Hollow Needles Research Articles

Enhancing Efficiency in Meniscal Repair: A Novel In-House Vacuum Suction Technique for Suture Loading in Long Hollow Needles and Devices

Enhancing Efficiency in Meniscal Repair: A Novel In-House Vacuum Suction Technique for Suture Loading in Long Hollow Needles and Devices

Study on recrystallization process of nitroguanidine by directly adding cold water to control temperature

Abstract Nitroguanidine (NGu), as a kind of high-energy material, is widely used as explosive propellant and energy component of explosives and smokeless powder. However, NGu crystals prepared by crystallization process are hollow and long needles, and their bulk density and bombing performance are greatly limited due to the high energy density at the tip, large porosity, and poor fluidity. Surprisingly, the particle size and morphology of NGu can effectively be improved by the recrystallization process. In this article, the recrystallization process by directly adding cold water to control temperature is first proposed, aiming to improve the morphological characteristics and reduce the particle size of NGu. Through single factor experimental research, the influences of various operating parameters on the morphology and particle size of NGu during recrystallization process were studied in detail. The results showed that the smallest average particle size of NGu was 19.8 μm when the crude NGu concentration, cold water temperature, volume ratio of boiling to cold water, stirring speed, and polyvinyl alcohol concentration were 5 g/100 mL, 0°C, 1:1, 800 rpm, and 0.35 g/100 mL, respectively. Correspondingly, the morphology of NGu was short rod, which was helpful to improve the bulk density. This novel recrystallization process has great potential to improve the NGu morphological characteristics, providing a new idea for the preparation of military NGu with small particle size and high bulk density.

3D-Printed Latticed Microneedle Array Patches for Tunable and Versatile Intradermal Delivery.

Using high-resolution 3D printing, a novel class of microneedle array patches (MAPs) is introduced, called latticed MAPs (L-MAPs). Unlike most MAPs which are composed of either solid structures or hollow needles, L-MAPs incorporate tapered struts that form hollow cells capable of trapping liquid droplets. The latticestructures can also be coated with traditional viscous coating formulations, enabling both liquid- and solid-state cargo delivery, on a single patch. Here, a library of 43 L-MAP designs is generated and in-silico modeling is used to down-select optimal geometries for further characterization. Compared to traditionally molded and solid-coated MAPs, L-MAPs can load more cargo with fewer needles per patch, enhancing cargo loading and drug delivery capabilities. Further, L-MAP cargo release kinetics into the skin can be tuned based on formulation and needle geometry. In this work, the utility of L-MAPs as a platform is demonstrated for the delivery of small molecules, mRNA lipid nanoparticles, and solid-state ovalbumin protein. In addition, the production of programmable L-MAPs is demonstrated with tunablecargo release profiles, enabled by combining needle geometries on a single patch.

The combination of modified acupuncture needle and melittin hydrogel as a novel therapeutic approach for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves chronic joint inflammation. Combining acupuncture and medication for RA treatment faces challenges like spatiotemporal variability, limited drug loading in acupuncture needles, and premature or untargeted drug release. Here, we designed a new type of tubular acupuncture needles, with an etched hollow honeycomb-like structure to enable the high loading of therapeutics, integrating the traditional acupuncture and drug repository into an all-in-one therapeutic platform. In these proof-of-concept experiments, we fabricated injectable hollow honeycomb electroacupuncture needles (HC-EA) loaded with melittin hydrogel (MLT-Gel), enabling the combination treatment of acupuncture stimulation and melittin therapy in a spatiotemporally synchronous manner. Since the RA microenvironment is mildly acidic, the acid-responsive chitosan (CS)/sodium beta-glycerophosphate (β-GP)/ hyaluronic acid (HA) composited hydrogel (CS/GP/HA) was utilized to perform acupuncture stimulation and achieve the targeted release of injected therapeutics into the specific lesion site. Testing our therapeutic platform involved a mouse model of RA and bioinformatics analysis. MLT-Gel@HC-EA treatment restored Th17/Treg-mediated immunity balance, reduced inflammatory factor release (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), and alleviated inflammation at the lesion site. This novel combination of modified acupuncture needle and medication, specifically melittin hydrogel, holds promise as a therapeutic strategy for RA treatment.Graphical abstract

Electrolyte-plasma surface hardening of hollow steel applicator needles for point injection of liquid mineral fertilizers

<abstract> <p>This paper presents the results of research on the effect of electrolyte-plasma hardening on tribological and mechanical properties of hollow needles of 12Kh18N10Т steel applicators for liquid fertilizer application. For the application of liquid fertilizers for processing and testing, the hollow needles of the applicator are made of 12Kh18N10Т steel of cylindrical shape with a diameter of 20 mm. To ensure uniformity of the hardening process, the part was rotated clockwise during the entire procedural cycle. To reveal the influence of the sample rotation speed on the uniform surface hardening, an experiment was conducted for three applicators with rotation speeds of 4, 6, and 8 rev/min. As a result of electrolyte-plasma surface hardening (EPSH), the phase composition of the specimen's surface is characterized by the presence of austenite (γ-Fe) and ferrite (α-Fe). It is revealed that the maximum value of microhardness after EPSH is 2 times higher than the initial value. According to the results of the performed works, the contract on application of tests in field conditions and revealing of perspectivity of needle applicators for liquid fertilizers application was concluded.</p> </abstract>

Nanoscale assembly of enantiomeric supramolecular gels driven by the nature of solvents.

Understanding the key parameters that control the self-assembly process is critical to predict self-assembly modes in multi-component systems, which will lead to the development of nanofibrous materials with tuneable properties. Enantiomeric amino acid-based low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) were mixed in polar (polar protic) and aromatic apolar (aromatic) solvents and compared to their individual counterparts to probe the effect of solvent polarity on the self-assembly process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that xerogels of individual components display hollow needles in polar protic solvents, while chiral coils are observed in aromatic solvents. In contrast, the multi-component gel displays hollow needle morphologies in both solvents, indicating similar morphologies in polar protic solvents but an entirely different nanostructure for the individual gel networks in aromatic solvents. PXRD experiments performed on the dried gels showed that the nature of the solvents plays a vital role in the co-assembly process of multi-component gels. The self-assembly modes and the gel state structure of the gels are analysed by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS) and small-angle neutron diffraction (SANS), which reveals that the mixed gel undergoes different co-assembly modes depending on the nature of the solvent systems. This study shows that different co-assembly modes can be achieved for structurally similar components by varying the solvent polarity, demonstrating the importance of solvent choice in the self-assembly process of multi-component gels.

Force decomposition and toughness estimation from puncture experiments in soft solids.

Several medical applications, like drug delivery and biosensing, are critically preceded by the insertion of needles and microneedles into biological tissue. However, the mechanical process of needle insertions, especially at high velocities, is currently not fully understood. Here, we explore the insertion of hollow needles into transparent silicone samples with an insertion velocity v ranging from 0.1 mm s-1 to 2.3 m s-1 (with needle radius R = 101.5 μm, thus strain rates ∼v/R ranging from 1 s-1 to 2.3 × 104 s-1). We use a double-insertion method, where the needle is inserted and re-inserted at the same location, to estimate the fracture properties of the material. The deflection of the specimen's free surface is found to be different between insertion and re-insertion experiments for identical needle positions, which is associated with different force magnitudes between insertion/reinsertion. This aspect was previously neglected in the original double-insertion method, thus here we develop a method based on imaging, image analyses and force measurements to decompose the measured force into individual force components, including deflection force Fd, frictional and spreading force Ff + Fs, and cutting force Ft. We estimate that the toughness Γ of our silicone samples, calculated using the cutting force Ft and the crack dimensions, increases with needle velocity, and ranges within observed values in previous literature for the same material and for some soft biological materials. In addition to toughness Γ, other parameters, such as critical force Fc and mechanical work Wc, also show strain-rate dependence, suggesting tissue stiffening, due to accumulated strain energy, at high speeds.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE AUTOPSY - AN ADVANCED TECHNIQUE IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF DEATH

Complete diagnostic autopsy (CDA) is the gold standard in determining the cause of death. However, according to the statistics of the World Health Organization, the practice of CDA has been on a dramatic decline in high - income countries or has not been recorded consistently in low - and middle - income countries, including Vietnam, for the last few decades. This is due to capacity and resource issues as well as cultural and religious factors regarding management of corpses. As a result, the development of quick, less invasive procedures becomes necessary in order to improve the statistics of cause of death worldwide. One such procedure that has the potential to serve as an alternative to complete diagnostic autopsy is minimally invasive autopsy (MIA). This procedure involves using hollow needles to take samples from different tissues and fluids from key organs before combining histology and microbiology to determine the cause of death. This paper aims to explore this novel procedure as well as its potential in becoming the dominant post - mortem examination, especially in the context of infectious causes of death.

Electrospinning spinneret: A bridge between the visible world and the invisible nanostructures

Electrospinning spinneret: A bridge between the visible world and the invisible nanostructures

The first cataract extraction operations

Abstract.The first written record of cataract surgery dates back to 2250 BC, when King Hammurabi of Babylon created a law regarding the outcome of cataract surgery. The first detailed description of cataract surgery was written by an Indian ophthalmologist Maharishi Sushruta in the sixth century BC. Sushruta performed the first couching - reclining operations. "Couching" means that the blurred lens is embedded in the vitreous, or fundus of the eye. At that time, because the scientists had no idea about the structure of the lens and the pathogenesis of the cataract, they believed that the cataract was a membrane in the pupil area and tried to cut it. They wanted to enter the anterior camera with a sharp instrument and tear the "membrane". In the 10th century AD, the Iraqian ophthalmologist Ammar Al-Mawsili began using a new method in cataract surgery - the "suction" method. Ammar Al-Mawsili was the first to say that cataract is blurring of the lens. Ammar ibn Ali Al-Mawsili first invented a hollow thin metal needles with sharp points for syringes. Through that needle, Ammar entered the eye through the sclera behind the limbus and suctioned out the contents of the soft cataract. These operations performed by Ammar Al-Mawsili are considered to be the first successful extraction operations in the history of ophthalmology. In 1748, Jacques Daviel made a right-sided widely corneal incision, passed through the pupil with a small spatula, and extracted the lens from the posterior chamber. CONCLUSION. Cataract extraction, that is, operations based on removing the clouded lens from the eye rather than destroying it inside the eye, was first performed by Ammar ibn Ali Al-Mosuli. Today's cataract surgery is based on Jacques Daviell's extraction technique. But as modern ophthalmology advances, the ultimate goal of ophthalmic surgeons is to reduce the size of the incision for removing the cloudy lens to the size of a needle tip. This means that cataract surgery has progressed from the Daviel technique to the Ammar technique.

High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy as an Organ-Sparing Treatment for Early Penile Cancer.

Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is an effective organ-sparing treatment for patients with early-stage penile cancer. However, only limited data are available on the role of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in this clinical setting. Between 2002 and 2020, 31 patients with early penile cancer were treated at our center with interstitial HDR BT at a dose of 18 × 3 Gy twice daily. A breast brachytherapy template was used for the fixation of stainless hollow needles. The median follow-up was 117.5 months (range, 5-210). Eight patients (25.8%) developed a recurrence; of these, seven were salvaged by partial amputation. Six patients died of internal comorbidities or a second cancer. The probability of local control at 5 and 10 years was 80.7% (95% CI: 63.7-97.7%) and 68.3% (95% CI: 44.0-92.6%), respectively. Cause-specific survival was 100%. Only one case of radiation-induced necrosis was observed. The probability of penile sparing at 5 and 10 years was 80.6% (95% CI: 63.45-97.7%) and 62.1% (95% CI: 34.8-89.4%), respectively. These results show that HDR-BT for penile cancer can achieve results comparable to LDR-BT with organ sparing. Despite the relatively large patient cohort-the second largest reported to date in this clinical setting-prospective data from larger samples are needed to confirm the role of HDR-BT in penile cancer.

3D Printing of Polytetrafluoroethylene Hollow Needles for Medical Applications

3D Printing of Polytetrafluoroethylene Hollow Needles for Medical Applications

A self-supporting bifunctional catalyst electrode made of amorphous and porous CoP3 nanoneedle array: exhaling during overall water splitting

The current bottleneck that clean energy cannot be fully utilized is that grid-level energy storage technology is still expensive. To become the energy storage link for clean energy usage, it is necessary to find electrodes with low cost and high energy conversion efficiency for hydrogen production by water splitting. In this article, we provide a strategy to make an electrode with the excellent catalyst of amorphous and porous CoP3, which is shaped into hollow needles. The porous structure fully exposes the active sites, amorphization modulates the electronic environment and accelerates the gas desorption process. The geometric gradient of the electrode's needle shape leads to Laplace force acting on the catalytic process: gas attached on the surface can be driven to coalesce and detach due to the conversion of excess surface energy into kinetic energy. The general consideration about dehydrogenation overpotential and degassing overpotential makes our final electrodes as both anode and cathode of overall water-splitting device exhibit an excellent catalytic performance with a partial current density over 1 A cm−2, even better than the asymmetrical precious metals benchmark Pt/C || RuO2 pair.

Needles in the Pay Stack ADNOC Exploring Tight-Oil Rock, Triples Production In First Pilot

In the midst of an industry downturn last year, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) reached a new oil production ceiling of 4 million B/D. The UAE’s largest producer has no intentions of slowing down. By decade’s end, ADNOC expects to have raised its maximum daily output by another million barrels. To cross that milestone, the company has set its sights on mastering the tight, thin, and unconventional formations that dot the UAE’s subsurface landscape. One of the places where such developments are hoped to unfold soon is known as Field Q. Found in southeastern Abu Dhabi, Field Q sits above a tight carbonate reservoir that holds an estimated 600 million bbl of oil. But with a permeability ranging from 1 to 3 millidarcy and poor vertical communication, the reservoir and its barrels have proven difficult to cultivate economically - until recently. ADNOC has published new details of its first onshore pilot of a “fishbone stimulation” that involved using more than a hundred hollow needles to pierce as far as 40 ft into the reservoir rock. The additional drainage netted by the fishbone needles boosted production threefold in the test well, as compared with its traditionally completed neighbors on the same pad. ADNOC ran the pilot in the summer of 2019 and by the end of the year saw enough production data to launch a wider 10-well pilot that remains underway. Based on a longer-term data set from these wells, the company will decide whether to leap into a fieldwide deployment of the niche completions technology. In the meantime, the petrotechnical team in charge of the test projects have issued roundly positive reviews of the fishbone technique in two recently presented technical papers (SPE 202636; SPE 203086) from the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC). “There is a chance that the fishbone-stimulated wells can avoid the drilling of multiple wells targeting different sublayers in the same zone,” said Rama Rao Rachapudi, listing one of several of the technology’s advantages over other approaches that were considered. The senior petroleum engineer with ADNOC, who is one of several authors of the papers that cover both the drilling and completions aspects of the pilot, shared during ADIPEC that his onshore team found motivation to test the technology after bringing in a batch of dis-mal appraisal wells. The fishbone system, also known as multilateral jetting stimulation technology, has been a specialized application ever since it was introduced just over a decade ago. Underscoring the potential impact of the current round of pilots on the technology’s adoption rate, ADNOC noted there were only around 30 worldwide fishbone deployments prior to this project. Most of those have been in the Middle East’s naturally fractured and layered carbonate formations - just like those of Field Q.

Bevel angle study of flexible hollow needle insertion into biological mimetic soft-gel: Simulation and experimental validation

BackgroundA thorough understanding of cutting-edge geometry and cutting forces of hollow biopsy needles are required to optimise needle tip design to improve fine needle aspiration procedures. ObjectivesTo incorporate the dynamics of needle motion in a model for flexible hollow bevel tipped needle insertion into a biological mimetic soft-gel using parameters obtained from experimental work. Additionally, the models will be verified against corresponding needle insertion experiments. MethodsTo verify simulation results, needle deflection and insertion forces were compared with corresponding experimental results acquired with an in-house developed needle insertion mechanical system. Additionally, contact stress distribution on needles from agar gel for various time scales were also studied. ResultsFor the 15°, 30°, 45°, 60° bevel angle needles, and 90° blunt needle, the percentage error in needle deflection of each needle compared to experiments, were 7.3%, 9.9%, 8.6%, 7.8%, and 9.7% respectively. Varying the bevel angle at the needle tip demonstrates that the needle with a lower bevel angle produces the largest deflection, although the insertion force does not vary too much among the tested bevel angles. ConclusionThis experimentally verified computer-based simulation model could be used as an alternative tool for better understanding the needle-tissue interaction to optimise needle tip design towards improved biopsy efficiency.

Cryoablation of goiter irrespective of thyroid profile

Abstract Background Thyroid nodules are extremely common. By age 60, about one-half of all people have a thyroid nodule. Cryoablation is used in a variety of clinical applications, using hollow needles (cryoprobes). Cryoprobes are inserted into or placed adjacent to diseased tissue which is desired to be ablated. Aim of work To evaluate the effect of Cryoablation on the size & function of thyroid noduleWhich may replace the need for surgery or radiotherapy. Patients & methods This is an interventional therapeutic study, conducted in Ain-Shams University hospitals; endocrinology clinic. Our study sample included 80 subjects, age between 20 & 60, having thyroid nodule diagnosed by ultrasound. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 included 40 subjects “control group” who were not subjected to cryoablation. Group 2 included 40 subjects “cases” upon which cryoablation was done. Neck ultrasound was done for subjects & they were sampled for their TSH, free T4 & free T3 levels at start and after 3 & 6 months. Results There was high statistical significant difference between group 1 & group 2 regarding nodule size after 6 months. Group 1 showed mean nodule size (0.89 cm ± 0.25 SD) while group 2 showed (0.62 cm ± 0.35 SD),(p-value<0.001). Non-thyrotoxic cases were 6 times more liable to show nodule size reduction, from 0-6 months, more than thyrotoxiccases, which shows thyrotoxicosis as a factor against nodule size reduction in significant statistical relation. Females were more liable than males, to show nodule size reduction. There was no statistical significant difference between cases & controls regarding TSH, free T4 nor free T3 values, before study, at 3 months nor after 6 months. Conclusions Cryoablation causes nodule size reduction, especially after 2nd session. Cryoablation doesn’t affect thyroid function tests, all through our study.

A resistance-sensing mechanical injector for the precise delivery of liquids to target tissue.

The precision of the delivery of therapeutics to the desired injection site by using syringes and hollow needles typically depends on the operator. Here, we introduce a highly sensitive, completely mechanical and cost-effective injector for targeting tissue reliably and precisely. As the operator pushes on the syringe plunger, the injector senses the loss-of-resistance on encountering a softer tissue or a cavity, stops advancing the needle, and delivers the payload. We demonstrate that the injector can reliably deliver liquids to the suprachoroidal space — a challenging injection site that provides access to the back of the eye — for a wide range of eye sizes, scleral thicknesses and intraocular pressures, and to target sites relevant for epidural injections, subcutaneous injections and intraperitoneal access. The design of this simple and effective injector can be adapted for a broad variety of clinical applications.

High-Dose Rate Brachyther-apy in the Treatment of Early Stages of Penile Carcinoma.

Interstitial low dose rate brachyther-apy is established organ spar-ing treatment of T1- T2penile carcinoma. Experience with high-dose rate brachyther-apy is limited in this indication. Twenty-six patients with early penile carcinoma were treated by high-dose rate brachyther-apy at dose 18×3Gy per fraction twice daily between 2002- 2018at the Department of Oncology and Radiother-apy, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove. Breast interstitial brachyther-apy template was used for fixation and precise geometry reconstruction of stainless hollow needles. Median follow up was 85months (range 7- 200months). Acute reaction usually consisted of grade 2mucositis that dissolved dur-ing 8weeks after the treatment. Local recurrence occurred in 6patients, 5of them were successfully treated with partial amputation. One patient had anodal recurrence successfully salvaged by lymphadenectomy. One patient developed necrosis of the glans requir-ing partial amputation. Currently, there are 24patients alive without signs of dis-ease. One patient died of cardiac comorbidity, one died of duplicate lung cancer. Nineteen patients have apreserved penis (73%), 18of them sexually active before treatment report satisfactory intercourse. Hyperfractionated interstitial high-dose rate brachyther-apy with 18×3Gy per fraction twice daily is apromis-ing method in selected patients with penile carcinoma and deserves further evaluation in alarger prospective study. Key words penile neoplasms-  conservative treatment-  brachyther-apy This work was supported by programm Progres Q40. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 8. 1. 2019 Accepted: 15. 1. 2019.

Analysis of reported work accidents involving healthcare workers and exposure to biological materials.

Work accidents pose the most risk to the health of workers and thus represent a considerable public health problem. To establish the epidemiological profile of healthcare workers who were victims of accidents involving biological materials in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2017. Cross-sectional descriptive study based on reports of work accidents involving exposure to biological materials included in the epidemiological surveillance database of the Municipal Secretariat of Health of Canoas. 121 work accidents involving exposure to biological materials occurred in 2017. Accidents prevailed among females (93.4%), whites (69.4%) and workers aged 20 to 30 years old (40.5%). Percutaneous exposure was associated with 76.8% of accidents, blood was the most prevalent biological material involved (90%) and hollow needles the main causative agent (64.5%). Gloves were the most frequently worn piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) (75.2%). About 93.4% of the sample was vaccinated against hepatitis B. Habits long consolidated in daily practice need to be reviewed, including training on correct use of PPE and adoption of precautions in all stages of care delivery.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation with perioperative multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy—A feasibility study

PurposeTo assess the feasibility of high-dose-rate perioperative multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in selected patients with early breast cancer. Methods and MaterialsPerioperative multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy for APBI has been used at our department since 2012 for patients with low-risk breast cancer. Interstitial catheters were inserted perioperatively via hollow needles immediately following tumorectomy with sentinel node biopsy. APBI started on Day 6 after surgery. The prescribed dose was 34 Gy (10 fractions of 3.4 Gy bid). Hormonal therapy was prescribed in all cases. ResultsBetween June 2012 and December 2017, 125 patients were scheduled for APBI. Of these, APBI was not performed in 12 patients (9.6%) due to adverse prognostic factors identified on the definitive biopsy. We observed wound dehiscence in 2/113 cases (1.8%), inflammatory complications requiring antibiotics in 7/113 cases (6.2%), transient Grade I radiodermatitis in 6/113 patients (4.4%), and seroma which resolved spontaneously in 3/113 patients (2.7%). With median followup of 39 months (range 3.3–75.3) no relapses were observed. No late complications in Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 or higher were documented. Cosmetic outcome in patients with followup > 2 years was excellent or good in 92%. ConclusionOur preliminary results show that the perioperative multicatheter interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy for APBI in selected patients with early breast cancer is feasible. This treatment schedule reduces treatment duration, spares the patients of repeated anesthesia, and enables precise application of the afterloading tubes under direct visual control.