Bing-Yuh Lu

Theoretical study of convergent ultrasound hyperthermia for treating bone tumors

This study investigates the optimal external parameters for using an ultrasound applicator for treating bone tumors. This system utilized spherically arranged applicators such as scanned focused ultrasound, and spherically focused multielement applicators. The power deposition pattern is modeled as geometric gain with exponential attenuation. The specific absorption rate ratio (SARR) criteria have been used to determine the proper heating domain of ultrasound driving frequency and therapeutic tumor diameter. The results demonstrate that the optimal driving frequency depends on tumor depth, ultrasound absorption of bone marrow, and diameter of bone, but it is independent of the acoustic window area and SARR. The treatable diameter of bone tumor increased when the absorption ratio of bone marrow to tumor, acoustic window of surface skin, and diameter of bone were elevated. However, the treatable diameter of bone tumor decreased when muscle thickness, SARR of bone tumor site to the surface skin, bone marrow, and bone declined. To deliver the ultrasound energy into the tumor site and to avoid the potential damage to the normal tissue as much as possible, the specific absorption rate (SAR) in the bone tumor site has to be three times higher than that in the surface skin, tumor/marrow, and marrow/bone interfaces. The temperature distributions can verify the SARR criteria in this model. This study provides the information for choosing the optimal operating frequency of the ultrasound transducer and the acoustic window on the skin surface, and for designing the ultrasound applicator for clinical implementation.

Real-time mobile-to-mobile stethoscope for distant healthcare

This study presented to insert a small-scaled microphone of the ear-set of a smart mobile (Amazing A6, Taiwan MobileTM) into an eartip of the stethoscope, the sound can be transmitted by the mobile when it dialed to another phone or mobile. In this study, we employed another smart phone (Galaxy R GT19103, SamsungTM) to be the receiver. The results were showed by spectrogram which demonstrated the components of frequencies of the sounds. Finally, we proposed to improve the study by database.

Auscultation on the Ambulance: A Case Study of Adaptive Filter Application for the Safety of Detecting Lung Sound on the Ambulance

This study investigates the priority of the auscultation on the ambulance. On the point of physics view, the electrical noise cancellation is simpler than mechanical one. Therefore, the difficulties of the measurement the physiological sounds are more than that of physiological electrical signals. Therefore, the medical doctors might practically consider the priority of the emergent measurement on the ambulance. This study presented the application of the traditional adaptive filter to reduce the interference of the sound of sirens (audible warnings) of the ambulance. The auscultation of respiration on the ambulance is usually different from that in clinic room. The environmental noise is much larger on the ambulance, especially, the sound from audible warnings. However, this study simulated the filtering effects of the adaptive filter for the lung sound auscultation on the ambulance. The results showed that the harmonics of the audible warning were completely cancelled, and the component of fundamental frequency of that was reduced from -30 dB to -60 dB. We proposed a simple time-domain method to enhance the respiration sound to support the higher quality auscultation information for medical doctors, and aimed at concurring the barriers to elevate the priority of the measurement on ambulance for meeting with the necessaries of medical diagnosis.

Electric compass aided global positioning system navigation for powered wheelchairs

Powered wheelchairs are an important mobility aid for the elderly and for persons with disability. According to World Health Organization statistics, most of the accidents were due to personal mistakes; if there is an auto-navigating system such as auxiliary, mistaken manipulation will decrease efficiency. This study attempted to improve the global positioning system (GPS) navigation of electric powered wheelchairs (EPWs) through the addition of an electric compass (EC) and tested the navigation of EPWs with EC-aided and non-EC-aided GPS navigation along a 25 m road. According to these tests, the use of the EC significantly reduces the errors in GPS navigation during movements such as go straight ahead, turn right and turn left. Therefore, the navigation reduced the error of the expected trajectories with the EC-aided navigation.

A multifrequency driving system for ultrasound hyperthermia

Compared with a single-frequency system, the multiple-frequency system has an additional function to combine power patterns of different frequencies. This function increases the availability of power patterns to treat various shapes and depths of tumors. Therefore, we proposed a system with the ability to drive ultrasonic phased arrays of multiple resonant frequencies for ultrasound hyperthermia.

Active radio frequency identification asset tags for positioning: an application of clustering and correlation technologies

This study presents an algorithm for a positioning system by using 5 active 433 MHz radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and a reader to identify the positions of targets, such as patients and wheelchairs, in buildings. The RFID tags were distributed near elevator exits on the second and third floors, and outside the doors of three laboratories in the building. An RFID reader was set in a wheelchair and connected to the Internet via a laptop. The different amplitudes recorded on each tag clearly identified the positions of the tags. Calculating the error of distances, the differences between self- and cross-correlation coefficients, and the K-means clustering of these tags enables dividing the space under surveillance into several adjoining regions. Thus, this approach effectuates enlarging the space which can be covered.

Standard Deviation Based Weighted Average Function for Reducing Tremor Disturbance of the Joystick

An algorithm of standard deviation based weighted average function (SDWAF) for reducing tremor disturbance was developed, and simulated to test the performance. The minus sign of modified rate meant the SDWAF reduced the tremor disturbance on the movement of powered wheelchair. The average modified rates were -21.93%, +11.68%, -12.85%, and, -18.30% in (a) with the tremor noise of 50 (the maximum value of joystick was 255) in X, and 20 in Y, (b) 75 in X, and 20 in Y, (c) 100 in X, and 20 in Y, and (d) 125 in X, and 20 in Y, respectively. Therefore, the SDWAF was a practical algorithm for reducing the tremor disturbance on the general joystick controlled powered wheelchair in the various environment.

The temperature distributions of bone tumor therapy using scanned focused ultrasound system

The temperature distributions of bone tumor therapy using scanned focused ultrasound hyperthermic system (SFUS) have been simulated. The power arrays in SFUS have been tilted, rotated, translated and convoluted to obtain the power distributions. The temperature distributions are calculated by 3-D bio-heat transfer equation (BHTE). The simulation results reveal that the overheating on bone occurs when tilt angle and rotation angle decrease, but when scanning radius toward the tumor increases.

Bulbs control in virtual reality by using leap motion somatosensory controlled switches

This study presented a Leap Motion somatosensory controlled switches. The switches were implemented by the relays. The “open” or “short” of the switching circuit were controlled by the sensing of the Leap Motion somatosensory module. The virtual switches on the screen have designed to be 5 circle buttons. When the sensing hand touched the circle buttons virtually, the programming language “Processing” sent the instruction codes to the Arduino MEGA module which gave the “high” and “low” signal to the transistor switches. Therefore, a four-channel Leap Motion somatosensory controlled switching module has been implemented. For testing the module, the bulbs have been connected with the switching module. Consequently, the “light” or “dark” of LED modules can be controlled by touching the virtual buttons on the screen.

Distant auscultation system for detecting lung sounds of patients on ambulances

The sound of the siren of the ambulance is for the safety of the road transportation, but interferes the auscultation of the lung and heart sounds. The system implementation is included by (1) ACER Aspire 17 notebook as a server in right side; (2) HwaWei Amazing A6 smart mobile as a hot point in the middle; and (3) ACER Aspire 5 notebook as a client which the settings include IP address of host computer, and client, read and, write privileges of the data sockets, and running of NI data socket manager, and data socket server. Therefore, the parameters in the real-time DAS are verified as the better ones to prepare for the services on the ambulance.