Kotaro Minato

Warming-activated channels of warm-sensitive neurons in rat hypothalamic slices

In mammals, multiple thermostats in several brain areas, e.g. the preoptic area and anterior hypothalamus (POAH), may regulate core temperature. In these areas, warm-sensitive (WS) and cold-sensitive (CS) neurons have been recorded. In our previous study, we proposed that primary WS and CS neurons act as multiple thermostats having threshold temperatures as target temperatures of regulation. Here we investigated ionic basis of WS neurons in rat POAH slices with patch-clamp technique. In whole-cell current-clamp recordings, warming above threshold temperatures induced depolarization (receptor potential), leading to spike generation. Whole-cell voltage-clamp and cell-attached patch recordings indicated that warming-activated non-selective cation channels underlie the receptor potential and spike generation. We conclude that the warming-activated channel in primary WS neurons is a key factor of thermostats.

PACS Development At Kyoto University Hospital: Toward integrating digital imaging modalities.

The PACS project at Kyoto University Hospital in 1988 is reported in this paper. The old PAC system (KIDS: Kyoto univ. hosp. Image Database and communication System) developed since 1985 was reorganized and has been expanded to include several major digital imaging modalities such as X-ray CT, MRI, DSA and CR. The purpose of the new system (new KIDS) is to achieve the film-less environment in the field of neuro-radiology and evaluate the feasibility of the hospital wide PAC system. System configuration and present status are described. The newly designed fiber optic local area network and the new high-speed image workstation with 6 CRT screens are also mentioned.

Present status and performance of PACS at Kyoto University Hospital

A pilot PACS project, named KIDS, has been running in Kyoto University Hospital. The purpose of the system is to establish a small PACS that includes all digital imaging modalities and to evaluate it. The project has been continued from the first phase (KIDS-1) to the second phase (KIDS-2). In the first phase, a small-scale PACS was developed. In the second phase, the expansion of coverage of modalities and completion of the image database was intended. At present, the database contains image data of 16264 patients amounting to 150 Gbytes. Simulation of the retrieval process to the database shows that 154.3 s per patient is required for retrieving his/her entire image data. This calculated value is close to the actual time.

Clinical evaluation of 99mTc-pyrophosphate myocardial emission computed tomography: Comparison with planar imaging

To depict the three-dimensional distribution of 99mTc-pyrophosphate in the heart, emission computed tomography (ECT) was performed, following the conventional planar imaging, in 32 cases with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There were 23 cases with evidence of AMI, 7 with unstable angina (UA), and 2 with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). While the planar images showed discrete cardiac activity in only 11 of the 23 cases (48%) with AMI, the ECT images delineated focal myocardial uptake clearly in 20 of them (87%). On the other hand, the ECT images revealed cardiac blood-pool activity without significant myocardial uptake in all cases with UA and DCM in which the planar images showed diffuse activity. Thus, the ECT imaging of 99mTc-pyrophosphate seems to be a valuable technique for assessing the presence and localization of myocardial necrosis, especially in cases showing diffuse cardiac activity in the planar imaging.

Off-line image exchange between two PACS modules using the "ISAC" magneto-optical disk

In order to exchange digital imaging data between two independent PACS modules, the ISAC (Image Save And Carry: JPACS/MEDIS-DC) formatted 130-mm magneto-optical disk (MOD) was used as an interchangeable off-line data transferring and recording medium. This system can provide the means for connecting distributed image databases and is useful for clinical studies.

Present status of PACS at Kyoto University Hospital: image workstation for clinical education

The PAC system: KIDS (Kyoto University Hospital Image Database and Communication System) has been expanded to include several major digital imaging modalities such as X-ray CT, MRI, DSA and CR. The fiber optic high-speed local area network and the workstation with quick image handling are newly designed. The system (new KIDS) is intended to achieve a film-less environment in the department of radiology and to evaluate the feasibility of a hospital-wide PAC system. The present status of the system at the end of 1989 including a image workstation installed in a lecture hall for clinical education is described.

Role Of Image Based Information In Patient Care: Problem Definition Pathology And Laboratory Medicine

Histological image and ECG are the typical image based information in pathology and laboratory medicine. In this paper, two image based subsystems for histological and ECG examinations in a hospital information network of Kyoto university are described.

Parameter estimation of radiocardiogram using a minicomputer

Radiocardiography has been widely used as a method for the quantification of cardiac output by applying the principle of the dye dilution method. This paper deals with an automatic analyzing system of radiocardiograms and a parameter estimation procedure using a linear system made up of four compartments with two time delays as a model of transport process in the blood circulatory system. The parameter estimation procedure named the window method in frequency domain is very effective for shortening the computing time and can be easily performed using a minicomputer. Parameter sensitivity analysis is also applied to study behavior of parameters on the model. Some analyzed results of radiocardiograms are shown and it is verified that the procedure is sufficiently useful and efficient for routine clinical use.

Parameter Estimation of Radiocardiogram Using a Minicomputer

Abstract Radiocardiography has been widely used as a method for the quantification of cardiac output by applying the principle of the dye dilution method. In this paper, an efficient least square parameter estimation procedure in a frequency domain for a linear system with time delays, which is the model of transport process appearing in the radiocardiogram, is shown. The procedure is based on properties of Fourier transformation and a concept of a feature space, and parameter sensitivity analysis is applied to study behavior of parameters on the model. Some analyzed results of radiocardiograms are shown and it is verified that the procedure is sufficiently useful and efficient for routine clinical use.

Comparison between three human-interfaces in hospital information system

Abstract In this report, we describe a quantitative method to evaluate human-computer interaction (HCI) for the direct prescription order entry system in the hospitals. This method is based on a GOMS-like cognitive model for the interaction and the model is represented by a tree structure of five layers on goal-task hierarchies. Three different interfaces at university hospitals were compared by this method and the differences (similarity) among them were measured.