Azhar Amir Hamzah

Electrochemically deposited and etched membranes with precisely sized micropores for biological fluids microfiltration

This paper presents simple and economical, yet reliable techniques to fabricate a micro-fluidic filter for MEMS lab-on-chip (LoC) applications. The microporous filter is a crucial component in a MEMS LoC system. Microsized components and contaminants in biological fluids are selectively filtered using copper and silicon membranes with precisely controlled microsized pores. Two techniques were explored in microporous membrane fabrication, namely copper electroplating and electrochemical etching (ECE) of silicon. In the first technique, a copper membrane with evenly distributed micropores was fabricated by electroplating the copper layer on the silicon nitride membrane, which was later removed to leave the freestanding microporous membrane structure. The second approach involves the thinning of bulk silicon down to a few micrometers thick using KOH and etching the resulting silicon membrane in 5% HF by ECE to create micropores. Upon testing with nanoparticles of various sizes, it was observed that electroplated copper membrane passes nanoparticles up to 200?nm wide, while porous silicon membrane passes nanoparticles up to 380?nm in size. Due to process compatibility, simplicity, and low-cost fabrication, electroplated copper and porous silicon membranes enable synchronized microfilter fabrication and integration into the MEMS LoC system.

A Study of Effectiveness of Medical Therapy in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients in HUSM.

Introduction : Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a progressive disease, can cause various urinary complications if left untreated. Aims and Objective : The current study was desigined to compare international prostate symptom score (IPSS), urine flow rate (Qmax), Prostate specific antigen (PSA) in pre and post treatment among patients with Benign prostate hyperplasia and to asses their quality of life. Methodology : A cross sectional study was designed at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, including all patients diagnosed as BPH from year 2007 to 2010. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria 307 subjects were selected. New set of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and urine flow rate (Qmax) was obtained from all selected patients. SPSS version 19 was used for statistical analysis. Result : Out of the 307 patients currently treated at Hospital University Sains Malaysia (HUSM), 268(87.3%) were Malays, 38(12.4%) were Chinese and 1(0.3%) was Indian. Majority of the patients having BPH were above 50 years of age. One hundred and seven (34.9%) patients were associated with hypertension, followed by diabetes mellitus 12 (3.9%). urine peak flow rate (Qmax) had mean difference of 11.74 and 14.41ml/ sec, which shows the medical therapy do improve urine flow rate and benign prostatic hyperplasia (p<0.001). The prostate size also showed an increase having mean difference from 36.12 to 38.14cc 3 (p<0.001). There is significant relation between prostate gland volume and serum prostatic specific antigen (p<0.001). Conclusion : Benign prostatic hyperplasia although a benign condition, but still interferes with the normal life style of the patients. By initiating medical treatment this disease can not only be treated but also significantly improves the quality of life of the patients.

Melioidosis: a rare cause of anterior chest wall abscess

Melioidosis is an unusual tropical infectious disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which was formerly known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei. Melioidosis is characterized by abscess formation and it may manifest in any part of the human body, however, musculoskeletel melioidosis is uncommon and chest wall melioidosis is very rare. To determine the exact organism based solely on clinical presentation poses a great challenge to the physician. Yet, delay administration of antibiotic may be harmful. We describe a diabetic patient who had anterior chest wall melioidosis that mimics Staphylococcus aureus infection. A description of his presentation and management, along with a review of literature is presented.

Pattern of Superficial Venous of the Cubital Fossa among Volunteers in a Tertiary Hospital

Background: The cubital fossa can be seen superficially as a depression on the anterior side of elbow. The arrangement of the superficial veins in the cubital fossa varies from race to race. Objective: The aim of the study was to observe and describe the variations in anatomical distribution of the superficial veins of the cubital fossa among three major ethnic groups in Malaysian population. Methodology: A cross sectional study was designed to examine the pattern of superficial veins of the cubital fossa among the randomly selected volunteers in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. A total of 300 volunteers including both staff and medical students belonging to three major ethnicities i.e. Malays, Chinese and Indians aged from 18 years or above were selected for cited purpose. Consent was taken and duplex ultrasound was performed using a single ultrasound machine from Philips manufacturer. The venous pattern of the cubital fossa from the right and left cubital force in each subject was drawn on a separate observational sheet. Based on gender and ethnicity the categorization of venous patterns in the cubital region among the volunteers was done. Results: Six patterns of superficial veins of right and left cubital fossa were observed and the commonest pattern in both genders was median cubital vein joined from cephalic to basilica vein. Using Pearson Chi-Square test, it is shown there was no statistical significance difference between patterns of superficial veins on the right and left cubital fossa with gender since p value was 0.498 and 0.999 respectively. However, a pattern of superficial veins on the right and left do have a relationship with ethnicity since its p values were 0.040 and 0.008 respectively. Conclusion: There were significant associations between the pattern of superficial veins on the right and left

Salvaging Left Testicular Fracture After a Motorcycle Accident: A Case Report

Testicular fracture is a urological emergency that requires early diagnosis and timely surgical exploration in order to maximize testicular salvage. We presented a case of 17 year old male with left testicular fracture after roadside accident. The patient was surgically explorated and repaired with salvage of the injured testicle.