G. Biffi Gentili

Tomographic Reconstruction of Rainfall Fields through Microwave Attenuation Measurements

Abstract A new method is presented for estimating the space-time rainfall intensity distribution at ground level over a limited area. This is based on a tomographic technique that exploits the relationship between microwave attenuation and rainfall intensity. At each time step, the spatial distribution of rainfall intensity is calculated from a set of path-integrated microwave attenuation measurements, performed over the monitored area. A set of bilinear basis functions is used to reconstruct the rainfall space distribution from discrete samples. A recursive optimization technique is applied to solve the ill-conditioned system of linear algebraic equations providing the searched solution at each time stop, thus, obtaining an estimate of space-time distribution of rainfall intensity. This method is analyzed using computer simulated data, and various results are shown that validate the proposed tomographic technique. In particular a rainfall event is simulated over a 20 × 20 km2 plane area, assuming that pr...

Effect of practical layered dielectric loads on SAR patterns from dual concentric conductor microstrip antennas

Radiation patterns of 2 and 4cm square Dual Concentric Conductor (DCC) microstrip antennas were studied theoretically with Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) analysis and compared with experimental measurements of power deposition (SAR) in layered lossy dielectric loads. Single and array configurations were investigated with 915 MHz excitation applied across either one, two or four sides, or four corners of the square apertures. FDTD simulations were carried out for realistic models of a muscle tissue load coupled to the DCC antennas with a 5 mm thick bolus of either distilled water or low loss Silicone Oil. This study characterizes the effect on SAR of adding three additional thin dielectric layers which are necessary for clinical use of the applicator. These layers consist of a 0.1 mm thick dielectric coating on the array surface to provide electrical isolation of DCC apertures, and 0.15 mm thick plastic layers above and below the bolus to contain the liquid. Experimental measurements of SAR in a plane 1 cm deep in muscle phantom agree well with theoretical FDTD simulations in the multi-layered tissue models. These studies reveal significant changes in SAR for applicator configurations involving low dielectric constant (Er) layers on either side of a high Er water bolus layer. Prominent changes include a broadening and centring of the SAR under each aperture as well as increased SAR penetration in muscle. No significant differences are noted between the simple and complete load configurations for the low Er Silicone Oil bolus. Both theoretical and measured data demonstrate relatively uniform SAR distributions with > 50% of maximum SAR extending to the perimeter of single and multi-aperture array configurations of DCC applicators when using a thin 5 mm water or Silicone Oil bolus.

An RFId Smart Container to Perform Drugs Administration Reducing Adverse Drug Events

In this work is proposed an RFId drugs container to perform a correct link between patients and their medications. The system is designed to reduce the risk of Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) in the drugs administration process. Mechanical and electronic design details are discussed. The system is based on ISO 15693 standard in order to be compatible with most of the wristbands on the market.

Progress in Compact Multifunction Automotive Antennas

This paper reviews advances in vehicle mounted antennas developed into a long term R&D program in collaboration between the ASK Industries Group and the Microwave and Antenna Laboratory (LAM) of the University of Florence. Today an ever-increasing number of radio services have become available, therefore multifunction, multiband antenna systems are required. Examples are made of recently developed wideband, multi-band and multi-function automotive passive and active antenna systems for roof and internal mounting, designed to satisfy various attendant features such as compactness, radiation efficiency, robustness, aesthetic and aerodynamic profile and a low mass-production cost, that after all represents the most stringent requirement.

Broad Band Full Scan Coverage Dual Polarised Spherical Conformal Phased Array

Spherical conformal phased arrays of spiral antennas are proposed for obtaining full scan coverage and polarisation agility over a broad band. The spiral elements are randomly distributed on a spherical surface with uniform spatial density. The array scan performance is analysed at the varying of the number of elements and over an octave bandwidth from 1.5 to 3 GHz. Since mutual coupling between the antenna elements could be significant in determining the ultimate performance, the array radiation characteristics are evaluated by resorting to the active element pattern approach and the method of moments (MoM)..

Hospital health care offer. A monitoring multidisciplinar approach

The experience we are going to show here represents the synergic work of researchers coming from different cultural extractions: bioengineers, architects and physicians. The Monitoring System (called MonLAB) wanted by Careggi Hospital (Florence, Italy) together with University of Florence is supervising the process of deep rethinking of the hospital itself, started in 1999 and scheduled to end in 2010. To do this, we developed many procedures and ICT tools to achieve these main goals: time and cost monitoring, critical moments prevision and alerts generation, real-time control of hospital evolving estate in terms of beds, ambulatories, deposits, clinicians rooms, technologies and more.

Development of sustainable models for technology evaluation in hospital

BACKGROUND This paper reports the development of standard techniques for technology evaluation in hospital carried out at the Florence Teaching Hospital Careggi (AOUC), where, as a complex system, the technological evaluation is a strategic and essential element for the maintenance of high-quality clinical activity and maximization of available resources. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper has been the development of a system of economically sustainable models for the implementation of HTA and HS analyses in the hospital environment as well as presenting, in addition to a valid scientific resilience, the methodological and temporary flexibility to satisfy needs of hospital decision-makers. METHODS The evaluation models call for 3 main phases: an initial analysis of the in-hospital request, a collection of data, and finally a draft of a specific, easily usable set of reports. RESULTS Three standardized and tested models of evaluation were developed, which, in relation to the objective of the request and schedule of the assignment, provide for the production of a speedy report (1-week), an intermediate report (1-month), or a extensive report typical of classical studies of hospital based HTA (1-year). It is then related to the evaluation model of the IORT (Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy) technology. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSION The developed models have permitted the construction, using personnel and laboratories within the hospital, of an evaluation system reliable and responsive to the HOSPITALs temporary needs based on the HS and HTA analyses in the hospital environment. Regarding the applicable case of IORT, this has shown how in-hospital requests have been satisfied in the preset time: although it establishes expected improvements on the social effect and weight of the illness and reveals a high territorial strategic relevance, the introduction of IORT in the hospital presents some criticalities on the impact on the healthcare organization and the necessity of specific training of medical technologist personnel.

A hospital structural and technological performance indicators set

Management is one of the most complex subjects in the field of of health care systems. Indeed, the performance of an hospital is affected by plenty of factors, related to technology, organization and estate. Health centres have often been monitoring their operations by analyzing financial and operational reports provided, but organizational and technological aspects are sometimes pushed to the background. This paper describes a decision support system designed for hospital administrators to increase their analysis and management effectiveness.. Taking as a starting point recent researches, this study proposes a set of performance indicators, balancing organizational, structural and technological aspects, to be used together with widely adopted clinical indicators.

Full-Wave Modeling of Microwave Planar Reflection Sensors for Material Moisture Testing

The main design aspects of two new, nearly complementary, planar reflection sensors for material moisture content measurement in the industrial environment are reported in this paper. The former is structured as a resonant microstrip ring interacting with the material under test (MUT) mainly through evanescent near fields, while the latter consists of a cavity-backed slot that couples to the MUT by radiative near fields. The sub-surface sensor-MUT interaction is numerically modeled in both cases by resorting to a full-wave electromagnetic (EM) approach based on the method of moments (MOM). If compared to the usual quasi-static approach, this method allows a more physical insight about the field-target coupling phenomena and a better accuracy in extracting the observable electrical parameters. A comparison between the two sensor types was made in order to address each sensor to its specific application field. In particular, the parametric sensitivity of both sensors to the most frequently recurring measuring artifacts was numerically analyzed. Finally, a prototype for each sensor type was constructed and experimentally tested in order to validate the results of the EM simulation.

Hospital Based Economic Assessment of Robotic Surgery

The aim of the following paper is reporting the hospital based assessment of robotic surgery at the teaching hospital AOU Careggi in Florence (Italy). The analysis was mainly focused on the economic assessment of robotic surgery at the hospital context by evaluating different acquisition simulated scenarios and by comparing two different robotic solutions: the daVinci© and the Kymerax©.