Craig A. Lehmann

Identification of renal calculi by computerized infrared spectroscopy

A method is described for the assessment of renal calculi by means of a computerized IR spectrometer. A preliminary reference library of IR spectra of 34 different renal calculi of known composition has been created. The reference library used in the operation of a computerized search program indicates the closest matches in the reference library data with the IR spectrum of an unknown sample. The computerized method of characterizing renal calculi has the advantage that it greatly reduces the likelihood of introducing errors because of operator bias in the subjective interpretation of spectral data.

Impact of Telehealth on Healthcare Utilization by Congestive Heart Failure Patients

BackgroundAdvances in telehealth are proving to be extremely conducive to effective management of congestive heart failure (CHF) and other disease states, particularly in ambulatory settings. In order to assess the impact of telehealth on healthcare utilization in CHF patients, telehealth technology was introduced into a demonstration project established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Demonstration projects examine health delivery factors that encourage the delivery of improved quality of care and have already implemented protocols to evaluate methods to improve quality of care and reduce expenditures provided to Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions (including methods to permit Medicare beneficiaries to direct their own healthcare needs and services). This study, funded in June of 2002 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services, focused on The Jewish Home & Hospital Services, Lifecare Plus (New York, NY, USA), one of the US’s federally funded national demonstration projects. The study measured the impact of managing CHF patients via telehealth technology on overall healthcare utilization, physician office visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospital readmissions.MethodsTo be eligible for the Jewish Home & Hospital Services Lifecare Plus demonstration project, patients had to be aged ≥65 years, have both Medicare parts A & B, have had at least three doctor visits or one hospitalization in the previous 12 months, reside at a Manhattan or Bronx address in New York, and have one of the following diagnoses: heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, lung disease, vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, psychotic major depression or anxiety, cancer, Alzheimer disease, or dementia. This particular study included 20 homebound CHF patients, of whom 10 were in the telehealth study group and 10 were in the control group.ResultsThe findings demonstrated that patients managing their CHF via telehealth technology decreased their overall utilization of healthcare resources by 41% (p = 0.00183). Physician office visits decreased by 43% (p = 0.00253), ED visits by 33% (p = 0.3770), and hospitalizations by 29% (p = 0.3872).ConclusionsThe significant reduction in overall healthcare utilization and physician office visits demonstrate that this technology could offer significant cost savings for long-term disease management and could offer clinicians a new form of service delivery that may improve the quality of care. Hopefully, the outcomes of this study will serve as a catalyst for future larger studies, thus reducing the obvious limitations associated with small studies such as this one.

The Quantitation of Lecithin, Sphingomyelin and Their Ratios by Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract We describe a new method for measuring lecithin and its ratio to sphingomyelin with the use of infrared spectrophotometry. The method offers quantitation of lecithin, and sphingomyelin and their ratios, in approximately two hours, without the use of thin layer chromatography. Once the extraction of phospholipids is completed, an infrared spectral scan from 4000 to 400 (cm′) is obtained from which two peaks are measured and quantitated for lecithin and sphingomyelin and their ratios.

Wireless Infant Monitoring Device for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome

A wireless Infant Monitoring Device has been developed as a preventive measure against sudden infant death syndrome. It measures the sleep position, respiratory rate and body temperature of an infant as well as its surrounding carbon monoxide concentration. Those data are considered as the risk factors of the sudden infant death syndrome. They are analyzed on board and results are transmitted to a remote server via Wi-Fi. Alarms will be triggered if any of the monitored parameters is beyond the preset limits. The system was tested on an infant manikin driven by an infant ventilator. Test outcomes demonstrated that it can reliably measure respiratory rate down to the low respiratory pressure of 3 mmHg peak to peak in addition to the infant position, temperature and carbon monoxide concentration. The device can be easily integrated into cloud service to enhance its features with its wireless communication capabilities.

Isclation of Lecithin and Sphingomyelin from Lipid Mixtures for Quantitation by Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract A new procedure for the determination of lecithin and sphingomyelin in amniotic fluid is described. rapid column chromatography in the sample preparation steps with computer-assisted infrared spectroscopy in the final determination. Lipids are extracted from amniotic fluid with a chloroform/methanol solvent. The organic layer is separated and evaporated to dryness. The residue is The new method couples the use of simple, redissolved i n chloroforn and Fassed through a hydroxyapatite column to remove interfering constituents. The complete isolation cflecithin and sphingomyelin fror other li Fidsis confimec by both infrared spectroscopy and thin layer chronatcgrayhy.