reconstructed. Workstation requires only VR system (HMD) and access to information network. Operator can interact with devices in such a way as it would perform in real world (for example with the virtual hands). Because of their procedures (an analysis of central vision, eye tracking) MR systems offers another useful feature of reducing requirements for system data throughput. Due to the fact that at the moment we focus on the single device. Experiments carried out using Moverio BT-200 and SteamVR systems and the results of experimental application testing clearly indicate the ability to create a fully functional information system with the use of mixed reality technology.

Possible applications of the LEAP motion controller for more interactive simulated experiments in augmented or virtual reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, Peter; Vauderwange, Oliver; Mandal, Avikarsha; Javahiraly, Nicolas; Curticapean, Dan

2016-09-01

Practical exercises are a crucial part of many curricula. Even simple exercises can improve the understanding of the underlying subject. Most experimental setups require special hardware. To carry out e. g. a lens experiments the students need access to an optical bench, various lenses, light sources, apertures and a screen. In our previous publication we demonstrated the use of augmented reality visualization techniques in order to let the students prepare with a simulated experimental setup. Within the context of our intended blended learning concept we want to utilize augmented or virtual reality techniques for stationary laboratory exercises. Unlike applications running on mobile devices, stationary setups can be extended more easily with additional interfaces and thus allow for more complex interactions and simulations in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The most significant difference is the possibility to allow interactions beyond touching a screen. The LEAP Motion controller is a small inexpensive device that allows for the tracking of the user's hands and fingers in three dimensions. It is conceivable to allow the user to interact with the simulation's virtual elements by the user's very hand position, movement and gesture. In this paper we evaluate possible applications of the LEAP Motion controller for simulated experiments in augmented and virtual reality. We pay particular attention to the devices strengths and weaknesses and want to point out useful and less useful application scenarios.

A novel virtual reality simulation for hemostasis in a brain surgical cavity: perceived utility for visuomotor skills in current and aspiring neurosurgery residents.

PubMed

Gasco, Jaime; Patel, Achal; Luciano, Cristian; Holbrook, Thomas; Ortega-Barnett, Juan; Kuo, Yong-Fang; Rizzi, Silvio; Kania, Patrick; Banerjee, Pat; Roitberg, Ben Z

2013-12-01

To understand the perceived utility of a novel simulator to improve operative skill, eye-hand coordination, and depth perception. We used the ImmersiveTouch simulation platform (ImmersiveTouch, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) in two U.S. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited neurosurgical training programs: the University of Chicago and the University of Texas Medical Branch. A total of 54 trainees participated in the study, which consisted of 14 residents (group A), 20 senior medical students who were neurosurgery candidates (group B), and 20 junior medical students (group C). The participants performed a simulation task that established bipolar hemostasis in a virtual brain cavity and provided qualitative feedback regarding perceived benefits in eye-hand coordination, depth perception, and potential to assist in improving operating skills. The perceived ability of the simulator to positively influence skills judged by the three groups: group A, residents; group B, senior medical students; and group C, junior medical students was, respectively, 86%, 100%, and 100% for eye-hand coordination; 86%, 100%, and 95% for depth perception; and 79%, 100%, and 100% for surgical skills in the operating room. From all groups, 96.2% found the simulation somewhat or very useful to improve eye-hand coordination, and 94% considered it beneficial to improve depth perception and operating room skills. This simulation module may be suitable for resident training, as well as for the development of career interest and skill acquisition; however, validation for this type of simulation needs to be further developed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sickle cell mice exhibit mechanical allodynia and enhanced responsiveness in light touch cutaneous mechanoreceptors

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with both acute vaso-occlusive painful events as well as chronic pain syndromes, including heightened sensitivity to touch. We have previously shown that mice with severe SCD (HbSS mice; express 100% human sickle hemoglobin in red blood cells; RBCs) have sensitized nociceptors, which contribute to increased mechanical sensitivity. Yet, the hypersensitivity in these neural populations alone may not fully explain the mechanical allodynia phenotype in mouse and humans. Findings Using the Light Touch Behavioral Assay, we found HbSS mice exhibited increased responses to repeated application of both innocuous punctate and dynamic force compared to control HbAA mice (100% normal human hemoglobin). HbSS mice exhibited a 2-fold increase in percent response to a 0.7mN von Frey monofilament when compared to control HbAA mice. Moreover, HbSS mice exhibited a 1.7-fold increase in percent response to the dynamic light touch “puffed” cotton swab stimulus. We further investigated the mechanisms that drive this behavioral phenotype by focusing on the cutaneous sensory neurons that primarily transduce innocuous, light touch. Low threshold cutaneous afferents from HbSS mice exhibited sensitization to mechanical stimuli that manifested as an increase in the number of evoked action potentials to suprathreshold force. Rapidly adapting (RA) Aβ and Aδ D-hair fibers showed the greatest sensitization, each with a 75% increase in suprathreshold firing compared to controls. Slowly adapting (SA) Aβ afferents had a 25% increase in suprathreshold firing compared to HbAA controls. Conclusions These novel findings demonstrate mice with severe SCD exhibit mechanical allodynia to both punctate and dynamic light touch and suggest that this behavioral phenotype may be mediated in part by the sensitization of light touch cutaneous afferent fibers to suprathreshold force. These findings indicate that Aβ fibers can be sensitized to mechanical force and should potentially be examined for sensitization in other tissue injury and disease models. PMID:22963123

Diagnostic accuracy of touch imprint cytology for head and neck malignancies: a useful intra-operative tool in resource limited countries.

PubMed

Naveed, Hania; Abid, Mariam; Hashmi, Atif Ali; Edhi, Muhammad Muzammamil; Sheikh, Ahmareen Khalid; Mudassir, Ghazala; Khan, Amir

2017-01-01

Intraoperative consultation is an important tool for the evaluation of the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) malignancies. Although frozen section analysis is a preferred method of intra-operative consultation, however in resource limited countries like Pakistan, this facility is not available in most institutes; therefore, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of touch imprint cytology for UAT malignancies using histopathology of the same tissue as gold standard. The study involved 70 cases of UAT lesions operated during the study period. Intraoperatively, after obtaining the fresh biopsy specimen and prior to placing them in fixative, each specimen was imprinted on 4-6 glass slides, fixed immediately in 95% alcohol and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain. After completion of the cytological procedure, the surgical biopsy specimen was processed. The slides of both touch Imprint cytology and histopathology were examined by two consultant histopathologists. The result of touch imprint cytology showed that touch imprint cytology was diagnostic in 68 cases (97.1%), 55 (78.6%) being malignant, 2 cases (2.9%) were suspicious for malignancy, 11 cases (15.7%) were negative for malignancy while 2 cases (2.9%) were false negative. Amongst the 70 cases, 55 cases (78.6%) were malignant showing squamous cell carcinoma in 49 cases (70%), adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2 cases (2.9%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma 2 cases (2.9%), Mucoepidermoid carcinoma 1 case (1.4%), spindle cell sarcoma in 1 case (1.4%). Two cases (2.9%) were suspicious of malignancy showing atypical squamoid cells on touch imprint cytology, while 13 cases (18.6%) were negative for malignancy, which also included 2 false negative cases. The overall diagnostic accuracy of touch imprint cytology came out to be 96.7% with a sensitivity and specificity of 96 and 100%, respectively while PPV and NPV of touch imprint cytology was found to be 100 and 84%, respectively. Our experience in this study has demonstrated that touch imprint cytology provides reliable specific diagnoses and can be used as an adjunct to histopathology, particularly in developing countries, where the facility of frozen section is often not available, since a rapid preliminary diagnosis may help in the surgical management planning.

The display of tactile information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrick, Carl E.

1991-01-01

There are a number of examples of natural tactile displays that can five us some insights about the solid geometry of touch, and recent experimental work on the subject has extended our thinking considerably. The concern of here is, however, more with synthetic or artificial displays for the production of a virtual environment. Features of synthetic displays that have enjoyed some success in one of the following two enterprises are discussed: the study of the spatio-temporal dimensions of stimuli that afford accurate and rapid processing of environmental information, or the use of displays in the design of sensory aids for disabled persons.

Augmented reality for anatomical education.

PubMed

Thomas, Rhys Gethin; John, Nigel William; Delieu, John Michael

2010-03-01

The use of Virtual Environments has been widely reported as a method of teaching anatomy. Generally such environments only convey the shape of the anatomy to the student. We present the Bangor Augmented Reality Education Tool for Anatomy (BARETA), a system that combines Augmented Reality (AR) technology with models produced using Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology, to provide the student with stimulation for touch as well as sight. The principal aims of this work were to provide an interface more intuitive than a mouse and keyboard, and to evaluate such a system as a viable supplement to traditional cadaver based education.

Experimenting with the virtual environment Moodle in Physics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Maria Ines; Dickman, Adriana

2008-03-01

The master's program in Physics Education of the Catholic University in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, includes the discipline ``Digital technologies in Physics education.'' The main goal of this discipline is to discuss the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the process of learning-teaching science. We introduce our students to several virtual platforms, both free and commercial, discussing their functionality and features. We encourage our students to get in touch with computer tools and resources by planning their own computer based course using the Moodle platform. We discuss different patterns of virtual environment courses, whose proposals are centered mainly in the students, or teacher-centered or even system-centered. The student is free to choose between only one topic and a year course to work with, since their interests vary from learning something more about a specific subject to a complete e-learning course covering the entire school year. (The courses are available online in the address sitesinf01.pucmg.br/moodle. Participation only requires filling out an application form.) After three editions of this discipline, we have several courses available. We realize that students tend to focus on traditional methods, always preserving their role as knowledge-givers. In conclusion, we can say that, in spite of exhaustive discussion about autonomy involved with ICTs abilities, most of the students used the new virtual medium to organize traditional teacher-centered courses.

Porcine Collagen Matrix With And Without Enamel Matrix Derivative For The Treatment Of Gingival Recession Defects

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

enhance angiogenesis and stimulate endothelial cells, which favors early healing of the soft tissue.30 EMD is FDA approved for application to root...aesthetic concerns, which can be important to a person’s identity and self -image.5 Another indication is root sensitivity which often results in pain to...cold, heat and even touch leading to an impaired ability to eat or drink and brush one’s teeth. Studies have shown soft tissue coverage procedures

Computer-aided training sensorimotor cortex functions in humans before the upper limb transplantation using virtual reality and sensory feedback.

PubMed

Kurzynski, Marek; Jaskolska, Anna; Marusiak, Jaroslaw; Wolczowski, Andrzej; Bierut, Przemyslaw; Szumowski, Lukasz; Witkowski, Jerzy; Kisiel-Sajewicz, Katarzyna

2017-08-01

One of the biggest problems of upper limb transplantation is lack of certainty as to whether a patient will be able to control voluntary movements of transplanted hands. Based on findings of the recent research on brain cortex plasticity, a premise can be drawn that mental training supported with visual and sensory feedback can cause structural and functional reorganization of the sensorimotor cortex, which leads to recovery of function associated with the control of movements performed by the upper limbs. In this study, authors - based on the above observations - propose the computer-aided training (CAT) system, which generating visual and sensory stimuli, should enhance the effectiveness of mental training applied to humans before upper limb transplantation. The basis for the concept of computer-aided training system is a virtual hand whose reaching and grasping movements the trained patient can observe on the VR headset screen (visual feedback) and whose contact with virtual objects the patient can feel as a touch (sensory feedback). The computer training system is composed of three main components: (1) the system generating 3D virtual world in which the patient sees the virtual limb from the perspective as if it were his/her own hand; (2) sensory feedback transforming information about the interaction of the virtual hand with the grasped object into mechanical vibration; (3) the therapist's panel for controlling the training course. Results of the case study demonstrate that mental training supported with visual and sensory stimuli generated by the computer system leads to a beneficial change of the brain activity related to motor control of the reaching in the patient with bilateral upper limb congenital transverse deficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Violent transient sloshing-wave interaction with a baffle in a three-dimensional numerical tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Mi-An; Zheng, Jinhai; Lin, Pengzhi; Xiao, Zhong

2017-08-01

A finite difference model for solving Navier Stokes equations with turbulence taken into account is used to investigate viscous liquid sloshing-wave interaction with baffles in a tank. The volume-of-fluid and virtual boundary force methods are employed to simulate free surface flow interaction with structures. A liquid sloshing experimental apparatus was established to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed model, as well as to study nonlinear sloshing in a prismatic tank with the baffles. Damping effects of sloshing in a rectangular tank with bottom-mounted vertical baffles and vertical baffles touching the free surface are studied numerically and experimentally. Good agreement is obtained between the present numerical results and experimental data. The numerical results match well with the current experimental data for strong nonlinear sloshing with large free surface slopes. The reduction in sloshing-wave elevation and impact pressure induced by the bottom-mounted vertical baffle and the vertical baffle touching the free surface is estimated by varying the external excitation frequency and the location and height of the vertical baffle under horizontal excitation.

Representation of Patients’ Hand Modulates Fear Reactions of Patients with Spider Phobia in Virtual Reality

PubMed Central

Peperkorn, Henrik M.; Diemer, Julia E.; Alpers, Georg W.; Mühlberger, Andreas

2016-01-01

Embodiment (i.e., the involvement of a bodily representation) is thought to be relevant in emotional experiences. Virtual reality (VR) is a capable means of activating phobic fear in patients. The representation of the patient’s body (e.g., the right hand) in VR enhances immersion and increases presence, but its effect on phobic fear is still unknown. We analyzed the influence of the presentation of the participant’s hand in VR on presence and fear responses in 32 women with spider phobia and 32 matched controls. Participants sat in front of a table with an acrylic glass container within reaching distance. During the experiment this setup was concealed by a head-mounted display (HMD). The VR scenario presented via HMD showed the same setup, i.e., a table with an acrylic glass container. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups. In one group, fear responses were triggered by fear-relevant visual input in VR (virtual spider in the virtual acrylic glass container), while information about a real but unseen neutral control animal (living snake in the acrylic glass container) was given. The second group received fear-relevant information of the real but unseen situation (living spider in the acrylic glass container), but visual input was kept neutral VR (virtual snake in the virtual acrylic glass container). Participants were instructed to touch the acrylic glass container with their right hand in 20 consecutive trials. Visibility of the hand was varied randomly in a within-subjects design. We found for all participants that visibility of the participant’s hand increased presence independently of the fear trigger. However, in patients, the influence of the virtual hand on fear depended on the fear trigger. When fear was triggered perceptually, i.e., by a virtual spider, the virtual hand increased fear. When fear was triggered by information about a real spider, the virtual hand had no effect on fear. Our results shed light on the significance of different fear triggers (visual, conceptual) in interaction with body representations. PMID:26973566

Representation of Patients' Hand Modulates Fear Reactions of Patients with Spider Phobia in Virtual Reality.

PubMed

Peperkorn, Henrik M; Diemer, Julia E; Alpers, Georg W; Mühlberger, Andreas

2016-01-01

Embodiment (i.e., the involvement of a bodily representation) is thought to be relevant in emotional experiences. Virtual reality (VR) is a capable means of activating phobic fear in patients. The representation of the patient's body (e.g., the right hand) in VR enhances immersion and increases presence, but its effect on phobic fear is still unknown. We analyzed the influence of the presentation of the participant's hand in VR on presence and fear responses in 32 women with spider phobia and 32 matched controls. Participants sat in front of a table with an acrylic glass container within reaching distance. During the experiment this setup was concealed by a head-mounted display (HMD). The VR scenario presented via HMD showed the same setup, i.e., a table with an acrylic glass container. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups. In one group, fear responses were triggered by fear-relevant visual input in VR (virtual spider in the virtual acrylic glass container), while information about a real but unseen neutral control animal (living snake in the acrylic glass container) was given. The second group received fear-relevant information of the real but unseen situation (living spider in the acrylic glass container), but visual input was kept neutral VR (virtual snake in the virtual acrylic glass container). Participants were instructed to touch the acrylic glass container with their right hand in 20 consecutive trials. Visibility of the hand was varied randomly in a within-subjects design. We found for all participants that visibility of the participant's hand increased presence independently of the fear trigger. However, in patients, the influence of the virtual hand on fear depended on the fear trigger. When fear was triggered perceptually, i.e., by a virtual spider, the virtual hand increased fear. When fear was triggered by information about a real spider, the virtual hand had no effect on fear. Our results shed light on the significance of different fear triggers (visual, conceptual) in interaction with body representations.

Evaluation of Different Speech and Touch Interfaces to In-Vehicle Music Retrieval Systems

PubMed Central

Garay-Vega, L.; Pradhan, A. K.; Weinberg, G.; Schmidt-Nielsen, B.; Harsham, B.; Shen, Y.; Divekar, G.; Romoser, M.; Knodler, M.; Fisher, D. L.

2010-01-01

In-vehicle music retrieval systems are becoming more and more popular. Previous studies have shown that they pose a real hazard to drivers when the interface is a tactile one which requires multiple entries and a combination of manual control and visual feedback. Voice interfaces exist as an alternative. Such interfaces can require either multiple or single conversational turns. In this study, each of 17 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 years old was asked to use three different music-retrieval systems (one with a multiple entry touch interface, the iPod™, one with a multiple turn voice interface, interface B, and one with a single turn voice interface, interface C) while driving through a virtual world. Measures of secondary task performance, eye behavior, vehicle control, and workload were recorded. When compared with the touch interface, the voice interfaces reduced the total time drivers spent with their eyes off the forward roadway, especially in prolonged glances, as well as both the total number of glances away from the forward roadway and the perceived workload. Furthermore, when compared with driving without a secondary task, both voice interfaces did not significantly impact hazard anticipation, the frequency of long glances away from the forward roadway, or vehicle control. The multiple turn voice interface (B) significantly increased both the time it took drivers to complete the task and the workload. The implications for interface design and safety are discussed. PMID:20380920

A Novel Haptic Interactive Approach to Simulation of Surgery Cutting Based on Mesh and Meshless Models

PubMed Central

Liu, Peter X.; Lai, Pinhua; Xu, Shaoping; Zou, Yanni

2018-01-01

In the present work, the majority of implemented virtual surgery simulation systems have been based on either a mesh or meshless strategy with regard to soft tissue modelling. To take full advantage of the mesh and meshless models, a novel coupled soft tissue cutting model is proposed. Specifically, the reconstructed virtual soft tissue consists of two essential components. One is associated with surface mesh that is convenient for surface rendering and the other with internal meshless point elements that is used to calculate the force feedback during cutting. To combine two components in a seamless way, virtual points are introduced. During the simulation of cutting, the Bezier curve is used to characterize smooth and vivid incision on the surface mesh. At the same time, the deformation of internal soft tissue caused by cutting operation can be treated as displacements of the internal point elements. Furthermore, we discussed and proved the stability and convergence of the proposed approach theoretically. The real biomechanical tests verified the validity of the introduced model. And the simulation experiments show that the proposed approach offers high computational efficiency and good visual effect, enabling cutting of soft tissue with high stability. PMID:29850006

Ionic signaling in plant responses to gravity and touch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasano, Jeremiah M.; Massa, Gioia D.; Gilroy, Simon

2002-01-01

Touch and gravity are two of the many stimuli that plants must integrate to generate an appropriate growth response. Due to the mechanical nature of both of these signals, shared signal transduction elements could well form the basis of the cross-talk between these two sensory systems. However, touch stimulation must elicit signaling events across the plasma membrane whereas gravity sensing is thought to represent transformation of an internal force, amyloplast sedimentation, to signal transduction events. In addition, factors such as turgor pressure and presence of the cell wall may also place unique constraints on these plant mechanosensory systems. Even so, the candidate signal transduction elements in both plant touch and gravity sensing, changes in Ca2+, pH and membrane potential, do mirror the known ionic basis of signaling in animal mechanosensory cells. Distinct spatial and temporal signatures of Ca2+ ions may encode information about the different mechanosignaling stimuli. Signals such as Ca2+ waves or action potentials may also rapidly transfer information perceived in one cell throughout a tissue or organ leading to the systemic reactions characteristic of plant touch and gravity responses. Longer-term growth responses are likely sustained via changes in gene expression and asymmetries in compounds such as inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and calmodulin. Thus, it seems likely that plant mechanoperception involves both spatial and temporal encoding of information at all levels, from the cell to the whole plant. Defining this patterning will be a critical step towards understanding how plants integrate information from multiple mechanical stimuli to an appropriate growth response.

Seeing pain and pleasure on self and others: behavioral and psychophysiological reactivity in immersive virtual reality

PubMed Central

Fusaro, M.; Tieri, G.

2016-01-01

Studies have explored behavioral and neural responses to the observation of pain in others. However, much less is known about how taking a physical perspective influences reactivity to the observation of others' pain and pleasure. To explore this issue we devised a novel paradigm in which 24 healthy participants immersed in a virtual reality scenario observed a virtual: needle penetrating (pain), caress (pleasure), or ball touching (neutral) the hand of an avatar seen from a first (1PP)- or a third (3PP)-person perspective. Subjective ratings and physiological responses [skin conductance responses (SCR) and heart rate (HR)] were collected in each trial. All participants reported strong feelings of ownership of the virtual hand only in 1PP. Subjective measures also showed that pain and pleasure were experienced as more salient than neutral. SCR analysis demonstrated higher reactivity in 1PP than in 3PP. Importantly, vicarious pain induced stronger responses with respect to the other conditions in both perspectives. HR analysis revealed equally lower activity during pain and pleasure with respect to neutral. SCR may reflect egocentric perspective, and HR may merely index general arousal. The results suggest that behavioral and physiological indexes of reactivity to seeing others' pain and pleasure were qualitatively similar in 1PP and 3PP. Our paradigm indicates that virtual reality can be used to study vicarious sensation of pain and pleasure without actually delivering any stimulus to participants' real body and to explore behavioral and physiological reactivity when they observe pain and pleasure from ego- and allocentric perspectives. PMID:27655965

Practice on an augmented reality/haptic simulator and library of virtual brains improves residents' ability to perform a ventriculostomy.

PubMed

Yudkowsky, Rachel; Luciano, Cristian; Banerjee, Pat; Schwartz, Alan; Alaraj, Ali; Lemole, G Michael; Charbel, Fady; Smith, Kelly; Rizzi, Silvio; Byrne, Richard; Bendok, Bernard; Frim, David

2013-02-01

Ventriculostomy is a neurosurgical procedure for providing therapeutic cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Complications may arise during repeated attempts at placing the catheter in the ventricle. We studied the impact of simulation-based practice with a library of virtual brains on neurosurgery residents' performance in simulated and live surgical ventriculostomies. Using computed tomographic scans of actual patients, we developed a library of 15 virtual brains for the ImmersiveTouch system, a head- and hand-tracked augmented reality and haptic simulator. The virtual brains represent a range of anatomies including normal, shifted, and compressed ventricles. Neurosurgery residents participated in individual simulator practice on the library of brains including visualizing the 3-dimensional location of the catheter within the brain immediately after each insertion. Performance of participants on novel brains in the simulator and during actual surgery before and after intervention was analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Simulator cannulation success rates increased after intervention, and live procedure outcomes showed improvement in the rate of successful cannulation on the first pass. However, the incidence of deeper, contralateral (simulator) and third-ventricle (live) placements increased after intervention. Residents reported that simulations were realistic and helpful in improving procedural skills such as aiming the probe, sensing the pressure change when entering the ventricle, and estimating how far the catheter should be advanced within the ventricle. Simulator practice with a library of virtual brains representing a range of anatomies and difficulty levels may improve performance, potentially decreasing complications due to inexpert technique.

National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank: a standard based biospecimen and clinical data resource to enhance translational research.

PubMed

Amin, Waqas; Parwani, Anil V; Schmandt, Linda; Mohanty, Sambit K; Farhat, Ghada; Pople, Andrew K; Winters, Sharon B; Whelan, Nancy B; Schneider, Althea M; Milnes, John T; Valdivieso, Federico A; Feldman, Michael; Pass, Harvey I; Dhir, Rajiv; Melamed, Jonathan; Becich, Michael J

2008-08-13

Advances in translational research have led to the need for well characterized biospecimens for research. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank is an initiative which collects annotated datasets relevant to human mesothelioma to develop an enterprising biospecimen resource to fulfill researchers' need. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank architecture is based on three major components: (a) common data elements (based on College of American Pathologists protocol and National North American Association of Central Cancer Registries standards), (b) clinical and epidemiologic data annotation, and (c) data query tools. These tools work interoperably to standardize the entire process of annotation. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank tool is based upon the caTISSUE Clinical Annotation Engine, developed by the University of Pittsburgh in cooperation with the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG, see http://cabig.nci.nih.gov). This application provides a web-based system for annotating, importing and searching mesothelioma cases. The underlying information model is constructed utilizing Unified Modeling Language class diagrams, hierarchical relationships and Enterprise Architect software. The database provides researchers real-time access to richly annotated specimens and integral information related to mesothelioma. The data disclosed is tightly regulated depending upon users' authorization and depending on the participating institute that is amenable to the local Institutional Review Board and regulation committee reviews. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank currently has over 600 annotated cases available for researchers that include paraffin embedded tissues, tissue microarrays, serum and genomic DNA. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank is a virtual biospecimen registry with robust translational biomedical informatics support to facilitate basic science, clinical, and translational research. Furthermore, it protects patient privacy by disclosing only de-identified datasets to assure that biospecimens can be made accessible to researchers.

The importance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the diagnosis and clinical course of acute pancreatitis.

PubMed

Kaya, Muhsin; Değirmenci, Serdar; Göya, Cemil; Tuncel, Elif Tuba; Uçmak, Feyzullah; Kaplan, Mehmet Ali

2018-05-01

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by acute inflammation of the pancreas and it has a highly variable clinical course. The aim of our study was to evaluate the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the diagnosis and clinical course of AP. Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AP (patients group) and healthy subject (control group) were prospectively enrolled to the study. Demographic features and clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were recorded. Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (VTQ) was used to implement ARFI elastography. The tissue elasticity is proportional to the square of the wave velocity (SWV). A total of 108 patients (age, 57±1.8 y) and 79 healthy subjects (age, 53.6±1.81 y) were included in the study. There were 100 (92.5%) edematous and 8 (7.4%) necrotizing AP. The mean SWV was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (2.43±0.08 vs. 1.27±0.025 m/s, p < 0.001). There was not significant difference between patient and control group regarding age and gender. SWV cutoff value of 1.63 m/s was associated with 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity for the diagnosis of AP. There was not significant difference between patients with and without complications and patients with edematous and necrotizing AP regarding mean SWV value. There was also not significant correlation between mean SWV value and age, mean length of hospital stay, and mean amylase level. ARFI elastography may be a feasible method for the diagnosis of AP, but it has no value for the prediction of clinical course of AP.

Measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles using virtual touch imaging quantification ultrasound-Elastography: a cross section study.

PubMed

Heizelmann, Anne; Tasdemir, Sümeyra; Schmidberger, Julian; Gräter, Tilmann; Kratzer, Wolfgang; Grüner, Beate

2017-08-25

This study uses virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ) technology for the first time to conduct measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles in a large study population. The significance of various influencing factors, such as age and sex, are also examined. The study population comprised 278 subjects. The Siemens Acuson S3000 and VTIQ technology were used for measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). The following mean values ± standard deviation were calculated: left trapezius: males 2.89 ± 0.38 m/s, females 2.71 ± 0.37 m/s; right trapezius: males 2.84 ± 0.41 m/s, females 2.70 ± 0.38 m/s; left erector spinae: males 2.97 ± 0.50 m/s, females 2.81 ± 0.57 m/s; right erector spinae: males 3.00 ± 0.52 m/s, females 2.77 ± 0.59 m/s. A significant difference between male and female subjects was demonstrated both for the shear wave velocities of the trapezius and erector spinae as well as for the thickness of the trapezius muscle (p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in muscle elasticity between subjects over 60 years of age and those under 60 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the results indicate that regular physical activity has an effect on muscle elasticity. Our results demonstrate significantly different results between male and female subjects and between under- and over-sixty-year-old subjects. This means that sex-related and age-adapted considerations are obviously needed for further studies.

The impact of subliminal haptic perception on the preference discrimination of roughness and compliance.

PubMed

Hilsenrat, Marcos; Reiner, Miriam

2011-06-30

It is well known that unaware exposure to a visual stimulus increases the preferability of the associated object. In this study we examine whether the same phenomena occur for haptic stimuli. Using a touch-enabled virtual environment, we tested whether people that touch two virtual surfaces, which differ by imperceptible differences in roughness or compliance, tend to choose rougher or smoother, softer or stiffer surfaces, in accordance with their natural tendency. In forced choice preference tests, participants were first asked to choose between two surfaces that differ by roughness/stiffness. Stimuli strength was above the aware perception limit. Then, the same test was performed for differences in stimuli strength, which was below the limit of awareness. Finally, we carried out a recognition test: participants were asked to choose between the surfaces presented in the previous step, and point at the smoother or softer surface, respectively. For each stimulus, two groups of 26 subjects participated. Results show that in the unaware preference tests, participants selected the surface in accordance with the aware preference tests, with significant difference from chance (59.5%, and 60.2% for roughness and compliance as a stimulus, respectively). The recognition tests in both experiments were at chance level, suggesting that participants were unaware of the difference in stimuli. These results show that subliminal perception of roughness and compliance strength affects texture preferences. Research data suggest that the amygdala is central in regulating emotional processing of visual stimuli, even if it is presented subliminally. Thus, the results of this study raise the question whether the amygdala also modulates emotional haptic stimuli when they are subliminally perceived. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection of needle to nerve contact based on electric bioimpedance and machine learning methods.

PubMed

Kalvoy, Havard; Tronstad, Christian; Ullensvang, Kyrre; Steinfeldt, Thorsten; Sauter, Axel R

2017-07-01

In an ongoing project for electrical impedance-based needle guidance we have previously showed in an animal model that intraneural needle positions can be detected with bioimpedance measurement. To enhance the power of this method we in this study have investigated whether an early detection of the needle only touching the nerve also is feasible. Measurement of complex impedance during needle to nerve contact was compared with needle positions in surrounding tissues in a volunteer study on 32 subjects. Classification analysis using Support-Vector Machines demonstrated that discrimination is possible, but that the sensitivity and specificity for the nerve touch algorithm not is at the same level of performance as for intra-neuralintraneural detection.

Predicting successful tactile mapping of virtual objects.

PubMed

Brayda, Luca; Campus, Claudio; Gori, Monica

2013-01-01

Improving spatial ability of blind and visually impaired people is the main target of orientation and mobility (O&M) programs. In this study, we use a minimalistic mouse-shaped haptic device to show a new approach aimed at evaluating devices providing tactile representations of virtual objects. We consider psychophysical, behavioral, and subjective parameters to clarify under which circumstances mental representations of spaces (cognitive maps) can be efficiently constructed with touch by blindfolded sighted subjects. We study two complementary processes that determine map construction: low-level perception (in a passive stimulation task) and high-level information integration (in an active exploration task). We show that jointly considering a behavioral measure of information acquisition and a subjective measure of cognitive load can give an accurate prediction and a practical interpretation of mapping performance. Our simple TActile MOuse (TAMO) uses haptics to assess spatial ability: this may help individuals who are blind or visually impaired to be better evaluated by O&M practitioners or to evaluate their own performance.

Coral disease and health workshop: Coral Histopathology II, July 12-14, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, S.B.; Woodley, Cheryl M.; McLaughlin, S.M.; Work, Thierry M.; Bochsler, V.S.; Meteyer, Carol U.; Sileo, Louis; Peters, E.C.; Kramarsky-Winters, E.; Morado, J. Frank; Parnell, P.G.; Rotstein, D.S.; Harely, R.A.; Reynolds, T.L.

2005-01-01

An exciting highlight of this meeting was provided by Professor Robert Ogilvie (MUSC Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy) when he introduced participants to a new digital technology that is revolutionizing histology and histopathology in the medical field. The Virtual Slide technology creates digital images of histological tissue sections by computer scanning actual slides in high definition and storing the images for retrieval and viewing. Virtual slides now allow any investigator with access to a computer and the web to view, search, annotate and comment on the same tissue sections in real time. Medical and veterinary slide libraries across the country are being converted into virtual slides to enhance biomedical education, research and diagnosis. The coral health and disease researchers at this workshop deem virtual slides as a significant way to increase capabilities in coral histology and a means for pathology consultations on coral disease cases on a global scale. 

Force modeling for incision surgery into tissue with haptic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Pyunghwa; Kim, Soomin; Choi, Seung-Hyun; Oh, Jong-Seok; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-04-01

This paper presents a novel force modeling for an incision surgery into tissue and its haptic application for a surgeon. During the robot-assisted incision surgery, it is highly urgent to develop the haptic system for realizing sense of touch in the surgical area because surgeons cannot sense sensations. To achieve this goal, the force modeling related to reaction force of biological tissue is proposed in the perspective on energy. The force model describes reaction force focused on the elastic feature of tissue during the incision surgery. Furthermore, the force is realized using calculated information from the model by haptic device using magnetorheological fluid (MRF). The performance of realized force that is controlled by PID controller with open loop control is evaluated.

Finite Element Methods for real-time Haptic Feedback of Soft-Tissue Models in Virtual Reality Simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Andreas O.; Twombly, I. Alexander; Barth, Timothy J.; Smith, Jeffrey D.; Dalton, Bonnie P. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have applied the linear elastic finite element method to compute haptic force feedback and domain deformations of soft tissue models for use in virtual reality simulators. Our results show that, for virtual object models of high-resolution 3D data (>10,000 nodes), haptic real time computations (>500 Hz) are not currently possible using traditional methods. Current research efforts are focused in the following areas: 1) efficient implementation of fully adaptive multi-resolution methods and 2) multi-resolution methods with specialized basis functions to capture the singularity at the haptic interface (point loading). To achieve real time computations, we propose parallel processing of a Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient method applied to a reduced system of equations resulting from surface domain decomposition. This can effectively be achieved using reconfigurable computing systems such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), thereby providing a flexible solution that allows for new FPGA implementations as improved algorithms become available. The resulting soft tissue simulation system would meet NASA Virtual Glovebox requirements and, at the same time, provide a generalized simulation engine for any immersive environment application, such as biomedical/surgical procedures or interactive scientific applications.

Mechanosensitivity below Ground: Touch-Sensitive Smell-Producing Roots in the Shy Plant Mimosa pudica1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Musah, Rabi A.; Lesiak, Ashton D.; Maron, Max J.; Edwards, David; Fowble, Kristen L.; Long, Michael C.

2016-01-01

The roots of the shy plant Mimosa pudica emit a cocktail of small organic and inorganic sulfur compounds and reactive intermediates into the environment, including SO2, methanesulfinic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, ethanesulfinic acid, propanesulfenic acid, 2-aminothiophenol, S-propyl propane 1-thiosulfinate, phenothiazine, and thioformaldehyde, an elusive and highly unstable compound that, to our knowledge, has never before been reported to be emitted by a plant. When soil around the roots is dislodged or when seedling roots are touched, an odor is detected. The perceived odor corresponds to the emission of higher amounts of propanesulfenic acid, 2-aminothiophenol, S-propyl propane 1-thiosulfinate, and phenothiazine. The mechanosensitivity response is selective. Whereas touching the roots with soil or human skin resulted in odor detection, agitating the roots with other materials such as glass did not induce a similar response. Light and electron microscopy studies of the roots revealed the presence of microscopic sac-like root protuberances. Elemental analysis of these projections by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed them to contain higher levels of K+ and Cl− compared with the surrounding tissue. Exposing the protuberances to stimuli that caused odor emission resulted in reductions in the levels of K+ and Cl− in the touched area. The mechanistic implications of the variety of sulfur compounds observed vis-à-vis the pathways for their formation are discussed. PMID:26661932

Soft Pushing Operation with Dual Compliance Controllers Based on Estimated Torque and Visual Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muis, Abdul; Ohnishi, Kouhei

Sensor fusion extends robot ability to perform more complex tasks. An interesting application in such an issue is pushing operation, in which through multi-sensor, the robot moves an object by pushing it. Generally, a pushing operation consists of “approaching, touching, and pushing"(1). However, most researches in this field are dealing with how the pushed object follows the predefined trajectory. In which, the implication as the robot body or the tool-tip hits an object is neglected. Obviously on collision, the robot momentum may crash sensor, robot's surface or even the object. For that reason, this paper proposes a soft pushing operation with dual compliance controllers. Mainly, a compliance control is a control system with trajectory compensation so that the external force may be followed. In this paper, the first compliance controller is driven by estimated external force based on reaction torque observer(2), which compensates contact sensation. The other one compensates non-contact sensation. Obviously, a contact sensation, acquired from force sensor either reaction torque observer of an object, is measurable once the robot touched the object. Therefore, a non-contact sensation is introduced before touching an object, which is realized with visual sensor in this paper. Here, instead of using visual information as command reference, the visual information such as depth, is treated as virtual force for the second compliance controller. Thus, having contact and non-contact sensation, the robot will be compliant with wider sensation. This paper considers a heavy mobile manipulator and a heavy object, which have significant momentum on touching stage. A chopstick is attached on the object side to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Here, both compliance controllers adjust the mobile manipulator command reference to provide soft pushing operation. Finally, the experimental result shows the validity of the proposed method.

The Touch and Zap method for in vivo whole-cell patch recording of intrinsic and visual responses of cortical neurons and glial cells.

PubMed

Schramm, Adrien E; Marinazzo, Daniele; Gener, Thomas; Graham, Lyle J

2014-01-01

Whole-cell patch recording is an essential tool for quantitatively establishing the biophysics of brain function, particularly in vivo. This method is of particular interest for studying the functional roles of cortical glial cells in the intact brain, which cannot be assessed with extracellular recordings. Nevertheless, a reasonable success rate remains a challenge because of stability, recording duration and electrical quality constraints, particularly for voltage clamp, dynamic clamp or conductance measurements. To address this, we describe "Touch and Zap", an alternative method for whole-cell patch clamp recordings, with the goal of being simpler, quicker and more gentle to brain tissue than previous approaches. Under current clamp mode with a continuous train of hyperpolarizing current pulses, seal formation is initiated immediately upon cell contact, thus the "Touch". By maintaining the current injection, whole-cell access is spontaneously achieved within seconds from the cell-attached configuration by a self-limited membrane electroporation, or "Zap", as seal resistance increases. We present examples of intrinsic and visual responses of neurons and putative glial cells obtained with the revised method from cat and rat cortices in vivo. Recording parameters and biophysical properties obtained with the Touch and Zap method compare favourably with those obtained with the traditional blind patch approach, demonstrating that the revised approach does not compromise the recorded cell. We find that the method is particularly well-suited for whole-cell patch recordings of cortical glial cells in vivo, targeting a wider population of this cell type than the standard method, with better access resistance. Overall, the gentler Touch and Zap method is promising for studying quantitative functional properties in the intact brain with minimal perturbation of the cell's intrinsic properties and local network. Because the Touch and Zap method is performed semi-automatically, this approach is more reproducible and less dependent on experimenter technique.

Cytological diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, using Papanicolaou and May-Grünwald-Giemsa stained cutaneous tissue smear.

PubMed

Christensen, E; Bofin, A; Gudmundsdóttir, I; Skogvoll, E

2008-10-01

Cytology may become the diagnostic method of choice with the advent of new non-invasive treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer, as the sampling technique for cytology entails little tissue disfiguration. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the diagnostic performance of scrape cytology using two different cytological staining techniques, and to evaluate additional touch imprint cytology, with that of histopathology of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and actinic keratosis (AK). We investigated 50 BCC and 28 AK histologically verified lesions, from 41 and 25 patients, respectively. Two separate skin scrape samples and one touch imprint sample were taken from each lesion. The smears were stained with Papanicolaou (Pap) or May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) stains. All cytological specimens were examined in random order by pathologists without knowledge of the histology. Cytodiagnostic results were compared with the histopathological report. Scrape cytodiagnosis agreed with histopathology in 48 (Pap) and 47 (MGG) of the 50 BCC cases, and in 26 of 28 (Pap) and 21 of 26 (MGG) AK cases, yielding sensitivities of 96%, 94%, 93% and 81%, respectively. No significant difference in sensitivity between the two staining methods was found but a trend towards higher Pap sensitivity for AK was noted (P = 0.10). Touch imprint cytology confirmed histopathology in 38 of the 77 cases of BCC and AK. Cytological diagnosis with either Pap or MGG stain for BCC and AK is reliable, and differentiates well between BCC and AK. Imprint cytology proved to be non-diagnostic in half of the examined cases.

Tactile device utilizing a single magnetorheological sponge: experimental investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Soomin; Kim, Pyunghwa; Choi, Seung-Hyun; Oh, Jong-Seok; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-04-01

In the field of medicine, several new areas have been currently introduced such as robot-assisted surgery. However, the major drawback of these systems is that there is no tactile communication between doctors and surgical sites. When the tactile system is brought up, telemedicine including telerobotic surgery can be enhanced much more than now. In this study, a new tactile device is designed using a single magnetorhological (MR) sponge cell to realize the sensation of human organs. MR fluids and an open celled polyurethane foam are used to propose the MR sponge cell. The viscous and elastic sensational behaviors of human organs are realized by the MR sponge cell. Before developing the tactile device, tactile sensation according to touch of human fingers are quantified in advance. The finger is then treated as a reduced beam bundle model (BBM) in which the fingertip is comprised of an elastic beam virtually. Under the reduced BBM, when people want to sense an object, the fingertip is investigated by pushing and sliding. Accordingly, while several magnitudes of magnetic fields are applied to the tactile device, normal and tangential reaction forces and bending moment are measured by 6-axis force/torque sensor instead of the fingertip. These measured data are used to compare with soft tissues. It is demonstrated that the proposed MR sponge cell can realize any part of the organ based on the obtained data.

Validation of Robotic Surgery Simulator (RoSS).

PubMed

Kesavadas, Thenkurussi; Stegemann, Andrew; Sathyaseelan, Gughan; Chowriappa, Ashirwad; Srimathveeravalli, Govindarajan; Seixas-Mikelus, Stéfanie; Chandrasekhar, Rameella; Wilding, Gregory; Guru, Khurshid

2011-01-01

Recent growth of daVinci Robotic Surgical System as a minimally invasive surgery tool has led to a call for better training of future surgeons. In this paper, a new virtual reality simulator, called RoSS is presented. Initial results from two studies - face and content validity, are very encouraging. 90% of the cohort of expert robotic surgeons felt that the simulator was excellent or somewhat close to the touch and feel of the daVinci console. Content validity of the simulator received 90% approval in some cases. These studies demonstrate that RoSS has the potential of becoming an important training tool for the daVinci surgical robot.

Material recognition based on thermal cues: Mechanisms and applications.

PubMed

Ho, Hsin-Ni

2018-01-01

Some materials feel colder to the touch than others, and we can use this difference in perceived coldness for material recognition. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying material recognition based on thermal cues. It provides an overview of the physical, perceptual, and cognitive processes involved in material recognition. It also describes engineering domains in which material recognition based on thermal cues have been applied. This includes haptic interfaces that seek to reproduce the sensations associated with contact in virtual environments and tactile sensors aim for automatic material recognition. The review concludes by considering the contributions of this line of research in both science and engineering.

Material recognition based on thermal cues: Mechanisms and applications

PubMed Central

Ho, Hsin-Ni

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Some materials feel colder to the touch than others, and we can use this difference in perceived coldness for material recognition. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying material recognition based on thermal cues. It provides an overview of the physical, perceptual, and cognitive processes involved in material recognition. It also describes engineering domains in which material recognition based on thermal cues have been applied. This includes haptic interfaces that seek to reproduce the sensations associated with contact in virtual environments and tactile sensors aim for automatic material recognition. The review concludes by considering the contributions of this line of research in both science and engineering. PMID:29687043

Virtual reality cerebral aneurysm clipping simulation with real-time haptic feedback.

PubMed

Alaraj, Ali; Luciano, Cristian J; Bailey, Daniel P; Elsenousi, Abdussalam; Roitberg, Ben Z; Bernardo, Antonio; Banerjee, P Pat; Charbel, Fady T

2015-03-01

With the decrease in the number of cerebral aneurysms treated surgically and the increase of complexity of those treated surgically, there is a need for simulation-based tools to teach future neurosurgeons the operative techniques of aneurysm clipping. To develop and evaluate the usefulness of a new haptic-based virtual reality simulator in the training of neurosurgical residents. A real-time sensory haptic feedback virtual reality aneurysm clipping simulator was developed using the ImmersiveTouch platform. A prototype middle cerebral artery aneurysm simulation was created from a computed tomographic angiogram. Aneurysm and vessel volume deformation and haptic feedback are provided in a 3-dimensional immersive virtual reality environment. Intraoperative aneurysm rupture was also simulated. Seventeen neurosurgery residents from 3 residency programs tested the simulator and provided feedback on its usefulness and resemblance to real aneurysm clipping surgery. Residents thought that the simulation would be useful in preparing for real-life surgery. About two-thirds of the residents thought that the 3-dimensional immersive anatomic details provided a close resemblance to real operative anatomy and accurate guidance for deciding surgical approaches. They thought the simulation was useful for preoperative surgical rehearsal and neurosurgical training. A third of the residents thought that the technology in its current form provided realistic haptic feedback for aneurysm surgery. Neurosurgical residents thought that the novel immersive VR simulator is helpful in their training, especially because they do not get a chance to perform aneurysm clippings until late in their residency programs.

76 FR 18631 - National Donate Life Month, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-05

... donors. As a result, people lose their lives each day while waiting. When each donation can touch dozens of lives, it has never been more important to make the decision to be an organ and tissue donor. I encourage all Americans to say yes to donation by giving blood regularly and joining their State-based donor...

The Virtual Liver: Modeling Chemical-Induced Liver Toxicity

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver (v-Liver) project is aimed at modeling chemical-induced processes in hepatotoxicity and simulating their dose-dependent perturbations. The v-Liver embodies an emerging field of research in computational tissue modeling that integrates molecular and cellul...

Touching proteins with virtual bare hands - Visualizing protein-drug complexes and their dynamics in self-made virtual reality using gaming hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratamero, Erick Martins; Bellini, Dom; Dowson, Christopher G.; Römer, Rudolf A.

2018-06-01

The ability to precisely visualize the atomic geometry of the interactions between a drug and its protein target in structural models is critical in predicting the correct modifications in previously identified inhibitors to create more effective next generation drugs. It is currently common practice among medicinal chemists while attempting the above to access the information contained in three-dimensional structures by using two-dimensional projections, which can preclude disclosure of useful features. A more accessible and intuitive visualization of the three-dimensional configuration of the atomic geometry in the models can be achieved through the implementation of immersive virtual reality (VR). While bespoke commercial VR suites are available, in this work, we present a freely available software pipeline for visualising protein structures through VR. New consumer hardware, such as the uc(HTC Vive) and the uc(Oculus Rift) utilized in this study, are available at reasonable prices. As an instructive example, we have combined VR visualization with fast algorithms for simulating intramolecular motions of protein flexibility, in an effort to further improve structure-led drug design by exposing molecular interactions that might be hidden in the less informative static models. This is a paradigmatic test case scenario for many similar applications in computer-aided molecular studies and design.

Touching proteins with virtual bare hands : Visualizing protein-drug complexes and their dynamics in self-made virtual reality using gaming hardware.

PubMed

Ratamero, Erick Martins; Bellini, Dom; Dowson, Christopher G; Römer, Rudolf A

2018-06-07

The ability to precisely visualize the atomic geometry of the interactions between a drug and its protein target in structural models is critical in predicting the correct modifications in previously identified inhibitors to create more effective next generation drugs. It is currently common practice among medicinal chemists while attempting the above to access the information contained in three-dimensional structures by using two-dimensional projections, which can preclude disclosure of useful features. A more accessible and intuitive visualization of the three-dimensional configuration of the atomic geometry in the models can be achieved through the implementation of immersive virtual reality (VR). While bespoke commercial VR suites are available, in this work, we present a freely available software pipeline for visualising protein structures through VR. New consumer hardware, such as the HTC VIVE and the OCULUS RIFT utilized in this study, are available at reasonable prices. As an instructive example, we have combined VR visualization with fast algorithms for simulating intramolecular motions of protein flexibility, in an effort to further improve structure-led drug design by exposing molecular interactions that might be hidden in the less informative static models. This is a paradigmatic test case scenario for many similar applications in computer-aided molecular studies and design.

Cranial implant design using augmented reality immersive system.

PubMed

Ai, Zhuming; Evenhouse, Ray; Leigh, Jason; Charbel, Fady; Rasmussen, Mary

2007-01-01

Software tools that utilize haptics for sculpting precise fitting cranial implants are utilized in an augmented reality immersive system to create a virtual working environment for the modelers. The virtual environment is designed to mimic the traditional working environment as closely as possible, providing more functionality for the users. The implant design process uses patient CT data of a defective area. This volumetric data is displayed in an implant modeling tele-immersive augmented reality system where the modeler can build a patient specific implant that precisely fits the defect. To mimic the traditional sculpting workspace, the implant modeling augmented reality system includes stereo vision, viewer centered perspective, sense of touch, and collaboration. To achieve optimized performance, this system includes a dual-processor PC, fast volume rendering with three-dimensional texture mapping, the fast haptic rendering algorithm, and a multi-threading architecture. The system replaces the expensive and time consuming traditional sculpting steps such as physical sculpting, mold making, and defect stereolithography. This augmented reality system is part of a comprehensive tele-immersive system that includes a conference-room-sized system for tele-immersive small group consultation and an inexpensive, easily deployable networked desktop virtual reality system for surgical consultation, evaluation and collaboration. This system has been used to design patient-specific cranial implants with precise fit.

Haptic interfaces: Hardware, software and human performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, Mandayam A.

1995-01-01

Virtual environments are computer-generated synthetic environments with which a human user can interact to perform a wide variety of perceptual and motor tasks. At present, most of the virtual environment systems engage only the visual and auditory senses, and not the haptic sensorimotor system that conveys the sense of touch and feel of objects in the environment. Computer keyboards, mice, and trackballs constitute relatively simple haptic interfaces. Gloves and exoskeletons that track hand postures have more interaction capabilities and are available in the market. Although desktop and wearable force-reflecting devices have been built and implemented in research laboratories, the current capabilities of such devices are quite limited. To realize the full promise of virtual environments and teleoperation of remote systems, further developments of haptic interfaces are critical. In this paper, the status and research needs in human haptics, technology development and interactions between the two are described. In particular, the excellent performance characteristics of Phantom, a haptic interface recently developed at MIT, are highlighted. Realistic sensations of single point of contact interactions with objects of variable geometry (e.g., smooth, textured, polyhedral) and material properties (e.g., friction, impedance) in the context of a variety of tasks (e.g., needle biopsy, switch panels) achieved through this device are described and the associated issues in haptic rendering are discussed.

Virtual Surgical Planning: The Pearls and Pitfalls

PubMed Central

Efanov, Johnny I.; Roy, Andrée-Anne; Huang, Ke N.

2018-01-01

Objective: Over the past few years, virtual surgical planning (VSP) has evolved into a useful tool for the craniofacial surgeon. Virtual planning and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) may assist in orthognathic, cranio-orbital, traumatic, and microsurgery of the craniofacial skeleton. Despite its increasing popularity, little emphasis has been placed on the learning curve. Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive virtual surgeries was done from July 2012 to October 2016 at the University of Montreal Teaching Hospitals. Orthognathic surgeries and free vascularized bone flap surgeries were included in the analysis. Results: Fifty-four virtual surgeries were done in the time period analyzed. Forty-six orthognathic surgeries and 8 free bone transfers were done. An analysis of errors was done. Eighty-five percentage of the orthognathic virtual plans were adhered to completely, 4% of the plans were abandoned, and 11% were partially adhered to. Seventy-five percentage of the virtual surgeries for free tissue transfers were adhered to, whereas 25% were partially adhered to. The reasons for abandoning the plans were (1) poor communication between surgeon and engineer, (2) poor appreciation for condyle placement on preoperative scans, (3) soft-tissue impedance to bony movement, (4) rapid tumor progression, (5) poor preoperative assessment of anatomy. Conclusion: Virtual surgical planning is a useful tool for craniofacial surgery but has inherent issues that the surgeon must be aware of. With time and experience, these surgical plans can be used as powerful adjuvants to good clinical judgement. PMID:29464146

Responses of human sensory characteristics to 532 nm pulse laser stimuli.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Sun; Oh, Han-Byeol; Kim, A-Hee; Kim, Jun-Sik; Lee, Eun-Suk; Goh, Bong-Jun; Kim, Jae-Young; Jang, Kyungmin; Park, Jong-Rak; Chung, Soon-Cheol; Jun, Jae-Hoon

2016-04-29

Lasers are advantageous in some applications to stimulate a small target area and is used in various fields such as optogenetic, photoimmunological and neurophysiological studies. This study aims to implement a non-contact sense of touch without damaging biological tissues using laser. Various laser parameters were utilized in safety range to induce a sense of touch and investigate the human responses. With heat distribution simulation, the amount of changes in the temperature and the tendency in laser parameters of sensory stimulation were analyzed. The results showed the identified tactile responses in safety range with various laser parameters and temperature distribution for the laser stimulus was obtained through the simulation. This study can be applied to the areas of sensory receptor stimulation, neurophysiology and clinical medicine.

The building blocks of the full body ownership illusion

PubMed Central

Maselli, Antonella; Slater, Mel

2013-01-01

Previous work has reported that it is not difficult to give people the illusion of ownership over an artificial body, providing a powerful tool for the investigation of the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying body perception and self consciousness. We present an experimental study that uses immersive virtual reality (IVR) focused on identifying the perceptual building blocks of this illusion. We systematically manipulated visuotactile and visual sensorimotor contingencies, visual perspective, and the appearance of the virtual body in order to assess their relative role and mutual interaction. Consistent results from subjective reports and physiological measures showed that a first person perspective over a fake humanoid body is essential for eliciting a body ownership illusion. We found that the illusion of ownership can be generated when the virtual body has a realistic skin tone and spatially substitutes the real body seen from a first person perspective. In this case there is no need for an additional contribution of congruent visuotactile or sensorimotor cues. Additionally, we found that the processing of incongruent perceptual cues can be modulated by the level of the illusion: when the illusion is strong, incongruent cues are not experienced as incorrect. Participants exposed to asynchronous visuotactile stimulation can experience the ownership illusion and perceive touch as originating from an object seen to contact the virtual body. Analogously, when the level of realism of the virtual body is not high enough and/or when there is no spatial overlap between the two bodies, then the contribution of congruent multisensory and/or sensorimotor cues is required for evoking the illusion. On the basis of these results and inspired by findings from neurophysiological recordings in the monkey, we propose a model that accounts for many of the results reported in the literature. PMID:23519597

The EPA Liver Project

EPA Science Inventory

The v-Liver is part of a broader EPA effort on Virtual Tissues (VT) aimed at reducing the magnitude and spectrum of animal testing by integrative in silico and in vitro models, which recapitulate the properties of intact organs. The other VT projects include the Virtual Embryo (...

New approaches to virtual environment surgery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, M. D.; Twombly, A.; Lee, A. W.; Cheng, R.; Senger, S.

1999-01-01

This research focused on two main problems: 1) low cost, high fidelity stereoscopic imaging of complex tissues and organs; and 2) virtual cutting of tissue. A further objective was to develop these images and virtual tissue cutting methods for use in a telemedicine project that would connect remote sites using the Next Generation Internet. For goal one we used a CT scan of a human heart, a desktop PC with an OpenGL graphics accelerator card, and LCD stereoscopic glasses. Use of multiresolution meshes ranging from approximately 1,000,000 to 20,000 polygons speeded interactive rendering rates enormously while retaining general topography of the dataset. For goal two, we used a CT scan of an infant skull with premature closure of the right coronal suture, a Silicon Graphics Onyx workstation, a Fakespace Immersive WorkBench and CrystalEyes LCD glasses. The high fidelity mesh of the skull was reduced from one million to 50,000 polygons. The cut path was automatically calculated as the shortest distance along the mesh between a small number of hand selected vertices. The region outlined by the cut path was then separated from the skull and translated/rotated to assume a new position. The results indicate that widespread high fidelity imaging in virtual environment is possible using ordinary PC capabilities if appropriate mesh reduction methods are employed. The software cutting tool is applicable to heart and other organs for surgery planning, for training surgeons in a virtual environment, and for telemedicine purposes.

Cellular localization of the Ca2+ binding TCH3 protein of Arabidopsis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antosiewicz, D. M.; Polisensky, D. H.; Braam, J.

1995-01-01

TCH3 is an Arabidopsis touch (TCH) gene isolated as a result of its strong and rapid upregulation in response to mechanical stimuli, such as touch and wind. TCH3 encodes an unusual calcium ion-binding protein that is closely related to calmodulin but has the potential to bind six calcium ions. Here it is shown that TCH3 shows a restricted pattern of accumulation during Arabidopsis vegetative development. These data provide insight into the endogenous signals that may regulate TCH3 expression and the sites of TCH3 action. TCH3 is abundant in the shoot apical meristem, vascular tissue, the root columella and pericycle cells that give rise to lateral roots. In addition, TCH3 accumulation in cells of developing shoots and roots closely correlates with the process of cellular expansion. Following wind stimulation, TCH3 becomes more abundant in specific regions including the branchpoints of leaf primordia and stipules, pith parenchyma, and the vascular tissue. The consequences of TCH3 upregulation by wind are therefore spatially restricted and TCH3 may function at these sites to modify cell or tissue characteristics following mechanical stimulation. Because TCH3 accumulates specifically in cells and tissues that are thought to be under the influence of auxin, auxin levels may regulate TCH3 expression during development. TCH3 is upregulated in response to low levels of exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), but not by inactive auxin-related compounds. These results suggest that TCH3 protein may play roles in mediating physiological responses to auxin and mechanical environmental stimuli.

Towards remote assessment and screening of acute abdominal pain using only a smartphone with native accelerometers.

PubMed

Myers, David R; Weiss, Alexander; Rollins, Margo R; Lam, Wilbur A

2017-10-06

Smartphone-based telehealth holds the promise of shifting healthcare from the clinic to the home, but the inability for clinicians to conduct remote palpation, or touching, a key component of the physical exam, remains a major limitation. This is exemplified in the assessment of acute abdominal pain, in which a physician's palpation determines if a patient's pain is life-threatening requiring emergency intervention/surgery or due to some less-urgent cause. In a step towards virtual physical examinations, we developed and report for the first time a "touch-capable" mHealth technology that enables a patient's own hands to serve as remote surrogates for the physician's in the screening of acute abdominal pain. Leveraging only a smartphone with its native accelerometers, our system guides a patient through an exact probing motion that precisely matches the palpation motion set by the physician. An integrated feedback algorithm, with 95% sensitivity and specificity, enabled 81% of tested patients to match a physician abdominal palpation curve with <20% error after 6 attempts. Overall, this work addresses a key issue in telehealth that will vastly improve its capabilities and adoption worldwide.

Role of cranial and spinal virtual and augmented reality simulation using immersive touch modules in neurosurgical training.

PubMed

Alaraj, Ali; Charbel, Fady T; Birk, Daniel; Tobin, Matthew; Tobin, Mathew; Luciano, Cristian; Banerjee, Pat P; Rizzi, Silvio; Sorenson, Jeff; Foley, Kevin; Slavin, Konstantin; Roitberg, Ben

2013-01-01

Recent studies have shown that mental script-based rehearsal and simulation-based training improve the transfer of surgical skills in various medical disciplines. Despite significant advances in technology and intraoperative techniques over the last several decades, surgical skills training on neurosurgical operations still carries significant risk of serious morbidity or mortality. Potentially avoidable technical errors are well recognized as contributing to poor surgical outcome. Surgical education is undergoing overwhelming change, as a result of the reduction of work hours and current trends focusing on patient safety and linking reimbursement with clinical outcomes. Thus, there is a need for adjunctive means for neurosurgical training, which is a recent advancement in simulation technology. ImmersiveTouch is an augmented reality system that integrates a haptic device and a high-resolution stereoscopic display. This simulation platform uses multiple sensory modalities, re-creating many of the environmental cues experienced during an actual procedure. Modules available include ventriculostomy, bone drilling, percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy, and simulated spinal modules such as pedicle screw placement, vertebroplasty, and lumbar puncture. We present our experience with the development of such augmented reality neurosurgical modules and the feedback from neurosurgical residents.

Role of Cranial and Spinal Virtual and Augmented Reality Simulation Using Immersive Touch Modules in Neurosurgical Training

PubMed Central

Alaraj, Ali; Charbel, Fady T.; Birk, Daniel; Tobin, Mathew; Luciano, Cristian; Banerjee, Pat P.; Rizzi, Silvio; Sorenson, Jeff; Foley, Kevin; Slavin, Konstantin; Roitberg, Ben

2013-01-01

Recent studies have shown that mental script-based rehearsal and simulation-based training improves the transfer of surgical skills in various medical disciplines. Despite significant advances in technology and intraoperative techniques over the last several decades, surgical skills training on neurosurgical operations still carries significant risk of serious morbidity or mortality. Potentially avoidable technical errors are well recognized as contributing to poor surgical outcome. Surgical education is undergoing overwhelming change, with reduction of working hours and current trends to focus on patient’s safety and linking reimbursement with clinical outcomes, and there is a need for adjunctive means for neurosurgical training;this has been recent advancement in simulation technology. ImmersiveTouch (IT) is an augmented reality (AR) system that integrates a haptic device and a high-resolution stereoscopic display. This simulation platform utilizes multiple sensory modalities, recreating many of the environmental cues experienced during an actual procedure. Modules available include ventriculostomy, bone drilling, percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy, in addition to simulated spinal modules such as pedicle screw placement, vertebroplasty, and lumbar puncture. We present our experience with development of such AR neurosurgical modules and the feedback from neurosurgical residents. PMID:23254799

High-throughput PBPK and Microdosimetry: Cell-level Exposures in a Virtual Tissue Context (WC9)

EPA Science Inventory

Toxicokinetic (TK) models can determine whether chemical exposures produce potentially hazardous tissue concentrations. Tissue microdosimetry TK models relate whole-body chemical exposures to cell-scale concentrations. As a proof of concept, we approximated the micro-anatomic arc...

Advantages and challenges offered by biofunctional core-shell fiber systems for tissue engineering and drug delivery.

PubMed

Sperling, Laura E; Reis, Karina P; Pranke, Patricia; Wendorff, Joachim H

2016-08-01

Whereas highly porous scaffolds composed of electrospun nanofibers can mimick major features of the extracellular matrix in tissue engineering, they lack the ability to incorporate and release biocompounds (drugs, growth factors) safely in a controlled way. Here, electrospun core-shell fibers (core made from water and aqueous solutions of hydrophilic polymers and the shell from materials with well-defined release mechanisms) offer unique advantages in comparison with those that have helped make porous nanofibrillar scaffolds highly successful in tissue engineering. This review considers the preparation and biofunctionalization of such core-shell fibers as well as applications in various areas, including neural, vascular, cardiac, cartilage and bone tissue engineering, and touches on the topic of clinical trials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VirSSPA- a virtual reality tool for surgical planning workflow.

PubMed

Suárez, C; Acha, B; Serrano, C; Parra, C; Gómez, T

2009-03-01

A virtual reality tool, called VirSSPA, was developed to optimize the planning of surgical processes. Segmentation algorithms for Computed Tomography (CT) images: a region growing procedure was used for soft tissues and a thresholding algorithm was implemented to segment bones. The algorithms operate semiautomati- cally since they only need seed selection with the mouse on each tissue segmented by the user. The novelty of the paper is the adaptation of an enhancement method based on histogram thresholding applied to CT images for surgical planning, which simplifies subsequent segmentation. A substantial improvement of the virtual reality tool VirSSPA was obtained with these algorithms. VirSSPA was used to optimize surgical planning, to decrease the time spent on surgical planning and to improve operative results. The success rate increases due to surgeons being able to see the exact extent of the patient's ailment. This tool can decrease operating room time, thus resulting in reduced costs. Virtual simulation was effective for optimizing surgical planning, which could, consequently, result in improved outcomes with reduced costs.

A one degree of freedom haptic system to investigate issues in human perception with particular application to probing tissue.

PubMed

Dibble, Edward; Zivanovic, Aleksandar; Davies, Brian

2004-01-01

This paper presents the results of several early studies relating to human haptic perception sensitivity when probing a virtual object. A 1 degree of freedom (DoF) rotary haptic system, that was designed and built for this purpose, is also presented. The experiments were to assess the maximum forces applied in a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedure, quantify the compliance sensitivity threshold when probing virtual tissue and identify the haptic system loop rate necessary for haptic feedback to feel realistic.

Mechanosensitivity below Ground: Touch-Sensitive Smell-Producing Roots in the Shy Plant Mimosa pudica.

PubMed

Musah, Rabi A; Lesiak, Ashton D; Maron, Max J; Cody, Robert B; Edwards, David; Fowble, Kristen L; Dane, A John; Long, Michael C

2016-02-01

The roots of the shy plant Mimosa pudica emit a cocktail of small organic and inorganic sulfur compounds and reactive intermediates into the environment, including SO2, methanesulfinic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, ethanesulfinic acid, propanesulfenic acid, 2-aminothiophenol, S-propyl propane 1-thiosulfinate, phenothiazine, and thioformaldehyde, an elusive and highly unstable compound that, to our knowledge, has never before been reported to be emitted by a plant. When soil around the roots is dislodged or when seedling roots are touched, an odor is detected. The perceived odor corresponds to the emission of higher amounts of propanesulfenic acid, 2-aminothiophenol, S-propyl propane 1-thiosulfinate, and phenothiazine. The mechanosensitivity response is selective. Whereas touching the roots with soil or human skin resulted in odor detection, agitating the roots with other materials such as glass did not induce a similar response. Light and electron microscopy studies of the roots revealed the presence of microscopic sac-like root protuberances. Elemental analysis of these projections by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed them to contain higher levels of K(+) and Cl(-) compared with the surrounding tissue. Exposing the protuberances to stimuli that caused odor emission resulted in reductions in the levels of K(+) and Cl(-) in the touched area. The mechanistic implications of the variety of sulfur compounds observed vis-à-vis the pathways for their formation are discussed. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

[Virtual microscopy in pathology teaching and postgraduate training (continuing education)].

PubMed

Sinn, H P; Andrulis, M; Mogler, C; Schirmacher, P

2008-11-01

As with conventional microscopy, virtual microscopy permits histological tissue sections to be viewed on a computer screen with a free choice of viewing areas and a wide range of magnifications. This, combined with the possibility of linking virtual microscopy to E-Learning courses, make virtual microscopy an ideal tool for teaching and postgraduate training in pathology. Uses of virtual microscopy in pathology teaching include blended learning with the presentation of digital teaching slides in the internet parallel to presentation in the histology lab, extending student access to histology slides beyond the lab. Other uses are student self-learning in the Internet, as well as the presentation of virtual slides in the classroom with or without replacing real microscopes. Successful integration of virtual microscopy depends on its embedding in the virtual classroom and the creation of interactive E-learning content. Applications derived from this include the use of virtual microscopy in video clips, podcasts, SCORM modules and the presentation of virtual microscopy using interactive whiteboards in the classroom.

A Virtual Liver for Simulating Chemical-Induced Injury

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver – vLiver™ --is a tissue simulator that is designed to predict histopathologic lesions – the gold-standard for toxicity. We have developed an approach for a biologically motivated model of a canonical liver lobule. The simulated lobule is composed of discr...

The Virtual Liver Project: Simulating Tissue Injury Through Molecular and Cellular Processes

EPA Science Inventory

Efficiently and humanely testing the safety of thousands of environmental chemicals is a challenge. The US EPA Virtual Liver Project (v-Liver™) is aimed at simulating the effects of environmental chemicals computationally in order to estimate the risk of toxic outcomes in humans...

Hybrid Reality Lab Capabilities - Video 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Francisco J.; Noyes, Matthew

2016-01-01

Our Hybrid Reality and Advanced Operations Lab is developing incredibly realistic and immersive systems that could be used to provide training, support engineering analysis, and augment data collection for various human performance metrics at NASA. To get a better understanding of what Hybrid Reality is, let's go through the two most commonly known types of immersive realities: Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. Virtual Reality creates immersive scenes that are completely made up of digital information. This technology has been used to train astronauts at NASA, used during teleoperation of remote assets (arms, rovers, robots, etc.) and other activities. One challenge with Virtual Reality is that if you are using it for real time-applications (like landing an airplane) then the information used to create the virtual scenes can be old (i.e. visualized long after physical objects moved in the scene) and not accurate enough to land the airplane safely. This is where Augmented Reality comes in. Augmented Reality takes real-time environment information (from a camera, or see through window, and places digitally created information into the scene so that it matches with the video/glass information). Augmented Reality enhances real environment information collected with a live sensor or viewport (e.g. camera, window, etc.) with the information-rich visualization provided by Virtual Reality. Hybrid Reality takes Augmented Reality even further, by creating a higher level of immersion where interactivity can take place. Hybrid Reality takes Virtual Reality objects and a trackable, physical representation of those objects, places them in the same coordinate system, and allows people to interact with both objects' representations (virtual and physical) simultaneously. After a short period of adjustment, the individuals begin to interact with all the objects in the scene as if they were real-life objects. The ability to physically touch and interact with digitally created objects that have the same shape, size, location to their physical object counterpart in virtual reality environment can be a game changer when it comes to training, planning, engineering analysis, science, entertainment, etc. Our Project is developing such capabilities for various types of environments. The video outlined with this abstract is a representation of an ISS Hybrid Reality experience. In the video you can see various Hybrid Reality elements that provide immersion beyond just standard Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality.

The Virtual Liver Project: Modeling Tissue Response To Chemicals Through Multiscale Simulation

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver Project is aimed at simulating the risk of toxic effects from environmental chemicals in silico. The computational systems model of organ injury due to chronic chemical exposure is based on: (i) the dynamics of perturbed molecular pathways, (ii) their lin...

v-Liver: Simulating Hepatic Tissue Lesions as Virtual Cellular Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver (v-Liver) project is aimed at reducing the uncertainty in estimating the risk of toxic outcomes in humans by simulating the dose-dependent effects of environmental chemicals in silico. The v-Liver embodies an emerging field of research in computational ti...

Noncontact Tactile Display Based on Radiation Pressure of Airborne Ultrasound.

PubMed

Hoshi, T; Takahashi, M; Iwamoto, T; Shinoda, H

2010-01-01

This paper describes a tactile display which provides unrestricted tactile feedback in air without any mechanical contact. It controls ultrasound and produces a stress field in a 3D space. The principle is based on a nonlinear phenomenon of ultrasound: Acoustic radiation pressure. The fabricated prototype consists of 324 airborne ultrasound transducers, and the phase and intensity of each transducer are controlled individually to generate a focal point. The DC output force at the focal point is 16 mN and the diameter of the focal point is 20 mm. The prototype produces vibrations up to 1 kHz. An interaction system including the prototype is also introduced, which enables users to see and touch virtual objects.

Mechanics of finger-tip electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yewang; Li, Rui; Cheng, Huanyu; Ying, Ming; Bonifas, Andrew P.; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Rogers, John A.; Huang, Yonggang

2013-10-01

Tactile sensors and electrotactile stimulators can provide important links between humans and virtual environments, through the sensation of touch. Soft materials, such as low modulus silicones, are attractive as platforms and support matrices for arrays sensors and actuators that laminate directly onto the fingertips. Analytic models for the mechanics of three dimensional, form-fitting finger cuffs based on such designs are presented here, along with quantitative validation using the finite element method. The results indicate that the maximum strains in the silicone and the embedded devices are inversely proportional to the square root of radius of curvature of the cuff. These and other findings can be useful in formulating designs for these and related classes of body-worn, three dimensional devices.

Simultaneous neural and movement recording in large-scale immersive virtual environments.

PubMed

Snider, Joseph; Plank, Markus; Lee, Dongpyo; Poizner, Howard

2013-10-01

Virtual reality (VR) allows precise control and manipulation of rich, dynamic stimuli that, when coupled with on-line motion capture and neural monitoring, can provide a powerful means both of understanding brain behavioral relations in the high dimensional world and of assessing and treating a variety of neural disorders. Here we present a system that combines state-of-the-art, fully immersive, 3D, multi-modal VR with temporally aligned electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. The VR system is dynamic and interactive across visual, auditory, and haptic interactions, providing sight, sound, touch, and force. Crucially, it does so with simultaneous EEG recordings while subjects actively move about a 20 × 20 ft² space. The overall end-to-end latency between real movement and its simulated movement in the VR is approximately 40 ms. Spatial precision of the various devices is on the order of millimeters. The temporal alignment with the neural recordings is accurate to within approximately 1 ms. This powerful combination of systems opens up a new window into brain-behavioral relations and a new means of assessment and rehabilitation of individuals with motor and other disorders.

Is 'virtual histology' the next step after the 'virtual autopsy'? Magnetic resonance microscopy in forensic medicine.

PubMed

Thali, M J; Dirnhofer, R; Becker, R; Oliver, W; Potter, K

2004-10-01

The study aimed to validate magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) studies of forensic tissue specimens (skin samples with electric injury patterns) against the results from routine histology. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are fast becoming important tools in clinical and forensic pathology. This study is the first forensic application of MRM to the analysis of electric injury patterns in human skin. Three-dimensional high-resolution MRM images of fixed skin specimens provided a complete 3D view of the damaged tissues at the site of an electric injury as well as in neighboring tissues, consistent with histologic findings. The image intensity of the dermal layer in T2-weighted MRM images was reduced in the central zone due to carbonization or coagulation necrosis and increased in the intermediate zone because of dermal edema. A subjacent blood vessel with an intravascular occlusion supports the hypothesis that current traveled through the vascular system before arcing to ground. High-resolution imaging offers a noninvasive alternative to conventional histology in forensic wound analysis and can be used to perform 3D virtual histology.

Immersive Visualization of the Solid Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreylos, O.; Kellogg, L. H.

2017-12-01

Immersive visualization using virtual reality (VR) display technology offers unique benefits for the visual analysis of complex three-dimensional data such as tomographic images of the mantle and higher-dimensional data such as computational geodynamics models of mantle convection or even planetary dynamos. Unlike "traditional" visualization, which has to project 3D scalar data or vectors onto a 2D screen for display, VR can display 3D data in a pseudo-holographic (head-tracked stereoscopic) form, and does therefore not suffer the distortions of relative positions, sizes, distances, and angles that are inherent in 2D projection and interfere with interpretation. As a result, researchers can apply their spatial reasoning skills to 3D data in the same way they can to real objects or environments, as well as to complex objects like vector fields. 3D Visualizer is an application to visualize 3D volumetric data, such as results from mantle convection simulations or seismic tomography reconstructions, using VR display technology and a strong focus on interactive exploration. Unlike other visualization software, 3D Visualizer does not present static visualizations, such as a set of cross-sections at pre-selected positions and orientations, but instead lets users ask questions of their data, for example by dragging a cross-section through the data's domain with their hands and seeing data mapped onto that cross-section in real time, or by touching a point inside the data domain, and immediately seeing an isosurface connecting all points having the same data value as the touched point. Combined with tools allowing 3D measurements of positions, distances, and angles, and with annotation tools that allow free-hand sketching directly in 3D data space, the outcome of using 3D Visualizer is not primarily a set of pictures, but derived data to be used for subsequent analysis. 3D Visualizer works best in virtual reality, either in high-end facility-scale environments such as CAVEs, or using commodity low-cost virtual reality headsets such as HTC's Vive. The recent emergence of high-quality commodity VR means that researchers can buy a complete VR system off the shelf, install it and the 3D Visualizer software themselves, and start using it for data analysis immediately.

Virtual reality colonoscopy simulation: a compulsory practice for the future colonoscopist?

PubMed

Ahlberg, G; Hultcrantz, R; Jaramillo, E; Lindblom, A; Arvidsson, D

2005-12-01

As for any manual procedure, the learning curves for medical interventions can have undesirable phases, occurring mostly in the early experience of applying a technique. There have been impressive advances in endoscopic procedures during recent years, and there is an emerging trend that the number of procedures is increasing in parallel with these. In addition, the introduction of screening programs for colorectal cancer will also increase the numbers of procedures needed. Recent developments in medical simulation seem promising with regard to the possibility of "training out" undesirable parts of the learning curve outside the operating room. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of the AccuTouch flexible endoscopy simulator improves the early part of the learning curve in colonoscopy training. 12 endoscopy trainees, 10 surgeons and two medical gastroenterologists, all with experience in gastroscopy but with no specific colonoscopy experience, were randomly assigned to either simulator training or to a control group. They all received the same theoretical study package and the training group practiced with the AccuTouch colonoscopy simulator until a predefined expert level of performance was reached. All trainees performed their first ten individual colonoscopies described in detail in a separate protocol. Trainees in the simulator-trained group performed significantly better (P=0.0011) and managed to reach the cecum in 52% of their cases (vs. 19% in the control group), and were 4.53 times more likely to succeed compared with the controls. Additionally, there was a significantly shorter procedure time and less patient discomfort in the hands of the simulator-trained group. Skills acquired using the AccuTouch simulator transfer well into the clinical colonoscopy environment. The results of this trial clearly support the plan to integrate simulator training into endoscopic education curricula.

Effect of vision, touch and stance on cerebellar vermian-related sway and tremor: a quantitative physiological and MRI study.

PubMed

Sullivan, Edith V; Rose, Jessica; Pfefferbaum, Adolf

2006-08-01

Postural balance is impaired in individuals with pathology of the anterior superior vermis of the cerebellum. Chronic alcoholism, with its known vermian pathology, provides a viable model for studying the relationship between cerebellar pathology and postural stability. Decades of separate study of recovering alcoholics and post-mortem neuroanatomical analysis have demonstrated vermian pathology but few studies have used quantitative posturography, acquired concurrently with quantitative neuroimaging, to establish whether this brain structure-function relationship is selective in vivo. Here, 30 healthy men and 39 chronic alcoholic men, abstinent from alcohol for several months, underwent MRI for volumetric quantitation of the cerebellar vermis and three comparison brain regions, the cerebellar hemispheres, supratentorial cortex and corpus callosum. All subjects also participated in an experiment involving a force platform that measured sway path length and tremor during static standing balance under four sensory conditions and two stance conditions. Three novel findings emerged: (i) sway path length, a physiological index of postural control, was selectively related to volume of the cerebellar vermis and not to any comparison brain region in the alcoholics; (ii) spectral analysis revealed sway prominence in the 2-5 Hz band, another physiological sign of vermian lesions and also selectively related to vermian volume in the alcoholics; and (iii) despite substantial postural sway in the patients, they successfully used vision, touch and stance to normalize sway and reduce tremor. The selective relationship of sway path to vermian but not lateral cerebellar volume provides correlational evidence for functional differentiation of these cerebellar regions. Improvement to virtual normal levels in balance and reduction in sway and tremor with changes in vision, touch and stance provide evidence that adaptive mechanisms recruiting sensorimotor integration can be invoked to compensate for underlying cerebellar vermian-related dysfunction.

Palpation simulator with stable haptic feedback.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Youn; Ryu, Jee-Hwan; Lee, WooJeong

2015-01-01

The main difficulty in constructing palpation simulators is to compute and to generate stable and realistic haptic feedback without vibration. When a user haptically interacts with highly non-homogeneous soft tissues through a palpation simulator, a sudden change of stiffness in target tissues causes unstable interaction with the object. We propose a model consisting of a virtual adjustable damper and an energy measuring element. The energy measuring element gauges energy which is stored in a palpation simulator and the virtual adjustable damper dissipates the energy to achieve stable haptic interaction. To investigate the haptic behavior of the proposed method, impulse and continuous inputs are provided to target tissues. If a haptic interface point meets with the hardest portion in the target tissues modeled with a conventional method, we observe unstable motion and feedback force. However, when the target tissues are modeled with the proposed method, a palpation simulator provides stable interaction without vibration. The proposed method overcomes a problem in conventional haptic palpation simulators where unstable force or vibration can be generated if there is a big discrepancy in material property between an element and its neighboring elements in target tissues.

Three-dimensional virtual planning in orthognathic surgery enhances the accuracy of soft tissue prediction.

PubMed

Van Hemelen, Geert; Van Genechten, Maarten; Renier, Lieven; Desmedt, Maria; Verbruggen, Elric; Nadjmi, Nasser

2015-07-01

Throughout the history of computing, shortening the gap between the physical and digital world behind the screen has always been strived for. Recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) virtual surgery programs have reduced this gap significantly. Although 3D assisted surgery is now widely available for orthognathic surgery, one might still argue whether a 3D virtual planning approach is a better alternative to a conventional two-dimensional (2D) planning technique. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of a traditional 2D technique and a 3D computer-aided prediction method. A double blind randomised prospective study was performed to compare the prediction accuracy of a traditional 2D planning technique versus a 3D computer-aided planning approach. The accuracy of the hard and soft tissue profile predictions using both planning methods was investigated. There was a statistically significant difference between 2D and 3D soft tissue planning (p < 0.05). The statistically significant difference found between 2D and 3D planning and the actual soft tissue outcome was not confirmed by a statistically significant difference between methods. The 3D planning approach provides more accurate soft tissue planning. However, the 2D orthognathic planning is comparable to 3D planning when it comes to hard tissue planning. This study provides relevant results for choosing between 3D and 2D planning in clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of an innovative computerized virtual planning system in acetabular fracture surgery: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Wang, Huixiang; Wang, Fang; Newman, Simon; Lin, Yanping; Chen, Xiaojun; Xu, Lu; Wang, Qiugen

2016-08-01

Acetabular fracture surgery is amongst the most challenging tasks in the field of trauma surgery and careful preoperative planning is crucial for success. The aim of this paper is to describe the preliminary outcome of the utilization of an innovative computerized virtual planning system for acetabular fractures. 3D models of acetabular fractures and surrounding soft tissues from six patients were constructed from preoperative CT scans. A novel highly-automatic segmentation technique was performed on the 3D model to separate each fracture fragment, then 3D virtual reduction was performed. Additionally, the models were used to assess potential surgical approaches with reference to both the fracture and the surrounding soft tissues. The time required for virtual planning was recorded. After surgery, the virtual plan was compared to the real surgery with respect to surgical approach and reduction sequence. A Likert scale questionnaire was completed by the surgeons to evaluate their satisfaction with the system. Virtual planning was successfully completed in all cases. The planned surgical approach was followed in all cases with the planned reduction sequence followed completely in five cases and partially in one. The mean time required for virtual planning was 38.7min (range 21-57, SD=15.5). The mean time required for planning of B-type fractures was 25.0min (range 21-30, SD=4.6), of C-type fracture 52.3min (range 49-57, SD=4.2). The results of the questionnaire demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with the planning system. This study demonstrates that the virtual planning system is feasible in clinical settings with high satisfaction and acceptability from the surgeons. It provides a viable option for the planning of acetabular fracture surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) to liver biopsy histologic scores in the evaluation of chronic liver disease: A pilot study.

PubMed

Haque, Mazhar; Robinson, Charlotte; Owen, David; Yoshida, Eric M; Harris, Alison

2010-01-01

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) is a novel non invasive technique studying the localized mechanical properties of tissue by utilising short, high intensity acoustic pulses (shear wave pulses) to assess the mechanical response (tissue displacement), providing a measure of tissue elasticity. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of ARFI imaging as a non-invasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis compared to liver biopsy scores. A prospective blind comparison study of ARFI elastography (Virtual Touch Imaging., ACUSON S2000 Ultrasound Unit, Siemens, Mountain View CA) in a consecutive series of patients who underwent liver biopsy for assessment of fibrosis in chronic liver disease. ARFI shear-wave propagation velocity was measured in meters per second. Mean ARFI velocities were compared with both Batts-Ludwig (F0 to F4) and Modified Ishak scores (F0 to F4) for fibrosis in liver biopsy findings. Twenty-one patients with chronic liver disease (Hepatitis C (HCV) =16, Hepatitis B (HBV) = 1, both HCV and HBV = 1 Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) = 1, others = 2) underwent ARFI and liver biopsy on the same day. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the median values of the ARFI measurements and the histological fibrosis stage of the Modified Ishak score and Batts-Lud- (3) wig score were both highly significant (p < 0.01) with rho = 0.69 and rho = 0.72 respectively. The median ARFI (total 180 replications; minimum 5, maximum 10 measurements per patients) velocities for our study population range from 0.92 to 4.17 m/sec. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the accuracy of ARFI imaging was 1.00 and 0.35, for the diagnosis of moderate fibrosis (histologic fibrosis stage, F (3) 2) and 0.85 and 0.85 respectively for Ishak and Batts-Ludwig score, for the diagnosis of cirrhosis. ARFI imaging has a strong correlation with the fibrosis stage of both Batts-Ludwig and shak score in chronic liver disease. It.s accuracy in prediction of severe fibrosis and cirrhosis is maximal in comparison with earlier stages.

Drawing Links within Dental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, J.

2017-01-01

This study examines results of a practical drawing task given to a cohort of first year dental surgery students at Kings College Dental Institute, London. It compares and relates their success in drilling and removing caries and pulp tissue from a virtual tooth using the hapTEL virtual learning system, with each individuals' drawing skills.…

Generalized interactions using virtual tools within the spring framework: probing, piercing, cauterizing and ablating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Kevin; Bruyns, Cynthia D.

2002-01-01

We present schemes for real-time generalized interactions such as probing, piercing, cauterizing and ablating virtual tissues. These methods have been implemented in a robust, real-time (haptic rate) surgical simulation environment allowing us to model procedures including animal dissection, microsurgery, hysteroscopy, and cleft lip repair.

U Can Touch This: How Tablets Can Be Used to Study Cognitive Development.

PubMed

Semmelmann, Kilian; Nordt, Marisa; Sommer, Katharina; Röhnke, Rebecka; Mount, Luzie; Prüfer, Helen; Terwiel, Sophia; Meissner, Tobias W; Koldewyn, Kami; Weigelt, Sarah

2016-01-01

New technological devices, particularly those with touch screens, have become virtually omnipresent over the last decade. Practically from birth, children are now surrounded by smart phones and tablets. Despite being our constant companions, little is known about whether these tools can be used not only for entertainment, but also to collect reliable scientific data. Tablets may prove particularly useful for collecting behavioral data from those children (1-10 years), who are, for the most part, too old for studies based on looking times and too young for classical psychophysical testing. Here, we analyzed data from six studies that utilized touch screen tablets to deliver experimental paradigms in developmental psychology. In studies 1 and 2, we employed a simple sorting and recall task with children from the ages of 2-8. Study 3 (ages 9 and 10) extended these tasks by increasing the difficulty of the stimuli and adding a staircase-based perception task. A visual search paradigm was used in study 4 (ages 2-5), while 1- to 3-year-olds were presented with an extinction learning task in study 5. In study 6, we used a simple visuo-spatial paradigm to obtain more details about the distribution of reaction times on touch screens over all ages. We collected data from adult participants in each study as well, for comparison purposes. We analyzed these data sets in regard to four metrics: self-reported tablet usage, completeness of data, accuracy of responses and response times. In sum, we found that children from the age of two onwards are very capable of interacting with tablets, are able to understand the respective tasks and are able to use tablets to register their answers accordingly. Results from all studies reiterated the advantages of data collection through tablets: ease of use, high portability, low-cost, and high levels of engagement for children. We illustrate the great potential of conducting psychological studies in young children using tablets, and also discuss both methodological challenges and their potential solutions.

U Can Touch This: How Tablets Can Be Used to Study Cognitive Development

PubMed Central

Semmelmann, Kilian; Nordt, Marisa; Sommer, Katharina; Röhnke, Rebecka; Mount, Luzie; Prüfer, Helen; Terwiel, Sophia; Meissner, Tobias W.; Koldewyn, Kami; Weigelt, Sarah

2016-01-01

New technological devices, particularly those with touch screens, have become virtually omnipresent over the last decade. Practically from birth, children are now surrounded by smart phones and tablets. Despite being our constant companions, little is known about whether these tools can be used not only for entertainment, but also to collect reliable scientific data. Tablets may prove particularly useful for collecting behavioral data from those children (1–10 years), who are, for the most part, too old for studies based on looking times and too young for classical psychophysical testing. Here, we analyzed data from six studies that utilized touch screen tablets to deliver experimental paradigms in developmental psychology. In studies 1 and 2, we employed a simple sorting and recall task with children from the ages of 2–8. Study 3 (ages 9 and 10) extended these tasks by increasing the difficulty of the stimuli and adding a staircase-based perception task. A visual search paradigm was used in study 4 (ages 2–5), while 1- to 3-year-olds were presented with an extinction learning task in study 5. In study 6, we used a simple visuo-spatial paradigm to obtain more details about the distribution of reaction times on touch screens over all ages. We collected data from adult participants in each study as well, for comparison purposes. We analyzed these data sets in regard to four metrics: self-reported tablet usage, completeness of data, accuracy of responses and response times. In sum, we found that children from the age of two onwards are very capable of interacting with tablets, are able to understand the respective tasks and are able to use tablets to register their answers accordingly. Results from all studies reiterated the advantages of data collection through tablets: ease of use, high portability, low-cost, and high levels of engagement for children. We illustrate the great potential of conducting psychological studies in young children using tablets, and also discuss both methodological challenges and their potential solutions. PMID:27458414

SurfaceSlide: a multitouch digital pathology platform.

PubMed

Wang, Yinhai; Williamson, Kate E; Kelly, Paul J; James, Jacqueline A; Hamilton, Peter W

2012-01-01

Digital pathology provides a digital environment for the management and interpretation of pathological images and associated data. It is becoming increasing popular to use modern computer based tools and applications in pathological education, tissue based research and clinical diagnosis. Uptake of this new technology is stymied by its single user orientation and its prerequisite and cumbersome combination of mouse and keyboard for navigation and annotation. In this study we developed SurfaceSlide, a dedicated viewing platform which enables the navigation and annotation of gigapixel digitised pathological images using fingertip touch. SurfaceSlide was developed using the Microsoft Surface, a 30 inch multitouch tabletop computing platform. SurfaceSlide users can perform direct panning and zooming operations on digitised slide images. These images are downloaded onto the Microsoft Surface platform from a remote server on-demand. Users can also draw annotations and key in texts using an on-screen virtual keyboard. We also developed a smart caching protocol which caches the surrounding regions of a field of view in multi-resolutions thus providing a smooth and vivid user experience and reducing the delay for image downloading from the internet. We compared the usability of SurfaceSlide against Aperio ImageScope and PathXL online viewer. SurfaceSlide is intuitive, fast and easy to use. SurfaceSlide represents the most direct, effective and intimate human-digital slide interaction experience. It is expected that SurfaceSlide will significantly enhance digital pathology tools and applications in education and clinical practice.

SurfaceSlide: A Multitouch Digital Pathology Platform

PubMed Central

Wang, Yinhai; Williamson, Kate E.; Kelly, Paul J.; James, Jacqueline A.; Hamilton, Peter W.

2012-01-01

Background Digital pathology provides a digital environment for the management and interpretation of pathological images and associated data. It is becoming increasing popular to use modern computer based tools and applications in pathological education, tissue based research and clinical diagnosis. Uptake of this new technology is stymied by its single user orientation and its prerequisite and cumbersome combination of mouse and keyboard for navigation and annotation. Methodology In this study we developed SurfaceSlide, a dedicated viewing platform which enables the navigation and annotation of gigapixel digitised pathological images using fingertip touch. SurfaceSlide was developed using the Microsoft Surface, a 30 inch multitouch tabletop computing platform. SurfaceSlide users can perform direct panning and zooming operations on digitised slide images. These images are downloaded onto the Microsoft Surface platform from a remote server on-demand. Users can also draw annotations and key in texts using an on-screen virtual keyboard. We also developed a smart caching protocol which caches the surrounding regions of a field of view in multi-resolutions thus providing a smooth and vivid user experience and reducing the delay for image downloading from the internet. We compared the usability of SurfaceSlide against Aperio ImageScope and PathXL online viewer. Conclusion SurfaceSlide is intuitive, fast and easy to use. SurfaceSlide represents the most direct, effective and intimate human–digital slide interaction experience. It is expected that SurfaceSlide will significantly enhance digital pathology tools and applications in education and clinical practice. PMID:22292040

Bimanual Psychomotor Performance in Neurosurgical Resident Applicants Assessed Using NeuroTouch, a Virtual Reality Simulator.

PubMed

Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Bajunaid, Khalid; Mullah, Muhammad A S; Marwa, Ibrahim; Alotaibi, Fahad E; Fares, Jawad; Baggiani, Marta; Azarnoush, Hamed; Zharni, Gmaan Al; Christie, Sommer; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman J; Werthner, Penny; Del Maestro, Rolando F

Current selection methods for neurosurgical residents fail to include objective measurements of bimanual psychomotor performance. Advancements in computer-based simulation provide opportunities to assess cognitive and psychomotor skills in surgically naive populations during complex simulated neurosurgical tasks in risk-free environments. This pilot study was designed to answer 3 questions: (1) What are the differences in bimanual psychomotor performance among neurosurgical residency applicants using NeuroTouch? (2) Are there exceptionally skilled medical students in the applicant cohort? and (3) Is there an influence of previous surgical exposure on surgical performance? Participants were instructed to remove 3 simulated brain tumors with identical visual appearance, stiffness, and random bleeding points. Validated tier 1, tier 2, and advanced tier 2 metrics were used to assess bimanual psychomotor performance. Demographic data included weeks of neurosurgical elective and prior operative exposure. This pilot study was carried out at the McGill Neurosurgical Simulation Research and Training Center immediately following neurosurgical residency interviews at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. All 17 medical students interviewed were asked to participate, of which 16 agreed. Performances were clustered in definable top, middle, and bottom groups with significant differences for all metrics. Increased time spent playing music, increased applicant self-evaluated technical skills, high self-ratings of confidence, and increased skin closures statistically influenced performance on univariate analysis. A trend for both self-rated increased operating room confidence and increased weeks of neurosurgical exposure to increased blood loss was seen in multivariate analysis. Simulation technology identifies neurosurgical residency applicants with differing levels of technical ability. These results provide information for studies being developed for longitudinal studies on the acquisition, development, and maintenance of psychomotor skills. Technical abilities customized training programs that maximize individual resident bimanual psychomotor training dependant on continuously updated and validated metrics from virtual reality simulation studies should be explored. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tissue mechanics govern the rapidly adapting and symmetrical response to touch

PubMed Central

Eastwood, Amy L.; Sanzeni, Alessandro; Petzold, Bryan C.; Park, Sung-Jin; Vergassola, Massimo; Pruitt, Beth L.

2015-01-01

Interactions with the physical world are deeply rooted in our sense of touch and depend on ensembles of somatosensory neurons that invade and innervate the skin. Somatosensory neurons convert the mechanical energy delivered in each touch into excitatory membrane currents carried by mechanoelectrical transduction (MeT) channels. Pacinian corpuscles in mammals and touch receptor neurons (TRNs) in Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes are embedded in distinctive specialized accessory structures, have low thresholds for activation, and adapt rapidly to the application and removal of mechanical loads. Recently, many of the protein partners that form native MeT channels in these and other somatosensory neurons have been identified. However, the biophysical mechanism of symmetric responses to the onset and offset of mechanical stimulation has eluded understanding for decades. Moreover, it is not known whether applied force or the resulting indentation activate MeT channels. Here, we introduce a system for simultaneously recording membrane current, applied force, and the resulting indentation in living C. elegans (Feedback-controlled Application of mechanical Loads Combined with in vivo Neurophysiology, FALCON) and use it, together with modeling, to study these questions. We show that current amplitude increases with indentation, not force, and that fast stimuli evoke larger currents than slower stimuli producing the same or smaller indentation. A model linking body indentation to MeT channel activation through an embedded viscoelastic element reproduces the experimental findings, predicts that the TRNs function as a band-pass mechanical filter, and provides a general mechanism for symmetrical and rapidly adapting MeT channel activation relevant to somatosensory neurons across phyla and submodalities. PMID:26627717

Neurosurgical Virtual Reality Simulation for Brain Tumor Using High-definition Computer Graphics: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Kin, Taichi; Nakatomi, Hirofumi; Shono, Naoyuki; Nomura, Seiji; Saito, Toki; Oyama, Hiroshi; Saito, Nobuhito

2017-10-15

Simulation and planning of surgery using a virtual reality model is becoming common with advances in computer technology. In this study, we conducted a literature search to find trends in virtual simulation of surgery for brain tumors. A MEDLINE search for "neurosurgery AND (simulation OR virtual reality)" retrieved a total of 1,298 articles published in the past 10 years. After eliminating studies designed solely for education and training purposes, 28 articles about the clinical application remained. The finding that the vast majority of the articles were about education and training rather than clinical applications suggests that several issues need be addressed for clinical application of surgical simulation. In addition, 10 of the 28 articles were from Japanese groups. In general, the 28 articles demonstrated clinical benefits of virtual surgical simulation. Simulation was particularly useful in better understanding complicated spatial relations of anatomical landmarks and in examining surgical approaches. In some studies, Virtual reality models were used on either surgical navigation system or augmented reality technology, which projects virtual reality images onto the operating field. Reported problems were difficulties in standardized, objective evaluation of surgical simulation systems; inability to respond to tissue deformation caused by surgical maneuvers; absence of the system functionality to reflect features of tissue (e.g., hardness and adhesion); and many problems with image processing. The amount of description about image processing tended to be insufficient, indicating that the level of evidence, risk of bias, precision, and reproducibility need to be addressed for further advances and ultimately for full clinical application.

The Touch and Zap Method for In Vivo Whole-Cell Patch Recording of Intrinsic and Visual Responses of Cortical Neurons and Glial Cells

PubMed Central

Schramm, Adrien E.; Marinazzo, Daniele; Gener, Thomas; Graham, Lyle J.

2014-01-01

Whole-cell patch recording is an essential tool for quantitatively establishing the biophysics of brain function, particularly in vivo. This method is of particular interest for studying the functional roles of cortical glial cells in the intact brain, which cannot be assessed with extracellular recordings. Nevertheless, a reasonable success rate remains a challenge because of stability, recording duration and electrical quality constraints, particularly for voltage clamp, dynamic clamp or conductance measurements. To address this, we describe “Touch and Zap”, an alternative method for whole-cell patch clamp recordings, with the goal of being simpler, quicker and more gentle to brain tissue than previous approaches. Under current clamp mode with a continuous train of hyperpolarizing current pulses, seal formation is initiated immediately upon cell contact, thus the “Touch”. By maintaining the current injection, whole-cell access is spontaneously achieved within seconds from the cell-attached configuration by a self-limited membrane electroporation, or “Zap”, as seal resistance increases. We present examples of intrinsic and visual responses of neurons and putative glial cells obtained with the revised method from cat and rat cortices in vivo. Recording parameters and biophysical properties obtained with the Touch and Zap method compare favourably with those obtained with the traditional blind patch approach, demonstrating that the revised approach does not compromise the recorded cell. We find that the method is particularly well-suited for whole-cell patch recordings of cortical glial cells in vivo, targeting a wider population of this cell type than the standard method, with better access resistance. Overall, the gentler Touch and Zap method is promising for studying quantitative functional properties in the intact brain with minimal perturbation of the cell's intrinsic properties and local network. Because the Touch and Zap method is performed semi-automatically, this approach is more reproducible and less dependent on experimenter technique. PMID:24875855

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

Sorensen, J; Duran, C; Stingo, F

Purpose: To characterize the effect of virtual monochromatic reconstructions on several commonly used texture analysis features in DECT of the chest. Further, to assess the effect of monochromatic energy levels on the ability of these textural features to identify tissue types. Methods: 20 consecutive patients underwent chest CTs for evaluation of lung nodules using Siemens Somatom Definition Flash DECT. Virtual monochromatic images were constructed at 10keV intervals from 40–190keV. For each patient, an ROI delineated the lesion under investigation, and cylindrical ROI’s were placed within 5 different healthy tissues (blood, fat, muscle, lung, and liver). Several histogram- and Grey Levelmore » Cooccurrence Matrix (GLCM)-based texture features were then evaluated in each ROI at each energy level. As a means of validation, these feature values were then used in a random forest classifier to attempt to identify the tissue types present within each ROI. Their predictive accuracy at each energy level was recorded. Results: All textural features changed considerably with virtual monochromatic energy, particularly below 70keV. Most features exhibited a global minimum or maximum around 80keV, and while feature values changed with energy above this, patient ranking was generally unaffected. As expected, blood demonstrated the lowest inter-patient variability, for all features, while lung lesions (encompassing many different pathologies) exhibited the highest. The accuracy of these features in identifying tissues (76% accuracy) was highest at 80keV, but no clear relationship between energy and classification accuracy was found. Two common misclassifications (blood vs liver and muscle vs fat) accounted for the majority (24 of the 28) errors observed. Conclusion: All textural features were highly dependent on virtual monochromatic energy level, especially below 80keV, and were more stable above this energy. However, in a random forest model, these commonly used features were able to reliably differentiate between most tissues types regardless of energy level. Dr Godoy has received a dual-energy CT research grant from Siemens Healthcare. That grant did not directly fund this research.« less

Development of virtual patient models for permanent implant brachytherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations: interdependence of CT image artifact mitigation and tissue assignment.

PubMed

Miksys, N; Xu, C; Beaulieu, L; Thomson, R M

2015-08-07

This work investigates and compares CT image metallic artifact reduction (MAR) methods and tissue assignment schemes (TAS) for the development of virtual patient models for permanent implant brachytherapy Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations. Four MAR techniques are investigated to mitigate seed artifacts from post-implant CT images of a homogeneous phantom and eight prostate patients: a raw sinogram approach using the original CT scanner data and three methods (simple threshold replacement (STR), 3D median filter, and virtual sinogram) requiring only the reconstructed CT image. Virtual patient models are developed using six TAS ranging from the AAPM-ESTRO-ABG TG-186 basic approach of assigning uniform density tissues (resulting in a model not dependent on MAR) to more complex models assigning prostate, calcification, and mixtures of prostate and calcification using CT-derived densities. The EGSnrc user-code BrachyDose is employed to calculate dose distributions. All four MAR methods eliminate bright seed spot artifacts, and the image-based methods provide comparable mitigation of artifacts compared with the raw sinogram approach. However, each MAR technique has limitations: STR is unable to mitigate low CT number artifacts, the median filter blurs the image which challenges the preservation of tissue heterogeneities, and both sinogram approaches introduce new streaks. Large local dose differences are generally due to differences in voxel tissue-type rather than mass density. The largest differences in target dose metrics (D90, V100, V150), over 50% lower compared to the other models, are when uncorrected CT images are used with TAS that consider calcifications. Metrics found using models which include calcifications are generally a few percent lower than prostate-only models. Generally, metrics from any MAR method and any TAS which considers calcifications agree within 6%. Overall, the studied MAR methods and TAS show promise for further retrospective MC dose calculation studies for various permanent implant brachytherapy treatments.

MRI for transformation of preserved organs and their pathologies into digital formats for medical education and creation of a virtual pathology museum. A pilot study.

PubMed

Venkatesh, S K; Wang, G; Seet, J E; Teo, L L S; Chong, V F H

2013-03-01

To evaluate the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the transformation of preserved organs and their disease entities into digital formats for medical education and creation of a virtual museum. MRI of selected 114 pathology specimen jars representing different organs and their diseases was performed using a 3 T MRI machine with two or more MRI sequences including three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted (T1W), 3D-T2W, 3D-FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery), fat-water separation (DIXON), and gradient-recalled echo (GRE) sequences. Qualitative assessment of MRI for depiction of disease and internal anatomy was performed. Volume rendering was performed on commercially available workstations. The digital images, 3D models, and photographs of specimens were archived into a workstation serving as a virtual pathology museum. MRI was successfully performed on all specimens. The 3D-T1W and 3D-T2W sequences demonstrated the best contrast between normal and pathological tissues. The digital material is a useful aid for understanding disease by giving insights into internal structural changes not apparent on visual inspection alone. Volume rendering produced vivid 3D models with better contrast between normal tissue and diseased tissue compared to real specimens or their photographs in some cases. The digital library provides good illustration material for radiological-pathological correlation by enhancing pathological anatomy and information on nature and signal characteristics of tissues. In some specimens, the MRI appearance may be different from corresponding organ and disease in vivo due to dead tissue and changes induced by prolonged contact with preservative fluid. MRI of pathology specimens is feasible and provides excellent images for education and creating a virtual pathology museum that can serve as permanent record of digital material for self-directed learning, improving teaching aids, and radiological-pathological correlation. Copyright © 2012 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A higher volume of fibrotic tissue on virtual histology prior to coronary stent implantation predisposes to more pronounced neointima proliferation.

PubMed

Haine, Steven; Wouters, Kristien; Miljoen, Hielko; Vandendriessche, Tom; Claeys, Marc; Bosmans, Johan; Vrints, Christiaan

2018-04-01

Since neointima smooth muscle cells (SMC) mainly originate from the vessel wall, we investigated whether atherosclerotic plaque composition influences subsequent in-stent neointima proliferation and restenosis. We performed intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) with virtual histology in 98 patients prior to elective bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation in de novo coronary artery lesions. Virtual histology variables pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were related to in-stent neointima proliferation six months after implantation assessed as late luminal loss of 0.88 mm (interquartile range (IQR) 0.37-1.23 mm) on angiography and as maximal percentage area stenosis of 42% (IQR 33-59%) and percentage volume intima hyperplasia of 27% (IQR 20-36%) on IVUS. A ridge-trace based multiple linear regression model was constructed to account for multicollinearity of the virtual histology variables and was corrected for implanted stent length (18 mm, IQR 15-23 mm), stent diameter (3.0 mm, IQR 2.75-3.5 mm) and lesion volume (146 mm³, IQR 80-201 mm³) prior to PCI. Fibrous tissue volume prior to PCI (49 mm³, IQR 30-77 mm³) was significantly and independently related to late luminal loss (p = .038), maximal percentage area stenosis (p = .041) and percentage volume intima hyperplasia (p = .004). Neither absolute nor relative amounts of fibrofatty, calcified or necrotic core tissue appeared related to any of the restenosis parameters. Subgroup analysis after exclusion of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients yielded similar results. Lesions with more voluminous fibrotic tissue pre-PCI show more pronounced in-stent neointima proliferation, even after correction for lesion plaque volume.

Confocal microscopy imaging of solid tissue

EPA Science Inventory

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a technique that is capable of generating serial sections of whole-mount tissue and then reassembling the computer acquired images as a virtual 3-dimensional structure. In many ways CLSM offers an alternative to traditional sectioning ...

VirtualLeaf: an open-source framework for cell-based modeling of plant tissue growth and development.

PubMed

Merks, Roeland M H; Guravage, Michael; Inzé, Dirk; Beemster, Gerrit T S

2011-02-01

Plant organs, including leaves and roots, develop by means of a multilevel cross talk between gene regulation, patterned cell division and cell expansion, and tissue mechanics. The multilevel regulatory mechanisms complicate classic molecular genetics or functional genomics approaches to biological development, because these methodologies implicitly assume a direct relation between genes and traits at the level of the whole plant or organ. Instead, understanding gene function requires insight into the roles of gene products in regulatory networks, the conditions of gene expression, etc. This interplay is impossible to understand intuitively. Mathematical and computer modeling allows researchers to design new hypotheses and produce experimentally testable insights. However, the required mathematics and programming experience makes modeling poorly accessible to experimental biologists. Problem-solving environments provide biologically intuitive in silico objects ("cells", "regulation networks") required for setting up a simulation and present those to the user in terms of familiar, biological terminology. Here, we introduce the cell-based computer modeling framework VirtualLeaf for plant tissue morphogenesis. The current version defines a set of biologically intuitive C++ objects, including cells, cell walls, and diffusing and reacting chemicals, that provide useful abstractions for building biological simulations of developmental processes. We present a step-by-step introduction to building models with VirtualLeaf, providing basic example models of leaf venation and meristem development. VirtualLeaf-based models provide a means for plant researchers to analyze the function of developmental genes in the context of the biophysics of growth and patterning. VirtualLeaf is an ongoing open-source software project (http://virtualleaf.googlecode.com) that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Measurement Tools for the Immersive Visualization Environment: Steps Toward the Virtual Laboratory.

PubMed

Hagedorn, John G; Dunkers, Joy P; Satterfield, Steven G; Peskin, Adele P; Kelso, John T; Terrill, Judith E

2007-01-01

This paper describes a set of tools for performing measurements of objects in a virtual reality based immersive visualization environment. These tools enable the use of the immersive environment as an instrument for extracting quantitative information from data representations that hitherto had be used solely for qualitative examination. We provide, within the virtual environment, ways for the user to analyze and interact with the quantitative data generated. We describe results generated by these methods to obtain dimensional descriptors of tissue engineered medical products. We regard this toolbox as our first step in the implementation of a virtual measurement laboratory within an immersive visualization environment.

Touch for Socioemotional and Physical Well-Being: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Tiffany

2010-01-01

This review briefly summarizes recent empirical research on touch. The research includes the role of touch in early development, touch deprivation, touch aversion, emotions that can be conveyed by touch, the importance of touch for interpersonal relationships and how friendly touch affects compliance in different situations. MRI data are reviewed…

Advantages of infrared transflection micro spectroscopy and paraffin-embedded sample preparation for biological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Jie; Li, Qian; Zhou, Bo; Wang, Dan; Wu, Rie

2018-04-01

Fourier-Transform Infrared micro-spectroscopy is an excellent method for biological analyses. In this paper, series metal coating films on ITO glass were prepared by the electrochemical method and the different thicknesses of paraffin embedding rat's brain tissue on the substrates were studied by IR micro-spetroscopy in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode and transflection mode respectively. The Co-Ni-Cu alloy coating film with low cost is good reflection substrates for the IR analysis. The infrared microscopic transflection mode needs not to touch the sample at all and can get the IR spectra with higher signal to noise ratios. The Paraffin-embedding method allows tissues to be stored for a long time for re-analysis to ensure the traceability of the sample. Also it isolates the sample from the metal and avoids the interaction of biological tissue with the metals. The best thickness of the tissues is 4 μm.

Quantitative simulation of intracellular signaling cascades in a Virtual Liver: estimating dose dependent changes in hepatocellular proliferation and apoptosis

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver (v-Liver™) is developing an approach to predict dose-dependent hepatotoxicity as an in vivo tissue level response using in vitro data. The v-Liver accomplishes this using an in silico agent-based systems model that dynamically integrates environmental exp...

Computer Simulation of Embryonic Systems: What can a virtual embryo teach us about developmental toxicity? (LA Conference on Computational Biology & Bioinformatics)

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will cover work at EPA under the CSS program for: (1) Virtual Tissue Models built from the known biology of an embryological system and structured to recapitulate key cell signals and responses; (2) running the models with real (in vitro) or synthetic (in silico...

Material Separation Using Dual-Energy CT: Current and Emerging Applications.

PubMed

Patino, Manuel; Prochowski, Andrea; Agrawal, Mukta D; Simeone, Frank J; Gupta, Rajiv; Hahn, Peter F; Sahani, Dushyant V

2016-01-01

Dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) offers the opportunity to generate material-specific images on the basis of the atomic number Z and the unique mass attenuation coefficient of a particular material at different x-ray energies. Material-specific images provide qualitative and quantitative information about tissue composition and contrast media distribution. The most significant contribution of DE CT-based material characterization comes from the capability to assess iodine distribution through the creation of an image that exclusively shows iodine. These iodine-specific images increase tissue contrast and amplify subtle differences in attenuation between normal and abnormal tissues, improving lesion detection and characterization in the abdomen. In addition, DE CT enables computational removal of iodine influence from a CT image, generating virtual noncontrast images. Several additional materials, including calcium, fat, and uric acid, can be separated, permitting imaging assessment of metabolic imbalances, elemental deficiencies, and abnormal deposition of materials within tissues. The ability to obtain material-specific images from a single, contrast-enhanced CT acquisition can complement the anatomic knowledge with functional information, and may be used to reduce the radiation dose by decreasing the number of phases in a multiphasic CT examination. DE CT also enables generation of energy-specific and virtual monochromatic images. Clinical applications of DE CT leverage both material-specific images and virtual monochromatic images to expand the current role of CT and overcome several limitations of single-energy CT. (©)RSNA, 2016.

Enabling Histopathological Annotations on Immunofluorescent Images through Virtualization of Hematoxylin and Eosin

PubMed Central

Lahiani, Amal; Klaiman, Eldad; Grimm, Oliver

2018-01-01

Context: Medical diagnosis and clinical decisions rely heavily on the histopathological evaluation of tissue samples, especially in oncology. Historically, classical histopathology has been the gold standard for tissue evaluation and assessment by pathologists. The most widely and commonly used dyes in histopathology are hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) as most malignancies diagnosis is largely based on this protocol. H&E staining has been used for more than a century to identify tissue characteristics and structures morphologies that are needed for tumor diagnosis. In many cases, as tissue is scarce in clinical studies, fluorescence imaging is necessary to allow staining of the same specimen with multiple biomarkers simultaneously. Since fluorescence imaging is a relatively new technology in the pathology landscape, histopathologists are not used to or trained in annotating or interpreting these images. Aims, Settings and Design: To allow pathologists to annotate these images without the need for additional training, we designed an algorithm for the conversion of fluorescence images to brightfield H&E images. Subjects and Methods: In this algorithm, we use fluorescent nuclei staining to reproduce the hematoxylin information and natural tissue autofluorescence to reproduce the eosin information avoiding the necessity to specifically stain the proteins or intracellular structures with an additional fluorescence stain. Statistical Analysis Used: Our method is based on optimizing a transform function from fluorescence to H&E images using least mean square optimization. Results: It results in high quality virtual H&E digital images that can easily and efficiently be analyzed by pathologists. We validated our results with pathologists by making them annotate tumor in real and virtual H&E whole slide images and we obtained promising results. Conclusions: Hence, we provide a solution that enables pathologists to assess tissue and annotate specific structures based on multiplexed fluorescence images. PMID:29531846

Enabling Histopathological Annotations on Immunofluorescent Images through Virtualization of Hematoxylin and Eosin.

PubMed

Lahiani, Amal; Klaiman, Eldad; Grimm, Oliver

2018-01-01

Medical diagnosis and clinical decisions rely heavily on the histopathological evaluation of tissue samples, especially in oncology. Historically, classical histopathology has been the gold standard for tissue evaluation and assessment by pathologists. The most widely and commonly used dyes in histopathology are hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) as most malignancies diagnosis is largely based on this protocol. H&E staining has been used for more than a century to identify tissue characteristics and structures morphologies that are needed for tumor diagnosis. In many cases, as tissue is scarce in clinical studies, fluorescence imaging is necessary to allow staining of the same specimen with multiple biomarkers simultaneously. Since fluorescence imaging is a relatively new technology in the pathology landscape, histopathologists are not used to or trained in annotating or interpreting these images. To allow pathologists to annotate these images without the need for additional training, we designed an algorithm for the conversion of fluorescence images to brightfield H&E images. In this algorithm, we use fluorescent nuclei staining to reproduce the hematoxylin information and natural tissue autofluorescence to reproduce the eosin information avoiding the necessity to specifically stain the proteins or intracellular structures with an additional fluorescence stain. Our method is based on optimizing a transform function from fluorescence to H&E images using least mean square optimization. It results in high quality virtual H&E digital images that can easily and efficiently be analyzed by pathologists. We validated our results with pathologists by making them annotate tumor in real and virtual H&E whole slide images and we obtained promising results. Hence, we provide a solution that enables pathologists to assess tissue and annotate specific structures based on multiplexed fluorescence images.

An Augmented Reality Nanomanipulator for Learning Nanophysics: The "NanoLearner" Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchi, Florence; Marliere, Sylvain; Florens, Jean Loup; Luciani, Annie; Chevrier, Joel

The work focuses on the description and evaluation of an augmented reality nanomanipulator, called "NanoLearner" platform used as educational tool in practical works of nanophysics. Through virtual reality associated to multisensory renderings, students are immersed in the nanoworld where they can interact in real time with a sample surface or an object, using their senses as hearing, seeing and touching. The role of each sensorial rendering in the understanding and control of the "approach-retract" interaction has been determined thanks to statistical studies obtained during the practical works. Finally, we present two extensions of the use of this innovative tool for investigating nano effects in living organisms and for allowing grand public to have access to a natural understanding of nanophenomena.

Interaction devices for hands-on desktop design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, Wendy; Madsen, Sally; Fiene, Jonathan; Bolas, Mark T.; McDowall, Ian E.; Faste, Rolf

2003-05-01

Starting with a list of typical hand actions - such as touching or twisting - a collection of physical input device prototypes was created to study better ways of engaging the body and mind in the computer aided design process. These devices were interchangeably coupled with a graphics system to allow for rapid exploration of the interplay between the designer's intent, body motions, and the resulting on-screen design. User testing showed that a number of key considerations should influence the future development of such devices: coupling between the physical and virtual worlds, tactile feedback, and scale. It is hoped that these explorations contribute to the greater goal of creating user interface devices that increase the fluency, productivity and joy of computer-augmented design.

Expeditious illustration of layer-cake models on and above a tactile surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Daniel Simões; Mendes, Daniel; Sousa, Maurício; Jorge, Joaquim

2016-05-01

Too often illustrating and visualizing 3D geological concepts are performed by sketching in 2D mediums, which may limit drawing performance of initial concepts. Here, the potential of expeditious geological modeling brought by hand gestures is explored. A spatial interaction system was developed to enable rapid modeling, editing, and exploration of 3D layer-cake objects. User interactions are acquired with motion capture and touch screen technologies. Virtual immersion is guaranteed by using stereoscopic technology. The novelty consists of performing expeditious modeling of coarse geological features with only a limited set of hand gestures. Results from usability-studies show that the proposed system is more efficient when compared to a windows-icon-menu-pointer modeling application.

Reach out to one and you reach out to many: social touch affects third-party observers.

PubMed

Schirmer, Annett; Reece, Christy; Zhao, Claris; Ng, Erik; Wu, Esther; Yen, Shih-Cheng

2015-02-01

Casual social touch influences emotional perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours of interaction partners. We asked whether these influences extend to third-party observers. To this end, we developed the Social Touch Picture Set comprising line drawings of dyadic interactions, half of which entailed publicly acceptable casual touch and half of which served as no-touch controls. In Experiment 1, participants provided basic image norms by rating how frequently they observed a displayed touch gesture in everyday life and how comfortable they were observing it. Results implied that some touch gestures were observed more frequently and with greater comfort than others (e.g., handshake vs. hug). All gestures, however, obtained rating scores suitable for inclusion in Experiments 2 and 3. In Experiment 2, participants rated perceived valence, arousal, and likeability of randomly presented touch and no-touch images without being explicitly informed about touch. Image characters seemed more positive, aroused, and likeable when they touched as compared to when they did not touch. Image characters seemed more negative and aroused, but were equally likeable, when they received touch as compared to when there was no physical contact. In Experiment 3, participants passively viewed touch and no-touch images while their eye movements were recorded. Differential gazing at touch as compared to no-touch images emerged within the first 500 ms following image exposure and was largely restricted to the characters' upper body. Gazing at the touching body parts (e.g., hands) was minimal and largely unaffected by touch, suggesting that touch processing occurred outside the focus of visual attention. Together, these findings establish touch as an important visual cue and provide novel insights into how this cue modulates socio-emotional processing in third-party observers. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Mobile viewer system for virtual 3D space using infrared LED point markers and camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakamoto, Kunio; Taneji, Shoto

2006-09-01

The authors have developed a 3D workspace system using collaborative imaging devices. A stereoscopic display enables this system to project 3D information. In this paper, we describe the position detecting system for a see-through 3D viewer. A 3D display system is useful technology for virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality. We have researched spatial imaging and interaction system. We have ever proposed 3D displays using the slit as a parallax barrier, the lenticular screen and the holographic optical elements(HOEs) for displaying active image 1)2)3)4). The purpose of this paper is to propose the interactive system using these 3D imaging technologies. The observer can view virtual images in the real world when the user watches the screen of a see-through 3D viewer. The goal of our research is to build the display system as follows; when users see the real world through the mobile viewer, the display system gives users virtual 3D images, which is floating in the air, and the observers can touch these floating images and interact them such that kids can make play clay. The key technologies of this system are the position recognition system and the spatial imaging display. The 3D images are presented by the improved parallax barrier 3D display. Here the authors discuss the measuring method of the mobile viewer using infrared LED point markers and a camera in the 3D workspace (augmented reality world). The authors show the geometric analysis of the proposed measuring method, which is the simplest method using a single camera not the stereo camera, and the results of our viewer system.

Virtual Habitat -a dynamic simulation of closed life support systems -human model status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markus Czupalla, M. Sc.; Zhukov, Anton; Hwang, Su-Au; Schnaitmann, Jonas

In order to optimize Life Support Systems on a system level, stability questions must be in-vestigated. To do so the exploration group of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is developing the "Virtual Habitat" (V-HAB) dynamic LSS simulation software. V-HAB shall provide the possibility to conduct dynamic simulations of entire mission scenarios for any given LSS configuration. The Virtual Habitat simulation tool consists of four main modules: • Closed Environment Module (CEM) -monitoring of compounds in a closed environment • Crew Module (CM) -dynamic human simulation • P/C Systems Module (PCSM) -dynamic P/C subsystems • Plant Module (PM) -dynamic plant simulation The core module of the simulation is the dynamic and environment sensitive human module. Introduced in its basic version in 2008, the human module has been significantly updated since, increasing its capabilities and maturity significantly. In this paper three newly added human model subsystems (thermal regulation, digestion and schedule controller) are introduced touching also on the human stress subsystem which is cur-rently under development. Upon the introduction of these new subsystems, the integration of these into the overall V-HAB human model is discussed, highlighting the impact on the most important I/F. The overall human model capabilities shall further be summarized and presented based on meaningful test cases. In addition to the presentation of the results, the correlation strategy for the Virtual Habitat human model shall be introduced assessing the models current confidence level and giving an outlook on the future correlation strategy. Last but not least, the remaining V-HAB mod-ules shall be introduced shortly showing how the human model is integrated into the overall simulation.

New Delivery Model for Rising-Risk Patients: The Forgotten Lot?

PubMed

Cheung, Lauren; Norden, Justin; Harrington, Robert A; Desai, Sumbul A

2017-08-01

Shared-risk models encourage providers to engage young patients early. Telemedicine may be well suited for younger, healthier patients although it is unclear how best to incorporate telemedicine into routine clinical care. We test the assumptions surrounding the use of telemedicine, younger and rising-risk patients, and primary care in ClickWell Care (CWC), a care model developed at our institution for our own accountable care organization. CWC's team of physicians and wellness coaches work together to provide comprehensive primary care through in-person, phone, and video visits. This study examines usage of the clinic over its initial year in operation. 1,464 unique patients conducted a total of 3,907 visits. 2,294 (58.7%) visits were completed virtually (1,382 [35.4%] by phone and 912 [23.3%] by video). Patients were more inclined to see the physician in-person for a new visit (1,065 visits [70.5%] vs. 362 [24%] phone and 83 [6%] video) and more likely to see the physician virtually for a return visit (606 [43.2%] phone and 249 [17.7%] video vs. 548 [39.1%] in-person), a statistically significant difference (X 2  = 306.7, p < 0.00001). This new care model successfully engaged a younger population of patients. However, our data suggest young patients may not be inclined to establish care with a primary care physician virtually and, in fact, choose an initial in-person touch point, although many are willing to conduct return visits virtually. This new model of care could have a large impact on how care is delivered to low- and rising-risk patients.

Activation Time of Cardiac Tissue In Response to a Linear Array of Spatial Alternating Bipolar Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashburn, David; Wikswo, John

2007-11-01

Prevailing theories about the response of the heart to high field shocks predict that local regions of high resistivity distributed throughout the heart create multiple small virtual electrodes that hyperpolarize or depolarize tissue and lead to widespread activation. This resetting of bulk tissue is responsible for the successful functioning of cardiac defibrillators. By activating cardiac tissue with regular linear arrays of spatially alternating bipolar currents, we can simulate these potentials locally. We have studied the activation time due to distributed currents in both a 1D Beeler-Reuter model and on the surface of the whole heart, varying the strength of each source and the separation between them. By comparison with activation time data from actual field shock of a whole heart in a bath, we hope to better understand these transient virtual electrodes. Our work was done on rabbit RV using florescent optical imaging and our Phased Array Stimulator for driving the 16 current sources. Our model shows that for a total absolute current delivered to a region of tissue, the entire region activates faster if above-threshold sources are more distributed.

The Architectonic Experience of Body and Space in Augmented Interiors

PubMed Central

Pasqualini, Isabella; Blefari, Maria Laura; Tadi, Tej; Serino, Andrea; Blanke, Olaf

2018-01-01

The environment shapes our experience of space in constant interaction with the body. Architectonic interiors amplify the perception of space through the bodily senses; an effect also known as embodiment. The interaction of the bodily senses with the space surrounding the body can be tested experimentally through the manipulation of multisensory stimulation and measured via a range of behaviors related to bodily self-consciousness. Many studies have used Virtual Reality to show that visuotactile conflicts mediated via a virtual body or avatar can disrupt the unified subjective experience of the body and self. In the full-body illusion paradigm, participants feel as if the avatar was their body (ownership, self-identification) and they shift their center of awareness toward the position of the avatar (self-location). However, the influence of non-bodily spatial cues around the body on embodiment remains unclear, and data about the impact of architectonic space on human perception and self-conscious states are sparse. We placed participants into a Virtual Reality arena, where large and narrow virtual interiors were displayed with and without an avatar. We then applied synchronous or asynchronous visuotactile strokes to the back of the participants and avatar, or, to the front wall of the void interiors. During conditions of illusory self-identification with the avatar, participants reported sensations of containment, drift, and touch with the architectonic environment. The absence of the avatar suppressed such feelings, yet, in the large space, we found an effect of continuity between the physical and the virtual interior depending on the full-body illusion. We discuss subjective feelings evoked by architecture and compare the full-body illusion in augmented interiors to architectonic embodiment. A relevant outcome of this study is the potential to dissociate the egocentric, first-person view from the physical point of view through augmented architectonic space. PMID:29755378

The Architectonic Experience of Body and Space in Augmented Interiors.

PubMed

Pasqualini, Isabella; Blefari, Maria Laura; Tadi, Tej; Serino, Andrea; Blanke, Olaf

2018-01-01

The environment shapes our experience of space in constant interaction with the body. Architectonic interiors amplify the perception of space through the bodily senses; an effect also known as embodiment. The interaction of the bodily senses with the space surrounding the body can be tested experimentally through the manipulation of multisensory stimulation and measured via a range of behaviors related to bodily self-consciousness. Many studies have used Virtual Reality to show that visuotactile conflicts mediated via a virtual body or avatar can disrupt the unified subjective experience of the body and self. In the full-body illusion paradigm, participants feel as if the avatar was their body (ownership, self-identification) and they shift their center of awareness toward the position of the avatar (self-location). However, the influence of non-bodily spatial cues around the body on embodiment remains unclear, and data about the impact of architectonic space on human perception and self-conscious states are sparse. We placed participants into a Virtual Reality arena, where large and narrow virtual interiors were displayed with and without an avatar. We then applied synchronous or asynchronous visuotactile strokes to the back of the participants and avatar, or, to the front wall of the void interiors. During conditions of illusory self-identification with the avatar, participants reported sensations of containment, drift, and touch with the architectonic environment. The absence of the avatar suppressed such feelings, yet, in the large space, we found an effect of continuity between the physical and the virtual interior depending on the full-body illusion. We discuss subjective feelings evoked by architecture and compare the full-body illusion in augmented interiors to architectonic embodiment. A relevant outcome of this study is the potential to dissociate the egocentric, first-person view from the physical point of view through augmented architectonic space.

Virtual Visualisation Laboratory for Science and Mathematics Content (Vlab-SMC) with Special Reference to Teaching and Learning of Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badioze Zaman, Halimah; Bakar, Norashiken; Ahmad, Azlina; Sulaiman, Riza; Arshad, Haslina; Mohd. Yatim, Nor Faezah

Research on the teaching of science and mathematics in schools and universities have shown that available teaching models are not effective in instilling the understanding of scientific and mathematics concepts, and the right scientific and mathematics skills required for learners to become good future scientists (mathematicians included). The extensive development of new technologies has a marked influence on education, by facilitating the design of new learning and teaching materials, that can improve the attitude of learners towards Science and Mathematics and the plausibility of advanced interactive, personalised learning process. The usefulness of the computer in Science and Mathematics education; as an interactive communication medium that permits access to all types of information (texts, images, different types of data such as sound, graphics and perhaps haptics like smell and touch); as an instrument for problem solving through simulations of scientific and mathematics phenomenon and experiments; as well as measuring and monitoring scientific laboratory experiments. This paper will highlight on the design and development of the virtual Visualisation Laboratory for Science & Mathematics Content (VLab-SMC) based on the Cognitivist- Constructivist-Contextual development life cycle model as well as the Instructional Design (ID) model, in order to achieve its objectives in teaching and learning. However, this paper with only highlight one of the virtual labs within VLab-SMC that is, the Virtual Lab for teaching Chemistry (VLab- Chem). The development life cycle involves the educational media to be used, measurement of content, and the authoring and programming involved; whilst the ID model involves the application of the cognitivist, constructivist and contextual theories in the modeling of the modules of VLab-SMC generally and Vlab-Chem specifically, using concepts such as 'learning by doing', contextual learning, experimental simulations 3D and real-time animations to create a virtual laboratory based on a real laboratory. Initial preliminary study shows positive indicators of VLab-Chem for the teaching and learning of Chemistry on the topic of 'Salts and Acids'.

γδ T cells in homeostasis and host defence of epithelial barrier tissues

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Morten M.; Witherden, Deborah A.; Havran, Wendy L.

2018-01-01

Epithelial surfaces line the body and provide a critical interface between the body and the external environment which is essential to maintaining the symbiotic relationship between the host and the microbiome. Tissue-resident epithelial γδ T cells represent a major T cell population in epithelia and are ideally positioned to perform barrier surveillance and aid in tissue homeostasis and repair. In this review we focus on the intraepithelial γδ compartment in the two largest epithelial tissues in the body, namely the epidermis and intestine, and provide a comprehensive overview of the crucial contributions of intraepithelial γδ cells at these sites to tissue integrity and repair, host homeostasis and host protection in the context of the symbiotic relationship with the microbiome and during pathogen clearance. Finally, we address epithelia-specific butyrophilin-like molecules and touch upon their emerging role in selectively shaping and regulating epidermal and intestinal γδ T cell repertoires. PMID:28920588

A toolkit for GFP-mediated tissue-specific protein degradation in C. elegans.

PubMed

Wang, Shaohe; Tang, Ngang Heok; Lara-Gonzalez, Pablo; Zhao, Zhiling; Cheerambathur, Dhanya K; Prevo, Bram; Chisholm, Andrew D; Desai, Arshad; Oegema, Karen

2017-07-15

Proteins that are essential for embryo production, cell division and early embryonic events are frequently reused later in embryogenesis, during organismal development or in the adult. Examining protein function across these different biological contexts requires tissue-specific perturbation. Here, we describe a method that uses expression of a fusion between a GFP-targeting nanobody and a SOCS-box containing ubiquitin ligase adaptor to target GFP-tagged proteins for degradation. When combined with endogenous locus GFP tagging by CRISPR-Cas9 or with rescue of a null mutant with a GFP fusion, this approach enables routine and efficient tissue-specific protein ablation. We show that this approach works in multiple tissues - the epidermis, intestine, body wall muscle, ciliated sensory neurons and touch receptor neurons - where it recapitulates expected loss-of-function mutant phenotypes. The transgene toolkit and the strain set described here will complement existing approaches to enable routine analysis of the tissue-specific roles of C. elegans proteins. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Virtual reality for dermatologic surgery: virtually a reality in the 21st century.

PubMed

Gladstone, H B; Raugi, G J; Berg, D; Berkley, J; Weghorst, S; Ganter, M

2000-01-01

In the 20th century, virtual reality has predominantly played a role in training pilots and in the entertainment industry. Despite much publicity, virtual reality did not live up to its perceived potential. During the past decade, it has also been applied for medical uses, particularly as training simulators, for minimally invasive surgery. Because of advances in computer technology, virtual reality is on the cusp of becoming an effective medical educational tool. At the University of Washington, we are developing a virtual reality soft tissue surgery simulator. Based on fast finite element modeling and using a personal computer, this device can simulate three-dimensional human skin deformations with real-time tactile feedback. Although there are many cutaneous biomechanical challenges to solve, it will eventually provide more realistic dermatologic surgery training for medical students and residents than the currently used models.

Social Touch Technology: A Survey of Haptic Technology for Social Touch.

PubMed

Huisman, Gijs

2017-01-01

This survey provides an overview of work on haptic technology for social touch. Social touch has been studied extensively in psychology and neuroscience. With the development of new technologies, it is now possible to engage in social touch at a distance or engage in social touch with artificial social agents. Social touch research has inspired research into technology mediated social touch, and this line of research has found effects similar to actual social touch. The importance of haptic stimulus qualities, multimodal cues, and contextual factors in technology mediated social touch is discussed. This survey is concluded by reflecting on the current state of research into social touch technology, and providing suggestions for future research and applications.

Deformation of Soft Tissue and Force Feedback Using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

PubMed Central

Liu, Xuemei; Wang, Ruiyi; Li, Yunhua; Song, Dongdong

2015-01-01

We study the deformation and haptic feedback of soft tissue in virtual surgery based on a liver model by using a force feedback device named PHANTOM OMNI developed by SensAble Company in USA. Although a significant amount of research efforts have been dedicated to simulating the behaviors of soft tissue and implementing force feedback, it is still a challenging problem. This paper introduces a kind of meshfree method for deformation simulation of soft tissue and force computation based on viscoelastic mechanical model and smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Firstly, viscoelastic model can present the mechanical characteristics of soft tissue which greatly promotes the realism. Secondly, SPH has features of meshless technique and self-adaption, which supply higher precision than methods based on meshes for force feedback computation. Finally, a SPH method based on dynamic interaction area is proposed to improve the real time performance of simulation. The results reveal that SPH methodology is suitable for simulating soft tissue deformation and force feedback calculation, and SPH based on dynamic local interaction area has a higher computational efficiency significantly compared with usual SPH. Our algorithm has a bright prospect in the area of virtual surgery. PMID:26417380

Organization of the spinal trigeminal nucleus in star-nosed moles.

PubMed

Sawyer, Eva K; Leitch, Duncan B; Catania, Kenneth C

2014-10-01

Somatosensory inputs from the face project to multiple regions of the trigeminal nuclear complex in the brainstem. In mice and rats, three subdivisions contain visible representations of the mystacial vibrissae, the principal sensory nucleus, spinal trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris, and subnucleus caudalis. These regions are considered important for touch with high spatial acuity, active touch, and pain and temperature sensation, respectively. Like mice and rats, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a somatosensory specialist. Given the visible star pattern in preparations of the star-nosed mole cortex and the principal sensory nucleus, we hypothesized there were star patterns in the spinal trigeminal nucleus subnuclei interpolaris and caudalis. In sections processed for cytochrome oxidase, we found star-like segmentation consisting of lightly stained septa separating darkly stained patches in subnucleus interpolaris (juvenile tissue) and subnucleus caudalis (juvenile and adult tissue). Subnucleus caudalis represented the face in a three-dimensional map, with the most anterior part of the face represented more rostrally than posterior parts of the face. Multiunit electrophysiological mapping was used to map the ipsilateral face. Ray-specific receptive fields in adults matched the CO segmentation. The mean areas of multiunit receptive fields in subnucleus interpolaris and caudalis were larger than previously mapped receptive fields in the mole's principal sensory nucleus. The proportion of tissue devoted to each ray's representation differed between the subnucleus interpolaris and the principal sensory nucleus. Our finding that different trigeminal brainstem maps can exaggerate different parts of the face could provide new insights for the roles of these different somatosensory stations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Organization of the spinal trigeminal nucleus in Star-Nosed Moles

PubMed Central

Sawyer, Eva K.; Leitch, Duncan B.; Catania, Kenneth C.

2014-01-01

Somatosensory inputs from the face project to multiple regions of the trigeminal nuclear complex in the brainstem. In mice and rats three subdivisions contain visible representations of the mystacial vibrissae: the principal sensory nucleus, the spinal trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris and subnucleus caudalis. These regions are considered important for touch with high spatial acuity, active touch, and pain and temperature sensation, respectively. Like mice and rats, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a somatosensory specialist. Given the visible star pattern in preparations of the star-nosed mole cortex and the principal sensory nucleus, we hypothesized there were star patterns in the spinal trigeminal nucleus subnuclei interpolaris and caudalis. In sections processed for cytochrome oxidase we found star-like segmentation consisting of lightly stained septa separating darkly stained patches in subnucleus interpolaris (juvenile tissue) and subnucleus caudalis (juvenile and adult tissue). Subnucleus caudalis represented the face in a three-dimensional map with the most anterior part of the face represented more rostrally than posterior parts of the face. Multi-unit electrophysiological mapping was used to map the ipsilateral face. Ray-specific receptive fields in adults matched the CO-segmentation. The mean areas of multiunit receptive fields in subnucleus interpolaris and caudalis were larger than previously mapped receptive fields in the mole's principal sensory nucleus. The proportion of tissue devoted to each ray's representation differed between subnucleus interpolaris and the principal sensory nucleus. Our finding that different trigeminal brainstem maps can exaggerate different parts of the face could provide new insights for the roles of these different somatosensory stations. PMID:24715542

Segmentation and Quantitative Analysis of Epithelial Tissues.

PubMed

Aigouy, Benoit; Umetsu, Daiki; Eaton, Suzanne

2016-01-01

Epithelia are tissues that regulate exchanges with the environment. They are very dynamic and can acquire virtually any shape; at the cellular level, they are composed of cells tightly connected by junctions. Most often epithelia are amenable to live imaging; however, the large number of cells composing an epithelium and the absence of informatics tools dedicated to epithelial analysis largely prevented tissue scale studies. Here we present Tissue Analyzer, a free tool that can be used to segment and analyze epithelial cells and monitor tissue dynamics.

Virtual reality haptic dissection.

PubMed

Erolin, Caroline; Wilkinson, Caroline; Soames, Roger

2011-12-01

This project aims to create a three-dimensional digital model of the human hand and wrist which can be virtually 'dissected' through a haptic interface. Tissue properties will be added to the various anatomical structures to replicate a realistic look and feel. The project will explore the role of the medical artist, and investigate cross-discipline collaborations in the field of virtual anatomy. The software will be used to train anatomy students in dissection skills, before experience on a real cadaver. The effectiveness of the software will be evaluated and assessed both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

Virtual reality simulation: basic concepts and use in endoscopic neurosurgery training.

PubMed

Cohen, Alan R; Lohani, Subash; Manjila, Sunil; Natsupakpong, Suriya; Brown, Nathan; Cavusoglu, M Cenk

2013-08-01

Virtual reality simulation is a promising alternative to training surgical residents outside the operating room. It is also a useful aide to anatomic study, residency training, surgical rehearsal, credentialing, and recertification. Surgical simulation is based on a virtual reality with varying degrees of immersion and realism. Simulators provide a no-risk environment for harmless and repeatable practice. Virtual reality has three main components of simulation: graphics/volume rendering, model behavior/tissue deformation, and haptic feedback. The challenge of accurately simulating the forces and tactile sensations experienced in neurosurgery limits the sophistication of a virtual simulator. The limited haptic feedback available in minimally invasive neurosurgery makes it a favorable subject for simulation. Virtual simulators with realistic graphics and force feedback have been developed for ventriculostomy, intraventricular surgery, and transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, thus allowing preoperative study of the individual anatomy and increasing the safety of the procedure. The authors also present experiences with their own virtual simulation of endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

Fast Realistic MRI Simulations Based on Generalized Multi-Pool Exchange Tissue Model.

PubMed

Liu, Fang; Velikina, Julia V; Block, Walter F; Kijowski, Richard; Samsonov, Alexey A

2017-02-01

We present MRiLab, a new comprehensive simulator for large-scale realistic MRI simulations on a regular PC equipped with a modern graphical processing unit (GPU). MRiLab combines realistic tissue modeling with numerical virtualization of an MRI system and scanning experiment to enable assessment of a broad range of MRI approaches including advanced quantitative MRI methods inferring microstructure on a sub-voxel level. A flexible representation of tissue microstructure is achieved in MRiLab by employing the generalized tissue model with multiple exchanging water and macromolecular proton pools rather than a system of independent proton isochromats typically used in previous simulators. The computational power needed for simulation of the biologically relevant tissue models in large 3D objects is gained using parallelized execution on GPU. Three simulated and one actual MRI experiments were performed to demonstrate the ability of the new simulator to accommodate a wide variety of voxel composition scenarios and demonstrate detrimental effects of simplified treatment of tissue micro-organization adapted in previous simulators. GPU execution allowed  ∼ 200× improvement in computational speed over standard CPU. As a cross-platform, open-source, extensible environment for customizing virtual MRI experiments, MRiLab streamlines the development of new MRI methods, especially those aiming to infer quantitatively tissue composition and microstructure.

Fast Realistic MRI Simulations Based on Generalized Multi-Pool Exchange Tissue Model

PubMed Central

Velikina, Julia V.; Block, Walter F.; Kijowski, Richard; Samsonov, Alexey A.

2017-01-01

We present MRiLab, a new comprehensive simulator for large-scale realistic MRI simulations on a regular PC equipped with a modern graphical processing unit (GPU). MRiLab combines realistic tissue modeling with numerical virtualization of an MRI system and scanning experiment to enable assessment of a broad range of MRI approaches including advanced quantitative MRI methods inferring microstructure on a sub-voxel level. A flexibl representation of tissue microstructure is achieved in MRiLab by employing the generalized tissue model with multiple exchanging water and macromolecular proton pools rather than a system of independent proton isochromats typically used in previous simulators. The computational power needed for simulation of the biologically relevant tissue models in large 3D objects is gained using parallelized execution on GPU. Three simulated and one actual MRI experiments were performed to demonstrate the ability of the new simulator to accommodate a wide variety of voxel composition scenarios and demonstrate detrimental effects of simplifie treatment of tissue micro-organization adapted in previous simulators. GPU execution allowed ∼200× improvement in computational speed over standard CPU. As a cross-platform, open-source, extensible environment for customizing virtual MRI experiments, MRiLab streamlines the development of new MRI methods, especially those aiming to infer quantitatively tissue composition and microstructure. PMID:28113746

Virtual Liver: Estimating Proliferation and Apoptosis of Hepatocytes Exposed to Environmental Chemicals Using ToxCastTM Data

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA’s ToxCastTM program has screened over a thousand chemicals for potential toxicity using hundreds of high-throughput, in vitro assays. The U.S. EPA’s Virtual Liver (v-Liver™) is a cellular systems model of hepatic tissues that enables the estimation of in vivo effects...

Please Touch: Object Properties that Invite Touch.

PubMed

Klatzky, R L; Peck, J

2012-01-01

Touch has received increasing interest in marketing, given research indicating that contact with products influences evaluation and the tendency to purchase. However, little is known from the marketing or psychophysical literature about visible attributes of objects that elicit touch for hedonic purposes. In these studies, participants rated the tendency of pictured objects to invite touch, or "touch-ability." Rated touch-ability varied reliably with structural attributes of objects, and the structural influences were distinct from those on other ratings such as attractiveness and apparent expense. Although the trends varied across object sets, touch-ability generally declined as surface textures became markedly rough and shape complexity became extreme. Holding stimulus factors constant, touch-ability also varied with the specific hand movements that were anticipated. Finally, mean touch-ability ratings were correlated across participants with the "Need for Touch" scale, which measures an individual's tendency to touch products. The studies point to touch-ability as a potential factor that might be incorporated into product design.

Telemedicine in otolaryngology.

PubMed

Holtel, Michael R; Burgess, Lawrence P A

2002-12-01

More research is needed in otolaryngology telemedicine, but it would be a mistake to stop at only determining if telemedicine is as good as an in-person exam. The digital image recorded in a telemedicine encounter can be manipulated to increase diagnostic information not currently available. Radiologists currently take a chest radiograph in which a chest mass or the tip of an nasogastric tube is difficult to visualize, and by inverting the gray scale or viewing other digital manipulations of that image, the mass or tube tip becomes obvious. Examples in otolaryngology might include images of the larynx manipulated to better demonstrate the inflamed tissue of reflux, or images of the tympanic membrane manipulated to better demonstrate early retraction. Despite dramatic and likely continued decreases, equipment cost is still an issue. Current research points to good consumer acceptance, and certainly with each new generation the technology is more readily accepted. As Nesbitt [4] points out, it is certainly not difficult to look to the future and see ubiquitous broadband with video as common as telephone, or even extreme broadband enabling robotics and virtual reality TV with three-dimensional touch. Robotics and genomics will eventually play a greater role in telemedicine and our lives in general. Applications for remote diagnosis in biologic warfare defense and homeland security are currently raising interest in telemedicine. Telemedicine will be combined with new technological advances such as virtual "fly-through" computerized axial tomography examinations. Instead of performing an exploratory tympanotomy, surgeons will use computer programs to "fly through" and examine all aspects of a patient's middle or even inner ear. Spectral imaging of the eardrum, larynx, or oropharynx will immediately identify bacteria without cultures, or gram stain, and potential malignancy without biopsy. By measuring fluorescence emitted from an oropharynx illuminated with a specific visible or nonvisible light spectrum, spectral imaging will be able to provide instant identification of bacteria or evidence of malignant changes. The underlying principles of a successful business model must continue to be applied, with the most critical ingredient for telemedicine's success being the filling of specific health care needs. As long as the need is there, telemedicine in otolaryngology will advance.

Confocal microscopy of thick tissue sections: 3D visualizaiton of rat kidney glomeruli

EPA Science Inventory

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) as a technique capable of generating serial sections of whole-mount tissue and then reassembling the computer-acquired images as a virtual 3-dimentional structure. In many ways CLSM offers an alternative to traditional sectioning approac...

Confocal Microscopy of thick tissue sections: 3D Visualization of rat kidney glomeruli

EPA Science Inventory

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) as a technique capable of generating serial sections of whole-mount tissue and then reassembling the computer-acquired images as a virtual 3-dimentional structure. In many ways CLSM offers an alternative to traditional sectioning approac...

v-Tissue 2009: The EU-US Workshop on Virtual Tissues

EPA Science Inventory

The liver plays a key role in removing chemicals from the body and frequently shows the earliest signs of their harmful effects. Animal testing gives useful information about the effects of environmental chemicals, however, the relevance of these findings to humans is not always ...

Hybrid piezoresistive-optical tactile sensor for simultaneous measurement of tissue stiffness and detection of tissue discontinuity in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandari, Naghmeh M.; Ahmadi, Roozbeh; Hooshiar, Amir; Dargahi, Javad; Packirisamy, Muthukumaran

2017-07-01

To compensate for the lack of touch during minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, tactile sensors are integrated with surgical instruments. Surgical tools with tactile sensors have been used mainly for distinguishing among different tissues and detecting malignant tissues or tumors. Studies have revealed that malignant tissue is most likely stiffer than normal. This would lead to the formation of a sharp discontinuity in tissue mechanical properties. A hybrid piezoresistive-optical-fiber sensor is proposed. This sensor is investigated for its capabilities in tissue distinction and detection of a sharp discontinuity. The dynamic interaction of the sensor and tissue is studied using finite element method. The tissue is modeled as a two-term Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic material. For experimental verification, the sensor was microfabricated and tested under the same conditions as of the simulations. The simulation and experimental results are in a fair agreement. The sensor exhibits an acceptable linearity, repeatability, and sensitivity in characterizing the stiffness of different tissue phantoms. Also, it is capable of locating the position of a sharp discontinuity in the tissue. Due to the simplicity of its sensing principle, the proposed hybrid sensor could also be used for industrial applications.

Non-hierarchical Influence of Visual Form, Touch, and Position Cues on Embodiment, Agency, and Presence in Virtual Reality

PubMed Central

Pritchard, Stephen C.; Zopf, Regine; Polito, Vince; Kaplan, David M.; Williams, Mark A.

2016-01-01

The concept of self-representation is commonly decomposed into three component constructs (sense of embodiment, sense of agency, and sense of presence), and each is typically investigated separately across different experimental contexts. For example, embodiment has been explored in bodily illusions; agency has been investigated in hypnosis research; and presence has been primarily studied in the context of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Given that each component involves the integration of multiple cues within and across sensory modalities, they may rely on similar underlying mechanisms. However, the degree to which this may be true remains unclear when they are independently studied. As a first step toward addressing this issue, we manipulated a range of cues relevant to these components of self-representation within a single experimental context. Using consumer-grade Oculus Rift VR technology, and a new implementation of the Virtual Hand Illusion, we systematically manipulated visual form plausibility, visual–tactile synchrony, and visual–proprioceptive spatial offset to explore their influence on self-representation. Our results show that these cues differentially influence embodiment, agency, and presence. We provide evidence that each type of cue can independently and non-hierarchically influence self-representation yet none of these cues strictly constrains or gates the influence of the others. We discuss theoretical implications for understanding self-representation as well as practical implications for VR experiment design, including the suitability of consumer-based VR technology in research settings. PMID:27826275

Real and virtual explorations of the environment and interactive tracking of movable objects for the blind on the basis of tactile-acoustical maps and 3D environment models.

PubMed

Hub, Andreas; Hartter, Tim; Kombrink, Stefan; Ertl, Thomas

2008-01-01

PURPOSE.: This study describes the development of a multi-functional assistant system for the blind which combines localisation, real and virtual navigation within modelled environments and the identification and tracking of fixed and movable objects. The approximate position of buildings is determined with a global positioning sensor (GPS), then the user establishes exact position at a specific landmark, like a door. This location initialises indoor navigation, based on an inertial sensor, a step recognition algorithm and map. Tracking of movable objects is provided by another inertial sensor and a head-mounted stereo camera, combined with 3D environmental models. This study developed an algorithm based on shape and colour to identify objects and used a common face detection algorithm to inform the user of the presence and position of others. The system allows blind people to determine their position with approximately 1 metre accuracy. Virtual exploration of the environment can be accomplished by moving one's finger on a touch screen of a small portable tablet PC. The name of rooms, building features and hazards, modelled objects and their positions are presented acoustically or in Braille. Given adequate environmental models, this system offers blind people the opportunity to navigate independently and safely, even within unknown environments. Additionally, the system facilitates education and rehabilitation by providing, in several languages, object names, features and relative positions.

The impact of constructive feedback on training in gastrointestinal endoscopy using high-fidelity Virtual-Reality simulation: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kruglikova, Irina; Grantcharov, Teodor P; Drewes, Asbjorn M; Funch-Jensen, Peter

2010-02-01

Recently, virtual reality computer simulators have been used to enhance traditional endoscopy teaching. Previous studies have demonstrated construct validity of these systems and transfer of virtual skills to the operating room. However, to date no simulator-training curricula have been designed and there is very little evidence on the impact of external feedback on acquisition of endoscopic skills. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of external feedback on the learning curves on a VR colonoscopy simulator using inexperienced trainees. 22 trainees, without colonoscopy experience were randomised to a group which received structured feedback provided by an experienced supervisor and a controlled group. All participants performed 15 repetitions of task 3 from the Introduction colonoscopy module of the Accu Touch Endoscopy simulator. Retention/transfer tests on simulator were performed 4-6 weeks after the last repetition. The proficiency levels were based on the performance of eight experienced colonoscopists. All subjects were able to complete the procedure on the simulator. There were no perforations in the feedback group versus seven in the non-feedback group. Subjects in the feedback group reached expert proficiency levels in percentage of mucosa visualised and time to reach the caecum significantly faster compared with the control group. None of the groups demonstrated significant degradation of performance in simulator retention/transfer tests. Concurrent feedback given by supervisor concur an advantage in acquisition of basic colonoscopy skills and achieving of proficiency level as compared to independent training.

Augmented reality: past, present, future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inzerillo, Laura

2013-03-01

A great opportunity has permitted to carry out a cultural, historical, architectural and social research with great impact factor on the international cultural interest. We are talking about the realization of a museum whose the main theme is the visit and the discovery of a monument of great prestige: the monumental building the "Steri" in Palermo. The museum is divided into sub themes including the one above all, that has aroused the international interest so much that it has been presented the instance to include the museum in the cultural heritage of UNESCO. It is the realization of a museum path that regards the cells of the Inquisition, which are located just inside of some buildings of the monumental building. The project, as a whole, is faced, in a total view, between the various competences implicated: historic, chemic, architectonic, topographic, drawing, representation, virtual communication, informatics. The birth of the museum will be a sum of the results of all these disciplines involved. Methodology, implementation, fruition, virtual museum, goals, 2D graphic restitution, effects on the cultural heritage and landscape environmental, augmented reality, Surveying 2D and 3D, hi-touch screen, Photogrammetric survey, Photographic survey, representation, drawing 3D and more than this has been dealt with this research.

Metronome LKM: An open source virtual keyboard driver to measure experiment software latencies.

PubMed

Garaizar, Pablo; Vadillo, Miguel A

2017-10-01

Experiment software is often used to measure reaction times gathered with keyboards or other input devices. In previous studies, the accuracy and precision of time stamps has been assessed through several means: (a) generating accurate square wave signals from an external device connected to the parallel port of the computer running the experiment software, (b) triggering the typematic repeat feature of some keyboards to get an evenly separated series of keypress events, or (c) using a solenoid handled by a microcontroller to press the input device (keyboard, mouse button, touch screen) that will be used in the experimental setup. Despite the advantages of these approaches in some contexts, none of them can isolate the measurement error caused by the experiment software itself. Metronome LKM provides a virtual keyboard to assess an experiment's software. Using this open source driver, researchers can generate keypress events using high-resolution timers and compare the time stamps collected by the experiment software with those gathered by Metronome LKM (with nanosecond resolution). Our software is highly configurable (in terms of keys pressed, intervals, SysRq activation) and runs on 2.6-4.8 Linux kernels.

Cortical mechanisms underlying sensorimotor enhancement promoted by walking with haptic inputs in a virtual environment.

PubMed

Sangani, Samir; Lamontagne, Anouk; Fung, Joyce

2015-01-01

Sensorimotor integration is a complex process in the central nervous system that produces task-specific motor output based on selective and rapid integration of sensory information from multiple sources. This chapter reviews briefly the role of haptic cues in postural control during tandem stance and locomotion, focusing on sensorimotor enhancement of locomotion post stroke. The use of mixed-reality systems incorporating both haptic cues and virtual reality technology in gait rehabilitation post stroke is discussed. Over the last decade, researchers and clinicians have shown evidence of cerebral reorganization that underlies functional recovery after stroke based on results from neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. These imaging modalities are however limited in their capacity to measure cortical changes during extensive body motions in upright stance. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) on the other hand provides a unique opportunity to measure cortical activity associated with postural control during locomotion. Evidence of cortical changes associated with sensorimotor enhancement induced by haptic touch during locomotion is revealed through fNIRS in a pilot study involving healthy individuals and a case study involving a chronic stroke patient. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Portable Virtual Training Units

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malone, Reagan; Johnston, Alan

2015-01-01

The Mission Operations Lab initiated a project to design, develop, deliver, test, and validate a unique training system for astronaut and ground support personnel. In an effort to keep training costs low, virtual training units (VTUs) have been designed based on images of actual hardware and manipulated by a touch screen style interface for ground support personnel training. This project helped modernized the training system and materials by integrating them with mobile devices for training when operators or crew are unavailable to physically train in the facility. This project also tested the concept of a handheld remote device to control integrated trainers using International Space Station (ISS) training simulators as a platform. The portable VTU can interface with the full-sized VTU, allowing a trainer co-located with a trainee to remotely manipulate a VTU and evaluate a trainee's response. This project helped determine if it is useful, cost effective, and beneficial for the instructor to have a portable handheld device to control the behavior of the models during training. This project has advanced NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) VTU capabilities with modern and relevant technology to support space flight training needs of today and tomorrow.

Development of a system based on 3D vision, interactive virtual environments, ergonometric signals and a humanoid for stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Ibarra Zannatha, Juan Manuel; Tamayo, Alejandro Justo Malo; Sánchez, Angel David Gómez; Delgado, Jorge Enrique Lavín; Cheu, Luis Eduardo Rodríguez; Arévalo, Wilson Alexander Sierra

2013-11-01

This paper presents a stroke rehabilitation (SR) system for the upper limbs, developed as an interactive virtual environment (IVE) based on a commercial 3D vision system (a Microsoft Kinect), a humanoid robot (an Aldebaran's Nao), and devices producing ergonometric signals. In one environment, the rehabilitation routines, developed by specialists, are presented to the patient simultaneously by the humanoid and an avatar inside the IVE. The patient follows the rehabilitation task, while his avatar copies his gestures that are captured by the Kinect 3D vision system. The information of the patient movements, together with the signals obtained from the ergonometric measurement devices, is used also to supervise and to evaluate the rehabilitation progress. The IVE can also present an RGB image of the patient. In another environment, that uses the same base elements, four game routines--Touch the balls 1 and 2, Simon says, and Follow the point--are used for rehabilitation. These environments are designed to create a positive influence in the rehabilitation process, reduce costs, and engage the patient. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual reality using guided imagery to create Kanji or Hiragana by computer graphics: I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishigame, Masaaki; Miura, Nozomu; Hosaka, Akiko

1997-04-01

We have been studying a kind of word-processor that is able to create Japanese characters, Kanji or Hiragana strings in the cursive style, using an electronic writing brush model. Int his paper, we describe in detail the operation characteristics of the electronic writing brush which we have proposed. We defined a touch shape pattern of the electronic writing brush as a form which is projected as a circle and a cone. The brush goes on certain points of the skeleton of the character figure which is given as skeleton data. The thickness of the line is determined by a diametric variable brush pressure. Our progressive action model can rotate the direction of the writing brush tip corresponding to the difference angle between the direction of brush tip and the direction of the brush movement, and also the softness of the writing brush to express the writing brush method called the side writing brush. The front side and back side of the writing brush can be expressed in a calligraphic drawing. With our technique we can draw characters in actual stroke order on a virtual computer plane as if they are written by an actual writing brush.

The development of a virtual 3D model of the renal corpuscle from serial histological sections for E-learning environments.

PubMed

Roth, Jeremy A; Wilson, Timothy D; Sandig, Martin

2015-01-01

Histology is a core subject in the anatomical sciences where learners are challenged to interpret two-dimensional (2D) information (gained from histological sections) to extrapolate and understand the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of cells, tissues, and organs. In gross anatomical education 3D models and learning tools have been associated with improved learning outcomes, but similar tools have not been created for histology education to visualize complex cellular structure-function relationships. This study outlines steps in creating a virtual 3D model of the renal corpuscle from serial, semi-thin, histological sections obtained from epoxy resin-embedded kidney tissue. The virtual renal corpuscle model was generated by digital segmentation to identify: Bowman's capsule, nuclei of epithelial cells in the parietal capsule, afferent arteriole, efferent arteriole, proximal convoluted tubule, distal convoluted tubule, glomerular capillaries, podocyte nuclei, nuclei of extraglomerular mesangial cells, nuclei of epithelial cells of the macula densa in the distal convoluted tubule. In addition to the imported images of the original sections the software generates, and allows for visualization of, images of virtual sections generated in any desired orientation, thus serving as a "virtual microtome". These sections can be viewed separately or with the 3D model in transparency. This approach allows for the development of interactive e-learning tools designed to enhance histology education of microscopic structures with complex cellular interrelationships. Future studies will focus on testing the efficacy of interactive virtual 3D models for histology education. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Similarity of mouse perivascular and brown adipose tissues and their resistance to diet-induced inflammation

PubMed Central

Fitzgibbons, Timothy P.; Kogan, Sophia; Aouadi, Myriam; Hendricks, Greg M.; Straubhaar, Juerg

2011-01-01

Thoracic perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is a unique adipose depot that likely influences vascular function and susceptibility to pathogenesis in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Surprisingly, PVAT has been reported to share characteristics of both brown and white adipose, but a detailed direct comparison to interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) has not been performed. Here we show by full genome DNA microarray analysis that global gene expression profiles of PVAT are virtually identical to BAT, with equally high expression of Ucp-1, Cidea, and other genes known to be uniquely or very highly expressed in BAT. PVAT and BAT also displayed nearly identical phenotypes upon immunohistochemical analysis, and electron microscopy confirmed that PVAT contained multilocular lipid droplets and abundant mitochondria. Compared with white adipose tissue (WAT), PVAT and BAT from C57BL6/J mice fed a high-fat diet for 13 wk had markedly lower expression of immune cell-enriched mRNAs, suggesting resistance to obesity-induced inflammation. Indeed, staining of BAT and PVAT for macrophage markers (F4/80 and CD68) in obese mice showed virtually no macrophage infiltration, and FACS analysis of BAT confirmed the presence of very few CD11b+/CD11c+ macrophages in BAT (1.0%) compared with WAT (31%). In summary, murine PVAT from the thoracic aorta is virtually identical to interscapular BAT, is resistant to diet-induced macrophage infiltration, and thus may play an important role in protecting the vascular bed from inflammatory stress. PMID:21765057

Virtual reality haptic human dissection.

PubMed

Needham, Caroline; Wilkinson, Caroline; Soames, Roger

2011-01-01

This project aims to create a three-dimensional digital model of the human hand and wrist which can be virtually 'dissected' through a haptic interface. Tissue properties will be added to the various anatomical structures to replicate a realistic look and feel. The project will explore the role of the medical artist and investigate the cross-discipline collaborations required in the field of virtual anatomy. The software will be used to train anatomy students in dissection skills before experience on a real cadaver. The effectiveness of the software will be evaluated and assessed both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

Noninvasive computerized scanning method for the correlation between the facial soft and hard tissues for an integrated three-dimensional anthropometry and cephalometry.

PubMed

Galantucci, Luigi Maria; Percoco, Gianluca; Lavecchia, Fulvio; Di Gioia, Eliana

2013-05-01

The article describes a new methodology to scan and integrate facial soft tissue surface with dental hard tissue models in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment, for a novel diagnostic approach.The facial and the dental scans can be acquired using any optical scanning systems: the models are then aligned and integrated to obtain a full virtual navigable representation of the head of the patient. In this article, we report in detail and further implemented a method for integrating 3D digital cast models into a 3D facial image, to visualize the anatomic position of the dentition. This system uses several 3D technologies to scan and digitize, integrating them with traditional dentistry records. The acquisitions were mainly performed using photogrammetric scanners, suitable for clinics or hospitals, able to obtain high mesh resolution and optimal surface texture for the photorealistic rendering of the face. To increase the quality and the resolution of the photogrammetric scanning of the dental elements, the authors propose a new technique to enhance the texture of the dental surface. Three examples of the application of the proposed procedure are reported in this article, using first laser scanning and photogrammetry and then only photogrammetry. Using cheek retractors, it is possible to scan directly a great number of dental elements. The final results are good navigable 3D models that integrate facial soft tissue and dental hard tissues. The method is characterized by the complete absence of ionizing radiation, portability and simplicity, fast acquisition, easy alignment of the 3D models, and wide angle of view of the scanner. This method is completely noninvasive and can be repeated any time the physician needs new clinical records. The 3D virtual model is a precise representation both of the soft and the hard tissue scanned, and it is possible to make any dimensional measure directly in the virtual space, for a full integrated 3D anthropometry and cephalometry. Moreover, the authors propose a method completely based on close-range photogrammetric scanning, able to detect facial and dental surfaces, and reducing the time, the complexity, and the cost of the scanning operations and the numerical elaboration.

Electrothermal ring burn from a car battery.

PubMed

Sibley, Paul A; Godwin, Kenneth A

2013-08-01

Despite prevention efforts, burn injuries among auto mechanics are described in the literature. Electrothermal ring burns from car batteries occur by short-circuiting through the ring when it touches the open terminal or metal housing. This article describes a 34-year-old male auto mechanic who was holding a wrench when his gold ring touched the positive terminal of a 12-volt car battery and the wrench touched both his ring and the negative terminal. He felt instant pain and had a deep partial-thickness circumferential burn at the base of his ring finger. No other soft tissues were injured. He was initially managed conservatively, but after minimal healing at 3 weeks, he underwent a full-thickness skin graft. The graft incorporated well and healed by 4 weeks postoperatively. He had full range of motion. The cause of ring burns has been controversial, but based on reports similar to the current patient's mechanism, they are most likely electrothermal burns. Gold, a metal with high thermal conductivity, can heat up to its melting point in a matter of seconds. Many treatments have been described, including local wound care to split- and full-thickness skin grafts. Because most burns are preventable, staff should be warned and trained about the potential risks of contact burns. All jewelry should be removed, and the live battery terminal should be covered while working in the vicinity of the battery. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

KI-67 heterogeneity in well differentiated gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: when is biopsy reliable for grade assessment?

PubMed

Grillo, Federica; Valle, Luca; Ferone, Diego; Albertelli, Manuela; Brisigotti, Maria Pia; Cittadini, Giuseppe; Vanoli, Alessandro; Fiocca, Roberto; Mastracci, Luca

2017-09-01

Ki-67 heterogeneity can impact on gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor grade assignment, especially when tissue is scarce. This work is aimed at devising adequacy criteria for grade assessment in biopsy specimens. To analyze the impact of biopsy size on reliability, 360 virtual biopsies of different thickness and lengths were constructed. Furthermore, to estimate the mean amount of non-neoplastic tissue component present in biopsies, 28 real biopsies were collected, the non-neoplastic components (fibrosis and inflammation) quantified and the effective area of neoplastic tissue calculated for each biopsy. Heterogeneity of Ki-67 distribution, G2 tumors and biopsy size all play an important role in reducing the reliability of biopsy samples in Ki-67-based grade assignment. In particular in G2 cases, 59.9% of virtual biopsies downgraded the tumor and the smaller the biopsy, the more frequent downgrading occurs. In real biopsies the presence of non-neoplastic tissue reduced the available total area by a mean of 20%. By coupling the results from these two different approaches we show that both biopsy size and non-neoplastic component must be taken into account for biopsy adequacy. In particular, we can speculate that if the minimum biopsy area, necessary to confidently (80% concordance) grade gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors on virtual biopsies ranges between 15 and 30 mm 2 , and if real biopsies are on average composed of only 80% of neoplastic tissue, then biopsies with a surface area not <12 mm 2 should be performed; using 18G needles, this corresponds to a minimum total length of 15 mm.

The Use of Touch in Therapy: Can We Talk?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Melanie A.

The empirical literature regarding the use of nonerotic touch in psychotherapy is reviewed. Theoretical and ethical concerns are discussed, including the taboo against touching clients, situations in which touch may be appropriate, and whether or not nonerotic touch leads to erotic touch. It is difficult to design controlled studies for ongoing…

High-contrast X-ray micro-radiography and micro-CT of ex-vivo soft tissue murine organs utilizing ethanol fixation and large area photon-counting detector

PubMed Central

Dudak, Jan; Zemlicka, Jan; Karch, Jakub; Patzelt, Matej; Mrzilkova, Jana; Zach, Petr; Hermanova, Zuzana; Kvacek, Jiri; Krejci, Frantisek

2016-01-01

Using dedicated contrast agents high-quality X-ray imaging of soft tissue structures with isotropic micrometre resolution has become feasible. This technique is frequently titled as virtual histology as it allows production of slices of tissue without destroying the sample. The use of contrast agents is, however, often an irreversible time-consuming procedure and despite the non-destructive principle of X-ray imaging, the sample is usually no longer usable for other research methods. In this work we present the application of recently developed large-area photon counting detector for high resolution X-ray micro-radiography and micro-tomography of whole ex-vivo ethanol-preserved mouse organs. The photon counting detectors provide dark-current-free quantum-counting operation enabling acquisition of data with virtually unlimited contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Thanks to the very high CNR even ethanol-only preserved soft-tissue samples without addition of any contrast agent can be visualized in great detail. As ethanol preservation is one of the standard steps of tissue fixation for histology, the presented method can open a way for widespread use of micro-CT with all its advantages for routine 3D non-destructive soft-tissue visualisation. PMID:27461900

The role of spatial integration in the perception of surface orientation with active touch.

PubMed

Giachritsis, Christos D; Wing, Alan M; Lovell, Paul G

2009-10-01

Vision research has shown that perception of line orientation, in the fovea area, improves with line length (Westheimer & Ley, 1997). This suggests that the visual system may use spatial integration to improve perception of orientation. In the present experiments, we investigated the role of spatial integration in the perception of surface orientation using kinesthetic and proprioceptive information from shoulder and elbow. With their left index fingers, participants actively explored virtual slanted surfaces of different lengths and orientations, and were asked to reproduce an orientation or discriminate between two orientations. Results showed that reproduction errors and discrimination thresholds improve with surface length. This suggests that the proprioceptive shoulder-elbow system may integrate redundant spatial information resulting from extended arm movements to improve orientation judgments.

New method for assessing liver fibrosis based on acoustic radiation force impulse: a special reference to the difference between right and left liver.

PubMed

Toshima, Takeo; Shirabe, Ken; Takeishi, Kazuki; Motomura, Takashi; Mano, Youhei; Uchiyama, Hideaki; Yoshizumi, Tomoharu; Soejima, Yuji; Taketomi, Akinobu; Maehara, Yoshihiko

2011-05-01

Virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) based on acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging has been developed as a noninvasive bedside method for the assessment of liver stiffness. In this study, we examined the diagnostic performance of ARFI imaging in 103 patients, focusing on the difference in VTTQ values between the right and left liver lobes. We evaluated VTTQ values of the right and left lobes in 79 patients with chronic liver disease who underwent histological examination of liver fibrosis and in 24 healthy volunteers. The diagnostic accuracy of VTTQ was compared with several serum markers, including hyaluronic acid, type 4 collagen, and aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index. The VTTQ values (meters per second) in the right and left lobes were 1.61 ± 0.51 and 1.90 ± 0.68, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The VTTQ values in both liver lobes were correlated significantly with histological fibrosis grades (P < 0.001). The standard deviations of the VTTQ values in the right lobe were significantly lower than those in the left lobe (P < 0.001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for the diagnosis of fibrosis (F ≥ 3) using VTTQ values in both liver lobes was superior to serum markers, especially in the right lobe. VTTQ is an accurate and reliable tool for the assessment of liver fibrosis. VTTQ of the right lobe was more accurate for diagnosing liver fibrosis than in the left lobe.

[The art of touch. Elisabeth Caland and the physio-aesthetics of piano playing].

PubMed

Herrgott, Gerhard

2008-06-01

The issue of how it is possible to play the piano without striking it was raised by Chopin: one must 'caresser' and not 'frapper' the piano. In her teachings on the art of piano playing, Elisabeth Caland (1862-1929) attempts to articulate a scientifically grounded solution to this complex (kin-)aesthetic problem. The solution turns on her intuitively discovered 'lowering of the shoulderblades' which was documented in 1904, through X-rays, by the Berlin physiologist René du Bois-Reymond, and recorded as a way of coordinating movement which had been unknown to physiology up to that time. Caland's physio-aesthetic of piano playing, which she worked out on the basis of du Bois-Reymond's observations, turns on the ideal of 'floating sound' put forward by her teacher Ludwig Deppe, and on Ferruccio Busoni's technique of piano playing. Her method makes essential use of what Feldenkrais would later call the 'sixth sense' (i.e. proprioceptive perception); in fact, it represents the first modern kinaesthetically based conception of piano playing. Caland's doctrine of touch was ahead of its time and it virtually disappeared from discussions of piano technique after 1930. But it has become accessible again through reprints of her most important writings: Deppe's doctrine of piano playing (1897), Sources of power in piano playing (1904), and Artistic piano playing (1910).

Mechatronic design of haptic forceps for robotic surgery.

PubMed

Rizun, P; Gunn, D; Cox, B; Sutherland, G

2006-12-01

Haptic feedback increases operator performance and comfort during telerobotic manipulation. Feedback of grasping pressure is critical in many microsurgical tasks, yet no haptic interface for surgical tools is commercially available. Literature on the psychophysics of touch was reviewed to define the spectrum of human touch perception and the fidelity requirements of an ideal haptic interface. Mechanical design and control literature was reviewed to translate the psychophysical requirements to engineering specification. High-fidelity haptic forceps were then developed through an iterative process between engineering and surgery. The forceps are a modular device that integrate with a haptic hand controller to add force feedback for tool actuation in telerobotic or virtual surgery. Their overall length is 153 mm and their mass is 125 g. A contact-free voice coil actuator generates force feedback at frequencies up to 800 Hz. Maximum force output is 6 N (2N continuous) and the force resolution is 4 mN. The forceps employ a contact-free magnetic position sensor as well as micro-machined accelerometers to measure opening/closing acceleration. Position resolution is 0.6 microm with 1.3 microm RMS noise. The forceps can simulate stiffness greater than 20N/mm or impedances smaller than 15 g with no noticeable haptic artifacts or friction. As telerobotic surgery evolves, haptics will play an increasingly important role. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Discomfort and avoidance of touch: new insights on the emotional deficits of social anxiety.

PubMed

Kashdan, Todd B; Doorley, James; Stiksma, Melissa C; Hertenstein, Matthew J

2017-12-01

Physical touch is central to the emotional intimacy that separates romantic relationships from other social contexts. In this study of 256 adults (128 heterosexual couples, mean relationship length = 20.5 months), we examined whether individual differences in social anxiety influenced comfort with and avoidance of physical touch. Because of prior work on sex difference in touch use, touch comfort, and social anxiety symptoms and impairment, we explored sex-specific findings. We found evidence that women with greater social anxiety were less comfortable with touch and more avoidant of touch in same-sex friendships. Additionally, a woman's social anxiety had a bigger effect on a man's comfort with touch and avoidance of touch in the romantic relationship than a man's social anxiety had on the woman's endorsement of touch-related problems. These effects were uninfluenced by the length of romantic relationships. Touch is a neglected emotional experience that offers new insights into the difficulties of individuals suffering from social anxiety problems, and their romantic partners.

Affectionate Touch to Promote Relational, Psychological, and Physical Well-Being in Adulthood: A Theoretical Model and Review of the Research.

PubMed

Jakubiak, Brittany K; Feeney, Brooke C

2017-08-01

Throughout the life span, individuals engage in affectionate touch with close others. Touch receipt promotes well-being in infancy, but the impacts of touch in adult close relationships have been largely unexplored. In this article, we propose that affectionate touch receipt promotes relational, psychological, and physical well-being in adulthood, and we present a theoretical mechanistic model to explain why affectionate touch may promote these outcomes. The model includes pathways through which touch could affect well-being by reducing stress and by promoting well-being independent of stress. Specifically, two immediate outcomes of affectionate touch receipt-relational-cognitive changes and neurobiological changes-are described as important mechanisms underlying the effects of affectionate touch on well-being. We also review and evaluate the existing research linking affectionate touch to well-being in adulthood and propose an agenda to advance research in this area. This theoretical perspective provides a foundation for future work on touch in adult close relationships.

Socio-affective touch expression database

PubMed Central

Op de Beeck, Hans

2018-01-01

Socio-affective touch communication conveys a vast amount of information about emotions and intentions in social contexts. In spite of the complexity of the socio-affective touch expressions we use daily, previous studies addressed only a few aspects of social touch mainly focusing on hedonics, such as stroking, leaving a wide range of social touch behaviour unexplored. To overcome this limit, we present the Socio-Affective Touch Expression Database (SATED), which includes a large range of dynamic interpersonal socio-affective touch events varying in valence and arousal. The original database contained 26 different social touch expressions each performed by three actor pairs. To validate each touch expression, we conducted two behavioural experiments investigating perceived naturalness and affective values. Based on the rated naturalness and valence, 13 socio-affective touch expressions along with 12 corresponding non-social touch events were selected as a complete set, achieving 75 video clips in total. Moreover, we quantified motion energy for each touch expression to investigate its intrinsic correlations with perceived affective values and its similarity among actor- and action-pairs. As a result, the touch expression database is not only systematically defined and well-controlled, but also spontaneous and natural, while eliciting clear affective responses. This database will allow a fine-grained investigation of complex interpersonal socio-affective touch in the realm of social psychology and neuroscience along with potential application areas in affective computing and neighbouring fields. PMID:29364988

A Self-Report Measure of Touching Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutte, Nicola S.; And Others

Because touching is an important and often studied construct, and there is need for a valid self-report measure of touching behavior, a measure of touching behaviors was developed. Touching behaviors to be reported were: brief touch on the arm or shoulder, handshake, hug, hand holding, kiss on the cheek, and kiss on the lips. Persons identified as…

Touch: a nursing strategy in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Estabrooks, C A

1989-07-01

In this article findings are reported from a qualitative study that examined touch from the perspective of intensive care (ICU) nurses. In-depth interviews with eight experienced ICU nurses and participant observation were used to collect data. Three distinct kinds of touch were identified, as well as normative patterns of touch among ICU nurses. The findings indicate that an understanding of touch is predicated on knowledge about the structural components of touch and the contextual variables and conditions that determine norms of touching. Touch is described as a multipurpose nursing strategy in the ICU. A need was identified to study a wider range of potential therapeutic and nontherapeutic touch meanings for nurses and patients than has previously been reported.

VERS: a virtual environment for reconstructive surgery planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, Kevin N.

1997-05-01

The virtual environment for reconstructive surgery (VERS) project at the NASA Ames Biocomputation Center is applying virtual reality technology to aid surgeons in planning surgeries. We are working with a craniofacial surgeon at Stanford to assemble and visualize the bone structure of patients requiring reconstructive surgery either through developmental abnormalities or trauma. This project is an extension of our previous work in 3D reconstruction, mesh generation, and immersive visualization. The current VR system, consisting of an SGI Onyx RE2, FakeSpace BOOM and ImmersiveWorkbench, Virtual Technologies CyberGlove and Ascension Technologies tracker, is currently in development and has already been used to visualize defects preoperatively. In the near future it will be used to more fully plan the surgery and compute the projected result to soft tissue structure. This paper presents the work in progress and details the production of a high-performance, collaborative, and networked virtual environment.

Two-photon calcium imaging in mice navigating a virtual reality environment.

PubMed

Leinweber, Marcus; Zmarz, Pawel; Buchmann, Peter; Argast, Paul; Hübener, Mark; Bonhoeffer, Tobias; Keller, Georg B

2014-02-20

In recent years, two-photon imaging has become an invaluable tool in neuroscience, as it allows for chronic measurement of the activity of genetically identified cells during behavior(1-6). Here we describe methods to perform two-photon imaging in mouse cortex while the animal navigates a virtual reality environment. We focus on the aspects of the experimental procedures that are key to imaging in a behaving animal in a brightly lit virtual environment. The key problems that arise in this experimental setup that we here address are: minimizing brain motion related artifacts, minimizing light leak from the virtual reality projection system, and minimizing laser induced tissue damage. We also provide sample software to control the virtual reality environment and to do pupil tracking. With these procedures and resources it should be possible to convert a conventional two-photon microscope for use in behaving mice.

Metallic artifact mitigation and organ-constrained tissue assignment for Monte Carlo calculations of permanent implant lung brachytherapy.

PubMed

Sutherland, J G H; Miksys, N; Furutani, K M; Thomson, R M

2014-01-01

To investigate methods of generating accurate patient-specific computational phantoms for the Monte Carlo calculation of lung brachytherapy patient dose distributions. Four metallic artifact mitigation methods are applied to six lung brachytherapy patient computed tomography (CT) images: simple threshold replacement (STR) identifies high CT values in the vicinity of the seeds and replaces them with estimated true values; fan beam virtual sinogram replaces artifact-affected values in a virtual sinogram and performs a filtered back-projection to generate a corrected image; 3D median filter replaces voxel values that differ from the median value in a region of interest surrounding the voxel and then applies a second filter to reduce noise; and a combination of fan beam virtual sinogram and STR. Computational phantoms are generated from artifact-corrected and uncorrected images using several tissue assignment schemes: both lung-contour constrained and unconstrained global schemes are considered. Voxel mass densities are assigned based on voxel CT number or using the nominal tissue mass densities. Dose distributions are calculated using the EGSnrc user-code BrachyDose for (125)I, (103)Pd, and (131)Cs seeds and are compared directly as well as through dose volume histograms and dose metrics for target volumes surrounding surgical sutures. Metallic artifact mitigation techniques vary in ability to reduce artifacts while preserving tissue detail. Notably, images corrected with the fan beam virtual sinogram have reduced artifacts but residual artifacts near sources remain requiring additional use of STR; the 3D median filter removes artifacts but simultaneously removes detail in lung and bone. Doses vary considerably between computational phantoms with the largest differences arising from artifact-affected voxels assigned to bone in the vicinity of the seeds. Consequently, when metallic artifact reduction and constrained tissue assignment within lung contours are employed in generated phantoms, this erroneous assignment is reduced, generally resulting in higher doses. Lung-constrained tissue assignment also results in increased doses in regions of interest due to a reduction in the erroneous assignment of adipose to voxels within lung contours. Differences in dose metrics calculated for different computational phantoms are sensitive to radionuclide photon spectra with the largest differences for (103)Pd seeds and smallest but still considerable differences for (131)Cs seeds. Despite producing differences in CT images, dose metrics calculated using the STR, fan beam + STR, and 3D median filter techniques produce similar dose metrics. Results suggest that the accuracy of dose distributions for permanent implant lung brachytherapy is improved by applying lung-constrained tissue assignment schemes to metallic artifact corrected images.

Multiple Classes of Environmental Chemicals are Associated with Liver Disease: NHANES 2003-2006 [Journal Article

EPA Science Inventory

Biomonitoring of human tissues and fluids has shown that virtually all individuals, worldwide, carry a “body burden” of synthetic chemicals (Thornton et al. 2002; CDC 2009). Although the measurement of an environmental chemical in a person’s tissues or fluids is an indication of...

Creation of 3D Multi-Body Orthodontic Models by Using Independent Imaging Sensors

PubMed Central

Barone, Sandro; Paoli, Alessandro; Razionale, Armando Viviano

2013-01-01

In the field of dental health care, plaster models combined with 2D radiographs are widely used in clinical practice for orthodontic diagnoses. However, complex malocclusions can be better analyzed by exploiting 3D digital dental models, which allow virtual simulations and treatment planning processes. In this paper, dental data captured by independent imaging sensors are fused to create multi-body orthodontic models composed of teeth, oral soft tissues and alveolar bone structures. The methodology is based on integrating Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and surface structured light scanning. The optical scanner is used to reconstruct tooth crowns and soft tissues (visible surfaces) through the digitalization of both patients' mouth impressions and plaster casts. These data are also used to guide the segmentation of internal dental tissues by processing CBCT data sets. The 3D individual dental tissues obtained by the optical scanner and the CBCT sensor are fused within multi-body orthodontic models without human supervisions to identify target anatomical structures. The final multi-body models represent valuable virtual platforms to clinical diagnostic and treatment planning. PMID:23385416

Creation of 3D multi-body orthodontic models by using independent imaging sensors.

PubMed

Barone, Sandro; Paoli, Alessandro; Razionale, Armando Viviano

2013-02-05

In the field of dental health care, plaster models combined with 2D radiographs are widely used in clinical practice for orthodontic diagnoses. However, complex malocclusions can be better analyzed by exploiting 3D digital dental models, which allow virtual simulations and treatment planning processes. In this paper, dental data captured by independent imaging sensors are fused to create multi-body orthodontic models composed of teeth, oral soft tissues and alveolar bone structures. The methodology is based on integrating Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and surface structured light scanning. The optical scanner is used to reconstruct tooth crowns and soft tissues (visible surfaces) through the digitalization of both patients' mouth impressions and plaster casts. These data are also used to guide the segmentation of internal dental tissues by processing CBCT data sets. The 3D individual dental tissues obtained by the optical scanner and the CBCT sensor are fused within multi-body orthodontic models without human supervisions to identify target anatomical structures. The final multi-body models represent valuable virtual platforms to clinical diagnostic and treatment planning.

A review of sensing technologies for small and large-scale touch panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, Humza; Kemao, Qian; Kakarala, Ramakrishna

2017-06-01

A touch panel is an input device for human computer interaction. It consists of a network of sensors, a sampling circuit and a micro controller for detecting and locating a touch input. Touch input can come from either finger or stylus depending upon the type of touch technology. These touch panels provide an intuitive and collaborative workspace so that people can perform various tasks with the use of their fingers instead of traditional input devices like keyboard and mouse. Touch sensing technology is not new. At the time of this writing, various technologies are available in the market and this paper reviews the most common ones. We review traditional designs and sensing algorithms for touch technology. We also observe that due to its various strengths, capacitive touch will dominate the large-scale touch panel industry in years to come. In the end, we discuss the motivation for doing academic research on large-scale panels.

Mutual touch during mother-infant face-to-face still-face interactions: influences of interaction period and infant birth status.

PubMed

Mantis, Irene; Stack, Dale M; Ng, Laura; Serbin, Lisa A; Schwartzman, Alex E

2014-08-01

Contact behaviours such as touch, have been shown to be influential channels of nonverbal communication between mothers and infants. While existing research has examined the communicative roles of maternal or infant touch in isolation, mutual touch, whereby touching behaviours occur simultaneously between mothers and their infants, has yet to be examined. The present study was designed to investigate mutual touch during face-to-face interactions between mothers and their 5½-month-old fullterm (n=40), very low birth weight/preterm (VLBW/preterm; n=40) infants, and infants at psychosocial risk (n=41). Objectives were to examine: (1) how the quantitative and qualitative aspects of touch employed by mothers and their infants varied across the normal periods of the still-face (SF) procedure, and (2) how these were associated with risk status. Mutual touch was systematically coded using the mother-infant touch scale. Interactions were found to largely consist of mutual touch and one-sided touch plus movement, highlighting that active touching is pervasive during mother-infant interactions. Consistent with the literature, while the SF period did not negatively affect the amount of mutual touch engaged in for mothers and their fullterm infants and mothers and their infants at psychosocial risk, it did for mothers and their VLBW/preterm infants. Together, results illuminate how both mothers and infants participate in shaping and co-regulating their interactions through the use of touch and underscore the contribution of examining the influence of birth status on mutual touch. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic touch and dementia care: an ongoing journey.

PubMed

Doherty, Donna; Wright, Stephen; Aveyard, Barry; Sykes, Meg

2006-12-01

Touch is considered a core aspect of care provision and therapeutic relationships. Therapeutic touch allows nurses to facilitate healing and forge therapeutic relationships through touch or non-touch and maintain channels of communication often lost in dementia as the disease progresses. This article reports the findings of a research project to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic touch in dementia care.

High-extinction virtually imaged phased array-based Brillouin spectroscopy of turbid biological media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, Antonio; Zhang, Jitao; Shao, Peng; Yun, Seok Hyun; Scarcelli, Giuliano

2016-05-01

Brillouin microscopy has recently emerged as a powerful technique to characterize the mechanical properties of biological tissue, cell, and biomaterials. However, the potential of Brillouin microscopy is currently limited to transparent samples, because Brillouin spectrometers do not have sufficient spectral extinction to reject the predominant non-Brillouin scattered light of turbid media. To overcome this issue, we combined a multi-pass Fabry-Perot interferometer with a two-stage virtually imaged phased array spectrometer. The Fabry-Perot etalon acts as an ultra-narrow band-pass filter for Brillouin light with high spectral extinction and low loss. We report background-free Brillouin spectra from Intralipid solutions and up to 100 μm deep within chicken muscle tissue.

Compression simulations of plant tissue in 3D using a mass-spring system approach and discrete element method.

PubMed

Pieczywek, Piotr M; Zdunek, Artur

2017-10-18

A hybrid model based on a mass-spring system methodology coupled with the discrete element method (DEM) was implemented to simulate the deformation of cellular structures in 3D. Models of individual cells were constructed using the particles which cover the surfaces of cell walls and are interconnected in a triangle mesh network by viscoelastic springs. The spatial arrangement of the cells required to construct a virtual tissue was obtained using Poisson-disc sampling and Voronoi tessellation in 3D space. Three structural features were included in the model: viscoelastic material of cell walls, linearly elastic interior of the cells (simulating compressible liquid) and a gas phase in the intercellular spaces. The response of the models to an external load was demonstrated during quasi-static compression simulations. The sensitivity of the model was investigated at fixed compression parameters with variable tissue porosity, cell size and cell wall properties, such as thickness and Young's modulus, and a stiffness of the cell interior that simulated turgor pressure. The extent of the agreement between the simulation results and other models published is discussed. The model demonstrated the significant influence of tissue structure on micromechanical properties and allowed for the interpretation of the compression test results with respect to changes occurring in the structure of the virtual tissue. During compression virtual structures composed of smaller cells produced higher reaction forces and therefore they were stiffer than structures with large cells. The increase in the number of intercellular spaces (porosity) resulted in a decrease in reaction forces. The numerical model was capable of simulating the quasi-static compression experiment and reproducing the strain stiffening observed in experiment. Stress accumulation at the edges of the cell walls where three cells meet suggests that cell-to-cell debonding and crack propagation through the contact edge of neighboring cells is one of the most prevalent ways for tissue to rupture.

[Current problems in the data acquisition of digitized virtual human and the countermeasures].

PubMed

Zhong, Shi-zhen; Yuan, Lin

2003-06-01

As a relatively new field of medical science research that has attracted the attention from worldwide researchers, study of digitized virtual human still awaits long-term dedicated effort for its full development. In the full array of research projects of the integrated Virtual Chinese Human project, virtual visible human, virtual physical human, virtual physiome, and intellectualized virtual human must be included as the four essential constitutional opponents. The primary importance should be given to solving the problems concerning the data acquisition for the dataset of this immense project. Currently 9 virtual human datasets have been established worldwide, which are subjected to critical analyses in the paper with special attention given to the problems in the data storage and the techniques employed, for instance, in these datasets. On the basis of current research status of Virtual Chinese Human project, the authors propose some countermeasures for solving the problems in the data acquisition for the dataset, which include (1) giving the priority to the quality control instead of merely racing for quantity and speed, and (2) improving the setting up of the markers specific for the tissues and organs to meet the requirement from information technology, (3) with also attention to the development potential of the dataset which should have explicit pertinence to specific actual applications.

Evaluation of stiffness feedback for hard nodule identification on a phantom silicone model

PubMed Central

Konstantinova, Jelizaveta; Xu, Guanghua; He, Bo; Aminzadeh, Vahid; Xie, Jun; Wurdemann, Helge; Althoefer, Kaspar

2017-01-01

Haptic information in robotic surgery can significantly improve clinical outcomes and help detect hard soft-tissue inclusions that indicate potential abnormalities. Visual representation of tissue stiffness information is a cost-effective technique. Meanwhile, direct force feedback, although considerably more expensive than visual representation, is an intuitive method of conveying information regarding tissue stiffness to surgeons. In this study, real-time visual stiffness feedback by sliding indentation palpation is proposed, validated, and compared with force feedback involving human subjects. In an experimental tele-manipulation environment, a dynamically updated color map depicting the stiffness of probed soft tissue is presented via a graphical interface. The force feedback is provided, aided by a master haptic device. The haptic device uses data acquired from an F/T sensor attached to the end-effector of a tele-manipulated robot. Hard nodule detection performance is evaluated for 2 modes (force feedback and visual stiffness feedback) of stiffness feedback on an artificial organ containing buried stiff nodules. From this artificial organ, a virtual-environment tissue model is generated based on sliding indentation measurements. Employing this virtual-environment tissue model, we compare the performance of human participants in distinguishing differently sized hard nodules by force feedback and visual stiffness feedback. Results indicate that the proposed distributed visual representation of tissue stiffness can be used effectively for hard nodule identification. The representation can also be used as a sufficient substitute for force feedback in tissue palpation. PMID:28248996

Evaluation of stiffness feedback for hard nodule identification on a phantom silicone model.

PubMed

Li, Min; Konstantinova, Jelizaveta; Xu, Guanghua; He, Bo; Aminzadeh, Vahid; Xie, Jun; Wurdemann, Helge; Althoefer, Kaspar

2017-01-01

Haptic information in robotic surgery can significantly improve clinical outcomes and help detect hard soft-tissue inclusions that indicate potential abnormalities. Visual representation of tissue stiffness information is a cost-effective technique. Meanwhile, direct force feedback, although considerably more expensive than visual representation, is an intuitive method of conveying information regarding tissue stiffness to surgeons. In this study, real-time visual stiffness feedback by sliding indentation palpation is proposed, validated, and compared with force feedback involving human subjects. In an experimental tele-manipulation environment, a dynamically updated color map depicting the stiffness of probed soft tissue is presented via a graphical interface. The force feedback is provided, aided by a master haptic device. The haptic device uses data acquired from an F/T sensor attached to the end-effector of a tele-manipulated robot. Hard nodule detection performance is evaluated for 2 modes (force feedback and visual stiffness feedback) of stiffness feedback on an artificial organ containing buried stiff nodules. From this artificial organ, a virtual-environment tissue model is generated based on sliding indentation measurements. Employing this virtual-environment tissue model, we compare the performance of human participants in distinguishing differently sized hard nodules by force feedback and visual stiffness feedback. Results indicate that the proposed distributed visual representation of tissue stiffness can be used effectively for hard nodule identification. The representation can also be used as a sufficient substitute for force feedback in tissue palpation.

Acoustic Tactile Representation of Visual Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Pubudu Madhawa

Our goal is to explore the use of hearing and touch to convey graphical and pictorial information to visually impaired people. Our focus is on dynamic, interactive display of visual information using existing, widely available devices, such as smart phones and tablets with touch sensitive screens. We propose a new approach for acoustic-tactile representation of visual signals that can be implemented on a touch screen and allows the user to actively explore a two-dimensional layout consisting of one or more objects with a finger or a stylus while listening to auditory feedback via stereo headphones. The proposed approach is acoustic-tactile because sound is used as the primary source of information for object localization and identification, while touch is used for pointing and kinesthetic feedback. A static overlay of raised-dot tactile patterns can also be added. A key distinguishing feature of the proposed approach is the use of spatial sound (directional and distance cues) to facilitate the active exploration of the layout. We consider a variety of configurations for acoustic-tactile rendering of object size, shape, identity, and location, as well as for the overall perception of simple layouts and scenes. While our primary goal is to explore the fundamental capabilities and limitations of representing visual information in acoustic-tactile form, we also consider a number of relatively simple configurations that can be tied to specific applications. In particular, we consider a simple scene layout consisting of objects in a linear arrangement, each with a distinct tapping sound, which we compare to a ''virtual cane.'' We will also present a configuration that can convey a ''Venn diagram.'' We present systematic subjective experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed display for shape perception, object identification and localization, and 2-D layout perception, as well as the applications. Our experiments were conducted with visually blocked subjects. The results are evaluated in terms of accuracy and speed, and they demonstrate the advantages of spatial sound for guiding the scanning finger or pointer in shape perception, object localization, and layout exploration. We show that these advantages increase with the amount of detail (smaller object size) in the display. Our experimental results show that the proposed system outperforms the state of the art in shape perception, including variable friction displays. We also demonstrate that, even though they are currently available only as static overlays, raised dot patterns provide the best shape rendition in terms of both the accuracy and speed. Our experiments with layout rendering and perception demonstrate that simultaneous representation of objects, using the most effective approaches for directionality and distance rendering, approaches the optimal performance level provided by visual layout perception. Finally, experiments with the virtual cane and Venn diagram configurations demonstrate that the proposed techniques can be used effectively in simple but nontrivial real-world applications. One of the most important conclusions of our experiments is that there is a clear performance gap between experienced and inexperienced subjects, which indicates that there is a lot of room for improvement with appropriate and extensive training. By exploring a wide variety of design alternatives and focusing on different aspects of the acoustic-tactile interfaces, our results offer many valuable insights and great promise for the design of future systematic tests visually impaired and visually blocked subjects, utilizing the most effective configurations.

Friendly touch increases gratitude by inducing communal feelings

PubMed Central

Simão, Cláudia; Seibt, Beate

2015-01-01

Communion among people is easily identifiable. Close friends or relatives frequently touch each other and this physical contact helps identifying the type of relationship they have. We tested whether a friendly touch and benefits elicit the emotion of gratitude given the close link between gratitude and communal relations. In Study 1, we induced a communal mindset and manipulated friendly touch (vs. non-touch) and benefit to female participants by a female confederate. We measured pre- and post-benefit gratitude, communal feelings, and liking toward the toucher, as well as general affect. In Study 2, we manipulated mindset, friendly touch and benefit, and measured the same variables in female pairs (confederate and participants). In both studies the results showed a main effect of touch on pre-benefit gratitude: participants who were touched by the confederate indicated more gratitude than those not touched. Moreover, benefit increased gratitude toward a confederate in the absence of touch, but not in the presence of touch. Additionally, perceiving the relationship as communal, and not merely liking the confederate, or a positive mood mediated the link between touch and gratitude. The results further support a causal model where touch increases communal feelings, which in turn increase gratitude at the end of the interaction, after having received a benefit from the interaction partner. These results support a broader definition of gratitude as an emotion embodied in communal relationship cues. PMID:26124737

Friendly touch increases gratitude by inducing communal feelings.

PubMed

Simão, Cláudia; Seibt, Beate

2015-01-01

Communion among people is easily identifiable. Close friends or relatives frequently touch each other and this physical contact helps identifying the type of relationship they have. We tested whether a friendly touch and benefits elicit the emotion of gratitude given the close link between gratitude and communal relations. In Study 1, we induced a communal mindset and manipulated friendly touch (vs. non-touch) and benefit to female participants by a female confederate. We measured pre- and post-benefit gratitude, communal feelings, and liking toward the toucher, as well as general affect. In Study 2, we manipulated mindset, friendly touch and benefit, and measured the same variables in female pairs (confederate and participants). In both studies the results showed a main effect of touch on pre-benefit gratitude: participants who were touched by the confederate indicated more gratitude than those not touched. Moreover, benefit increased gratitude toward a confederate in the absence of touch, but not in the presence of touch. Additionally, perceiving the relationship as communal, and not merely liking the confederate, or a positive mood mediated the link between touch and gratitude. The results further support a causal model where touch increases communal feelings, which in turn increase gratitude at the end of the interaction, after having received a benefit from the interaction partner. These results support a broader definition of gratitude as an emotion embodied in communal relationship cues.

A paradigm shift in orthognathic surgery? A comparison of navigation, computer-aided designed/computer-aided manufactured splints, and "classic" intermaxillary splints to surgical transfer of virtual orthognathic planning.

PubMed

Zinser, Max J; Sailer, Hermann F; Ritter, Lutz; Braumann, Bert; Maegele, Marc; Zöller, Joachim E

2013-12-01

Advances in computers and imaging have permitted the adoption of 3-dimensional (3D) virtual planning protocols in orthognathic surgery, which may allow a paradigm shift when the virtual planning can be transferred properly. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the versatility and precision of innovative computer-aided designed and computer-aided manufactured (CAD/CAM) surgical splints, intraoperative navigation, and "classic" intermaxillary occlusal splints for surgical transfer of virtual orthognathic planning. The protocols consisted of maxillofacial imaging, diagnosis, virtual orthognathic planning, and surgical planning transfer using newly designed CAD/CAM splints (approach A), navigation (approach B), and intermaxillary occlusal splints (approach C). In this prospective observational study, all patients underwent bimaxillary osteotomy. Eight patients were treated using approach A, 10 using approach B, and 12 using approach C. These techniques were evaluated by applying 13 hard and 7 soft tissue parameters to compare the virtual orthognathic planning (T0) with the postoperative result (T1) using 3D cephalometry and image fusion (ΔT1 vs T0). The highest precision (ΔT1 vs T0) for the maxillary planning transfer was observed with CAD/CAM splints (<0.23 mm; P > .05) followed by surgical "waferless" navigation (<0.61 mm, P < .05) and classic intermaxillary occlusal splints (<1.1 mm; P < .05). Only the innovative CAD/CAM splints kept the condyles in their central position in the temporomandibular joint. However, no technique enables a precise prediction of the mandible and soft tissue. CAD/CAM splints and surgical navigation provide a reliable, innovative, and precise approach for the transfer of virtual orthognathic planning. These computer-assisted techniques may offer an alternate approach to the use of classic intermaxillary occlusal splints. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Man, mind, and machine: the past and future of virtual reality simulation in neurologic surgery.

PubMed

Robison, R Aaron; Liu, Charles Y; Apuzzo, Michael L J

2011-11-01

To review virtual reality in neurosurgery, including the history of simulation and virtual reality and some of the current implementations; to examine some of the technical challenges involved; and to propose a potential paradigm for the development of virtual reality in neurosurgery going forward. A search was made on PubMed using key words surgical simulation, virtual reality, haptics, collision detection, and volumetric modeling to assess the current status of virtual reality in neurosurgery. Based on previous results, investigators extrapolated the possible integration of existing efforts and potential future directions. Simulation has a rich history in surgical training, and there are numerous currently existing applications and systems that involve virtual reality. All existing applications are limited to specific task-oriented functions and typically sacrifice visual realism for real-time interactivity or vice versa, owing to numerous technical challenges in rendering a virtual space in real time, including graphic and tissue modeling, collision detection, and direction of the haptic interface. With ongoing technical advancements in computer hardware and graphic and physical rendering, incremental or modular development of a fully immersive, multipurpose virtual reality neurosurgical simulator is feasible. The use of virtual reality in neurosurgery is predicted to change the nature of neurosurgical education, and to play an increased role in surgical rehearsal and the continuing education and credentialing of surgical practitioners. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social touch and human development.

PubMed

Cascio, Carissa J; Moore, David; McGlone, Francis

2018-04-24

Social touch is a powerful force in human development, shaping social reward, attachment, cognitive, communication, and emotional regulation from infancy and throughout life. In this review, we consider the question of how social touch is defined from both bottom-up and top-down perspectives. In the former category, there is a clear role for the C-touch (CT) system, which constitutes a unique submodality that mediates affective touch and contrasts with discriminative touch. Top-down factors such as culture, personal relationships, setting, gender, and other contextual influences are also important in defining and interpreting social touch. The critical role of social touch throughout the lifespan is considered, with special attention to infancy and young childhood, a time during which social touch and its neural, behavioral, and physiological contingencies contribute to reinforcement-based learning and impact a variety of developmental trajectories. Finally, the role of social touch in an example of disordered development -autism spectrum disorder-is reviewed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Vicarious Social Touch Biases Gazing at Faces and Facial Emotions.

PubMed

Schirmer, Annett; Ng, Tabitha; Ebstein, Richard P

2018-02-01

Research has suggested that interpersonal touch promotes social processing and other-concern, and that women may respond to it more sensitively than men. In this study, we asked whether this phenomenon would extend to third-party observers who experience touch vicariously. In an eye-tracking experiment, participants (N = 64, 32 men and 32 women) viewed prime and target images with the intention of remembering them. Primes comprised line drawings of dyadic interactions with and without touch. Targets comprised two faces shown side-by-side, with one being neutral and the other being happy or sad. Analysis of prime fixations revealed that faces in touch interactions attracted longer gazing than faces in no-touch interactions. In addition, touch enhanced gazing at the area of touch in women but not men. Analysis of target fixations revealed that touch priming increased looking at both faces immediately after target onset, and subsequently, at the emotional face in the pair. Sex differences in target processing were nonsignificant. Together, the present results imply that vicarious touch biases visual attention to faces and promotes emotion sensitivity. In addition, they suggest that, compared with men, women are more aware of tactile exchanges in their environment. As such, vicarious touch appears to share important qualities with actual physical touch. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Active Interpersonal Touch Gives Rise to the Social Softness Illusion

PubMed Central

Gentsch, Antje; Panagiotopoulou, Elena; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

2015-01-01

Summary Social touch plays a powerful role in human life, with important physical and mental health benefits in development and adulthood. Touch is central in building the foundations of social interaction, attachment, and cognition [1–5], and early, social touch has unique, beneficial neurophysiological and epigenetic effects [6–9]. The recent discovery of a separate neurophysiological system for affectively laden touch in humans has further kindled scientific interest in the area [10, 11]. Remarkably, however, little is known about what motivates and sustains the human tendency to touch others in a pro-social manner. Given the importance of social touch, we hypothesized that active stroking elicits more sensory pleasure when touching others’ skin than when touching one’s own skin. In a set of six experiments (total N = 133) we found that healthy participants, mostly tested in pairs to account for any objective differences in skin softness, consistently judged another’s skin as feeling softer and smoother than their own skin. We further found that this softness illusion appeared selectively when the touch activated a neurophysiological system for affective touch in the receiver. We conclude that this sensory illusion underlies a novel, bodily mechanism of socio-affective bonding and enhances our motivation to touch others. PMID:26365257

Touch, the essence of caring for people with end-stage dementia: a mental health perspective in Namaste Care.

PubMed

Nicholls, Daniel; Chang, Esther; Johnson, Amanda; Edenborough, Michel

2013-01-01

This article presents the mental health aspects of 'touch' associated with a funded research project: Avoiding 'high tech' through 'high touch' in end-stage dementia: Protocol for care at the end-of-life. These mental health aspects highlight the human need for touch that continues up until and inclusive of the final stages of life. This study was informed by Simard's (2007) 'high touch' protocol based on the End-of-Life Namaste Care programme for people with dementia. The article is situated in relation to the research project which used a three-phase mixed methods approach. Data explored in this article are derived from focus groups conducted at three residential aged care facilities located in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW, Australia. The exploration of touch vis-a-vis mental health fell under two broad themes: touch by others and touch by the person. Sub-elements of these themes comprised touch towards a physical objective, touch towards an emotional objective, touch of objects and touch of others. The overarching outcome of interconnectedness embraced environmental awareness and human and life awareness. These two broad themes, with their accompanying elements, express the essential nature of mental health as a reciprocal connectedness, with reciprocal impacts on both those people with advanced dementia and their carers.

Parental touch reduces social vigilance in children.

PubMed

Brummelman, Eddie; Terburg, David; Smit, Miranda; Bögels, Susan M; Bos, Peter A

2018-05-09

The sense of touch develops in utero and enables parent-child communication from the earliest moments of life. Research shows that parental touch (e.g., licking and grooming in rats, skin-to-skin care in humans) has organizing effects on the offspring's stress system. Little is known, however, about the psychological effects of parental touch. Building on findings from ethology and psychology, we propose that parental touch-even as subtle as a touch on the shoulder-tells children that their environment is safe for exploration, thus reducing their social vigilance. We tested this hypothesis in late childhood (ages 8-10) and early adolescence (ages 11-14) in 138 parent-child dyads. Parents were randomly assigned to touch or not touch their child briefly and gently on the shoulder, right below the deltoid. Parental touch lowered children's implicit attention to social threat. While parental touch lowered trust among socially non-anxious children, it raised trust among those who needed it the most: socially anxious children. The effects were observed only in late childhood, suggesting that parental touch loses its safety-signaling meaning upon the transition to adolescence. Our findings underscore the power of parental touch in childhood, especially for children who suffer from social anxiety. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Determining high touch areas in the operating room with levels of contamination.

PubMed

Link, Terri; Kleiner, Catherine; Mancuso, Mary P; Dziadkowiec, Oliwier; Halverson-Carpenter, Katherine

2016-11-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put forth the recommendation to clean areas considered high touch more frequently than minimal touch surfaces. The operating room was not included in these recommendations. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequently touched surfaces in the operating room and their level of contamination. Phase 1 was a descriptive study to identify high touch areas in the operating room. In phase 2, high touch areas determined in phase 1 were cultured to determine if high touch areas observed were also highly contaminated and if they were more contaminated than a low touch surface. The 5 primary high touch surfaces in order were the anesthesia computer mouse, OR bed, nurse computer mouse, OR door, and anesthesia medical cart. Using the OR light as a control, this study demonstrated that a low touch area was less contaminated than the high touch areas with the exception of the OR bed. Based on information and data collected in this study, it is recommended that an enhanced cleaning protocol be established based on the most frequently touched surfaces in the operating room. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Significance of biological resource collection and tumor tissue bank creation.

PubMed

Yu, Ying-Yan; Zhu, Zheng-Gang

2010-01-15

Progress in the molecular oncology of gastrointestinal carcinomas depends on high quality cancer tissues for research. Recent acceleration on new technological platforms as well as the "omics" revolution increases the demands on tissues and peripheral blood for research at the DNA, mRNA and protein levels. Tissue bank creation emerges as a priority. Tumor tissue banks are facilities that are organized to collect, store and distribute samples of tumor and normal tissue for further use in basic and translational cancer research. The samples are generally obtained immediately after excision, prior to fixation, to ensure optimal preservation of proteins and nucleic acids. It is possible for surgeons or pathologists to collect fresh tissue prospectively during their routine dissection procedures. Most tissue banks are "project-driven" tumor banks, which are specialized collections of tumor samples on which their research is based. Systematic collection of all available tumor tissue is much rarer. High quality tissue banks need the collaboration of clinicians and basic scientists, but also the informed consent of patients and ethical approval. Through the standard operation procedure, snap frozen fresh tissue collection, storage and quality control for cryopreserved tissues are the pivotal factors on tissue bank construction and maintaining. The purpose of the tissue bank creation is enhancing the quality and speed on both the basic and translational research on gastrointestinal cancer. The quality assurance and quality control are handled based on reviewing HE staining slides or touch imprint cytology by pathologists.

Touch in primary care consultations: qualitative investigation of doctors’ and patients’ perceptions

PubMed Central

Cocksedge, Simon; George, Bethan; Renwick, Sophie; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A

2013-01-01

Background Good communication skills are integral to successful doctor–patient relationships. Communication may be verbal or non-verbal, and touch is a significant component, which has received little attention in the primary care literature. Touch may be procedural (part of a clinical task) or expressive (contact unrelated to a procedure/examination). Aim To explore GPs’ and patients’ experiences of using touch in consultations. Design and setting Qualitative study in urban and semi-rural areas of north-west England. Method Participating GPs recruited registered patients with whom they felt they had an ongoing relationship. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and subjected to constant comparative qualitative analysis. Results All participants described the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication in developing relationships. Expressive touch was suggested to improve communication quality by most GPs and all patients. GPs reported a lower threshold for using touch with older patients or those who were bereaved, and with patients of the same sex as themselves. All patient responders felt touch on the hand or forearm was appropriate. GPs described limits to using touch, with some responders rarely using anything other than procedural touch. In contrast, most patient responders believed expressive touch was acceptable, especially in situations of distress. All GP responders feared misinterpretation in their use of touch, but patients were keen that these concerns should not prevent doctors using expressive touch in consultations. Conclusion Expressive touch improves interactions between GPs and patients. Increased educational emphasis on the conscious use of expressive touch would enhance clinical communication and, hence, perhaps patient wellbeing and care. PMID:23540485

Fingertip touch improves postural stability in patients with peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Dickstein, R; Shupert, C L; Horak, F B

2001-12-01

The purpose of this work was to determine whether fingertip touch on a stable surface could improve postural stability during stance in subjects with somatosensory loss in the feet from diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The contribution of fingertip touch to postural stability was determined by comparing postural sway in three touch conditions (light, heavy and none) in eight patients and eight healthy control subjects who stood on two surfaces (firm or foam) with eyes open or closed. In the light touch condition, fingertip touch provided only somatosensory information because subjects exerted less than 1 N of force with their fingertip to a force plate, mounted on a vertical support. In the heavy touch condition, mechanical support was available because subjects transmitted as much force to the force plate as they wished. In the no touch condition, subjects held the right forefinger above the force plate. Antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) root mean square (RMS) of center of pressure (CoP) sway and trunk velocity were larger in subjects with somatosensory loss than in control subjects, especially when standing on the foam surface. The effects of light and heavy touch were similar in the somatosensory loss and control groups. Fingertip somatosensory input through light touch attenuated both AP and ML trunk velocity as much as heavy touch. Light touch also reduced CoP sway compared to no touch, although the decrease in CoP sway was less effective than with heavy touch, particularly on the foam surface. The forces that were applied to the touch plate during light touch preceded movements of the CoP, lending support to the suggestion of a feedforward mechanism in which fingertip inputs trigger the activation of postural muscles for controlling body sway. These results have clinical implications for understanding how patients with peripheral neuropathy may benefit from a cane for postural stability in stance.

Flexible, task-dependent use of sensory feedback to control hand movements

PubMed Central

Knill, David C.; Bondada, Amulya; Chhabra, Manu

2011-01-01

We tested whether changing accuracy demands for simple pointing movements leads humans to adjust the feedback control laws that map sensory signals from the moving hand to motor commands. Subjects made repeated pointing movements in a virtual environment to touch a button whose shape varied randomly from trial-to-trial – between squares, rectangles oriented perpendicular to the movement path and rectangles oriented parallel to the movement path. Subjects performed the task on a horizontal table, but saw the target configuration and a virtual rendering of their pointing finger through a mirror mounted between a monitor and the table. On a one-third of trials, the position of the virtual finger was perturbed by ±1 cm either in the movement direction or perpendicular to the movement direction when the finger passed behind an occluder. Subjects corrected quickly for the perturbations despite not consciously noticing them; however, they corrected almost twice as much for perturbations aligned with the narrow dimension of a target than for perturbations aligned with the long dimension. These changes in apparent feedback gain appeared in the kinematic trajectories soon after the time of the perturbations, indicating that they reflect differences in the feedback control law used throughout the duration of movements. The results indicate that the brain adjusts its feedback control law for individual movements “on-demand” to fit task demands. Simulations of optimal control laws for a two-joint arm show that accuracy demands alone, coupled with signal dependent noise lead to qualitatively the same behavior. PMID:21273407

A Concept for Optimizing Behavioural Effectiveness & Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barca, Jan Carlo; Rumantir, Grace; Li, Raymond

Both humans and machines exhibit strengths and weaknesses that can be enhanced by merging the two entities. This research aims to provide a broader understanding of how closer interactions between these two entities can facilitate more optimal goal-directed performance through the use of artificial extensions of the human body. Such extensions may assist us in adapting to and manipulating our environments in a more effective way than any system known today. To demonstrate this concept, we have developed a simulation where a semi interactive virtual spider can be navigated through an environment consisting of several obstacles and a virtual predator capable of killing the spider. The virtual spider can be navigated through the use of three different control systems that can be used to assist in optimising overall goal directed performance. The first two control systems use, an onscreen button interface and a touch sensor, respectively to facilitate human navigation of the spider. The third control system is an autonomous navigation system through the use of machine intelligence embedded in the spider. This system enables the spider to navigate and react to changes in its local environment. The results of this study indicate that machines should be allowed to override human control in order to maximise the benefits of collaboration between man and machine. This research further indicates that the development of strong machine intelligence, sensor systems that engage all human senses, extra sensory input systems, physical remote manipulators, multiple intelligent extensions of the human body, as well as a tighter symbiosis between man and machine, can support an upgrade of the human form.

Simple display system of mechanical properties of cells and their dispersion.

PubMed

Shimizu, Yuji; Kihara, Takanori; Haghparast, Seyed Mohammad Ali; Yuba, Shunsuke; Miyake, Jun

2012-01-01

The mechanical properties of cells are unique indicators of their states and functions. Though, it is difficult to recognize the degrees of mechanical properties, due to small size of the cell and broad distribution of the mechanical properties. Here, we developed a simple virtual reality system for presenting the mechanical properties of cells and their dispersion using a haptic device and a PC. This system simulates atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation experiments for floating cells in virtual environments. An operator can virtually position the AFM spherical probe over a round cell with the haptic handle on the PC monitor and feel the force interaction. The Young's modulus of mesenchymal stem cells and HEK293 cells in the floating state was measured by AFM. The distribution of the Young's modulus of these cells was broad, and the distribution complied with a log-normal pattern. To represent the mechanical properties together with the cell variance, we used log-normal distribution-dependent random number determined by the mode and variance values of the Young's modulus of these cells. The represented Young's modulus was determined for each touching event of the probe surface and the cell object, and the haptic device-generating force was calculated using a Hertz model corresponding to the indentation depth and the fixed Young's modulus value. Using this system, we can feel the mechanical properties and their dispersion in each cell type in real time. This system will help us not only recognize the degrees of mechanical properties of diverse cells but also share them with others.

Simple Display System of Mechanical Properties of Cells and Their Dispersion

PubMed Central

Shimizu, Yuji; Kihara, Takanori; Haghparast, Seyed Mohammad Ali; Yuba, Shunsuke; Miyake, Jun

2012-01-01

The mechanical properties of cells are unique indicators of their states and functions. Though, it is difficult to recognize the degrees of mechanical properties, due to small size of the cell and broad distribution of the mechanical properties. Here, we developed a simple virtual reality system for presenting the mechanical properties of cells and their dispersion using a haptic device and a PC. This system simulates atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation experiments for floating cells in virtual environments. An operator can virtually position the AFM spherical probe over a round cell with the haptic handle on the PC monitor and feel the force interaction. The Young's modulus of mesenchymal stem cells and HEK293 cells in the floating state was measured by AFM. The distribution of the Young's modulus of these cells was broad, and the distribution complied with a log-normal pattern. To represent the mechanical properties together with the cell variance, we used log-normal distribution-dependent random number determined by the mode and variance values of the Young's modulus of these cells. The represented Young's modulus was determined for each touching event of the probe surface and the cell object, and the haptic device-generating force was calculated using a Hertz model corresponding to the indentation depth and the fixed Young's modulus value. Using this system, we can feel the mechanical properties and their dispersion in each cell type in real time. This system will help us not only recognize the degrees of mechanical properties of diverse cells but also share them with others. PMID:22479595

Virtual Reality Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping Simulation With Real-time Haptic Feedback

PubMed Central

Alaraj, Ali; Luciano, Cristian J.; Bailey, Daniel P.; Elsenousi, Abdussalam; Roitberg, Ben Z.; Bernardo, Antonio; Banerjee, P. Pat; Charbel, Fady T.

2014-01-01

Background With the decrease in the number of cerebral aneurysms treated surgically and the increase of complexity of those treated surgically, there is a need for simulation-based tools to teach future neurosurgeons the operative techniques of aneurysm clipping. Objective To develop and evaluate the usefulness of a new haptic-based virtual reality (VR) simulator in the training of neurosurgical residents. Methods A real-time sensory haptic feedback virtual reality aneurysm clipping simulator was developed using the Immersive Touch platform. A prototype middle cerebral artery aneurysm simulation was created from a computed tomography angiogram. Aneurysm and vessel volume deformation and haptic feedback are provided in a 3-D immersive VR environment. Intraoperative aneurysm rupture was also simulated. Seventeen neurosurgery residents from three residency programs tested the simulator and provided feedback on its usefulness and resemblance to real aneurysm clipping surgery. Results Residents felt that the simulation would be useful in preparing for real-life surgery. About two thirds of the residents felt that the 3-D immersive anatomical details provided a very close resemblance to real operative anatomy and accurate guidance for deciding surgical approaches. They believed the simulation is useful for preoperative surgical rehearsal and neurosurgical training. One third of the residents felt that the technology in its current form provided very realistic haptic feedback for aneurysm surgery. Conclusion Neurosurgical residents felt that the novel immersive VR simulator is helpful in their training especially since they do not get a chance to perform aneurysm clippings until very late in their residency programs. PMID:25599200

Modeling human behaviors and reactions under dangerous environment.

PubMed

Kang, J; Wright, D K; Qin, S F; Zhao, Y

2005-01-01

This paper describes the framework of a real-time simulation system to model human behavior and reactions in dangerous environments. The system utilizes the latest 3D computer animation techniques, combined with artificial intelligence, robotics and psychology, to model human behavior, reactions and decision making under expected/unexpected dangers in real-time in virtual environments. The development of the system includes: classification on the conscious/subconscious behaviors and reactions of different people; capturing different motion postures by the Eagle Digital System; establishing 3D character animation models; establishing 3D models for the scene; planning the scenario and the contents; and programming within Virtools Dev. Programming within Virtools Dev is subdivided into modeling dangerous events, modeling character's perceptions, modeling character's decision making, modeling character's movements, modeling character's interaction with environment and setting up the virtual cameras. The real-time simulation of human reactions in hazardous environments is invaluable in military defense, fire escape, rescue operation planning, traffic safety studies, and safety planning in chemical factories, the design of buildings, airplanes, ships and trains. Currently, human motion modeling can be realized through established technology, whereas to integrate perception and intelligence into virtual human's motion is still a huge undertaking. The challenges here are the synchronization of motion and intelligence, the accurate modeling of human's vision, smell, touch and hearing, the diversity and effects of emotion and personality in decision making. There are three types of software platforms which could be employed to realize the motion and intelligence within one system, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

Significance of Touch in Young Children's Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Frances M.

2005-01-01

Touch matters. Humans need nurturing touch for optimum emotional, physical, and cognitive development and health--especially in infancy. Positive touch lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain. Drawing on research and anecdotal evidence to support the importance of touch to children's well-being, the author makes a case for…

Touch during childbirth: yesterday and today.

PubMed

Klein, Michele

2003-02-01

Birth helpers touch the parturient woman in many ways. They make physical contact to diagnose difficulties and manipulate safe delivery. They may also touch the woman in non-physical ways, with special words, as they help a woman to give birth. Some hope also for a divine touch, as Jewish tradition teaches that God is a partner in the birth process. This paper takes a historical look at the different forms of touch used by birth attendants to ease the safe arrival of a healthy infant. We hope that this short retrospective will encourage today's birth helpers, especially doctors and midwives, to notice how they themselves touch birthing women. We hope to promote awareness of the verbal and non-verbal language of touch and to encourage the use of the art of touch among medical staff who are now more skilled than ever before in applying scientific touch to patients.

Touch massage, a rewarding experience.

PubMed

Lindgren, Lenita; Jacobsson, Maritha; Lämås, Kristina

2014-12-01

This study aims to describe and analyze healthy individuals' expressed experiences of touch massage (TM). Fifteen healthy participants received whole body touch massage during 60 minutes for two separate occasions. Interviews were analyzed by narrative analysis. Four identifiable storyline was found, Touch massage as an essential need, in this storyline the participants talked about a desire and need for human touch and TM. Another storyline was about, Touch massage as a pleasurable experience and the participants talked about the pleasure of having had TM. In the third storyline Touch massage as a dynamic experience, the informants talked about things that could modulate the experience of receiving TM. In the last storyline, Touch massage influences self-awareness, the participants described how TM affected some of their psychological and physical experiences. Experiences of touch massage was in general described as pleasant sensations and the different storylines could be seen in the light of rewarding experiences. © The Author(s) 2014.

A Genetic Basis for Mechanosensory Traits in Humans

PubMed Central

Frenzel, Henning; Bohlender, Jörg; Pinsker, Katrin; Wohlleben, Bärbel; Tank, Jens; Lechner, Stefan G.; Schiska, Daniela; Jaijo, Teresa; Rüschendorf, Franz; Saar, Kathrin; Jordan, Jens; Millán, José M.; Gross, Manfred; Lewin, Gary R.

2012-01-01

In all vertebrates hearing and touch represent two distinct sensory systems that both rely on the transformation of mechanical force into electrical signals. There is an extensive literature describing single gene mutations in humans that cause hearing impairment, but there are essentially none for touch. Here we first asked if touch sensitivity is a heritable trait and second whether there are common genes that influence different mechanosensory senses like hearing and touch in humans. Using a classical twin study design we demonstrate that touch sensitivity and touch acuity are highly heritable traits. Quantitative phenotypic measures of different mechanosensory systems revealed significant correlations between touch and hearing acuity in a healthy human population. Thus mutations in genes causing deafness genes could conceivably negatively influence touch sensitivity. In agreement with this hypothesis we found that a proportion of a cohort of congenitally deaf young adults display significantly impaired measures of touch sensitivity compared to controls. In contrast, blind individuals showed enhanced, not diminished touch acuity. Finally, by examining a cohort of patients with Usher syndrome, a genetically well-characterized deaf-blindness syndrome, we could show that recessive pathogenic mutations in the USH2A gene influence touch acuity. Control Usher syndrome cohorts lacking demonstrable pathogenic USH2A mutations showed no impairment in touch acuity. Our study thus provides comprehensive evidence that there are common genetic elements that contribute to touch and hearing and has identified one of these genes as USH2A. PMID:22563300

The Resistance of Certain Tissues to Invasion

PubMed Central

Eisenstein, Reuben; Sorgente, Nino; Soble, Lawrence W.; Miller, Alexander; Kuettner, Klaus E.

1973-01-01

If puppy tissues are explanted onto the chick chorioallantoic membrane, those tissues which normally have a blood supply are rapidly invaded by vascularized mesenchyme of host origin. Hyaline cartilage, a tissue virtually devoid of blood vessels, is impenetrable by proliferating mesenchyme of the host, while calcified cartilage, which normally is vascularized, is penetrable. The stroma of the cornea, another normally avascular tissue, is readily penetrable, but Descemet's membrane forms a barrier to invasion by host tissues. The experimental system used permits the design of experiments in which the study of factors responsible for the resistance of tissues such as cartilage to invasion can be undertaken. ImagesFig 1Fig 2Fig 3Fig 4 PMID:4129060

Definition Of Touch-Sensitive Zones For Graphical Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monroe, Burt L., III; Jones, Denise R.

1988-01-01

Touch zones defined simply by touching, while editing done automatically. Development of touch-screen interactive computing system, tedious task. Interactive Editor for Definition of Touch-Sensitive Zones computer program increases efficiency of human/machine communications by enabling user to define each zone interactively, minimizing redundancy in programming and eliminating need for manual computation of boundaries of touch areas. Information produced during editing process written to data file, to which access gained when needed by application program.

Maternal touch and infant affect in the Still Face Paradigm: A cross-cultural examination.

PubMed

Lowe, Jean R; Coulombe, Patrick; Moss, Natalia C; Rieger, Rebecca E; Aragón, Crystal; MacLean, Peggy C; Caprihan, Arvind; Phillips, John P; Handal, Alexis J

2016-08-01

Touch between mother and infant plays an important role in development starting from birth. Cross-cultural differences surrounding rearing practices have an influence on parent-infant interaction, including types of touch used and the development of emotional regulation. This study was designed to investigate maternal touch and infant emotional regulation in infant-mother dyads from Ecuador (n=25) and Hispanic dyads from the United States (US) (n=26). Mothers and their 4-month-old full-term infants participated in the Still Face Paradigm. Second-by-second coding of maternal touch and infant affect was completed. Overall the analyses showed that Ecuadorian mothers used more nurturing and accompaniment touch and less attention seeking touch than US Hispanic mothers during the pre-stressor (baseline) episode. Lagged multilevel models were used to investigate the effect of the different types of touch on infant emotional regulation in the groups for the episodes. The data suggest that playful touch had a significant increase in infant affect, whereas accompaniment and attention-seeking touch had a significant decrease in infant affect. Overall, this study provides support for the role of touch in mother-infant synchronicity in relation to infant's emotional regulation. Identifying touch that is more calming is important to foster emotional regulation in infancy, which can have important implications for development. Published by Elsevier Inc.

System Integration and In Vivo Testing of a Robot for Ultrasound Guidance and Monitoring During Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Sen, Hasan Tutkun; Bell, Muyinatu A Lediju; Zhang, Yin; Ding, Kai; Boctor, Emad; Wong, John; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter

2017-07-01

We are developing a cooperatively controlled robot system for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in which a clinician and robot share control of a 3-D ultrasound (US) probe. IGRT involves two main steps: 1) planning/simulation and 2) treatment delivery. The goals of the system are to provide guidance for patient setup and real-time target monitoring during fractionated radiotherapy of soft tissue targets, especially in the upper abdomen. To compensate for soft tissue deformations created by the probe, we present a novel workflow where the robot holds the US probe on the patient during acquisition of the planning computerized tomography image, thereby ensuring that planning is performed on the deformed tissue. The robot system introduces constraints (virtual fixtures) to help to produce consistent soft tissue deformation between simulation and treatment days, based on the robot position, contact force, and reference US image recorded during simulation. This paper presents the system integration and the proposed clinical workflow, validated by an in vivo canine study. The results show that the virtual fixtures enable the clinician to deviate from the recorded position to better reproduce the reference US image, which correlates with more consistent soft tissue deformation and the possibility for more accurate patient setup and radiation delivery.

"Touch Me, Like Me": Testing an Encounter Group Assumption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boderman, Alvin; And Others

1972-01-01

An experiment to test an encounter group assumption that touching increases interpersonal attraction was conducted. College women were randomly assigned to a touch or no-touch condition. A comparison of total evaluation scores verified the hypothesis: subjects who touched the accomplice perceived her as a more attractive person than those who did…

Essential Touch: Meeting the Needs of Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Frances M.

2006-01-01

Learn how to safely incorporate touch in the early childhood setting and how to prepare children to confront troubling touch-related situations that may arise outside your setting. Following Acknowledgments, the book includes the following six chapters: (1) Taking a Look at Touch; (2) The Importance of Touch in Development and Learning; (3)…

The Neurobiology Shaping Affective Touch: Expectation, Motivation, and Meaning in the Multisensory Context

PubMed Central

Ellingsen, Dan-Mikael; Leknes, Siri; Løseth, Guro; Wessberg, Johan; Olausson, Håkan

2016-01-01

Inter-individual touch can be a desirable reward that can both relieve negative affect and evoke strong feelings of pleasure. However, if other sensory cues indicate it is undesirable to interact with the toucher, the affective experience of the same touch may be flipped to disgust. While a broad literature has addressed, on one hand the neurophysiological basis of ascending touch pathways, and on the other hand the central neurochemistry involved in touch behaviors, investigations of how external context and internal state shapes the hedonic value of touch have only recently emerged. Here, we review the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms responsible for the integration of tactile “bottom–up” stimuli and “top–down” information into affective touch experiences. We highlight the reciprocal influences between gentle touch and contextual information, and consider how, and at which levels of neural processing, top-down influences may modulate ascending touch signals. Finally, we discuss the central neurochemistry, specifically the μ-opioids and oxytocin systems, involved in affective touch processing, and how the functions of these neurotransmitters largely depend on the context and motivational state of the individual. PMID:26779092

Systematic literature review of digital three-dimensional superimposition techniques to create virtual dental patients.

PubMed

Joda, Tim; Brägger, Urs; Gallucci, German

2015-01-01

Digital developments have led to the opportunity to compose simulated patient models based on three-dimensional (3D) skeletal, facial, and dental imaging. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an update on the current knowledge, to report on the technical progress in the field of 3D virtual patient science, and to identify further research needs to accomplish clinical translation. Searches were performed electronically (MEDLINE and OVID) and manually up to March 2014 for studies of 3D fusion imaging to create a virtual dental patient. Inclusion criteria were limited to human studies reporting on the technical protocol for superimposition of at least two different 3D data sets and medical field of interest. Of the 403 titles originally retrieved, 51 abstracts and, subsequently, 21 full texts were selected for review. Of the 21 full texts, 18 studies were included in the systematic review. Most of the investigations were designed as feasibility studies. Three different types of 3D data were identified for simulation: facial skeleton, extraoral soft tissue, and dentition. A total of 112 patients were investigated in the development of 3D virtual models. Superimposition of data on the facial skeleton, soft tissue, and/or dentition is a feasible technique to create a virtual patient under static conditions. Three-dimensional image fusion is of interest and importance in all fields of dental medicine. Future research should focus on the real-time replication of a human head, including dynamic movements, capturing data in a single step.

Vision-Based Control of a Handheld Surgical Micromanipulator with Virtual Fixtures

PubMed Central

Becker, Brian C.; MacLachlan, Robert A.; Lobes, Louis A.; Hager, Gregory D.; Riviere, Cameron N.

2012-01-01

Performing micromanipulation and delicate operations in submillimeter workspaces is difficult because of destabilizing tremor and imprecise targeting. Accurate micromanipulation is especially important for microsurgical procedures, such as vitreoretinal surgery, to maximize successful outcomes and minimize collateral damage. Robotic aid combined with filtering techniques that suppress tremor frequency bands increases performance; however, if knowledge of the operator’s goals is available, virtual fixtures have been shown to further improve performance. In this paper, we derive a virtual fixture framework for active handheld micromanipulators that is based on high-bandwidth position measurements rather than forces applied to a robot handle. For applicability in surgical environments, the fixtures are generated in real-time from microscope video during the procedure. Additionally, we develop motion scaling behavior around virtual fixtures as a simple and direct extension to the proposed framework. We demonstrate that virtual fixtures significantly outperform tremor cancellation algorithms on a set of synthetic tracing tasks (p < 0.05). In more medically relevant experiments of vein tracing and membrane peeling in eye phantoms, virtual fixtures can significantly reduce both positioning error and forces applied to tissue (p < 0.05). PMID:24639624

Virtual planning for craniomaxillofacial surgery--7 years of experience.

PubMed

Adolphs, Nicolai; Haberl, Ernst-Johannes; Liu, Weichen; Keeve, Erwin; Menneking, Horst; Hoffmeister, Bodo

2014-07-01

Contemporary computer-assisted surgery systems more and more allow for virtual simulation of even complex surgical procedures with increasingly realistic predictions. Preoperative workflows are established and different commercially software solutions are available. Potential and feasibility of virtual craniomaxillofacial surgery as an additional planning tool was assessed retrospectively by comparing predictions and surgical results. Since 2006 virtual simulation has been performed in selected patient cases affected by complex craniomaxillofacial disorders (n = 8) in addition to standard surgical planning based on patient specific 3d-models. Virtual planning could be performed for all levels of the craniomaxillofacial framework within a reasonable preoperative workflow. Simulation of even complex skeletal displacements corresponded well with the real surgical result and soft tissue simulation proved to be helpful. In combination with classic 3d-models showing the underlying skeletal pathology virtual simulation improved planning and transfer of craniomaxillofacial corrections. Additional work and expenses may be justified by increased possibilities of visualisation, information, instruction and documentation in selected craniomaxillofacial procedures. Copyright © 2013 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Touching ethics: assessing the applicability of ethical rules for safe touch in CAM--outcomes of a CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) practitioner survey in Israel.

PubMed

Schiff, Elad; Ben-Arye, Eran; Shilo, Margalit; Levy, Moti; Schachter, Leora; Weitchner, Na'ama; Golan, Ofra; Stone, Julie

2011-02-01

Recently, ethical guidelines regarding safe touch in CAM were developed in Israel. Publishing ethical codes does not imply that they will actually help practitioners to meet ethical care standards. The effectiveness of ethical rules depends on familiarity with the code and its content. In addition, critical self-examination of the code by individual members of the profession is required to reflect on the moral commitments encompassed in the code. For the purpose of dynamic self-appraisal, we devised a survey to assess how CAM practitioners view the suggested ethical guidelines for safe touch. We surveyed 781 CAM practitioners regarding their perspectives on the safe-touch code. There was a high level of agreement with general statements regarding ethics pertaining to safe touch with a mean rate of agreement of 4.61 out of a maximum of 5. Practitioners concurred substantially with practice guidelines for appropriate touch with a mean rate of agreement of 4.16 out of a maximum of 5. Attitudes toward the necessity to touch intimate areas for treatment purposes varied with 78.6% of respondents strongly disagreeing with any notion of need to touch intimate areas during treatment. 7.9% neither disagreed nor agreed, 7.9% slightly agreed, and 7.6% strongly agreed with the need for touching intimate areas during treatment. There was a direct correlation between disagreement with touching intimate areas for therapeutic purposes and agreement with general statements regarding ethics of safe touch (Spearman r=0.177, p<0.0001), and practice guidelines for appropriate touch (r=0.092, p=0.012). A substantial number of practitioners agreed with the code, although some findings regarding the need to touch intimate area during treatments were disturbing. Our findings can serve as a basis for ethical code development and implementation, as well as for educating CAM practitioners on the ethics of touch. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reading the mind in the touch: Neurophysiological specificity in the communication of emotions by touch.

PubMed

Kirsch, Louise P; Krahé, Charlotte; Blom, Nadia; Crucianelli, Laura; Moro, Valentina; Jenkinson, Paul M; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

2017-05-29

Touch is central to interpersonal interactions. Touch conveys specific emotions about the touch provider, but it is not clear whether this is a purely socially learned function or whether it has neurophysiological specificity. In two experiments with healthy participants (N = 76 and 61) and one neuropsychological single case study, we investigated whether a type of touch characterised by peripheral and central neurophysiological specificity, namely the C tactile (CT) system, can communicate specific emotions and mental states. We examined the specificity of emotions elicited by touch delivered at CT-optimal (3cm/s) and CT-suboptimal (18cm/s) velocities (Experiment 1) at different body sites which contain (forearm) vs. do not contain (palm of the hand) CT fibres (Experiment 2). Blindfolded participants were touched without any contextual cues, and were asked to identify the touch provider's emotion and intention. Overall, CT-optimal touch (slow, gentle touch on the forearm) was significantly more likely than other types of touch to convey arousal, lust or desire. Affiliative emotions such as love and related intentions such as social support were instead reliably elicited by gentle touch, irrespective of CT-optimality, suggesting that other top-down factors contribute to these aspects of tactile social communication. To explore the neural basis of this communication, we also tested this paradigm in a stroke patient with right perisylvian damage, including the posterior insular cortex, which is considered as the primary cortical target of CT afferents, but excluding temporal cortex involvement that has been linked to more affiliative aspects of CT-optimal touch. His performance suggested an impairment in 'reading' emotions based on CT-optimal touch. Taken together, our results suggest that the CT system can add specificity to emotional and social communication, particularly with regards to feelings of desire and arousal. On the basis of these findings, we speculate that its primary functional role may be to enhance the 'sensual salience' of tactile interactions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Interactive Augmented Reality Implementation of Hijaiyah Alphabet for Children Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmat, R. F.; Akbar, F.; Syahputra, M. F.; Budiman, M. A.; Hizriadi, A.

2018-03-01

Hijaiyah alphabet is letters used in the Qur’an. An attractive and exciting learning process of Hijaiyah alphabet is necessary for the children. One of the alternatives to create attractive and interesting learning process of Hijaiyah alphabet is to develop it into a mobile application using augmented reality technology. Augmented reality is a technology that combines two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual objects into actual three-dimensional circles and projects them in real time. The purpose of application aims to foster the children interest in learning Hijaiyah alphabet. This application is using Smartphone and marker as the medium. It was built using Unity and augmented reality library, namely Vuforia, then using Blender as the 3D object modeling software. The output generated from this research is the learning application of Hijaiyah letters using augmented reality. How to use it is as follows: first, place marker that has been registered and printed; second, the smartphone camera will track the marker. If the marker is invalid, the user should repeat the tracking process. If the marker is valid and identified, the marker will have projected the objects of Hijaiyah alphabet in three-dimensional form. Lastly, the user can learn and understand the shape and pronunciation of Hijaiyah alphabet by touching the virtual button on the marker

Haptic feedback improves surgeons' user experience and fracture reduction in facial trauma simulation.

PubMed

Girod, Sabine; Schvartzman, Sara C; Gaudilliere, Dyani; Salisbury, Kenneth; Silva, Rebeka

2016-01-01

Computer-assisted surgical (CAS) planning tools are available for craniofacial surgery, but are usually based on computer-aided design (CAD) tools that lack the ability to detect the collision of virtual objects (i.e., fractured bone segments). We developed a CAS system featuring a sense of touch (haptic) that enables surgeons to physically interact with individual, patient-specific anatomy and immerse in a three-dimensional virtual environment. In this study, we evaluated initial user experience with our novel system compared to an existing CAD system. Ten surgery resident trainees received a brief verbal introduction to both the haptic and CAD systems. Users simulated mandibular fracture reduction in three clinical cases within a 15 min time limit for each system and completed a questionnaire to assess their subjective experience. We compared standard landmarks and linear and angular measurements between the simulated results and the actual surgical outcome and found that haptic simulation results were not significantly different from actual postoperative outcomes. In contrast, CAD results significantly differed from both the haptic simulation and actual postoperative results. In addition to enabling a more accurate fracture repair, the haptic system provided a better user experience than the CAD system in terms of intuitiveness and self-reported quality of repair.

Preliminary assessment of faculty and student perception of a haptic virtual reality simulator for training dental manual dexterity.

PubMed

Gal, Gilad Ben; Weiss, Ervin I; Gafni, Naomi; Ziv, Amitai

2011-04-01

Virtual reality force feedback simulators provide a haptic (sense of touch) feedback through the device being held by the user. The simulator's goal is to provide a learning experience resembling reality. A newly developed haptic simulator (IDEA Dental, Las Vegas, NV, USA) was assessed in this study. Our objectives were to assess the simulator's ability to serve as a tool for dental instruction, self-practice, and student evaluation, as well as to evaluate the sensation it provides. A total of thirty-three evaluators were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of twenty-one experienced dental educators; the second consisted of twelve fifth-year dental students. Each participant performed drilling tasks using the simulator and filled out a questionnaire regarding the simulator and potential ways of using it in dental education. The results show that experienced dental faculty members as well as advanced dental students found that the simulator could provide significant potential benefits in the teaching and self-learning of manual dental skills. Development of the simulator's tactile sensation is needed to attune it to genuine sensation. Further studies relating to aspects of the simulator's structure and its predictive validity, its scoring system, and the nature of the performed tasks should be conducted.

Sensitivity improvements of a resonance-based tactile sensor.

PubMed

Murayama, Yoshinobu; Lindahl, Olof A

2017-02-01

Resonance-based contact-impedance measurement refers to the application of resonance sensors based on the measurement of the changes in the resonance curve of an ultrasonic resonator in contact with a surface. The advantage of the resonance sensor is that it is very sensitive to small changes in the contact impedance. A sensitive micro tactile sensor (MTS) was developed, which measured the elasticity of soft living tissues at the single-cell level. In the present paper, we studied the method of improving the touch and stiffness sensitivity of the MTS. First, the dependence of touch sensitivity in relation to the resonator length was studied by calculating the sensitivity coefficient at each length ranging from 9 to 40 mm. The highest touch sensitivity was obtained with a 30-mm-long glass needle driven at a resonance frequency of 100 kHz. Next, the numerical calculation of contact impedance showed that the highest stiffness sensitivity was achieved when the driving frequency was 100 kHz and the contact-tip diameter of the MTS was 10 μm. The theoretical model was then confirmed experimentally using a phase-locked-loop-based digital feedback oscillation circuit. It was found that the developed MTS, whose resonant frequency was 97.030 kHz, performed with the highest sensitivity of 53.2 × 10 6  Hz/N at the driving frequency of 97.986 kHz, i.e. the highest sensitivity was achieved at 956 Hz above the resonant frequency.

[New possibilities in practical education of surgery].

PubMed

Kormos, Katalin; Sándor, József; Haidegger, Tamás; Ferencz, Andrea; Csukás, Domokos; Bráth, Endre; Szabó, Györgyi; Wéber, György

2013-10-01

The fast spread of laparoscopic surgery in the surgical community also required introduction of new methods of surgical education of these techniques. Training boxes applied for this reason meant a considerable help. The technique of the virtual reality introduced simulation, which is a new possibility in education. For the first time in the history of surgery we can measure medical students' or residents' dexterity and one can get acquainted with a surgical procedure in the form of "serious games". By application of the up-to-date imaging methods we can plan the movements of the surgeon's hand even before the planned operation, practice and repeating can contribute to the safety of the real procedure. Open surgical procedures can be practiced on plastic phantoms mimicking human anatomy and the use of interactive touch devices and e-learning can also contribute to practical education of surgery.

Emotion Telepresence: Emotion Augmentation through Affective Haptics and Visual Stimuli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsetserukou, D.; Neviarouskaya, A.

2012-03-01

The paper focuses on a novel concept of emotional telepresence. The iFeel_IM! system which is in the vanguard of this technology integrates 3D virtual world Second Life, intelligent component for automatic emotion recognition from text messages, and innovative affective haptic interfaces providing additional nonverbal communication channels through simulation of emotional feedback and social touch (physical co-presence). Users can not only exchange messages but also emotionally and physically feel the presence of the communication partner (e.g., family member, friend, or beloved person). The next prototype of the system will include the tablet computer. The user can realize haptic interaction with avatar, and thus influence its mood and emotion of the partner. The finger gesture language will be designed for communication with avatar. This will bring new level of immersion of on-line communication.

Physiological basis of tingling paresthesia evoked by hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.

PubMed

Lennertz, Richard C; Tsunozaki, Makoto; Bautista, Diana M; Stucky, Cheryl L

2010-03-24

Hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, the active ingredient in plants of the prickly ash plant family, induces robust tingling paresthesia by activating a subset of somatosensory neurons. However, the subtypes and physiological function of sanshool-sensitive neurons remain unknown. Here we use the ex vivo skin-nerve preparation to examine the pattern and intensity with which the sensory terminals of cutaneous neurons respond to hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. We found that sanshool excites virtually all D-hair afferents, a distinct subset of ultrasensitive light-touch receptors in the skin and targets novel populations of Abeta and C fiber nerve afferents. Thus, sanshool provides a novel pharmacological tool for discriminating functional subtypes of cutaneous mechanoreceptors. The identification of sanshool-sensitive fibers represents an essential first step in identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tingling paresthesia that accompanies peripheral neuropathy and injury.

Physiological basis of tingling paresthesia evoked by hydroxy-α-sanshool

PubMed Central

Lennertz, Richard C; Tsunozaki, Makoto; Bautista, Diana M; Stucky, Cheryl L

2010-01-01

Hydroxy-α-sanshool, the active ingredient in plants of the prickly ash plant family, induces robust tingling paresthesia by activating a subset of somatosensory neurons. However, the subtypes and physiological function of sanshool-sensitive neurons remain unknown. Here we use the ex vivo skin-nerve preparation to examine the pattern and intensity with which the sensory terminals of cutaneous neurons respond to hydroxy-α-sanshool. We found that sanshool excites virtually all D-hair afferents, a distinct subset of ultra-sensitive light touch receptors in the skin, and targets novel populations of Aβ and C-fiber nerve afferents. Thus, sanshool provides a novel pharmacological tool for discriminating functional subtypes of cutaneous mechanoreceptors. The identification of sanshool-sensitive fibers represents an essential first step in identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tingling paresthesia that accompanies peripheral neuropathy and injury. PMID:20335471

Longer Life for Steel Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

IC 531 is a coating manufactured and marketed by Inorganic Coatings, Inc. The coating was developed by Goddard to protect structures at Kennedy Space Center. It is a high ratio potassium silicate formula. The coating is water based, nontoxic, and nonflammable. It generates no volatile organic compounds nor hazardous chemical waste, and bonds to steel in 30 minutes. At the present time, no one can say for sure how long IC 531's effective lifetime is. Some of the original Goddard test applications of 1976 are still going strong after lengthy exposure to the Sun, salt and moisture. Says IC in company literature: 'IC 531 offers virtually permanent protection for steel. We predict it will protect structures for well beyond 25 years. If necessary, it is infinitely maintainable; if damaged, it can easily be touched up with more IC 531.'

Virtopsy: Touch-free autopsy.

PubMed

Badam, Raj Kumar; Sownetha, Triekan; Babu, D B Gandhi; Waghray, Shefali; Reddy, Lavanya; Garlapati, Komali; Chavva, Sunanda

2017-01-01

The word "autopsy" denotes "to see with own eyes." Autopsy (postmortem) is a process that includes a thorough examination of a corpse noting everything related to anatomization, surface wounds, histological and culture studies. Virtopsy is a term extracted from two words "virtual" and "autopsy." It employs imaging methods that are routinely used in clinical medicine such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the field of autopsy, to find the reason for death. Virtopsy is a multi-disciplinary technology that combines forensic medicine and pathology, roentgenology, computer graphics, biomechanics, and physics. It is rapidly gaining importance in the field of forensics. This approach has been recently used by forensic odontologists, but yet to make its own mark in the field. This article mainly deals with "virtopsy" where in various articles were web searched, relevant data was selected, extracted, and summarized here.

Manipulating Bodily Presence Affects Cross-Modal Spatial Attention: A Virtual-Reality-Based ERP Study.

PubMed

Harjunen, Ville J; Ahmed, Imtiaj; Jacucci, Giulio; Ravaja, Niklas; Spapé, Michiel M

2017-01-01

Earlier studies have revealed cross-modal visuo-tactile interactions in endogenous spatial attention. The current research used event-related potentials (ERPs) and virtual reality (VR) to identify how the visual cues of the perceiver's body affect visuo-tactile interaction in endogenous spatial attention and at what point in time the effect takes place. A bimodal oddball task with lateralized tactile and visual stimuli was presented in two VR conditions, one with and one without visible hands, and one VR-free control with hands in view. Participants were required to silently count one type of stimulus and ignore all other stimuli presented in irrelevant modality or location. The presence of hands was found to modulate early and late components of somatosensory and visual evoked potentials. For sensory-perceptual stages, the presence of virtual or real hands was found to amplify attention-related negativity on the somatosensory N140 and cross-modal interaction in somatosensory and visual P200. For postperceptual stages, an amplified N200 component was obtained in somatosensory and visual evoked potentials, indicating increased response inhibition in response to non-target stimuli. The effect of somatosensory, but not visual, N200 enhanced when the virtual hands were present. The findings suggest that bodily presence affects sustained cross-modal spatial attention between vision and touch and that this effect is specifically present in ERPs related to early- and late-sensory processing, as well as response inhibition, but do not affect later attention and memory-related P3 activity. Finally, the experiments provide commeasurable scenarios for the estimation of the signal and noise ratio to quantify effects related to the use of a head mounted display (HMD). However, despite valid a-priori reasons for fearing signal interference due to a HMD, we observed no significant drop in the robustness of our ERP measurements.

Manipulating Bodily Presence Affects Cross-Modal Spatial Attention: A Virtual-Reality-Based ERP Study

PubMed Central

Harjunen, Ville J.; Ahmed, Imtiaj; Jacucci, Giulio; Ravaja, Niklas; Spapé, Michiel M.

2017-01-01

Earlier studies have revealed cross-modal visuo-tactile interactions in endogenous spatial attention. The current research used event-related potentials (ERPs) and virtual reality (VR) to identify how the visual cues of the perceiver’s body affect visuo-tactile interaction in endogenous spatial attention and at what point in time the effect takes place. A bimodal oddball task with lateralized tactile and visual stimuli was presented in two VR conditions, one with and one without visible hands, and one VR-free control with hands in view. Participants were required to silently count one type of stimulus and ignore all other stimuli presented in irrelevant modality or location. The presence of hands was found to modulate early and late components of somatosensory and visual evoked potentials. For sensory-perceptual stages, the presence of virtual or real hands was found to amplify attention-related negativity on the somatosensory N140 and cross-modal interaction in somatosensory and visual P200. For postperceptual stages, an amplified N200 component was obtained in somatosensory and visual evoked potentials, indicating increased response inhibition in response to non-target stimuli. The effect of somatosensory, but not visual, N200 enhanced when the virtual hands were present. The findings suggest that bodily presence affects sustained cross-modal spatial attention between vision and touch and that this effect is specifically present in ERPs related to early- and late-sensory processing, as well as response inhibition, but do not affect later attention and memory-related P3 activity. Finally, the experiments provide commeasurable scenarios for the estimation of the signal and noise ratio to quantify effects related to the use of a head mounted display (HMD). However, despite valid a-priori reasons for fearing signal interference due to a HMD, we observed no significant drop in the robustness of our ERP measurements. PMID:28275346

Affective touch awareness in mental health and disease relates to autistic traits - An explorative neurophysiological investigation.

PubMed

Croy, Ilona; Geide, Helen; Paulus, Martin; Weidner, Kerstin; Olausson, Håkan

2016-11-30

Affective touch is important for social interaction within families and groups and there is evidence that unmyelinated C tactile fibers are involved in this process. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders show alterations in the perception and processing of affective touch. sThus, we hypothesized that affective touch awareness based on C tactile fiber activation is impaired in individuals with high levels of autistic trait. The pleasantness perception of optimal and suboptimal C tactile stimuli was tested in an explorative study in 70 patients recruited from an outpatient psychotherapy clinic and 69 healthy comparison subjects. All participants completed questionnaires about autistic traits, depressive symptomatology, childhood maltreatment, and about the daily amount of touch. Relative to comparison subjects, patients reported engaging in touch less frequently in daily life and rated touch less pleasant. Reduced valence ratings of touch were explained by childhood maltreatment but not by any particular disorder or depression severity. Among all tested variables, the affective touch awareness correlated with autistic traits only - in patients as well as in comparison subjects. Taken together, individuals with mental health issues have a lower baseline of expression and reception of affective touch. Autistic traits and childhood maltreatment modulate the experience of affective touch. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distributed interactive virtual environments for collaborative experiential learning and training independent of distance over Internet2.

PubMed

Alverson, Dale C; Saiki, Stanley M; Jacobs, Joshua; Saland, Linda; Keep, Marcus F; Norenberg, Jeffrey; Baker, Rex; Nakatsu, Curtis; Kalishman, Summers; Lindberg, Marlene; Wax, Diane; Mowafi, Moad; Summers, Kenneth L; Holten, James R; Greenfield, John A; Aalseth, Edward; Nickles, David; Sherstyuk, Andrei; Haines, Karen; Caudell, Thomas P

2004-01-01

Medical knowledge and skills essential for tomorrow's healthcare professionals continue to change faster than ever before creating new demands in medical education. Project TOUCH (Telehealth Outreach for Unified Community Health) has been developing methods to enhance learning by coupling innovations in medical education with advanced technology in high performance computing and next generation Internet2 embedded in virtual reality environments (VRE), artificial intelligence and experiential active learning. Simulations have been used in education and training to allow learners to make mistakes safely in lieu of real-life situations, learn from those mistakes and ultimately improve performance by subsequent avoidance of those mistakes. Distributed virtual interactive environments are used over distance to enable learning and participation in dynamic, problem-based, clinical, artificial intelligence rules-based, virtual simulations. The virtual reality patient is programmed to dynamically change over time and respond to the manipulations by the learner. Participants are fully immersed within the VRE platform using a head-mounted display and tracker system. Navigation, locomotion and handling of objects are accomplished using a joy-wand. Distribution is managed via the Internet2 Access Grid using point-to-point or multi-casting connectivity through which the participants can interact. Medical students in Hawaii and New Mexico (NM) participated collaboratively in problem solving and managing of a simulated patient with a closed head injury in VRE; dividing tasks, handing off objects, and functioning as a team. Students stated that opportunities to make mistakes and repeat actions in the VRE were extremely helpful in learning specific principles. VRE created higher performance expectations and some anxiety among VRE users. VRE orientation was adequate but students needed time to adapt and practice in order to improve efficiency. This was also demonstrated successfully between Western Australia and UNM. We successfully demonstrated the ability to fully immerse participants in a distributed virtual environment independent of distance for collaborative team interaction in medical simulation designed for education and training. The ability to make mistakes in a safe environment is well received by students and has a positive impact on their understanding, as well as memory of the principles involved in correcting those mistakes. Bringing people together as virtual teams for interactive experiential learning and collaborative training, independent of distance, provides a platform for distributed "just-in-time" training, performance assessment and credentialing. Further validation is necessary to determine the potential value of the distributed VRE in knowledge transfer, improved future performance and should entail training participants to competence in using these tools.

The virtual microscopy database-sharing digital microscope images for research and education.

PubMed

Lee, Lisa M J; Goldman, Haviva M; Hortsch, Michael

2018-02-14

Over the last 20 years, virtual microscopy has become the predominant modus of teaching the structural organization of cells, tissues, and organs, replacing the use of optical microscopes and glass slides in a traditional histology or pathology laboratory setting. Although virtual microscopy image files can easily be duplicated, creating them requires not only quality histological glass slides but also an expensive whole slide microscopic scanner and massive data storage devices. These resources are not available to all educators and researchers, especially at new institutions in developing countries. This leaves many schools without access to virtual microscopy resources. The Virtual Microscopy Database (VMD) is a new resource established to address this problem. It is a virtual image file-sharing website that allows researchers and educators easy access to a large repository of virtual histology and pathology image files. With the support from the American Association of Anatomists (Bethesda, MD) and MBF Bioscience Inc. (Williston, VT), registration and use of the VMD are currently free of charge. However, the VMD site is restricted to faculty and staff of research and educational institutions. Virtual Microscopy Database users can upload their own collection of virtual slide files, as well as view and download image files for their own non-profit educational and research purposes that have been deposited by other VMD clients. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

A Sensitive, Reliable Inexpensive Touch Detector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anger, Douglas; Schachtman, Todd R.

2007-01-01

Research in a laboratory required a sensitive, reliable, inexpensive touch detector for use with rats to test the reinforcement of inhibition. A small touch detector was also desirable so that the detector could be mounted on the rat's cage close to the object being touched by the rat, whose touches in turn were being detected by current passing…

3D virtual human atria: A computational platform for studying clinical atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Aslanidi, Oleg V; Colman, Michael A; Stott, Jonathan; Dobrzynski, Halina; Boyett, Mark R; Holden, Arun V; Zhang, Henggui

2011-10-01

Despite a vast amount of experimental and clinical data on the underlying ionic, cellular and tissue substrates, the mechanisms of common atrial arrhythmias (such as atrial fibrillation, AF) arising from the functional interactions at the whole atria level remain unclear. Computational modelling provides a quantitative framework for integrating such multi-scale data and understanding the arrhythmogenic behaviour that emerges from the collective spatio-temporal dynamics in all parts of the heart. In this study, we have developed a multi-scale hierarchy of biophysically detailed computational models for the human atria--the 3D virtual human atria. Primarily, diffusion tensor MRI reconstruction of the tissue geometry and fibre orientation in the human sinoatrial node (SAN) and surrounding atrial muscle was integrated into the 3D model of the whole atria dissected from the Visible Human dataset. The anatomical models were combined with the heterogeneous atrial action potential (AP) models, and used to simulate the AP conduction in the human atria under various conditions: SAN pacemaking and atrial activation in the normal rhythm, break-down of regular AP wave-fronts during rapid atrial pacing, and the genesis of multiple re-entrant wavelets characteristic of AF. Contributions of different properties of the tissue to mechanisms of the normal rhythm and arrhythmogenesis were investigated. Primarily, the simulations showed that tissue heterogeneity caused the break-down of the normal AP wave-fronts at rapid pacing rates, which initiated a pair of re-entrant spiral waves; and tissue anisotropy resulted in a further break-down of the spiral waves into multiple meandering wavelets characteristic of AF. The 3D virtual atria model itself was incorporated into the torso model to simulate the body surface ECG patterns in the normal and arrhythmic conditions. Therefore, a state-of-the-art computational platform has been developed, which can be used for studying multi-scale electrical phenomena during atrial conduction and AF arrhythmogenesis. Results of such simulations can be directly compared with electrophysiological and endocardial mapping data, as well as clinical ECG recordings. The virtual human atria can provide in-depth insights into 3D excitation propagation processes within atrial walls of a whole heart in vivo, which is beyond the current technical capabilities of experimental or clinical set-ups. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Touch increases autonomic coupling between romantic partners

PubMed Central

Chatel-Goldman, Jonas; Congedo, Marco; Jutten, Christian; Schwartz, Jean-Luc

2014-01-01

Interpersonal touch is of paramount importance in human social bonding and close relationships, allowing a unique channel for affect communication. So far the effect of touch on human physiology has been studied at an individual level. The present study aims at extending the study of affective touch from isolated individuals to truly interacting dyads. We have designed an ecological paradigm where romantic partners interact only via touch and we manipulate their empathic states. Simultaneously, we collected their autonomic activity (skin conductance, pulse, respiration). Fourteen couples participated to the experiment. We found that interpersonal touch increased coupling of electrodermal activity between the interacting partners, regardless the intensity and valence of the emotion felt. In addition, physical touch induced strong and reliable changes in physiological states within individuals. These results support an instrumental role of interpersonal touch for affective support in close relationships. Furthermore, they suggest that touch alone allows the emergence of a somatovisceral resonance between interacting individuals, which in turn is likely to form the prerequisites for emotional contagion and empathy. PMID:24734009

Introducing nuclei scatterer patterns into histology based intravascular ultrasound simulation framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Silvan; Karamalis, Athanasios; Sheet, Debdoot; Drecoll, Enken; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Navab, Nassir; Noël, Peter B.; Katouzian, Amin

2013-03-01

Medical ultrasonic grayscale images are formed from acoustic waves following their interactions with distributed scatterers within tissues media. For accurate simulation of acoustic wave propagation, a reliable model describing unknown parameters associated with tissues scatterers such as distribution, size and acoustic properties is essential. In this work, we introduce a novel approach defining ultrasonic scatterers by incorporating a distribution of cellular nuclei patterns in biological tissues to simulate ultrasonic response of atherosclerotic tissues in intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). For this reason, a virtual phantom is generated through manual labeling of different tissue types (fibrotic, lipidic and calcified) on histology sections. Acoustic properties of each tissue type are defined by assuming that the ultrasound signal is primarily backscattered by the nuclei of the organic cells within the intima and media of the vessel wall. This resulting virtual phantom is subsequently used to simulate ultrasonic wave propagation through the tissue medium computed using finite difference estimation. Subsequently B-mode images for a specific histological section are processed from the simulated radiofrequency (RF) data and compared with the original IVUS of the same tissue section. Real IVUS RF signals for these histological sections were obtained using a single-element mechanically rotating 40MHz transducer. Evaluation is performed by trained reviewers subjectively assessing both simulated and real B-mode IVUS images. Our simulation platform provides a high image quality with a very promising correlation to the original IVUS images. This will facilitate to better understand progression of such a chronic disease from micro-level and its integration into cardiovascular disease-specific models.

Virtual Interactive Musculoskeletal System (VIMS) in orthopaedic research, education and clinical patient care.

PubMed

Chao, Edmund Y S; Armiger, Robert S; Yoshida, Hiroaki; Lim, Jonathan; Haraguchi, Naoki

2007-03-08

The ability to combine physiology and engineering analyses with computer sciences has opened the door to the possibility of creating the "Virtual Human" reality. This paper presents a broad foundation for a full-featured biomechanical simulator for the human musculoskeletal system physiology. This simulation technology unites the expertise in biomechanical analysis and graphic modeling to investigate joint and connective tissue mechanics at the structural level and to visualize the results in both static and animated forms together with the model. Adaptable anatomical models including prosthetic implants and fracture fixation devices and a robust computational infrastructure for static, kinematic, kinetic, and stress analyses under varying boundary and loading conditions are incorporated on a common platform, the VIMS (Virtual Interactive Musculoskeletal System). Within this software system, a manageable database containing long bone dimensions, connective tissue material properties and a library of skeletal joint system functional activities and loading conditions are also available and they can easily be modified, updated and expanded. Application software is also available to allow end-users to perform biomechanical analyses interactively. Examples using these models and the computational algorithms in a virtual laboratory environment are used to demonstrate the utility of these unique database and simulation technology. This integrated system, model library and database will impact on orthopaedic education, basic research, device development and application, and clinical patient care related to musculoskeletal joint system reconstruction, trauma management, and rehabilitation.

Virtual interactive musculoskeletal system (VIMS) in orthopaedic research, education and clinical patient care

PubMed Central

Chao, Edmund YS; Armiger, Robert S; Yoshida, Hiroaki; Lim, Jonathan; Haraguchi, Naoki

2007-01-01

The ability to combine physiology and engineering analyses with computer sciences has opened the door to the possibility of creating the "Virtual Human" reality. This paper presents a broad foundation for a full-featured biomechanical simulator for the human musculoskeletal system physiology. This simulation technology unites the expertise in biomechanical analysis and graphic modeling to investigate joint and connective tissue mechanics at the structural level and to visualize the results in both static and animated forms together with the model. Adaptable anatomical models including prosthetic implants and fracture fixation devices and a robust computational infrastructure for static, kinematic, kinetic, and stress analyses under varying boundary and loading conditions are incorporated on a common platform, the VIMS (Virtual Interactive Musculoskeletal System). Within this software system, a manageable database containing long bone dimensions, connective tissue material properties and a library of skeletal joint system functional activities and loading conditions are also available and they can easily be modified, updated and expanded. Application software is also available to allow end-users to perform biomechanical analyses interactively. Examples using these models and the computational algorithms in a virtual laboratory environment are used to demonstrate the utility of these unique database and simulation technology. This integrated system, model library and database will impact on orthopaedic education, basic research, device development and application, and clinical patient care related to musculoskeletal joint system reconstruction, trauma management, and rehabilitation. PMID:17343764

Graphic and haptic simulation system for virtual laparoscopic rectum surgery.

PubMed

Pan, Jun J; Chang, Jian; Yang, Xiaosong; Zhang, Jian J; Qureshi, Tahseen; Howell, Robert; Hickish, Tamas

2011-09-01

Medical simulators with vision and haptic feedback techniques offer a cost-effective and efficient alternative to the traditional medical trainings. They have been used to train doctors in many specialties of medicine, allowing tasks to be practised in a safe and repetitive manner. This paper describes a virtual-reality (VR) system which will help to influence surgeons' learning curves in the technically challenging field of laparoscopic surgery of the rectum. Data from MRI of the rectum and real operation videos are used to construct the virtual models. A haptic force filter based on radial basis functions is designed to offer realistic and smooth force feedback. To handle collision detection efficiently, a hybrid model is presented to compute the deformation of intestines. Finally, a real-time cutting technique based on mesh is employed to represent the incision operation. Despite numerous research efforts, fast and realistic solutions of soft tissues with large deformation, such as intestines, prove extremely challenging. This paper introduces our latest contribution to this endeavour. With this system, the user can haptically operate with the virtual rectum and simultaneously watch the soft tissue deformation. Our system has been tested by colorectal surgeons who believe that the simulated tactile and visual feedbacks are realistic. It could replace the traditional training process and effectively transfer surgical skills to novices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Changes in rat spinal cord gene expression after inflammatory hyperalgesia of the joint and manual therapy.

PubMed

Ruhlen, Rachel L; Singh, Vineet K; Pazdernik, Vanessa K; Towns, Lex C; Snider, Eric J; Sargentini, Neil J; Degenhardt, Brian F

2014-10-01

Mobilization of a joint affects local tissue directly but may also have other effects that are mediated through the central nervous system. To identify differential gene expression in the spinal cords of rats with or without inflammatory joint injury after manual therapy or no treatment. Rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: no injury and no touch (NI/NT), injury and no touch (I/NT), no injury and manual therapy (NI/MT), and injury and manual therapy (I/MT). We induced acute inflammatory joint injury in the rats by injecting carrageenan into an ankle. Rats in the no-injury groups did not receive carrageenan injection. One day after injury, rats received manual therapy to the knee of the injured limb. Rats in the no-touch groups were anesthetized without receiving manual therapy. Spinal cords were harvested 30 minutes after therapy or no touch, and spinal cord gene expression was analyzed by microarray for 3 comparisons: NI/NT vs I/NT, I/MT vs I/NT, and NI/NT vs NI/MT. Three rats were assigned to each group. Of 38,875 expressed sequence tags, 755 were differentially expressed in the NI/NT vs I/NT comparison. For the other comparisons, no expressed sequence tags were differentially expressed. Cluster analysis revealed that the differentially expressed sequence tags were over-represented in several categories, including ion homeostasis (enrichment score, 2.29), transmembrane (enrichment score, 1.55), and disulfide bond (enrichment score, 2.04). An inflammatory injury to the ankle of rats caused differential expression of genes in the spinal cord. Consistent with other studies, genes involved in ion transport were among those affected. However, manual therapy to the knees of injured limbs or to rats without injury did not alter gene expression in the spinal cord. Thus, evidence for central nervous system mediation of manual therapy was not observed. © 2014 The American Osteopathic Association.

Metallic artifact mitigation and organ-constrained tissue assignment for Monte Carlo calculations of permanent implant lung brachytherapy

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

Sutherland, J. G. H.; Miksys, N.; Thomson, R. M., E-mail: rthomson@physics.carleton.ca

2014-01-15

Purpose: To investigate methods of generating accurate patient-specific computational phantoms for the Monte Carlo calculation of lung brachytherapy patient dose distributions. Methods: Four metallic artifact mitigation methods are applied to six lung brachytherapy patient computed tomography (CT) images: simple threshold replacement (STR) identifies high CT values in the vicinity of the seeds and replaces them with estimated true values; fan beam virtual sinogram replaces artifact-affected values in a virtual sinogram and performs a filtered back-projection to generate a corrected image; 3D median filter replaces voxel values that differ from the median value in a region of interest surrounding the voxelmore » and then applies a second filter to reduce noise; and a combination of fan beam virtual sinogram and STR. Computational phantoms are generated from artifact-corrected and uncorrected images using several tissue assignment schemes: both lung-contour constrained and unconstrained global schemes are considered. Voxel mass densities are assigned based on voxel CT number or using the nominal tissue mass densities. Dose distributions are calculated using the EGSnrc user-code BrachyDose for{sup 125}I, {sup 103}Pd, and {sup 131}Cs seeds and are compared directly as well as through dose volume histograms and dose metrics for target volumes surrounding surgical sutures. Results: Metallic artifact mitigation techniques vary in ability to reduce artifacts while preserving tissue detail. Notably, images corrected with the fan beam virtual sinogram have reduced artifacts but residual artifacts near sources remain requiring additional use of STR; the 3D median filter removes artifacts but simultaneously removes detail in lung and bone. Doses vary considerably between computational phantoms with the largest differences arising from artifact-affected voxels assigned to bone in the vicinity of the seeds. Consequently, when metallic artifact reduction and constrained tissue assignment within lung contours are employed in generated phantoms, this erroneous assignment is reduced, generally resulting in higher doses. Lung-constrained tissue assignment also results in increased doses in regions of interest due to a reduction in the erroneous assignment of adipose to voxels within lung contours. Differences in dose metrics calculated for different computational phantoms are sensitive to radionuclide photon spectra with the largest differences for{sup 103}Pd seeds and smallest but still considerable differences for {sup 131}Cs seeds. Conclusions: Despite producing differences in CT images, dose metrics calculated using the STR, fan beam + STR, and 3D median filter techniques produce similar dose metrics. Results suggest that the accuracy of dose distributions for permanent implant lung brachytherapy is improved by applying lung-constrained tissue assignment schemes to metallic artifact corrected images.« less

The no-touch rubber hand paradigm and mirror-touch sensation: Support for the self-other theory of mirror-touch synesthesia.

PubMed

White, Rebekah C; Davies, Anne M Aimola

2015-01-01

We thoroughly enjoyed Ward and Banissy's Discussion Paper on mirror-touch synesthesia. The authors contrast two theories for explaining this phenomenon-the Threshold Theory and their Self-Other Theory. Ward and Banissy note that the Self-Other Theory garners support from studies that have tested individuals with mirror-touch synesthesia using the rubber hand paradigm. In this Commentary, we provide further support for the Self-Other Theory by drawing on findings from control participants without mirror-touch synesthesia tested with two different no-touch rubber hand paradigms-one paradigm makes it easier while the other makes it more difficult to make the self-other distinction.

Mammalian touch catches up

PubMed Central

Walsh, Carolyn M.; Bautista, Diana M.; Lumpkin, Ellen A.

2015-01-01

An assortment of touch receptors innervate the skin and encode different tactile features of the environment. Compared with invertebrate touch and other sensory systems, our understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of mammalian touch lags behind. Two recent breakthroughs have accelerated progress. First, an arsenal of cell-type-specific molecular markers allowed the functional and anatomical properties of sensory neurons to be matched, thereby unraveling a cellular code for touch. Such markers have also revealed key roles of non-neuronal cell types, such as Merkel cells and keratinocytes, in touch reception. Second, the discovery of Piezo genes as a new family of mechanically activated channels has fueled the discovery of molecular mechanisms that mediate and mechanotransduction in mammalian touch receptors. PMID:26100741

Touch to see: neuropsychological evidence of a sensory mirror system for touch.

PubMed

Bolognini, Nadia; Olgiati, Elena; Xaiz, Annalisa; Posteraro, Lucio; Ferraro, Francesco; Maravita, Angelo

2012-09-01

The observation of touch can be grounded in the activation of brain areas underpinning direct tactile experience, namely the somatosensory cortices. What is the behavioral impact of such a mirror sensory activity on visual perception? To address this issue, we investigated the causal interplay between observed and felt touch in right brain-damaged patients, as a function of their underlying damaged visual and/or tactile modalities. Patients and healthy controls underwent a detection task, comprising visual stimuli depicting touches or without a tactile component. Touch and No-touch stimuli were presented in egocentric or allocentric perspectives. Seeing touches, regardless of the viewing perspective, differently affects visual perception depending on which sensory modality is damaged: In patients with a selective visual deficit, but without any tactile defect, the sight of touch improves the visual impairment; this effect is associated with a lesion to the supramarginal gyrus. In patients with a tactile deficit, but intact visual perception, the sight of touch disrupts visual processing, inducing a visual extinction-like phenomenon. This disruptive effect is associated with the damage of the postcentral gyrus. Hence, a damage to the somatosensory system can lead to a dysfunctional visual processing, and an intact somatosensory processing can aid visual perception.

Early parental touch and preterm infants.

PubMed

Harrison, L L; Woods, S

1991-01-01

Thirty-six parents were videotaped during visits with their preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit in order to describe some characteristics of parental touch. Parents most often touched infants' hands, backs, and heads, using stroke, hold, or contact actions of moderate intensity. Mothers and grandmothers provided more touch than fathers, and parents provided less touch to infants at or below a gestational age of 28 weeks. The results can be used as a basis for more controlled experimental studies evaluating preterm infants' physiologic responses to early parental touch.

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

Kiarashi, Nooshin; Nolte, Adam C.; Sturgeon, Gregory M.

Purpose: Physical phantoms are essential for the development, optimization, and evaluation of x-ray breast imaging systems. Recognizing the major effect of anatomy on image quality and clinical performance, such phantoms should ideally reflect the three-dimensional structure of the human breast. Currently, there is no commercially available three-dimensional physical breast phantom that is anthropomorphic. The authors present the development of a new suite of physical breast phantoms based on human data. Methods: The phantoms were designed to match the extended cardiac-torso virtual breast phantoms that were based on dedicated breast computed tomography images of human subjects. The phantoms were fabricated bymore » high-resolution multimaterial additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology. The glandular equivalency of the photopolymer materials was measured relative to breast tissue-equivalent plastic materials. Based on the current state-of-the-art in the technology and available materials, two variations were fabricated. The first was a dual-material phantom, the Doublet. Fibroglandular tissue and skin were represented by the most radiographically dense material available; adipose tissue was represented by the least radiographically dense material. The second variation, the Singlet, was fabricated with a single material to represent fibroglandular tissue and skin. It was subsequently filled with adipose-equivalent materials including oil, beeswax, and permanent urethane-based polymer. Simulated microcalcification clusters were further included in the phantoms via crushed eggshells. The phantoms were imaged and characterized visually and quantitatively. Results: The mammographic projections and tomosynthesis reconstructed images of the fabricated phantoms yielded realistic breast background. The mammograms of the phantoms demonstrated close correlation with simulated mammographic projection images of the corresponding virtual phantoms. Furthermore, power-law descriptions of the phantom images were in general agreement with real human images. The Singlet approach offered more realistic contrast as compared to the Doublet approach, but at the expense of air bubbles and air pockets that formed during the filling process. Conclusions: The presented physical breast phantoms and their matching virtual breast phantoms offer realistic breast anatomy, patient variability, and ease of use, making them a potential candidate for performing both system quality control testing and virtual clinical trials.« less

Focusing the EarthScope for a broader audience: Advancing geoscience education with interactive kiosks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B. R.; Solis, T.

2012-12-01

A primary objective of the EarthScope Education and Outreach program is to transform technical science into teachable products for a technologically thriving generation. One of the most challenging milestones of scientific research, however, is often the translation of a technical result into a clear teachable moment that is accessible to a broader audience. As 4D multimedia now dominate most aspects of our social environment, science "teaching" now also requires intervention of visualization technology and animation to portray research results in an inviting and stimulating manner. Following the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)'s lead in developing interactive Earth science kiosk multimedia (bundled in a free product called Active Earth), we have made a major effort to construct and install customized EarthScope-themed touch screen kiosks in local communities. These kiosks are helping to educate a broader audience about EarthScope's unique instrumentation and observations using interactive animations, games, and virtual field trips. We are also developing new kiosk content that reflect career stories showcasing the personal journeys of EarthScope scientists. To truly bring the interactive aspect of our EarthScope kiosk media into the classroom, we have collaborated with local teachers to develop a one-page EarthScope TerraMap activity worksheet that guides students through kiosk content. These activities are shaping a new pathway for how teachers teach and students learn about planet Earth and its fantastic EarthScope - one click (and touch) at a time.

An anesthesia information system for monitoring and record keeping during surgical anesthesia.

PubMed

Klocke, H; Trispel, S; Rau, G; Hatzky, U; Daub, D

1986-10-01

We have developed an anesthesia information system (AIS) that supports the anesthesiologist in monitoring and recording during a surgical operation. In development of the system, emphasis was placed on providing an anesthesiologist-computer interface that can be adapted to typical situations during anesthesia and to individual user behavior. One main feature of this interface is the integration of the input and output of information. The only device for interaction between the anesthesiologist and the AIS is a touch-sensitive, high-resolution color display screen. The anesthesiologist enters information by touching virtual function keys displayed on the screen. A data window displays all data generated over time, such as automatically recorded vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and rectal and esophageal temperatures, and manually entered variables, such as administered drugs, and ventilator settings. The information gathered by the AIS is presented on the cathode ray tube in several pages. A main distributor page gives an overall view of the content of every work page. A one-page record of the anesthesia is automatically plotted on a multicolor digital plotter during the operation. An example of the use of the AIS is presented from a field test of the system during which it was evaluated in the operating room without interfering with the ongoing operation. Medical staff who used the AIS imitated the anesthesiologist's recording and information search behavior but did not have responsibility for the conduct of the anesthetic.

The role of the inferior frontal gyrus in vicarious social touch: A transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) study.

PubMed

Peled-Avron, Leehe; Glasner, Laura; Gvirts, Hila Z; Shamay-Tsoory, Simone G

2018-04-30

The neural mechanisms facilitating the experience of vicarious social touch are largely unknown. The right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) has been suggested as part of a simulation observation-execution neural network that plays a key role in the perception of tactile stimuli. Considering that vicarious social touch involves vicarious sharing of emotions, we hypothesized that emotional empathy, i.e., the ability to feel what another individual is feeling, modulates the neural responses to vicarious touch. To examine the role of the rIFG in vicarious touch and its modulation by levels of emotional empathy, we used anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on forty participants who observed photos depicting social touch, nonsocial touch or no touch during tDCS or sham stimulation. The results show that while participants with high levels of emotional empathy exhibited no change in ratings of vicarious social touch, participants with low levels of emotional empathy rate human touch as more emotional following anodal stimulation of the rIFG than following sham stimulation. These findings indicate that emotional responses to vicarious social touch are associated with rIFG activity and are modulated by levels of emotional empathy. This result has major therapeutic potential for individuals with low empathic abilities, such as those with ASD. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Sensory and Emotional Perception of Wooden Surfaces through Fingertip Touch

PubMed Central

Bhatta, Shiv R.; Tiippana, Kaisa; Vahtikari, Katja; Hughes, Mark; Kyttä, Marketta

2017-01-01

Previous studies on tactile experiences have investigated a wide range of material surfaces across various skin sites of the human body in self-touch or other touch modes. Here, we investigate whether the sensory and emotional aspects of touch are related when evaluating wooden surfaces using fingertips in the absence of other sensory modalities. Twenty participants evaluated eight different pine and oak wood surfaces, using sensory and emotional touch descriptors, through the lateral motion of active fingertip exploration. The data showed that natural and smooth wood surfaces were perceived more positively in emotional touch than coated surfaces. We highlight the importance of preserving the naturalness of the surface texture in the process of wood-surface treatment so as to improve positive touch experiences, as well as avoid negative ones. We argue that the results may offer possibilities in the design of wood-based interior products with a view to improving consumer touch experiences. PMID:28348541

Touching Hearts, Touching Minds: using emotion-based messaging to promote healthful behavior in the Massachusetts WIC program.

PubMed

Colchamiro, Rachel; Ghiringhelli, Kara; Hause, Judith

2010-01-01

The Touching Hearts, Touching Minds initiative was funded through a 2003 United States Department of Agriculture Special Projects grant to revitalize nutrition education and services in the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. The 30 nutrition education materials and facilitated group counseling techniques developed through the project use the power of parent-identified emotional "pulse points" to become more influential in guiding WIC participants to practice positive eating and physical activity behaviors that lead to healthier families. Touching Hearts, Touching Minds materials and strategies have been well received and provide opportunities to transform the nutrition counseling relationship between WIC families and WIC staff. Touching Hearts, Touching Minds has changed nutrition education in Massachusetts and is influencing nutrition education across the country and beyond in numerous venues. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Touch communicates distinct emotions.

PubMed

Hertenstein, Matthew J; Keltner, Dacher; App, Betsy; Bulleit, Brittany A; Jaskolka, Ariane R

2006-08-01

The study of emotional signaling has focused almost exclusively on the face and voice. In 2 studies, the authors investigated whether people can identify emotions from the experience of being touched by a stranger on the arm (without seeing the touch). In the 3rd study, they investigated whether observers can identify emotions from watching someone being touched on the arm. Two kinds of evidence suggest that humans can communicate numerous emotions with touch. First, participants in the United States (Study 1) and Spain (Study 2) could decode anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, and sympathy via touch at much-better-than-chance levels. Second, fine-grained coding documented specific touch behaviors associated with different emotions. In Study 3, the authors provide evidence that participants can accurately decode distinct emotions by merely watching others communicate via touch. The findings are discussed in terms of their contributions to affective science and the evolution of altruism and cooperation. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Investigating Maternal Touch and Infants' Self-Regulatory Behaviours during a Modified Face-to-Face Still-Face with Touch Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jean, Amélie D. L.; Stack, Dale M.; Arnold, Sharon

2014-01-01

Maternal touch and infants' self-regulatory behaviours were examined during a modified Still-Face with Touch (SF?+?T) procedure. Mothers and their 5½-month-old infants participated in one period of Normal interaction followed by three SF?+?T periods. Maternal functions of touch, and infants' self-regulatory behaviour, affect, and…

Control of multi-joint arm movements for the manipulation of touch in keystroke by expert pianists

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Production of a variety of finger-key touches in the piano is essential for expressive musical performance. However, it remains unknown how expert pianists control multi-joint finger and arm movements for manipulating the touch. The present study investigated differences in kinematics and kinetics of the upper-limb movements while expert pianists were depressing a key with two different touches: pressed and struck. The former starts key-depression with the finger-tip contacting the key, whereas the latter involves preparatory arm-lift before striking the key. To determine the effect of individual muscular torque (MUS) as well as non-muscular torques on joint acceleration, we performed a series of inverse and forward dynamics computations. Results The pressed touch showed smaller elbow extension velocity, and larger shoulder and finger flexion velocities during key-depression compared with the struck touch. The former touch also showed smaller elbow extension acceleration directly attributed to the shoulder MUS. In contrast, the shoulder flexion acceleration induced by elbow and wrist MUS was greater for the pressed touch than the struck touch. Towards the goal of producing the target finger-key contact dynamics, the pressed and struck touches effectively took advantage of the distal-to-proximal and proximal-to-distal inter-segmental dynamics, respectively. Furthermore, a psychoacoustic experiment confirmed that a tone elicited by the pressed touch was perceived softer than that by the struck touch. Conclusion The present findings suggest that manipulation of tone timbre depends on control of inter-segmental dynamics in piano keystroke. PMID:20630085

Highly stretchable, transparent ionic touch panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chong-Chan; Lee, Hyun-Hee; Oh, Kyu Hwan; Sun, Jeong-Yun

2016-08-01

Because human-computer interactions are increasingly important, touch panels may require stretchability and biocompatibility in order to allow integration with the human body. However, most touch panels have been developed based on stiff and brittle electrodes. We demonstrate an ionic touch panel based on a polyacrylamide hydrogel containing lithium chloride salts. The panel is soft and stretchable, so it can sustain a large deformation. The panel can freely transmit light information because the hydrogel is transparent, with 98% transmittance for visible light. A surface-capacitive touch system was adopted to sense a touched position. The panel can be operated under more than 1000% areal strain without sacrificing its functionalities. Epidermal touch panel use on skin was demonstrated by writing words, playing a piano, and playing games.

Contact high: Mania proneness and positive perception of emotional touches.

PubMed

Piff, Paul K; Purcell, Amanda; Gruber, June; Hertenstein, Matthew J; Keltner, Dacher

2012-01-01

How do extreme degrees of positive emotion-such as those characteristic of mania-influence emotion perception? The present study investigated how mania proneness, assessed using the Hypomanic Personality Scale, influences the perception of emotion via touch. Using a validated dyadic interaction paradigm for communicating emotion through touch (Hertenstein, Keltner, App, Bulleit, & Jaskolka, 2006), participants (N=53) received eight different touches to their forearm from a stranger and then identified the emotion via forced-choice methodology. Mania proneness predicted increased overall accuracy in touch perception, particularly for positive emotion touches, as well as the over-attribution of positive and under-attribution of negative emotions across all touches. These findings highlight the effects of positive emotion extremes on the perception of emotion in social interactions.

Cereal grass pulvini: agronomically significant models for studying gravitropism signaling and tissue polarity.

PubMed

Clore, Amy M

2013-01-01

Cereal grass pulvini have emerged as model systems that are not only valuable for the study of gravitropism, but are also of agricultural and economic significance. The pulvini are regions of tissue that are apical to each node and collectively return a reoriented stem to a more vertical position. They have proven to be useful for the study of gravisensing and response and are also providing clues about the establishment of polarity across tissues. This review will first highlight the agronomic significance of these stem regions and their benefits for use as model systems and provide a brief historical overview. A detailed discussion of the literature focusing on cell signaling and early changes in gene expression will follow, culminating in a temporal framework outlining events in the signaling and early growth phases of gravitropism in this tissue. Changes in cell wall composition and gene expression that occur well into the growth phase will be touched upon briefly. Finally, some ongoing research involving both maize and wheat pulvini will be introduced along with prospects for future investigations.

The soothing function of touch: affective touch reduces feelings of social exclusion.

PubMed

von Mohr, Mariana; Kirsch, Louise P; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

2017-10-18

The mammalian need for social proximity, attachment and belonging may have an adaptive and evolutionary value in terms of survival and reproductive success. Consequently, ostracism may induce strong negative feelings of social exclusion. Recent studies suggest that slow, affective touch, which is mediated by a separate, specific C tactile neurophysiological system than faster, neutral touch, modulates the perception of physical pain. However, it remains unknown whether slow, affective touch, can also reduce feelings of social exclusion, a form of social pain. Here, we employed a social exclusion paradigm, namely the Cyberball task (N = 84), to examine whether the administration of slow, affective touch may reduce the negative feelings of ostracism induced by the social exclusion manipulations of the Cyberball task. As predicted, the provision of slow-affective, as compared to fast-neutral, touch led to a specific decrease in feelings of social exclusion, beyond general mood effects. These findings point to the soothing function of slow, affective touch, particularly in the context of social separation or rejection, and suggest a specific relation between affective touch and social bonding.

Reliability of an infrared forehead skin thermometer for core temperature measurements.

PubMed

Kistemaker, J A; Den Hartog, E A; Daanen, H A M

2006-01-01

The SensorTouch thermometer performs an infrared measurement of the skin temperature above the Superficial Temporal Artery (STA). This study evaluates the validity and the accuracy of the SensorTouch thermometer. Two experiments were performed in which the body temperature was measured with a rectal sensor, with an oesophageal sensor and with the SensorTouch. After entering a warm chamber the SensorTouch underestimated the core temperature during the first 10 minutes. After that, the SensorTouch was not significantly different from the core temperature, with an average difference of 0.5 degrees C (SD 0.5 degrees C) in the first study and 0.3 degrees C (SD 0.2 degrees C) in the second study. The largest differences between the SensorTouch and the core temperature existed 15 minutes after the start of the exercise. During this period the SensorTouch was significantly higher than the core temperature. The SensorTouch did not provide reliable values of the body temperature during periods of increasing body temperature, but the SensorTouch might work under stable conditions.

Differentiating malignant from benign breast tumors on acoustic radiation force impulse imaging using fuzzy-based neural networks with principle component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hsiao-Chuan; Chou, Yi-Hong; Tiu, Chui-Mei; Hsieh, Chi-Wen; Liu, Brent; Shung, K. Kirk

2017-03-01

Many modalities have been developed as screening tools for breast cancer. A new screening method called acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging was created for distinguishing breast lesions based on localized tissue displacement. This displacement was quantitated by virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI). However, VTIs sometimes express reverse results to intensity information in clinical observation. In the study, a fuzzy-based neural network with principle component analysis (PCA) was proposed to differentiate texture patterns of malignant breast from benign tumors. Eighty VTIs were randomly retrospected. Thirty four patients were determined as BI-RADS category 2 or 3, and the rest of them were determined as BI-RADS category 4 or 5 by two leading radiologists. Morphological method and Boolean algebra were performed as the image preprocessing to acquire region of interests (ROIs) on VTIs. Twenty four quantitative parameters deriving from first-order statistics (FOS), fractal dimension and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) were utilized to analyze the texture pattern of breast tumors on VTIs. PCA was employed to reduce the dimension of features. Fuzzy-based neural network as a classifier to differentiate malignant from benign breast tumors. Independent samples test was used to examine the significance of the difference between benign and malignant breast tumors. The area Az under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated to evaluate the performance of the system. Most all of texture parameters present significant difference between malignant and benign tumors with p-value of less than 0.05 except the average of fractal dimension. For all features classified by fuzzy-based neural network, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Az were 95.7%, 97.1%, 95% and 0.964, respectively. However, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Az can be increased to 100%, 97.1%, 98.8% and 0.985, respectively if PCA was performed to reduce the dimension of features. Patterns of breast tumors on VTIs can effectively be recognized by quantitative texture parameters, and differentiated malignant from benign lesions by fuzzy-based neural network with PCA.

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

Fox, T.; Tietjen, G.L.; McInroy, J.F.

The Autopsy Tissue Program was begun in 1960. To date, tissues on 900 or more persons in 7 geographic regions have been collected and analyzed for plutonium content. The tissues generally consist of lung, liver, kidney, lymph, bone, and gonadal tissues for each individual. The original objective of the program was to determine the level of plutonium in human tissues due solely to fallout from weapons testing. The baseline thus established was to be used to evaluate future changes. From the first, this program was beset with chemical and statistical difficulties. Many factors whose effects were not recognized and notmore » planned for were found later to be important. Privacy and ethical considerations hindered the gathering of adequate data. Since the chemists were looking for amounts of plutonium very close to background, possible contamination was a very real problem. Widely used chemical techniques introduced a host of statistical problems. The difficulties encountered touch on areas common to large data sets, unusual outlier detection methods minimum detection limits, problems with aliquot sizes, and time-trends in the data. The conclusions point out areas to which the biologists will have to devote much more careful attention than was believed.« less

[Contrastive study on conventional ultrasound, compression elastography and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors].

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Zhou, Ping; Deng, Jin; Tian, Shuangming; Qian, Ying; Wu, Xiaomin; Ma, Shuhua; Li, Jiale

2014-12-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound, compression elastography (CE) and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors. A total of 98 patients with liver lesions were included in the study. The images of conventional ultrasound, CE and the values of virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) of breast lesions were obtained. The diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound, CE and ARFI were assessed by using pathology as the gold standard, and then evaluate the diagnosis efficiency of these three approaches in differential diagnosing benign and malignant breast tumors. The specificity, sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of malignant breast tumors for conventional ultrasound were 80.0%, 81.1% and 81.7%, respectively, whereas for CE elastic score were 85.7%, 86.7% and 86.3%, respectively. With a cutoff value of 3.71 for the SR, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy in diagnosis of malignant breast tumors were 97.1%, 83.3% and 88.4%, respectively. With a cutoff value of 3.78 m/s for VTQ, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy in diagnosis of malignant breast tumors were 94.3%, 91.7% and 92.6%, respectively. The difference in diagnosis efficiency among ARFI, CE and conventional ultrasound in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors was significant (P< 0.05). Conventional ultrasound, CE and ARFI are all useful for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors. But the diagnosis efficiency of ARFI is superior to CE and conventional ultrasound. The three approaches can help each other in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors.

Plant Tissues in 3D via X-Ray Tomography: Simple Contrasting Methods Allow High Resolution Imaging

PubMed Central

Staedler, Yannick M.; Masson, David; Schönenberger, Jürg

2013-01-01

Computed tomography remains strongly underused in plant sciences despite its high potential in delivering detailed 3D phenotypical information because of the low X-ray absorption of most plant tissues. Existing protocols to study soft tissues display poor performance, especially when compared to those used on animals. More efficient protocols to study plant material are therefore needed. Flowers of Arabidopsis thaliana and Marcgravia caudata were immersed in a selection of contrasting agents used to treat samples for transmission electron microscopy. Grayscale values for floral tissues and background were measured as a function of time. Contrast was quantified via a contrast index. The thick buds of Marcgravia were scanned to determine which contrasting agents best penetrate thick tissues. The highest contrast increase with cytoplasm-rich tissues was obtained with phosphotungstate, whereas osmium tetroxide and bismuth tatrate displayed the highest contrast increase with vacuolated tissues. Phosphotungstate also displayed the best sample penetration. Furthermore, infiltration with phosphotungstate allowed imaging of all plants parts at a high resolution of 3 µm, which approaches the maximum resolution of our equipment: 1.5 µm. The high affinity of phosphotungstate for vasculature, cytoplasm-rich tissue, and pollen causes these tissues to absorb more X-rays than the surrounding tissues, which, in turn, makes these tissues appear brighter on the scan data. Tissues with different brightness can then be virtually dissected from each other by selecting the bracket of grayscale to be visualized. Promising directions for the future include in silico phenotyping and developmental studies of plant inner parts (e.g., ovules, vasculature, pollen, and cell nuclei) via virtual dissection as well as correlations of quantitative phenotypes with omics datasets. Therefore, this work represents a crucial improvement of previous methods, allowing new directions of research to be undertaken in areas ranging from morphology to systems biology. PMID:24086499

Bacterial contamination of computer touch screens.

PubMed

Gerba, Charles P; Wuollet, Adam L; Raisanen, Peter; Lopez, Gerardo U

2016-03-01

The goal of this study was to determine the occurrence of opportunistic bacterial pathogens on the surfaces of computer touch screens used in hospitals and grocery stores. Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria were isolated on touch screens in hospitals; Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and in grocery stores; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Enteric bacteria were more common on grocery store touch screens than on hospital computer touch screens. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A review of haptic simulator for oral and maxillofacial surgery based on virtual reality.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaojun; Hu, Junlei

2018-06-01

Traditional medical training in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) may be limited by its low efficiency and high price due to the shortage of cadaver resources. With the combination of visual rendering and feedback force, surgery simulators become increasingly popular in hospitals and medical schools as an alternative to the traditional training. Areas covered: The major goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive reference source of current and future developments of haptic OMFS simulators based on virtual reality (VR) for relevant researchers. Expert commentary: Visual rendering, haptic rendering, tissue deformation, and evaluation are key components of haptic surgery simulator based on VR. Compared with traditional medical training, virtual and tactical fusion of virtual environment in surgery simulator enables considerably vivid sensation, and the operators have more opportunities to practice surgical skills and receive objective evaluation as reference.

Psychomotor performance measured in a virtual environment correlates with technical skills in the operating room.

PubMed

Kundhal, Pavi S; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2009-03-01

This study was conducted to validate the role of virtual reality computer simulation as an objective method for assessing laparoscopic technical skills. The authors aimed to investigate whether performance in the operating room, assessed using a modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS), correlated with the performance parameters registered by a virtual reality laparoscopic trainer (LapSim). The study enrolled 10 surgical residents (3 females) with a median of 5.5 years (range, 2-6 years) since graduation who had similar limited experience in laparoscopic surgery (median, 5; range, 1-16 laparoscopic cholecystectomies). All the participants performed three repetitions of seven basic skills tasks on the LapSim laparoscopic trainer and one laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the operating room. The operating room procedure was video recorded and blindly assessed by two independent observers using a modified OSATS rating scale. Assessment in the operating room was based on three parameters: time used, error score, and economy of motion score. During the tasks on the LapSim, time, error (tissue damage and millimeters of tissue damage [tasks 2-6], error score [incomplete target areas, badly placed clips, and dropped clips [task 7]), and economy of movement parameters (path length and angular path) were registered. The correlation between time, economy, and error parameters during the simulated tasks and the operating room procedure was statistically assessed using Spearman's test. Significant correlations were demonstrated between the time used to complete the operating room procedure and time used for task 7 (r (s) = 0.74; p = 0.015). The error score demonstrated during the laparoscopic cholecystectomy correlated well with the tissue damage in three of the seven tasks (p < 0.05), the millimeters of tissue damage during two of the tasks, and the error score in task 7 (r (s) = 0.67; p = 0.034). Furthermore, statistically significant correlations were observed between the economy of motion score from the operative procedure and LapSim's economy parameters (path length and angular path in six of the tasks) (p < 0.05). The current study demonstrated significant correlations between operative performance in the operating room (assessed using a well-validated rating scale) and psychomotor performance in virtual environment assessed by a computer simulator. This provides strong evidence for the validity of the simulator system as an objective tool for assessing laparoscopic skills. Virtual reality simulation can be used in practice to assess technical skills relevant for minimally invasive surgery.

AI (artificial intelligence) in histopathology--from image analysis to automated diagnosis.

PubMed

Kayser, Klaus; Görtler, Jürgen; Bogovac, Milica; Bogovac, Aleksandar; Goldmann, Torsten; Vollmer, Ekkehard; Kayser, Gian

2009-01-01

The technological progress in digitalization of complete histological glass slides has opened a new door in tissue--based diagnosis. The presentation of microscopic images as a whole in a digital matrix is called virtual slide. A virtual slide allows calculation and related presentation of image information that otherwise can only be seen by individual human performance. The digital world permits attachments of several (if not all) fields of view and the contemporary visualization on a screen. The presentation of all microscopic magnifications is possible if the basic pixel resolution is less than 0.25 microns. To introduce digital tissue--based diagnosis into the daily routine work of a surgical pathologist requires a new setup of workflow arrangement and procedures. The quality of digitized images is sufficient for diagnostic purposes; however, the time needed for viewing virtual slides exceeds that of viewing original glass slides by far. The reason lies in a slower and more difficult sampling procedure, which is the selection of information containing fields of view. By application of artificial intelligence, tissue--based diagnosis in routine work can be managed automatically in steps as follows: 1. The individual image quality has to be measured, and corrected, if necessary. 2. A diagnostic algorithm has to be applied. An algorithm has be developed, that includes both object based (object features, structures) and pixel based (texture) measures. 3. These measures serve for diagnosis classification and feedback to order additional information, for example in virtual immunohistochemical slides. 4. The measures can serve for automated image classification and detection of relevant image information by themselves without any labeling. 5. The pathologists' duty will not be released by such a system; to the contrary, it will manage and supervise the system, i.e., just working at a "higher level". Virtual slides are already in use for teaching and continuous education in anatomy and pathology. First attempts to introduce them into routine work have been reported. Application of AI has been established by automated immunohistochemical measurement systems (EAMUS, www.diagnomX.eu). The performance of automated diagnosis has been reported for a broad variety of organs at sensitivity and specificity levels >85%). The implementation of a complete connected AI supported system is in its childhood. Application of AI in digital tissue--based diagnosis will allow the pathologists to work as supervisors and no longer as primary "water carriers". Its accurate use will give them the time needed to concentrating on difficult cases for the benefit of their patients.

Virtual Tissue Models in Developmental Toxicity Research

EPA Science Inventory

Prenatal exposure to drugs and chemicals may perturb, directly or indirectly, core developmental processes in the embryo (patterning, morphogenesis, proliferation and apoptosis, and cell differentiation), leading to adverse developmental outcomes. Because embryogenesis entails a...

Virtual surgical planning and three-dimensional printing in multidisciplinary oncologic chest wall resection and reconstruction: A case report.

PubMed

Sharaf, Basel; Sabbagh, M Diya; Vijayasekaran, Aparna; Allen, Mark; Matsumoto, Jane

2018-04-30

Primary sarcomas of the sternum are extremely rare and present the surgical teams involved with unique challenges. Historically, local muscle flaps have been utilized to reconstruct the resulting defect. However, when the resulting oncologic defect is larger than anticipated, local tissues have been radiated, or when preservation of chest wall muscles is necessary to optimize function, local reconstructive options are unsuitable. Virtual surgical planning (VSP) and in house three-dimensional (3D) printing provides the platform for improved understanding of the anatomy of complex tumours, communication amongst surgeons, and meticulous pre-operative planning. We present the novel use of this technology in the multidisciplinary surgical care of a 35 year old male with primary sarcoma of the sternum. Emphasis on minimizing morbidity, maintaining function of chest wall muscles, and preservation of the internal mammary vessels for microvascular anastomosis are discussed. While the majority of patients at our institution receive local or regional flaps for reconstruction of thoracic defects, advances in microvascular surgery allow the reconstructive surgeon the latitude to choose other flap options if necessary. VSP and 3D printing allowed the surgical team involved to utilize free tissue transfer to reconstruct the defect with free tissue transfer from the thigh. Perseveration of the internal mammary vessels was paramount during tumor extirpation. Virtual surgical planning and rapid prototyping is a useful adjunct to standard imaging in complex chest wall resection and reconstruction. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Modeling the behavior of human body tissues on penetration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conci, A.; Brazil, A. L.; Popovici, D.; Jiga, G.; Lebon, F.

2018-02-01

Several procedures in medicine (such as anesthesia, injections, biopsies and percutaneous treatments) involve a needle insertion. Such procedures operate without vision of the internal involved areas. Physicians and anesthetists rely on manual (force and tactile) feedback to guide their movements, so a number of medical practice is strongly based on manual skill. In order to be expert in the execution of such procedures the medical students must practice a number of times, but before practice in a real patient they must be trained in some place and a virtual environment, using Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) is the best possible solution for such training. In a virtual environment the success of user practices is improved by the addition of force output using haptic device to improve the manual sensations in the interactions between user and computer. Haptic devices enable simulate the physical restriction of the diverse tissues and force reactions to movements of operator hands. The trainees can effectively "feel" the reactions to theirs movements and receive immediate feedback from the actions executed by them in the implemented environment. However, in order to implement such systems, the tissue reaction to penetration and cutting must be modeled. A proper model must emulate the physical sensations of the needle action in the skin, fat, muscle, and so one, as if it really done in a patient that is as they are holding a real needle and feeling each tissue resistance when inserting it through the body. For example an average force value for human skin puncture is 6.0 N, it is 2.0 N for subcutaneous fat tissue and 4.4 N for muscles: this difference of sensations to penetration of each layers trespassed by the needle makes possible to suppose the correct position inside the body. This work presents a model for tissues before and after the cutting that with proper assumptions of proprieties can model any part of human body. It was based on experiments and used in embryonic system for epidural anesthesia having good evaluation as presented in the last section "Preliminary Results".

The tissue micro-array data exchange specification: a web based experience browsing imported data

PubMed Central

Nohle, David G; Hackman, Barbara A; Ayers, Leona W

2005-01-01

Background The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) is an HIV/AIDS tissue bank consortium sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD). The ACSR offers to approved researchers HIV infected biologic samples and uninfected control tissues including tissue cores in micro-arrays (TMA) accompanied by de-identified clinical data. Researchers interested in the type and quality of TMA tissue cores and the associated clinical data need an efficient method for viewing available TMA materials. Because each of the tissue samples within a TMA has separate data including a core tissue digital image and clinical data, an organized, standard approach to producing, navigating and publishing such data is necessary. The Association for Pathology Informatics (API) extensible mark-up language (XML) TMA data exchange specification (TMA DES) proposed in April 2003 provides a common format for TMA data. Exporting TMA data into the proposed format offers an opportunity to implement the API TMA DES. Using our public BrowseTMA tool, we created a web site that organizes and cross references TMA lists, digital "virtual slide" images, TMA DES export data, linked legends and clinical details for researchers. Microsoft Excel® and Microsoft Word® are used to convert tabular clinical data and produce an XML file in the TMA DES format. The BrowseTMA tool contains Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) scripts that convert XML data into Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (HTML) web pages with hyperlinks automatically added to allow rapid navigation. Results Block lists, virtual slide images, legends, clinical details and exports have been placed on the ACSR web site for 14 blocks with 1623 cores of 2.0, 1.0 and 0.6 mm sizes. Our virtual microscope can be used to view and annotate these TMA images. Researchers can readily navigate from TMA block lists to TMA legends and to clinical details for a selected tissue core. Exports for 11 blocks with 3812 cores from three other institutions were processed with the BrowseTMA tool. Fifty common data elements (CDE) from the TMA DES were used and 42 more created for site-specific data. Researchers can download TMA clinical data in the TMA DES format. Conclusion Virtual TMAs with clinical data can be viewed on the Internet by interested researchers using the BrowseTMA tool. We have organized our approach to producing, sorting, navigating and publishing TMA information to facilitate such review. We have converted Excel TMA data into TMA DES XML, and imported it and TMA DES XML from another institution into BrowseTMA to produce web pages that allow us to browse through the merged data. We proposed enhancements to the TMA DES as a result of this experience. We implemented improvements to the API TMA DES as a result of using exported data from several institutions. A document type definition was written for the API TMA DES (that optionally includes proposed enhancements). Independent validators can be used to check exports against the DTD (with or without the proposed enhancements). Linking tissue core images to readily navigable clinical data greatly improves the value of the TMA. PMID:16086837

Therapeutic touch and postoperative pain: a Rogerian research study.

PubMed

Meehan, T C

1993-01-01

This article details Meehan's research study concerning the conceptualization of therapeutic touch within Rogers' science of unitary human beings and an investigation of the effects of therapeutic touch on pain experience in postoperative patients. Using a single trial, single-blind, three-group design, 108 postoperative patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the following: therapeutic touch, a placebo control intervention which mimicked therapeutic touch, or the standard intervention of a narcotic analgesic. Using a visual analogue scale, pain was measured before and one hour following intervention. The hypothesis, that therapeutic touch would significantly decrease postoperative pain compared to the placebo control intervention, was not supported. Secondary analyses suggest that therapeutic touch may decrease patients' need for analgesic medication. Implications for further research and practice are suggested.

Therapeutic Touch(®) in a geriatric Palliative Care Unit - A retrospective review.

PubMed

Senderovich, Helen; Ip, Mary Lou; Berall, Anna; Karuza, Jurgis; Gordon, Michael; Binns, Malcolm; Wignarajah, Shaira; Grossman, Daphna; Dunal, Lynda

2016-08-01

Complementary therapies are increasingly used in palliative care as an adjunct to the standard management of symptoms to achieve an overall well-being for patients with malignant and non-malignant terminal illnesses. A Therapeutic Touch Program was introduced to a geriatric Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in October 2010 with two volunteer Therapeutic Touch Practitioners providing treatment. To conduct a retrospective review of Therapeutic Touch services provided to patients in an in-patient geriatric palliative care unit in order to understand their responses to Therapeutic Touch. A retrospective medical chart review was conducted on both patients who received Therapeutic Touch as well as a random selection of patients who did not receive Therapeutic Touch from October 2010-June 2013. Client characteristics and the Therapeutic Touch Practitioners' observations of the patients' response to treatment were collected and analyzed. Patients who did not receive Therapeutic Touch tended to have lower admitting Palliative Performance Scale scores, shorter length of stay and were older. Based on a sample of responses provided by patients and observed by the Therapeutic Touch practitioner, the majority of patients receiving treatment achieved a state of relaxation or sleep. This retrospective chart review suggests that implementation of a TT program for an inpatient geriatric Palliative Care Unit is feasible, and appears to be safe, and well-tolerated. Moreover, patient responses, as recorded in the Therapeutic Touch practitioners' session notes, suggest beneficial effects of Therapeutic Touch for a significant number of participants with no evidence of negative sequelae. Therefore, the use of TT in this difficult setting appears to have potential value as an adjunct or complementary therapy to help patients relax. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light and heavy touch reduces postural sway and modifies axial tone in Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Franzén, Erika; Paquette, Caroline; Gurfinkel, Victor; Horak, Fay

2014-01-01

Background Light touch with a stable object reduces postural sway by increasing axial postural tone in healthy subjects. However, it is unknown whether subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD), who have more postural sway and higher axial postural tone than healthy subjects, can benefit from haptic touch. Objective To investigate the effect of light and heavy touch on postural stability and hip tone in subjects with PD. Methods Fourteen subjects with mid-stage PD, and 14 healthy control subjects were evaluated during quiet standing with eyes closed with their arms: 1) crossed, 2) lightly touching a fixed rigid bar in front of them and 3) firmly gripping the bar. Postural sway was measured with a forceplate and axial hip tone was quantified using a unique device that measures the resistance of the hips to yaw rotation while maintaining active stance. Results Subjects with PD significantly decreased their postural sway with light or heavy touch (p<0.001 vs. arms crossed), similarly as control subjects. Without touch, hip tone was larger in PD subjects. With touch, however, tone values were similar in both groups. This change in hip tone with touch was highly correlated with the initial amount of tone (PD: r=− 0.72 to −0.95 and controls: r=−0.74 to−0.85). Conclusions We showed, for the first time, that subjects with PD benefit from touch similarly to control subjects and that despite higher axial postural tone, PD subjects are able to modulate their tone with touch. Future studies should investigate the complex relationship between touch and postural tone. PMID:22415944

Vision-Based Finger Detection, Tracking, and Event Identification Techniques for Multi-Touch Sensing and Display Systems

PubMed Central

Chen, Yen-Lin; Liang, Wen-Yew; Chiang, Chuan-Yen; Hsieh, Tung-Ju; Lee, Da-Cheng; Yuan, Shyan-Ming; Chang, Yang-Lang

2011-01-01

This study presents efficient vision-based finger detection, tracking, and event identification techniques and a low-cost hardware framework for multi-touch sensing and display applications. The proposed approach uses a fast bright-blob segmentation process based on automatic multilevel histogram thresholding to extract the pixels of touch blobs obtained from scattered infrared lights captured by a video camera. The advantage of this automatic multilevel thresholding approach is its robustness and adaptability when dealing with various ambient lighting conditions and spurious infrared noises. To extract the connected components of these touch blobs, a connected-component analysis procedure is applied to the bright pixels acquired by the previous stage. After extracting the touch blobs from each of the captured image frames, a blob tracking and event recognition process analyzes the spatial and temporal information of these touch blobs from consecutive frames to determine the possible touch events and actions performed by users. This process also refines the detection results and corrects for errors and occlusions caused by noise and errors during the blob extraction process. The proposed blob tracking and touch event recognition process includes two phases. First, the phase of blob tracking associates the motion correspondence of blobs in succeeding frames by analyzing their spatial and temporal features. The touch event recognition process can identify meaningful touch events based on the motion information of touch blobs, such as finger moving, rotating, pressing, hovering, and clicking actions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed vision-based finger detection, tracking, and event identification system is feasible and effective for multi-touch sensing applications in various operational environments and conditions. PMID:22163990

Estimating Tool–Tissue Forces Using a 3-Degree-of-Freedom Robotic Surgical Tool

PubMed Central

Zhao, Baoliang; Nelson, Carl A.

2016-01-01

Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has gained popularity due to its high dexterity and reduced invasiveness to the patient; however, due to the loss of direct touch of the surgical site, surgeons may be prone to exert larger forces and cause tissue damage. To quantify tool–tissue interaction forces, researchers have tried to attach different kinds of sensors on the surgical tools. This sensor attachment generally makes the tools bulky and/or unduly expensive and may hinder the normal function of the tools; it is also unlikely that these sensors can survive harsh sterilization processes. This paper investigates an alternative method by estimating tool–tissue interaction forces using driving motors' current, and validates this sensorless force estimation method on a 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic surgical grasper prototype. The results show that the performance of this method is acceptable with regard to latency and accuracy. With this tool–tissue interaction force estimation method, it is possible to implement force feedback on existing robotic surgical systems without any sensors. This may allow a haptic surgical robot which is compatible with existing sterilization methods and surgical procedures, so that the surgeon can obtain tool–tissue interaction forces in real time, thereby increasing surgical efficiency and safety. PMID:27303591

Estimating Tool-Tissue Forces Using a 3-Degree-of-Freedom Robotic Surgical Tool.

PubMed

Zhao, Baoliang; Nelson, Carl A

2016-10-01

Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has gained popularity due to its high dexterity and reduced invasiveness to the patient; however, due to the loss of direct touch of the surgical site, surgeons may be prone to exert larger forces and cause tissue damage. To quantify tool-tissue interaction forces, researchers have tried to attach different kinds of sensors on the surgical tools. This sensor attachment generally makes the tools bulky and/or unduly expensive and may hinder the normal function of the tools; it is also unlikely that these sensors can survive harsh sterilization processes. This paper investigates an alternative method by estimating tool-tissue interaction forces using driving motors' current, and validates this sensorless force estimation method on a 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic surgical grasper prototype. The results show that the performance of this method is acceptable with regard to latency and accuracy. With this tool-tissue interaction force estimation method, it is possible to implement force feedback on existing robotic surgical systems without any sensors. This may allow a haptic surgical robot which is compatible with existing sterilization methods and surgical procedures, so that the surgeon can obtain tool-tissue interaction forces in real time, thereby increasing surgical efficiency and safety.

Fundamentals of neurosurgery: virtual reality tasks for training and evaluation of technical skills.

PubMed

Choudhury, Nusrat; Gélinas-Phaneuf, Nicholas; Delorme, Sébastien; Del Maestro, Rolando

2013-11-01

Technical skills training in neurosurgery is mostly done in the operating room. New educational paradigms are encouraging the development of novel training methods for surgical skills. Simulation could answer some of these needs. This article presents the development of a conceptual training framework for use on a virtual reality neurosurgical simulator. Appropriate tasks were identified by reviewing neurosurgical oncology curricula requirements and performing cognitive task analyses of basic techniques and representative surgeries. The tasks were then elaborated into training modules by including learning objectives, instructions, levels of difficulty, and performance metrics. Surveys and interviews were iteratively conducted with subject matter experts to delimitate, review, discuss, and approve each of the development stages. Five tasks were selected as representative of basic and advanced neurosurgical skill. These tasks were: 1) ventriculostomy, 2) endoscopic nasal navigation, 3) tumor debulking, 4) hemostasis, and 5) microdissection. The complete training modules were structured into easy, intermediate, and advanced settings. Performance metrics were also integrated to provide feedback on outcome, efficiency, and errors. The subject matter experts deemed the proposed modules as pertinent and useful for neurosurgical skills training. The conceptual framework presented here, the Fundamentals of Neurosurgery, represents a first attempt to develop standardized training modules for technical skills acquisition in neurosurgical oncology. The National Research Council Canada is currently developing NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator for cranial microneurosurgery. The simulator presently includes the five Fundamentals of Neurosurgery modules at varying stages of completion. A first pilot study has shown that neurosurgical residents obtained higher performance scores on the simulator than medical students. Further work will validate its components and use in a training curriculum. Copyright © 2013 N. Choudhury. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The force pyramid: a spatial analysis of force application during virtual reality brain tumor resection.

PubMed

Azarnoush, Hamed; Siar, Samaneh; Sawaya, Robin; Zhrani, Gmaan Al; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Alotaibi, Fahad Eid; Bugdadi, Abdulgadir; Bajunaid, Khalid; Marwa, Ibrahim; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman Jafar; Del Maestro, Rolando F

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE Virtual reality simulators allow development of novel methods to analyze neurosurgical performance. The concept of a force pyramid is introduced as a Tier 3 metric with the ability to provide visual and spatial analysis of 3D force application by any instrument used during simulated tumor resection. This study was designed to answer 3 questions: 1) Do study groups have distinct force pyramids? 2) Do handedness and ergonomics influence force pyramid structure? 3) Are force pyramids dependent on the visual and haptic characteristics of simulated tumors? METHODS Using a virtual reality simulator, NeuroVR (formerly NeuroTouch), ultrasonic aspirator force application was continually assessed during resection of simulated brain tumors by neurosurgeons, residents, and medical students. The participants performed simulated resections of 18 simulated brain tumors with different visual and haptic characteristics. The raw data, namely, coordinates of the instrument tip as well as contact force values, were collected by the simulator. To provide a visual and qualitative spatial analysis of forces, the authors created a graph, called a force pyramid, representing force sum along the z-coordinate for different xy coordinates of the tool tip. RESULTS Sixteen neurosurgeons, 15 residents, and 84 medical students participated in the study. Neurosurgeon, resident and medical student groups displayed easily distinguishable 3D "force pyramid fingerprints." Neurosurgeons had the lowest force pyramids, indicating application of the lowest forces, followed by resident and medical student groups. Handedness, ergonomics, and visual and haptic tumor characteristics resulted in distinct well-defined 3D force pyramid patterns. CONCLUSIONS Force pyramid fingerprints provide 3D spatial assessment displays of instrument force application during simulated tumor resection. Neurosurgeon force utilization and ergonomic data form a basis for understanding and modulating resident force application and improving patient safety during tumor resection.

Vroom: designing an augmented environment for remote collaboration in digital cinema production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margolis, Todd; Cornish, Tracy

2013-03-01

As media technologies become increasingly affordable, compact and inherently networked, new generations of telecollaborative platforms continue to arise which integrate these new affordances. Virtual reality has been primarily concerned with creating simulations of environments that can transport participants to real or imagined spaces that replace the "real world". Meanwhile Augmented Reality systems have evolved to interleave objects from Virtual Reality environments into the physical landscape. Perhaps now there is a new class of systems that reverse this precept to enhance dynamic media landscapes and immersive physical display environments to enable intuitive data exploration through collaboration. Vroom (Virtual Room) is a next-generation reconfigurable tiled display environment in development at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at the University of California, San Diego. Vroom enables freely scalable digital collaboratories, connecting distributed, high-resolution visualization resources for collaborative work in the sciences, engineering and the arts. Vroom transforms a physical space into an immersive media environment with large format interactive display surfaces, video teleconferencing and spatialized audio built on a highspeed optical network backbone. Vroom enables group collaboration for local and remote participants to share knowledge and experiences. Possible applications include: remote learning, command and control, storyboarding, post-production editorial review, high resolution video playback, 3D visualization, screencasting and image, video and multimedia file sharing. To support these various scenarios, Vroom features support for multiple user interfaces (optical tracking, touch UI, gesture interface, etc.), support for directional and spatialized audio, giga-pixel image interactivity, 4K video streaming, 3D visualization and telematic production. This paper explains the design process that has been utilized to make Vroom an accessible and intuitive immersive environment for remote collaboration specifically for digital cinema production.

Estimating needle tip deflection in biological tissue from a single transverse ultrasound image: application to brachytherapy.

PubMed

Rossa, Carlos; Sloboda, Ron; Usmani, Nawaid; Tavakoli, Mahdi

2016-07-01

This paper proposes a method to predict the deflection of a flexible needle inserted into soft tissue based on the observation of deflection at a single point along the needle shaft. We model the needle-tissue as a discretized structure composed of several virtual, weightless, rigid links connected by virtual helical springs whose stiffness coefficient is found using a pattern search algorithm that only requires the force applied at the needle tip during insertion and the needle deflection measured at an arbitrary insertion depth. Needle tip deflections can then be predicted for different insertion depths. Verification of the proposed method in synthetic and biological tissue shows a deflection estimation error of [Formula: see text]2 mm for images acquired at 35 % or more of the maximum insertion depth, and decreases to 1 mm for images acquired closer to the final insertion depth. We also demonstrate the utility of the model for prostate brachytherapy, where in vivo needle deflection measurements obtained during early stages of insertion are used to predict the needle deflection further along the insertion process. The method can predict needle deflection based on the observation of deflection at a single point. The ultrasound probe can be maintained at the same position during insertion of the needle, which avoids complications of tissue deformation caused by the motion of the ultrasound probe.

Toward real-time virtual biopsy of oral lesions using confocal laser endomicroscopy interfaced with embedded computing.

PubMed

Thong, Patricia S P; Tandjung, Stephanus S; Movania, Muhammad Mobeen; Chiew, Wei-Ming; Olivo, Malini; Bhuvaneswari, Ramaswamy; Seah, Hock-Soon; Lin, Feng; Qian, Kemao; Soo, Khee-Chee

2012-05-01

Oral lesions are conventionally diagnosed using white light endoscopy and histopathology. This can pose a challenge because the lesions may be difficult to visualise under white light illumination. Confocal laser endomicroscopy can be used for confocal fluorescence imaging of surface and subsurface cellular and tissue structures. To move toward real-time "virtual" biopsy of oral lesions, we interfaced an embedded computing system to a confocal laser endomicroscope to achieve a prototype three-dimensional (3-D) fluorescence imaging system. A field-programmable gated array computing platform was programmed to enable synchronization of cross-sectional image grabbing and Z-depth scanning, automate the acquisition of confocal image stacks and perform volume rendering. Fluorescence imaging of the human and murine oral cavities was carried out using the fluorescent dyes fluorescein sodium and hypericin. Volume rendering of cellular and tissue structures from the oral cavity demonstrate the potential of the system for 3-D fluorescence visualization of the oral cavity in real-time. We aim toward achieving a real-time virtual biopsy technique that can complement current diagnostic techniques and aid in targeted biopsy for better clinical outcomes.

The development of maternal touch across the first year of life.

PubMed

Ferber, Sari Goldstein; Feldman, Ruth; Makhoul, Imad R

2008-06-01

The developmental trajectories of specific forms of maternal touch during natural caregiving were examined across the first year in relation to the development of mother-infant reciprocal communication. One hundred and thirty-one mothers and infants in four groups aged 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were observed in a cross-sectional design at home during natural caregiving and mother-child play sessions. Microanalytic coding of the caregiving sessions considered nine forms of maternal touch, which were aggregated into three global touch categories: affectionate, stimulating, and instrumental. Play sessions were coded for maternal sensitivity and dyadic reciprocity. Maternal affectionate and stimulating touch decreased significantly during the second 6 months of life. In parallel, dyadic reciprocity increased in the second half year. Dyadic reciprocity was predicted by the frequency of affectionate touch but not by any other form of touch. Results contribute to specifying the role of touch as it evolves across the first year of life within the global mother-infant communication system.

Biotechnology touches the forest

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

Powledge, J.M.

1984-09-01

Both the United States and New Zealand are doing research in forest biotechnology and much of the interest is in speedy propagation from seed to mature tree. A number of propagation techniques are discussed, such as tissue culture, the culture of tissue from mature trees and somatic embryo genesis. Much of the tissue culture work has been done on radiata pine. Field testing results are considered. The aims and the advantages of forest biotechnology are discussed under the following headings. 1) Disease resistance: research is being carried out on a loblolly pine which would be resistant to fusiform rust. 2)more » Animal feed: some trees have been discovered to have lower lignin content and similar cellulose and hemicellulose to alfalfa. 3) Specialty chemicals: terpenes, in the tree resin, could be turned into hormones, drugs and other chemicals: the genetic system for the overall biosynthesis of terpenes has been studied. 4) Herbicide resistance. The resistance to glyphosate in poplars is being studied. In conclusion, further research into forest species, using molecular biology is considered essential.« less

Reading Touch Screen Storybooks with Mothers Negatively Affects 7-Year-Old Readers’ Comprehension but Enriches Emotional Engagement

PubMed Central

Ross, Kirsty M.; Pye, Rachel E.; Randell, Jordan

2016-01-01

Touch screen storybooks turn reading into an interactive multimedia experience, with hotspot-activated animations, sound effects, and games. Positive and negative effects of reading multimedia stories have been reported, but the underlying mechanisms which explain how children’s learning is affected remain uncertain. The present study examined the effect of storybook format (touch screen and print) on story comprehension, and considered how level of touch screen interactivity (high and low) and shared reading behaviors (cognitive and emotional scaffolding, emotional engagement) might contribute to comprehension. Seven-year-olds (n = 22) were observed reading one touch screen storybook and one print storybook with their mothers. Story comprehension was inferior for the touch screen storybooks compared to the print formats. Touch screen interactivity level had no significant effect on comprehension but did affect shared reading behaviors. The mother–child dyads spent less time talking about the story in the highly interactive touch screen condition, despite longer shared reading sessions because of touch screen interactions. Positive emotional engagement was greater for children and mothers in the highly interactive touch screen condition, due to additional positive emotions expressed during touch screen interactions. Negative emotional engagement was greater for children when reading and talking about the story in the highly interactive condition, and some mothers demonstrated negative emotional engagement with the touch screen activities. The less interactive touch screen storybook had little effect on shared reading behaviors, but mothers controlling behaviors were more frequent. Storybook format had no effect on the frequency of mothers’ cognitive scaffolding behaviors (comprehension questions, word help). Relationships between comprehension and shared reading behaviors were examined for each storybook, and although length of the shared reading session and controlling behaviors had significant effects on comprehension, the mechanisms driving comprehension were not fully explained by the data. The potential for touch screen storybooks to contribute to cognitive overload in 7-year-old developing readers is discussed, as is the complex relationship between cognitive and emotional scaffolding behaviors, emotional engagement, and comprehension. Sample characteristics and methodological limitations are also discussed to help inform future research. PMID:27899903

Learning from vision-to-touch is different than learning from touch-to-vision.

PubMed

Wismeijer, Dagmar A; Gegenfurtner, Karl R; Drewing, Knut

2012-01-01

We studied whether vision can teach touch to the same extent as touch seems to teach vision. In a 2 × 2 between-participants learning study, we artificially correlated visual gloss cues with haptic compliance cues. In two "natural" tasks, we tested whether visual gloss estimations have an influence on haptic estimations of softness and vice versa. In two "novel" tasks, in which participants were either asked to haptically judge glossiness or to visually judge softness, we investigated how perceptual estimates transfer from one sense to the other. Our results showed that vision does not teach touch as efficient as touch seems to teach vision.

"Atypical touch perception in MTS may derive from an abnormally plastic self-representation".

PubMed

Bufalari, Ilaria; Porciello, Giuseppina; Aglioti, Salvatore Maria

2015-01-01

Mirror Touch Synesthetes (MTSs) feel touch while they observe others being touched. According to the authors, two complementary theoretical frameworks, the Threshold Theory and the Self-Other Theory, explain Mirror Touch Synesthesia (MTS). Based on the behavioral evidence that in MTSs the mere observation of touch is sufficient to elicit self-other merging (i.e., self-representation changes), a condition that in non-MTSs just elicits self-other sharing (i.e., mirroring activity without self-other blurring), and on the rTPJ anatomical alterations in MTS, we argue that MTS may derive from an abnormally plastic self-representation and atypical multisensory integrative mechanisms.

Touch-screen technology usage in toddlers.

PubMed

Ahearne, Caroline; Dilworth, Sinead; Rollings, Rachel; Livingstone, Vicki; Murray, Deirdre

2016-02-01

To establish the prevalence and patterns of use of touch-screen technologies in the toddler population. Parental questionnaires were completed for children aged 12 months to 3 years examining access to touch-screen devices and ability to perform common forms of interaction with touch-screen technologies. The 82 questionnaires completed on typically developing children revealed 71% of toddlers had access to touch-screen devices for a median of 15 min (IQR: 9.375-26.25) per day. By parental report, 24 months was the median age of ability to swipe (IQR: 19.5-30.5), unlock (IQR: 20.5-31.5) and active looking for touch-screen features (IQR: 22-30.5), while 25 months (IQR: 21-31.25) was the median age of ability to identify and use specific touch-screen features. Overall, 32.8% of toddlers could perform all four skills. From 2 years of age toddlers have the ability to interact purposefully with touch-screen devices and demonstrate a variety of common skills required to utilise touch-screen technology. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Laterality of foetal self-touch in relation to maternal stress.

PubMed

Reissland, Nadja; Aydin, Ezra; Francis, Brian; Exley, Kendra

2015-01-01

This longitudinal observational study investigated whether foetuses change their hand preference with gestational age, and also examined the effects of maternal stress on lateralized foetal self-touch. Following ethical approval, fifteen healthy foetuses (eight girls and seven boys) were scanned four times from 24 to 36 weeks gestation. Self-touch behaviours which resulted in a touch of the foetal face/head were coded in 60 scans for 10 min and analysed in terms of frequency of the foetuses using left and right hands to touch their face. The joint effects of foetal age, stress and sex on laterality were assessed. We modelled the proportion of right self-touches for each foetal scan using a generalized linear mixed model, taking account of the repeated measures design. There was substantial variability in hand preference between foetuses. However, there was no significant increase in the proportion of right-handed touches with foetal age. No sex differences in handedness were identified. However, maternally reported stress level was significantly positively related to foetal left-handed self-touches (odds ratio 0.915; p < .0001). This longitudinal study provides important new insights into the effect of recent maternal stress on foetal predominant hand use during self-touch.

Topography of social touching depends on emotional bonds between humans.

PubMed

Suvilehto, Juulia T; Glerean, Enrico; Dunbar, Robin I M; Hari, Riitta; Nummenmaa, Lauri

2015-11-10

Nonhuman primates use social touch for maintenance and reinforcement of social structures, yet the role of social touch in human bonding in different reproductive, affiliative, and kinship-based relationships remains unresolved. Here we reveal quantified, relationship-specific maps of bodily regions where social touch is allowed in a large cross-cultural dataset (N = 1,368 from Finland, France, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom). Participants were shown front and back silhouettes of human bodies with a word denoting one member of their social network. They were asked to color, on separate trials, the bodily regions where each individual in their social network would be allowed to touch them. Across all tested cultures, the total bodily area where touching was allowed was linearly dependent (mean r(2) = 0.54) on the emotional bond with the toucher, but independent of when that person was last encountered. Close acquaintances and family members were touched for more reasons than less familiar individuals. The bodily area others are allowed to touch thus represented, in a parametric fashion, the strength of the relationship-specific emotional bond. We propose that the spatial patterns of human social touch reflect an important mechanism supporting the maintenance of social bonds.

The use of touch to enhance nursing care of older person in long-term mental health care facilities.

PubMed

Gleeson, M; Timmins, F

2004-10-01

The self-care deficits experienced by older clients in long-term mental health settings, because of cognitive impairment, are likely to impact upon the clients' higher-order needs. The practice of nursing the elderly involves a lot of personal contact, during the delivery of fundamental physical care. While physiological and safety needs are crucial to clients in long-term settings, higher-order needs need also to be addressed. From the clients' perspective nurse's use of touch provides comfort, warmth and security, although there is a dearth of empirical evidence of these benefits. This paper explores the nurse's use of touch, the impact of touch and the experiences of touch on the older person in long-term settings. Because of the dearth of research in the use of touch with elderly clients in long-term care mental health facilities, a review of the literature was performed on the topic. This revealed that touch by nurses is frequently associated with routine tasks within nursing, and is less likely to be a caring touch intervention. Recommendations include further research on the topic and caution with widespread adoption of caring touch as an intervention.

Topography of social touching depends on emotional bonds between humans

PubMed Central

Suvilehto, Juulia T.; Glerean, Enrico; Dunbar, Robin I. M.; Hari, Riitta; Nummenmaa, Lauri

2015-01-01

Nonhuman primates use social touch for maintenance and reinforcement of social structures, yet the role of social touch in human bonding in different reproductive, affiliative, and kinship-based relationships remains unresolved. Here we reveal quantified, relationship-specific maps of bodily regions where social touch is allowed in a large cross-cultural dataset (N = 1,368 from Finland, France, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom). Participants were shown front and back silhouettes of human bodies with a word denoting one member of their social network. They were asked to color, on separate trials, the bodily regions where each individual in their social network would be allowed to touch them. Across all tested cultures, the total bodily area where touching was allowed was linearly dependent (mean r2 = 0.54) on the emotional bond with the toucher, but independent of when that person was last encountered. Close acquaintances and family members were touched for more reasons than less familiar individuals. The bodily area others are allowed to touch thus represented, in a parametric fashion, the strength of the relationship-specific emotional bond. We propose that the spatial patterns of human social touch reflect an important mechanism supporting the maintenance of social bonds. PMID:26504228

Integrating viscoelastic mass spring dampers into position-based dynamics to simulate soft tissue deformation in real time

PubMed Central

Lu, Yuhua; Liu, Qian

2018-01-01

We propose a novel method to simulate soft tissue deformation for virtual surgery applications. The method considers the mechanical properties of soft tissue, such as its viscoelasticity, nonlinearity and incompressibility; its speed, stability and accuracy also meet the requirements for a surgery simulator. Modifying the traditional equation for mass spring dampers (MSD) introduces nonlinearity and viscoelasticity into the calculation of elastic force. Then, the elastic force is used in the constraint projection step for naturally reducing constraint potential. The node position is enforced by the combined spring force and constraint conservative force through Newton's second law. We conduct a comparison study of conventional MSD and position-based dynamics for our new integrating method. Our approach enables stable, fast and large step simulation by freely controlling visual effects based on nonlinearity, viscoelasticity and incompressibility. We implement a laparoscopic cholecystectomy simulator to demonstrate the practicality of our method, in which liver and gallbladder deformation can be simulated in real time. Our method is an appropriate choice for the development of real-time virtual surgery applications. PMID:29515870

Integrating viscoelastic mass spring dampers into position-based dynamics to simulate soft tissue deformation in real time.

PubMed

Xu, Lang; Lu, Yuhua; Liu, Qian

2018-02-01

We propose a novel method to simulate soft tissue deformation for virtual surgery applications. The method considers the mechanical properties of soft tissue, such as its viscoelasticity, nonlinearity and incompressibility; its speed, stability and accuracy also meet the requirements for a surgery simulator. Modifying the traditional equation for mass spring dampers (MSD) introduces nonlinearity and viscoelasticity into the calculation of elastic force. Then, the elastic force is used in the constraint projection step for naturally reducing constraint potential. The node position is enforced by the combined spring force and constraint conservative force through Newton's second law. We conduct a comparison study of conventional MSD and position-based dynamics for our new integrating method. Our approach enables stable, fast and large step simulation by freely controlling visual effects based on nonlinearity, viscoelasticity and incompressibility. We implement a laparoscopic cholecystectomy simulator to demonstrate the practicality of our method, in which liver and gallbladder deformation can be simulated in real time. Our method is an appropriate choice for the development of real-time virtual surgery applications.

Instructor Touch Enhanced College Students' Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legg, Angela M.; Wilson, Janie H.

2013-01-01

Touch between people is associated with several outcomes, including reduced stress, more positive mood, enhanced feelings of closeness, and positive behavioral change. However, the potential utility of touch rarely has been examined in a college sample, with teachers touching their students. In the present study, we used instrumental touch…

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT LASER TOUCH AND TECHNOLOGIES, LLC LASER TOUCH MODEL LT-B512

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification report discusses the technology and performance of Laser Touch model LT-B512 targeting device manufactured by Laser Touch and Technologies, LLC, for manual spray painting operations. The relative transfer efficiency (TE) improved an avera...

Exploring the psychological processes underlying touch: lessons from the Alexander Technique.

PubMed

Jones, T; Glover, L

2014-01-01

The experience of touch is significant; both in its positive implications and in how it attracts caution and controversy. Accordingly, physical contact within psychological therapy has been shown to improve well-being and the therapeutic relationship, yet the majority of therapists never or rarely use touch. This research aimed to explore psychological processes underlying touch through the Alexander Technique, a psycho-physical technique taught one to one using touch. Six individuals who had received the Alexander Technique were interviewed, and 111 completed surveys. Interview data suggested an incompatibility between touch and the spoken word, which was understood through the way touch lacks verbal discourses in our society. The largely simplistic and dichotomous verbal understanding we have (either only very positive or very negative) could help understand some of the societal-level caution surrounding touch. Touch was seen also as a nurturing experience by interviewees, which influenced inter-personal and intra-personal relational processes. Developmental models were used to frame the way touch strengthened the pupil-teacher relationship and the way pupils' intra-personal psychological change seemed linked to this relational experience. The surveys largely supported these findings, and discussion is made around the notable way pupils negatively interpreted the intention of the survey. Implications for the use of touch in psychological therapies are discussed, as are limitations and ideas for future research. Touch is a powerful experience, and physical contact within psychological therapy has been shown to improve well-being and the therapeutic relationship, yet the majority of therapists never or rarely use touch. The AT is an alternative therapeutic approach to psycho-physical well-being that offers an interesting model to study the impact of touch. Findings from those that have used the technique reaffirmed that touch can improve well-being and can be a powerful force in the 'therapeutic relationship'. Accounts drew strong parallels with developmental experiences, which may be of particular interest to those working psychodynamically. Findings also highlighted the lack of discourses our culture has for touch and how the ones we share can be super-imposed onto experiences. This should be kept in mind when discussing all types of physical contact with clients. Outcomes from AT pupils cannot be generalized to those seeking psychological support; however, the findings accentuated the power of holistic working. This is important as we begin to understand more around how emotions are held in the body. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multi-Touch Tabletop System Using Infrared Image Recognition for User Position Identification.

PubMed

Suto, Shota; Watanabe, Toshiya; Shibusawa, Susumu; Kamada, Masaru

2018-05-14

A tabletop system can facilitate multi-user collaboration in a variety of settings, including small meetings, group work, and education and training exercises. The ability to identify the users touching the table and their positions can promote collaborative work among participants, so methods have been studied that involve attaching sensors to the table, chairs, or to the users themselves. An effective method of recognizing user actions without placing a burden on the user would be some type of visual process, so the development of a method that processes multi-touch gestures by visual means is desired. This paper describes the development of a multi-touch tabletop system using infrared image recognition for user position identification and presents the results of touch-gesture recognition experiments and a system-usability evaluation. Using an inexpensive FTIR touch panel and infrared light, this system picks up the touch areas and the shadow area of the user's hand by an infrared camera to establish an association between the hand and table touch points and estimate the position of the user touching the table. The multi-touch gestures prepared for this system include an operation to change the direction of an object to face the user and a copy operation in which two users generate duplicates of an object. The system-usability evaluation revealed that prior learning was easy and that system operations could be easily performed.

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder Benefit from Using Vision in Combination with Touch Information for Quiet Standing

PubMed Central

Bair, Woei-Nan; Barela, José A.; Whitall, Jill; Jeka, John J.; Clark, Jane E.

2011-01-01

In two experiments, the ability to use multisensory information (haptic information, provided by lightly touching a stationary surface, and vision) for quiet standing was examined in typically developing (TD) children, adults, and in 7-year-old children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Four sensory conditions (no touch/no vision, with touch/no vision, no touch/with vision, and with touch/with vision) were employed. In experiment 1, we tested 4-, 6- and 8-year-old TD children and adults to provide a developmental landscape for performance on this task. In experiment 2, we tested a group of 7-year-old children with DCD and their age-matched TD peers. For all groups, touch robustly attenuated standing sway suggesting that children as young as 4 years old use touch information similarly to adults. Touch was less effective in children with DCD compared to their TD peers, especially in attenuating their sway velocity. Children with DCD, unlike their TD peers, also benefited from using vision to reduce sway. The present results suggest that children with DCD benefit from using vision in combination with touch information for standing control possibly due to their less well developed internal models of body orientation and self-motion. Internal model deficits, combined with other known deficits such as postural muscles activation timing deficits, may exacerbate the balance impairment in children with DCD. PMID:21571533

Detecting and Classifying Human Touches in a Social Robot Through Acoustic Sensing and Machine Learning

PubMed Central

Alonso-Martín, Fernando; Gamboa-Montero, Juan José; Castillo, José Carlos; Castro-González, Álvaro; Salichs, Miguel Ángel

2017-01-01

An important aspect in Human–Robot Interaction is responding to different kinds of touch stimuli. To date, several technologies have been explored to determine how a touch is perceived by a social robot, usually placing a large number of sensors throughout the robot’s shell. In this work, we introduce a novel approach, where the audio acquired from contact microphones located in the robot’s shell is processed using machine learning techniques to distinguish between different types of touches. The system is able to determine when the robot is touched (touch detection), and to ascertain the kind of touch performed among a set of possibilities: stroke, tap, slap, and tickle (touch classification). This proposal is cost-effective since just a few microphones are able to cover the whole robot’s shell since a single microphone is enough to cover each solid part of the robot. Besides, it is easy to install and configure as it just requires a contact surface to attach the microphone to the robot’s shell and plug it into the robot’s computer. Results show the high accuracy scores in touch gesture recognition. The testing phase revealed that Logistic Model Trees achieved the best performance, with an F-score of 0.81. The dataset was built with information from 25 participants performing a total of 1981 touch gestures. PMID:28509865

Analysis of touch used by occupational therapy practitioners in skilled nursing facilities.

PubMed

Morris, Douglas; Henegar, J; Khanin, S; Oberle, G; Thacker, S

2014-09-01

Instrumental touch is identified as having purposeful physical contact in order to complete a task. Expressive touch is identified as warm, friendly physical contact and is not solely for performing a task. Expressive touch has been associated with improved client status, increased rapport and greater gains made during therapy. The purpose of the study was to observe the frequency of expressive and instrumental touch utilized by an occupational therapist during an occupational therapy session. Thirty-three occupational therapy professionals, including occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, employed at skilled nursing facilities in southwest Florida were observed. Data were collected on the Occupational Therapy Interaction Assessment. The results of the data analysis showed a positive relationship between the gender of the therapist and the frequency of expressive touch. The data also showed that a large majority of touches were instrumental touch and pertained to functional mobility. The results of the study can contribute to a better understanding of the holistic aspects of occupational therapy. By the use of more expressive touch, occupational therapy practitioners may have a positive, beneficial effect on both the client and the therapy process as a whole. Further research is needed to determine the effect an occupational therapy setting has on the frequency of instrumental and expressive touch. A larger sample size and a distinction between evaluation and treatment sessions would benefit future studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Investigation of force, contact area, and dwell time in finger-tapping tasks on membrane touch interface.

PubMed

Liu, Na; Yu, Ruifeng

2018-06-01

This study aimed to determine the touch characteristics during tapping tasks on membrane touch interface and investigate the effects of posture and gender on touch characteristics variables. One hundred participants tapped digits displayed on a membrane touch interface on sitting and standing positions using all fingers of the dominant hand. Touch characteristics measures included average force, contact area, and dwell time. Across fingers and postures, males exerted larger force and contact area than females, but similar dwell time. Across genders and postures, thumb exerted the largest force and the force of the other four fingers showed no significant difference. The contact area of the thumb was the largest, whereas that of the little finger was the smallest; the dwell time of the thumb was the longest, whereas that of the middle finger was the shortest. Relationships among finger sizes, gender, posture and touch characteristics were proposed. The findings helped direct membrane touch interface design for digital and numerical control products from hardware and software perspectives. Practitioner Summary: This study measured force, contact area, and dwell time in tapping tasks on membrane touch interface and examined effects of gender and posture on force, contact area, and dwell time. The findings will direct membrane touch interface design for digital and numerical control products from hardware and software perspectives.

Detecting and Classifying Human Touches in a Social Robot Through Acoustic Sensing and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Alonso-Martín, Fernando; Gamboa-Montero, Juan José; Castillo, José Carlos; Castro-González, Álvaro; Salichs, Miguel Ángel

2017-05-16

An important aspect in Human-Robot Interaction is responding to different kinds of touch stimuli. To date, several technologies have been explored to determine how a touch is perceived by a social robot, usually placing a large number of sensors throughout the robot's shell. In this work, we introduce a novel approach, where the audio acquired from contact microphones located in the robot's shell is processed using machine learning techniques to distinguish between different types of touches. The system is able to determine when the robot is touched (touch detection), and to ascertain the kind of touch performed among a set of possibilities: stroke , tap , slap , and tickle (touch classification). This proposal is cost-effective since just a few microphones are able to cover the whole robot's shell since a single microphone is enough to cover each solid part of the robot. Besides, it is easy to install and configure as it just requires a contact surface to attach the microphone to the robot's shell and plug it into the robot's computer. Results show the high accuracy scores in touch gesture recognition. The testing phase revealed that Logistic Model Trees achieved the best performance, with an F -score of 0.81. The dataset was built with information from 25 participants performing a total of 1981 touch gestures.

Multi-Touch Tabletop System Using Infrared Image Recognition for User Position Identification

PubMed Central

Suto, Shota; Watanabe, Toshiya; Shibusawa, Susumu; Kamada, Masaru

2018-01-01

A tabletop system can facilitate multi-user collaboration in a variety of settings, including small meetings, group work, and education and training exercises. The ability to identify the users touching the table and their positions can promote collaborative work among participants, so methods have been studied that involve attaching sensors to the table, chairs, or to the users themselves. An effective method of recognizing user actions without placing a burden on the user would be some type of visual process, so the development of a method that processes multi-touch gestures by visual means is desired. This paper describes the development of a multi-touch tabletop system using infrared image recognition for user position identification and presents the results of touch-gesture recognition experiments and a system-usability evaluation. Using an inexpensive FTIR touch panel and infrared light, this system picks up the touch areas and the shadow area of the user’s hand by an infrared camera to establish an association between the hand and table touch points and estimate the position of the user touching the table. The multi-touch gestures prepared for this system include an operation to change the direction of an object to face the user and a copy operation in which two users generate duplicates of an object. The system-usability evaluation revealed that prior learning was easy and that system operations could be easily performed. PMID:29758006

Touch and feel? Using the rubber hand paradigm to investigate self-touch enhancement in right-hemisphere stroke patients.

PubMed

White, Rebekah C; Aimola Davies, Anne M; Kischka, Udo; Davies, Martin

2010-01-01

Following stroke, a patient may fail to report touch administered by another person but claim that she feels touch when it is self-administered. We investigated three explanations for self-touch enhancement: (1) proprioceptive information from the administering hand, (2) attentional modulation, and (3) temporal expectation. Tactile sensation was assessed with vision precluded, and with the affected hand positioned in the left and right hemispace. In four of six experiments, the somatic rubber hand paradigm was used: the Examiner administered stimulation to the patient's affected left hand while guiding the patient's right hand to administer synchronous stimulation to a prosthetic hand. Even though the patient's two hands were not in contact, patients detected the same number of stimulations as when they touched their own hand directly (self-administered condition). Moreover, there was no decline in rates of detection when potentially informative movements of the administering hand were restricted. This demonstrates that patients feel rather than infer stimulation under conditions of self-touch. When patients received stimulation to the affected hand in the opposite hemispace to the hand administering touch to the prosthetic hand, all but one showed self-touch enhancement. Thus, neither proprioceptive information nor attentional modulation at the spatial region of the administering hand provided a sufficient explanation for self-touch enhancement. A follow-up experiment indicated an important role for temporal expectation: a delay, between the patient's stimulation of the prosthetic hand and the Examiner's stimulation of the patient's affected hand, eliminated the self-touch enhancement effect.

Mind the Gap: The Effects of Temporal and Spatial Separation in Localization of Dual Touches on the Hand.

PubMed

Sadibolova, Renata; Tamè, Luigi; Walsh, Eamonn; Longo, Matthew R

2018-01-01

In this study, we aimed to relate the findings from two predominantly separate streams of literature, one reporting on the localization of single touches on the skin, and the other on the distance perception of dual touches. Participants were touched with two points, delivered either simultaneously or separated by a short delay to various locations on their left hand dorsum. They then indicated on a size-matched hand silhouette the perceived locations of tactile stimuli. We quantified the deviations between the actual stimulus grid and the corresponding perceptual map which was constructed from the perceived tactile locations, and we calculated the precision of tactile localization (i.e., the variability across localization attempts). The evidence showed that the dual touches, akin to single touch stimulations, were mislocalized distally and that their variable localization error was reduced near joints, particularly near knuckles. However, contrary to single-touch localization literature, we observed for the dual touches to be mislocalized towards the ulnar side of the hand, particularly when they were presented sequentially. Further, the touches presented in a sequential order were slightly "repelled" from each other and their perceived distance increased, while the simultaneous tactile pairs were localized closer to each other and their distance was compressed. Whereas the sequential touches may have been localized with reference to the body, the compression of tactile perceptual space for simultaneous touches was related in the previous literature to signal summation and inhibition and the low-level factors, including the innervation density and properties of receptive fields (RFs) of somatosensory neurons.

A Mobile Outdoor Augmented Reality Method Combining Deep Learning Object Detection and Spatial Relationships for Geovisualization

PubMed Central

Rao, Jinmeng; Qiao, Yanjun; Ren, Fu; Wang, Junxing; Du, Qingyun

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a robust, fast and markerless mobile augmented reality method for registration, geovisualization and interaction in uncontrolled outdoor environments. We propose a lightweight deep-learning-based object detection approach for mobile or embedded devices; the vision-based detection results of this approach are combined with spatial relationships by means of the host device’s built-in Global Positioning System receiver, Inertial Measurement Unit and magnetometer. Virtual objects generated based on geospatial information are precisely registered in the real world, and an interaction method based on touch gestures is implemented. The entire method is independent of the network to ensure robustness to poor signal conditions. A prototype system was developed and tested on the Wuhan University campus to evaluate the method and validate its results. The findings demonstrate that our method achieves a high detection accuracy, stable geovisualization results and interaction. PMID:28837096

A Mobile Outdoor Augmented Reality Method Combining Deep Learning Object Detection and Spatial Relationships for Geovisualization.

PubMed

Rao, Jinmeng; Qiao, Yanjun; Ren, Fu; Wang, Junxing; Du, Qingyun

2017-08-24

The purpose of this study was to develop a robust, fast and markerless mobile augmented reality method for registration, geovisualization and interaction in uncontrolled outdoor environments. We propose a lightweight deep-learning-based object detection approach for mobile or embedded devices; the vision-based detection results of this approach are combined with spatial relationships by means of the host device's built-in Global Positioning System receiver, Inertial Measurement Unit and magnetometer. Virtual objects generated based on geospatial information are precisely registered in the real world, and an interaction method based on touch gestures is implemented. The entire method is independent of the network to ensure robustness to poor signal conditions. A prototype system was developed and tested on the Wuhan University campus to evaluate the method and validate its results. The findings demonstrate that our method achieves a high detection accuracy, stable geovisualization results and interaction.

A New LSP Educational Experience in Nebrija University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genís, Marta; Orduna, Elena; Rubio Romero, Juana; Perlado, Marta

2012-01-01

The contest "Touched by Advertising," organized by the Publicity Department of Nebrija University, gives awards in three general categories: Great Touched, Young Touched and Touched to Career Development. Alongside these general categories, there are technical awards for the best slogan, the best performance, the best score and the best…

Enhancing Interaction through Positive Touch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardew, E. Michelle; Bunse, Carol

2005-01-01

Positive touch is an application of the ancient practice of infant massage. Positive touch provides families and caregivers with simple and positive ways to touch their child that contribute to the overall goal of providing a nurturing environment that supports the child's growth and development. This article describes infant massage techniques in…

"Touch" in Educational and Child Care Settings: Dilemmas and Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Heather; Smith, Hannah

2003-01-01

This article considers the touching, or rather, not touching, of children and young people in professional settings. Some have argued that many schools and other childcare environments are becoming "no touch" zones. Formal guidelines in the UK are centrally concerned with "child protection" issues, and "force and…

Distribution of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCoPS) in a surgical unit and cystotomy operation sites in a veterinary teaching hospital

PubMed Central

FUNGWITHAYA, Punpichaya; BRIKSHAVANA, Pasakorn; CHANCHAITHONG, Pattrarat; PRAPASARAKUL, Nuvee

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the spread of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCoPS) among veterinary staff, hand-touch sites and surgical tissue during cystotomy operations on cats and dogs that were patients, and to analyze the genetic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates. Human and environmental samples were obtained from the nasal passageways of 12 surgeons and veterinary assistants and from 29 hand-touch sites of instruments in operative units and subjected to bacterial isolation and enumeration. Swab samples were collected in triplicate from 29 dogs and three cats at the site of incision, from the incision area, from the peritoneum during surgery and from the peritoneum before suture. MRCoPS were identified by mecA gene detection and characterized by their antibiogram profile, SCCmec type and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Twenty-four staphylococci were isolated, derived from one veterinary assistant, 12 operating room floor areas and hand-touch sites, three dogs and one cat. Methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) was found on an electric clipper and rebreathing circuits in the operating room. Three dogs were positive for MRSP during surgery, and one methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in a cat. All MRCoPS were resistant to doxycycline, erythromycin, clindamycin and enrofloxacin, but no patients developed surgical site infections. According to their genotypic patterns, the clones obtained from the environment and human sources differed from the animal clones. Despite intensive hygienic management, a variety of MRCoPS clones were present within the surgical unit and during surgery. PMID:27990009

Distribution of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCoPS) in a surgical unit and cystotomy operation sites in a veterinary teaching hospital.

PubMed

Fungwithaya, Punpichaya; Brikshavana, Pasakorn; Chanchaithong, Pattrarat; Prapasarakul, Nuvee

2017-02-28

This study aimed to investigate the spread of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCoPS) among veterinary staff, hand-touch sites and surgical tissue during cystotomy operations on cats and dogs that were patients, and to analyze the genetic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates. Human and environmental samples were obtained from the nasal passageways of 12 surgeons and veterinary assistants and from 29 hand-touch sites of instruments in operative units and subjected to bacterial isolation and enumeration. Swab samples were collected in triplicate from 29 dogs and three cats at the site of incision, from the incision area, from the peritoneum during surgery and from the peritoneum before suture. MRCoPS were identified by mecA gene detection and characterized by their antibiogram profile, SCCmec type and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Twenty-four staphylococci were isolated, derived from one veterinary assistant, 12 operating room floor areas and hand-touch sites, three dogs and one cat. Methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) was found on an electric clipper and rebreathing circuits in the operating room. Three dogs were positive for MRSP during surgery, and one methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in a cat. All MRCoPS were resistant to doxycycline, erythromycin, clindamycin and enrofloxacin, but no patients developed surgical site infections. According to their genotypic patterns, the clones obtained from the environment and human sources differed from the animal clones. Despite intensive hygienic management, a variety of MRCoPS clones were present within the surgical unit and during surgery.

Merkel cells and Meissner's corpuscles in human digital skin display Piezo2 immunoreactivity.

PubMed

García-Mesa, Y; García-Piqueras, J; García, B; Feito, J; Cabo, R; Cobo, J; Vega, J A; García-Suárez, O

2017-12-01

The transformation of mechanical energy into electrical signals is the first step in mechanotransduction in the peripheral sensory nervous system and relies on the presence of mechanically gated ion channels within specialized sensory organs called mechanoreceptors. Piezo2 is a vertebrate stretch-gated ion channel necessary for mechanosensitive channels in mammalian cells. Functionally, it is related to light touch, which has been detected in murine cutaneous Merkel cell-neurite complexes, Meissner-like corpuscles and lanceolate nerve endings. To the best of our knowledge, the occurrence of Piezo2 in human cutaneous mechanoreceptors has never been investigated. Here, we used simple and double immunohistochemistry to investigate the occurrence of Piezo2 in human digital glabrous skin. Piezo2 immunoreactivity was detected in approximately 80% of morphologically and immunohistochemically characterized (cytokeratin 20 + , chromogranin A + and synaptophisin + ) Merkel cells. Most of them were in close contact with Piezo2 - nerve fibre profiles. Moreover, the axon, but not the lamellar cells, of Meissner's corpuscles was also Piezo2 + , but other mechanoreceptors, i.e. Pacinian or Ruffini's corpuscles, were devoid of immunoreactivity. Piezo2 was also observed in non-nervous tissue, especially the basal keratinocytes, endothelial cells and sweat glands. The present results demonstrate the occurrence of Piezo2 in cutaneous sensory nerve formations that functionally work as slowly adapting (Merkel cells) and rapidly adapting (Meissner's corpuscles) low-threshold mechanoreceptors and are related to fine and discriminative touch but not to vibration or hard touch. These data offer additional insight into the molecular basis of mechanosensing in humans. © 2017 Anatomical Society.

Influence of contact force on voltage mapping: A combined magnetic resonance imaging and electroanatomic mapping study in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

PubMed

Teijeira-Fernandez, Elvis; Cochet, Hubert; Bourier, Felix; Takigawa, Masateru; Cheniti, Ghassen; Thompson, Nathaniel; Frontera, Antonio; Camaioni, Claudia; Massouille, Gregoire; Jalal, Zakaria; Derval, Nicolas; Iriart, Xavier; Denis, Arnaud; Hocini, Meleze; Haissaguerre, Michel; Jais, Pierre; Thambo, Jean-Benoit; Sacher, Frederic

2018-03-20

Voltage criteria for ventricular mapping have been obtained from small series of patients and prioritizing high specificity. The purpose of this study was to analyse the potential influence of contact force (CF) on voltage mapping and to define voltage cutoff values for right ventricular (RV) scar using the tetralogy of Fallot as a model of transmural RV scar and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as reference. Fourteen patients (age 32.6 ± 14.3 years; 5 female) with repaired tetralogy of Fallot underwent high-resolution cardiac MRI (1.25 × 1.25 × 2.5 mm). Scar, defined as pixels with intensity >50% maximum, was mapped over the RV geometry and merged within the CARTO system to RV endocardial voltage maps acquired using a 3.5-mm ablation catheter with CF technology (SmartTouch, Biosense Webster). In total, 2446 points were analyzed, 915 within scars and 1531 in healthy tissue according to MRI. CF correlated to unipolar (ρ = 0.186; P <.001) and bipolar voltage in healthy tissue (ρ = 0.245; P <.001) and in scar tissue. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis excluding points with very low CF (<5g) identified optimal voltage cutoffs of 5.19 mV for unipolar voltage and 1.76 mV for bipolar voltage, yielding sensitivity/specificity of 0.89/0.85 and 0.9/0.9, respectively. CF is an important factor to be taken into account for voltage mapping. If good CF is applied, unipolar and bipolar voltage cutoffs of 5.19 mV and 1.76 mV are optimal for identifying RV scar on endocardial mapping with the SmartTouch catheter. Data on the diagnostic accuracy of different voltage cutoff values are provided. Copyright © 2018 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning from vision-to-touch is different than learning from touch-to-vision

PubMed Central

Wismeijer, Dagmar A.; Gegenfurtner, Karl R.; Drewing, Knut

2012-01-01

We studied whether vision can teach touch to the same extent as touch seems to teach vision. In a 2 × 2 between-participants learning study, we artificially correlated visual gloss cues with haptic compliance cues. In two “natural” tasks, we tested whether visual gloss estimations have an influence on haptic estimations of softness and vice versa. In two “novel” tasks, in which participants were either asked to haptically judge glossiness or to visually judge softness, we investigated how perceptual estimates transfer from one sense to the other. Our results showed that vision does not teach touch as efficient as touch seems to teach vision. PMID:23181012

Tactile communication, cooperation, and performance: an ethological study of the NBA.

PubMed

Kraus, Michael W; Huang, Cassey; Keltner, Dacher

2010-10-01

Tactile communication, or physical touch, promotes cooperation between people, communicates distinct emotions, soothes in times of stress, and is used to make inferences of warmth and trust. Based on this conceptual analysis, we predicted that in group competition, physical touch would predict increases in both individual and group performance. In an ethological study, we coded the touch behavior of players from the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 2008-2009 regular season. Consistent with hypotheses, early season touch predicted greater performance for individuals as well as teams later in the season. Additional analyses confirmed that touch predicted improved performance even after accounting for player status, preseason expectations, and early season performance. Moreover, coded cooperative behaviors between teammates explained the association between touch and team performance. Discussion focused on the contributions touch makes to cooperative groups and the potential implications for other group settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Active touch and self-motion encoding by Merkel cell-associated afferents

PubMed Central

Severson, Kyle S.; Xu, Duo; Van de Loo, Margaret; Bai, Ling; Ginty, David D.; O’Connor, Daniel H.

2017-01-01

Summary Touch perception depends on integrating signals from multiple types of peripheral mechanoreceptors. Merkel-cell associated afferents are thought to play a major role in form perception by encoding surface features of touched objects. However, activity of Merkel afferents during active touch has not been directly measured. Here, we show that Merkel and unidentified slowly adapting afferents in the whisker system of behaving mice respond to both self-motion and active touch. Touch responses were dominated by sensitivity to bending moment (torque) at the base of the whisker and its rate of change, and largely explained by a simple mechanical model. Self-motion responses encoded whisker position within a whisk cycle (phase), not absolute whisker angle, and arose from stresses reflecting whisker inertia and activity of specific muscles. Thus, Merkel afferents send to the brain multiplexed information about whisker position and surface features, suggesting that proprioception and touch converge at the earliest neural level. PMID:28434802

'Kiss, cuddle, squeeze': the experiences and meaning of touch among parents of children with autism attending a Touch Therapy Programme.

PubMed

Cullen, Lesley; Barlow, Julie

2002-09-01

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and meaning of touch between parents and children with autism before and after attending a Touch Therapy Programme. The sample comprised 12 parents (1 father and 11 mothers) of children (1 female and 11 male) with autism. Parents were interviewed before and immediately after the 8-week programme. Pre-programme results suggested that children were controlling the experience of touch. Parents felt 'hurt' in response to the 'aloof nature of autism, and natural parenting instincts (e.g. spontaneous cuddles) were restricted. Post-programme results suggested that children appeared to tolerate touch. Parents reported that routine tasks (e.g. dressing) were accomplished more easily and that children appeared generally more relaxed. Parents reported feeling 'closer' to their children and felt that the touch therapy had opened a communication channel between themselves and their children.

Touch in Family Therapy: An Exploratory Study Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moy, Caryl T.

The use of touch in therapeutic relationships is seldom dealt with as a practice issue except in a proscriptive way. To gather descriptive information on the use of touch in therapy, professional therapists (N=50) whose practice was largely family therapy were interviewed about the successful use of touch in their helping relationships. Interview…

Touching Hearts, Touching Minds: Using Emotion-Based Messaging to Promote Healthful Behavior in the Massachusetts WIC Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colchamiro, Rachel; Ghiringhelli, Kara; Hause, Judith

2010-01-01

The "Touching Hearts, Touching Minds" initiative was funded through a 2003 United States Department of Agriculture Special Projects grant to revitalize nutrition education and services in the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. The 30 nutrition education materials and…

78 FR 6835 - Certain Mobile Handset Devices and Related Touch Keyboard Software; Institution of Investigation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

... Related Touch Keyboard Software; Institution of Investigation AGENCY: U.S. International Trade Commission... importation of certain mobile handset devices and related touch keyboard software by reason of infringement of... certain mobile handset devices and related touch keyboard software that infringe one or more of claims 36...

The Effect of Counselor Touch in an Initial Counseling Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubble, Mark A.; And Others

1981-01-01

Investigated the effect of counselor touch on female clients (N=32) and the moderating effect of clients' field dependence-independence on their response to a counselor's touch. Results indicated that counselors were perceived as significantly more expert when they touched than when they did not. Suggests implications for counseling. (Author)

Aging and curvature discrimination from static and dynamic touch.

PubMed

Norman, J Farley; Kappers, Astrid M L; Cheeseman, Jacob R; Ronning, Cecilia; Thomason, Kelsey E; Baxter, Michael W; Calloway, Autum B; Lamirande, Davora N

2013-01-01

Two experiments evaluated the ability of 30 older and younger adults to discriminate the curvature of simple object surfaces from static and dynamic touch. The ages of the older adults ranged from 66 to 85 years, while those of the younger adults ranged from 20 to 29 years. For each participant in both experiments, the minimum curvature magnitude needed to reliably discriminate between convex and concave surfaces was determined. In Experiment 1, participants used static touch to make their judgments of curvature, while dynamic touch was used in Experiment 2. When static touch was used to discriminate curvature, a large effect of age occurred (the thresholds were 0.67 & 1.11/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). However, when participants used dynamic touch, there was no significant difference between the ability of younger and older participants to discriminate curvature (the thresholds were 0.58 & 0.59/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). The results of the current study demonstrate that while older adults can accurately discriminate surface curvature from dynamic touch, they possess significant impairments for static touch.

Aging and Curvature Discrimination from Static and Dynamic Touch

PubMed Central

Norman, J. Farley; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Cheeseman, Jacob R.; Ronning, Cecilia; Thomason, Kelsey E.; Baxter, Michael W.; Calloway, Autum B.; Lamirande, Davora N.

2013-01-01

Two experiments evaluated the ability of 30 older and younger adults to discriminate the curvature of simple object surfaces from static and dynamic touch. The ages of the older adults ranged from 66 to 85 years, while those of the younger adults ranged from 20 to 29 years. For each participant in both experiments, the minimum curvature magnitude needed to reliably discriminate between convex and concave surfaces was determined. In Experiment 1, participants used static touch to make their judgments of curvature, while dynamic touch was used in Experiment 2. When static touch was used to discriminate curvature, a large effect of age occurred (the thresholds were 0.67 & 1.11/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). However, when participants used dynamic touch, there was no significant difference between the ability of younger and older participants to discriminate curvature (the thresholds were 0.58 & 0.59/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). The results of the current study demonstrate that while older adults can accurately discriminate surface curvature from dynamic touch, they possess significant impairments for static touch. PMID:23844224

Observed touch on a non-human face is not remapped onto the human observer's own face.

PubMed

Beck, Brianna; Bertini, Caterina; Scarpazza, Cristina; Làdavas, Elisabetta

2013-01-01

Visual remapping of touch (VRT) is a phenomenon in which seeing a human face being touched enhances detection of tactile stimuli on the observer's own face, especially when the observed face expresses fear. This study tested whether VRT would occur when seeing touch on monkey faces and whether it would be similarly modulated by facial expressions. Human participants detected near-threshold tactile stimulation on their own cheeks while watching fearful, happy, and neutral human or monkey faces being concurrently touched or merely approached by fingers. We predicted minimal VRT for neutral and happy monkey faces but greater VRT for fearful monkey faces. The results with human faces replicated previous findings, demonstrating stronger VRT for fearful expressions than for happy or neutral expressions. However, there was no VRT (i.e. no difference between accuracy in touch and no-touch trials) for any of the monkey faces, regardless of facial expression, suggesting that touch on a non-human face is not remapped onto the somatosensory system of the human observer.

Observed Touch on a Non-Human Face Is Not Remapped onto the Human Observer's Own Face

PubMed Central

Beck, Brianna; Bertini, Caterina; Scarpazza, Cristina; Làdavas, Elisabetta

2013-01-01

Visual remapping of touch (VRT) is a phenomenon in which seeing a human face being touched enhances detection of tactile stimuli on the observer's own face, especially when the observed face expresses fear. This study tested whether VRT would occur when seeing touch on monkey faces and whether it would be similarly modulated by facial expressions. Human participants detected near-threshold tactile stimulation on their own cheeks while watching fearful, happy, and neutral human or monkey faces being concurrently touched or merely approached by fingers. We predicted minimal VRT for neutral and happy monkey faces but greater VRT for fearful monkey faces. The results with human faces replicated previous findings, demonstrating stronger VRT for fearful expressions than for happy or neutral expressions. However, there was no VRT (i.e. no difference between accuracy in touch and no-touch trials) for any of the monkey faces, regardless of facial expression, suggesting that touch on a non-human face is not remapped onto the somatosensory system of the human observer. PMID:24250781

Does the type of somatosensory information from the contralateral finger touch affect grip force control while lifting an object?

PubMed

Chen, Bing; Aruin, Alexander S

2013-11-27

The magnitude of grip force used to lift and transport a hand-held object is decreased if a light finger touch from the contralateral arm is provided to the wrist of the target arm. We investigated whether the type of contralateral arm sensory input that became available with the finger touch to the target arm affects the way grip force is reduced. Nine healthy subjects performed the same task of lifting and transporting an instrumented object with no involvement of the contralateral arm and when an index finger touch of the contralateral arm was provided to the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Touching the wrist and elbow involved movements of the contralateral arm; no movements were produced while touching the shoulder. Grip force was reduced by approximately the same amount in all conditions with the finger touch compared to the no touch condition. This suggests that information from the muscle and joint receptors of the contralateral arm is used in control of grip force when a finger touch is provided to the wrist and elbow, and cutaneous information is utilized when lifting an object while touching the shoulder. The results of the study provide additional evidence to support the use of a second arm in the performance of activities of daily living and stress the importance of future studies investigating contralateral arm sensory input in grip force control. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children's Learning from Touch Screens: A Dual Representation Perspective.

PubMed

Sheehan, Kelly J; Uttal, David H

2016-01-01

Parents and educators often expect that children will learn from touch screen devices, such as during joint e-book reading. Therefore an essential question is whether young children understand that the touch screen can be a symbolic medium - that entities represented on the touch screen can refer to entities in the real world. Research on symbolic development suggests that symbolic understanding requires that children develop dual representational abilities, meaning children need to appreciate that a symbol is an object in itself (i.e., picture of a dog) while also being a representation of something else (i.e., the real dog). Drawing on classic research on symbols and new research on children's learning from touch screens, we offer the perspective that children's ability to learn from the touch screen as a symbolic medium depends on the effect of interactivity on children's developing dual representational abilities. Although previous research on dual representation suggests the interactive nature of the touch screen might make it difficult for young children to use as a symbolic medium, the unique interactive affordances may help alleviate this difficulty. More research needs to investigate how the interactivity of the touch screen affects children's ability to connect the symbols on the screen to the real world. Given the interactive nature of the touch screen, researchers and educators should consider both the affordances of the touch screen as well as young children's cognitive abilities when assessing whether young children can learn from it as a symbolic medium.

Caring touch--patients' experiences in an anthroposophic clinical context.

PubMed

Ozolins, Lise-Lotte; Hörberg, Ulrica; Dahlberg, Karin

2015-12-01

This study describes the phenomenon of caring touch from the patients' perspective in an anthroposophic clinical context where caring touch is often used to promote health and alleviate suffering. The aim of the study was to explore and phenomenologically describe the phenomenon of caring touch from the patients' perspectives. The study has been carried out with a Reflective Lifeworld Research approach in order to understand and describe human existential phenomena. Ten female patients were interviewed in an anthroposophic clinic in Sweden. The findings show how caring touch has multifaceted meanings and makes the patients' feel present and anchored in a meaningful context. The patients' feel that they are seen, accepted and confirmed. Furthermore, touch creates a caring space where the patients become receptive for care and has the power to alleviate the patients' suffering, as well as to frighten and cause or worsen the suffering. In order to take advantage of the caring potential, the patient needs to be invited to a respectful and sensitive form of touch. An interpersonal flexible space is necessary where the touch can be effective, and where a dynamic interplay can develop. In conclusion, caring touch is an opportunity for carers to support well-being and health. The carers need to approach their patients in both a sensitive and reflective way. A caring science perspective can serve as a help to further understand touch as a unique caring act. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.