Pocket-sized Device Research Articles

The Usefulness of Portable Echo in the Preoperative Mapping of Lymphaticovenular Anastomosis.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a pocket-sized ultrasound device in preoperative planning for lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) to enhance lymphedema treatment outcomes. A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 patients who underwent LVA for secondary upper extremity lymphedema between June 2020 and August 2022. Patients were categorized into two groups: the ultrasound group, which used a pocket-sized device (Vscan Air), for preoperative vein identification, and a control group that did not. Preoperative lymphatic mapping was performed using indocyanine green lymphography, and suitable veins for anastomosis were identified using ultrasound. Upper extremity lymphedema index and incision length were compared. Participants in the ultrasound group had a shorter average incision length (2.85 ± 0.48 cm) than those in the control group (3.23 ± 0.78 cm, p = 0.038), indicating a more targeted and minimally invasive approach. Although volume reduction rates were not significantly different, the pocket ultrasound device facilitated more precise vein selection, enhancing surgical planning. Pocket-sized ultrasound devices provide a cost-effective and practical solution for vein identification during LVA, particularly in resource-limited settings. While high-frequency ultrasound offers superior resolution, portable devices could become standard tools for lymphatic surgery with continued technological advancement.

Non-Optical, Label-free Electrical Capacitance Imaging of Microorganisms.

Microbes live in diverse environments, and occupy biological roles across many timescales. Investigating the full scope of microbial activity requires imaging systems appropriate to each context. Though optical microscopy is powerful, the use of light, lenses, and other hardware limits where it can be applied. At the same time, existing non-optical imaging methods are frequently destructive to samples and require extensive equipment. In this paper we present a non-optical imaging system that is small, cheap, requires no sample labeling, and is compatible with a variety of microbial species. Our system uses semiconductor chips to measure the inherent material properties of a sample with spatial sensitivity, producing images of microbes contrasted against their environment and each other. Our technique captures label-free, micrometer-resolution images with a pocket-sized device, enabling microbiological imaging experiments in new environments with new species.

Retro-Plus Portable Gaming Console

The Indian E-sports gaming industry is burgeoning, with a market value of nearly 2000 crores and rapid expansion. This growth primarily targets the younger generation's preference for high-priced online games that necessitate a sophisticated gaming setup. Introducing the Retro-Plus Portable Gaming Console, a compact pocket-sized device enabling players to enjoy classic 90s video games without the need for internet connectivity or elaborate configurations. Amidst the resurgence of retro gaming, we explore a cost-effective alternative by harnessing the power of Raspberry Pi boards equipped with RetroPie emulator systems. Comparing various retro gaming consoles with RetroPie, we showcase the versatility and affordability of this solution. Utilizing RetroPie software tailored for Raspberry Pi, our project demonstrates seamless emulation of classic games from platforms like Nintendo, Sega, and Atari. By connecting Raspberry Pi to a monitor and controllers, users access a diverse library of nostalgic titles. This initiative involves setting up Raspberry Pi with requisite software, configuring controllers, and adding game ROMs. RetroPie's comprehensive emulator collection ensures smooth gameplay, enhanced by Raspberry Pi's processing capabilities and video output. The Retro-Plus Gaming Console outshines traditional retro systems by consolidating games onto a single device, fostering customization, and facilitating internet connectivity for multiplayer gaming and updates. Keywords: Raspberry Pi, Gaming Console, Retro Gaming,affordability, versatility

The ability of a handheld near-infrared spectrometer to do a rapid quality assessment of bovine colostrum, including the immunoglobulin G concentration

Portable infrared-based instruments have made significant contributions in different research fields. Within the dairy supply chain, for example, most of portable devices are based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and are nowadays an important support for farmers and operators of the dairy sector, allowing fast decision-making, particularly for feed and milk quality evaluation and animal health and welfare monitoring. The affordability, portability, and ease of use of these innovative devices have been pivotal factors for the implementation in dairy farms. In fact, pocket-sized devices enable non-expert users to perform quick, low cost and non-destructive analysis on various samples without complex preparation. As bovine colostrum (BC) quality is mostly given by the Ig G (IgG) level, evaluating the ability of portable NIRS tools to measure antibodies concentration is advisable. In this study we used the wireless device SCiO manufactured by Consumer Physics Inc. (Tel Aviv, Israel) to collect BC spectra and then attempt to predict IgG concentration and gross and fine composition in individual samples collected as soon as possible after calving (<6 h) in primiparous and pluriparous Holstein cows farmed in 9 Italian farms. Chemometric analyses revealed that SCiO has promising predictive performance for colostral IgG concentration, total Ig concentration, fat, and AA (R2CV ≥ 0.75). Excellent accuracy was observed for dry matter, protein, and S prediction in cross-validation and good prediction ability in external validation (R2CV ≥ 0.93; R2V ≥ 0.82). Nonetheless, SCiO's ability to discriminate between good- and low-quality samples was satisfactory. The affordable cost, the accurate predictions, and the user-friendly design coupled with the increased interest in colostrum quality within the dairy sector may boost the collection of extensive BC data for management and genetic purposes in the near future.

Instant Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids on Physical Matrices, Implemented on a Low-Cost, Ultraportable Device.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) make up a class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), used predominantly in prisons and homeless communities in the U.K. SCs can have severe side effects, including psychosis, stroke, and seizures, with numerous reported deaths associated with their use. The chemical diversity of SCs presents the major challenge to their detection since approaches relying on specific molecular recognition become outdated almost immediately. Ideally one would have a generic approach to detecting SCs in portable settings. The problem of SC detection is more challenging still because the majority of SCs enter the prison estate adsorbed onto physical matrices such as paper, fabric, or herb materials. That is, regardless of the detection modality used, the necessary extraction step reduces the effectiveness and ability to rapidly screen materials on-site. Herein, we demonstrate a truly instant generic test for SCs, tested against real-world drug seizures. The test is based on two advances. First, we identify a spectrally silent region in the emission spectrum of most physical matrices. Second, the finding that background signals (including from autofluorescence) can be accurately predicted is based on tracking the fraction of absorbed light from the irradiation source. Finally, we demonstrate that the intrinsic fluorescence of a large range of physical substrates can be leveraged to track the presence of other drugs of interest, including the most recent iterations of benzodiazepines and opioids. We demonstrate the implementation of our presumptive test in a portable, pocket-sized device that will find immediate utility in prisons and law enforcement agencies around the world.

Understanding indirect users' privacy concerns in mobile forensics — A mixed method conjoint approach

IntroductionThe advent of mobile forensics toolkits introduces a technological leverage that allows legal authorities to access information stored on mobile devices, thus shining a new light on law enforcement procedures. These pocket-sized devices, mobile phones, accumulate a plethora of user data, effectively becoming a beacon for individual identification. However, the prospect of exploring this data within a criminal inquiry raises palpable concerns about potential privacy encroachments. Consequently, there exists an urgent need to balance the instrumental value of these technologies with their potential to intrude upon privacy, ensuring a framework that remains legally and ethically sound.MethodsIn our study, we offer a contemplative view on the public reception of such measures, informed by interviews and a conjoint study conducted across two representative cohorts from Germany and Austria (n = 2040).ResultsOur analysis indicates a marked preference for the release of geo-spatial data over more personal content, such as photographs. Additionally, respondents showed a higher acceptance for automated analysis in comparison to human manual evaluation. The divergence between the two countries was negligible.DiscussionIn summary, despite the inherent concerns, the use of these mobile forensics tools demonstrated a high degree of public acceptance. The results highlight the significance of aligning legislation based on data types rather than analysis purposes, which can enhance the general public's comprehension of laws and potentially contribute to societal advancement. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the importance of ethical evaluations and transparent communication in the implementation of automated mobile forensics systems for civil security purposes, effectively addressing concerns regarding privacy infringement and data analysis.

Автоматизація процесу створення нових цілей у XCODE проєкті

We live in the era of the Internet and technology. Now it is important for a person to be able to do their routine, uninteresting things quickly, and to be able to focus on more professional things. Everyone wants to minimize the time spent searching for information and have all services in one place. Due to these desires, significant progress is being made in the development of mobile applications. A number of factors also contribute to this. First, the development of the hardware of pocket-sized devices reaches a level sufficient for complex computing tasks. Secondly, the speed of Internet communication has increased. Third, almost everyone in the world now has a smartphone, so it is much more profitable for businesses to develop mobile applications to reach a wider audience. The development of applications for mobile devices is becoming more and more popular, but at the same time more expensive. In some cases, a business needs to have a number of similar applications for one reason or another. There are several approaches to code reuse in the context of iOS development. One is to use a common codebase and separate Xcode targets for each product. The process of creating a new target requires a number of routine operations, which require the programmer’s time, and writing code is potentially error-prone. This research proposes to improve this approach by using scripts to generate a project file based on given configurations. A console script for generating a project file and a project to illustrate the approach have been developed.

A novel linear displacement isothermal amplification with strand displacement probes (LDIA-SD) in a pocket-size device for point-of-care testing of infectious diseases

Nucleic acid amplification is crucial for disease diagnosis, especially lethal infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Compared with PCR, isothermal amplification methods are advantageous for point-of-care testing (POCT). However, complicated primer design limits their application in detecting some short targets or sequences with abnormal GC content. Herein, we developed a novel linear displacement isothermal amplification (LDIA) method using two pairs of conventional primers and Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst) DNA polymerase, and reactions could be accelerated by adding an extra primer. Pseudorabies virus gE (high GC content) and Salmonella fimW (low GC content) genes were used to evaluate the LDIA assay. Using strand displacement (SD) probes, a LDIA-SD method was developed to realize probe-based specific detection. Additionally, we incorporated a nucleic acid-free extraction step and a pocket-sized device to realize POCT applications of the LDIA-SD method. The LDIA-SD method has advantages including facile primer design, high sensitivity and specificity, and applicability for POCT, especially for amplification of complex sequences and detection of infectious diseases.

Device Made for the Moon May Aid in Carbon Sequestration on Earth

A pocket-sized device intended for use on the Moon could soon play a key role in Japan’s ambitious plans to sequester carbon dioxide.

The evaluation of the intracavitary effusions by a bedside ultrasound examination.

This study aims to evaluate the bedside use of the pocket-sized ultrasound (US) device for the detection of the intracavitary effusions. We randomly enrolled 40 patients admitted to S. Andrea Hospital of Rome. Every patient received a clinical and biochemical evaluation and a bedside US examination to detect and estimate the intracavitary (pleural, pericardial and intra-abdominal) effusions; the US measurements have been compared to the computed tomography (CT) scans (as gold standard). The patients presented a high prevalence of effusions: right pleural 16/40 = 40% (esteemed volume 236.3±500.7 ml, mean±standard deviation m±SD), left pleural 8/40 = 20% (127.0±377.4 ml), pericardial 12/40 = 30% (47.5±72.8 ml) and intra-abdominal effusions 5/40 = 12.5% of cases (110.9±600.6 ml). Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between US and CT measurements: pleural r = 0.973 p < 1×10-38, pericardial r = 0.927 p < 1×10-39, intra-abdominal space r = 0.921 p < 1×10-59. The accuracy of the bedside US at the pleural, pericardial and abdominal level was respectively 98%, 93% and 96% (Cohen's kappa coefficient 0.966, 0.841 and 0.833). The present study showed a high prevalence of the intracavitary effusions and a high accuracy of the bedside US. The bedside US by a pocket-sized device is promising tool for its advantages of reproducibility and non-invasiveness of the device.

Practical and Efficient: A Pocket-Sized Device Enabling Detection of Formaldehyde Adulteration in Vegetables

Formaldehyde, as a carcinogenic substance, is often intentionally used to adulterate vegetables to increase their shelf life, and the adhesive tape used to attach labels can also leave formaldehyde on the surface of vegetables. However, as the “gold” standard, gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are expensive for individual tests and confined to the laboratory owing to their size and a suitable detector (low-cost, portable, fast detection speed) to check formaldehyde contamination in vegetables not being available. Here, we tested formaldehyde contamination in vegetables using a low-cost and hand-held detector combined with a screen-printed electrode (SPE) amperometric sensor and an open-sourced potentiostat. The analyzer can detect a concentration of 100 μmol/L formaldehyde and achieve a good linear range between 100 and 1000 μmol/L. Furthermore, the detector successfully identified formaldehyde contamination in 53 samples of six different kinds of vegetables even after residual formaldehyde on the surface was evaporated. Most importantly, under the practicability-oriented idea, a cost-effective strategy was implemented for this detector design rather than using other pricey methods (e.g., photolithography, electron-beam evaporation, chemical deposition), which enormously reduces the cost (under ∼USD 0.5 per test) and meets all of the requirements of ASSURED device. We believe this cheap, portable detector could help law-enforcing authorities, healthcare workers, and customers to screen formaldehyde contamination easily. Also, the cost-saving strategy is appropriate for low-income areas, where there is a lack of laboratories, funds, and trained experts.

Pocket-size ultrasound devices may improve the prompt assessment of Covid-19 patients

Abstract Introduction Clinical usefulness of pocket-size ultrasound device [PSUD] was previously confirmed in numerous clinical scenarios. During the previous year Covid-19 patients have become a focal point of the cardiology and internal medicine wards. However, there is no data on the use of PSUD in this scenario. Purpose To asses if PSUD may be useful in providing additional information in Covid-19 patients. Methods In 63 patients (41 men, mean age 63±11) with confirmed Covid-19 the scope of physical examination was expanded with bedside assessment performed with PSUD equipped with dual probe. PSUD examination included: right ventricle measurement, automated LVEF assessment, 4-point compression ultrasound test of lower limbs and lung ultrasound (presence of B-lines, lung consolidations or thickening of pleura). Subsequently, within the next 24 hours all patients underwent chest CT scan, CT pulmonary angiogram and full echocardiographic examination performed on a high-end stationary device. Results Lung lesions typical for Covid-19 were confirmed in CT in 53 (84%) patients. The sensitivity and specificity of bedside PSUD examination for diagnosing lung involvement was 92% and 90%, respectively, when presence of any pathology on lung ultrasound was considered as a positive criterion. Increased number of B-lines had a sensitivity of 81%, specificity 83% for the ground glass symptom in CT detection, (AUC 0,82; p&amp;lt;0,0001). Pleural thickening was diagnosed by PSUD with a 95% sensitivity and 88% specificity (AUC 0,91, p&amp;lt;0,0001), whereas lung consolidations with a 71% sensitivity and 86% specificity (AUC 0,79, p&amp;lt;0,0001). In 20 patients (32%) pulmonary embolism was confirmed by angioCT – in 10 among them embolism was limited to subsegmental arteries. RV was found to be dilated in PSUD examination in 27 patients (43%), CUS was positive in 1 patient. Thus, RV enlargement treated as a marker of PE had low sensitivity and specificity (60% i 65% respectively), AUC=0,62, p=0,06. Mean LVEF in standard echocardiography was 46±12%, but during PSUD examination automated LV function analysis software failed to calculate LVEF in 29 (46%) cases due to suboptimal image quality. Conclusion In Covid-19 patients PSUD is particularly useful for lung ultrasound and the detection of lung pathologies. RV enlargement observed during PSUD examination has relatively low sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pulmonary embolism in Covid-19. Furthermore, due to low quality of images automated LV function assessment failed to provide any result in almost half of patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Ultrasound: Reliability of a Pocket-Sized System in the Assessment of Swallowing.

Purpose Ultrasound imaging offers a noninvasive adjunct to clinical swallowing assessment. Published reliability of sophisticated ultrasound systems is promising; however, no data exist for reliability using more affordable, pocket-sized devices. This study explored intrarater, interrater, and test-retest reliability of swallowing measures acquired with pocket-sized ultrasound technology. Method Five participants collected measures of swallowing from 20 healthy individuals using the Clarius ultrasound. Hyoid excursion and thyrohyoid approximation were derived during saliva, liquid, and puree swallowing. The cross-sectional area of the floor of mouth muscles and tongue thickness were obtained at rest. Measures were collected at two occasions minimum 11 days apart. Reliability was assessed for the entire process of data acquisition including scanning and online measurement, and for offline measurement of saved images. Results For most measures, reliability was poor (ICC [intraclass correlation coefficient] < .50) to moderate (ICC = .50-.75) for the entire process of data acquisition and poor to good (ICC > .75) when measuring saved images. Conclusion Further work is needed to elucidate whether our study findings apply to the Clarius system only or the data suggest a general limitation of pocket-sized ultrasound technology.

A pocket-sized device automates multiplexed point-of-care RNA testing for rapid screening of infectious pathogens

Rapid screening of infectious pathogens at the point-of-care (POC) is ideally low-cost, portable, easy to use, and capable of multiplex detection with high sensitivity. However, satisfying all these features in a single device without compromise remains a challenging task. Here, we introduce an ultraportable, automated RNA amplification testing device that allows rapid screening of infectious pathogens from clinical samples. In this device, 3D-printed structural parts incorporated with off-the-shelf mechanic/electronic components are utilized to create an inexpensive and automated droplet manipulation platform. On this platform, a simple configuration that couples a linear displacement of the chip with a tunable magnet array allows parallel and versatile droplet operations, including mixing, splitting, transporting, and merging. By exploiting a multi-channel droplet array chip to preload necessary reagents in “water-in-oil” format, bacteria lysis, RNA extraction and amplification are seamlessly integrated and implemented by the combination of droplet operations. Furthermore, visual readout and geometrically-multiplexed quantitative detection are provided by an integrated wireless video camera-enabled wide-field fluorescence imaging. We demonstrated that this droplet-based device could have a shorter RNA extraction time (12 min) and lower detection limits for pathogenic RNA (approaching to 102 copies per reaction). We also verified its clinical applicability for the rapid screening of four sexually transmitted pathogens from urine specimens. Results show that the sample-to-answer assay could be completed in approximately 42 min, with 100% concordance with the laboratory-based molecular testing. The exhibiting features may render this microdevice an easily accessible POC molecular diagnostic platform for infectious disease, especially in resource-limited settings.

Point-of-care ultrasound with handheld devices in hematology: a monocentric single-stage phase II study

Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) with pocket-size devices is an efficient and safe imaging modality that became a standard of care in various clinical settings. However, its implementation in hematology has never been evaluated so far. We conducted a prospective monocentric study aiming to harvest data on its usage and to assess its diagnostic and interventional performance in improving the accuracy of basic physical examination in hematological patients. After a focused training program, six hematologists were trained and conducted this study. Sixty-two patients were included. Only in 19 cases, further specialized imaging was required, whereas, in 43 patients PoCUS was sufficient to address the clinical inquiries. The use of PoCUS devices was assessed for its performance difficulty and usefulness perception with satisfactory outcomes. This study represents a proof-of-concept application of PoCUS in hematology, suggesting benefits over the physical examination. KEY POINTS PoCUS is particularly attractive in a hematological setting because able to improve the accuracy of physical examination. A hematology-focused training in PoCUS using handheld devices can allow hematologists to perform bed-side diagnostic and interventional US-based exams.

Frequency Selective Surfaces for Electromagnetic Shielding of Pocket-Sized Transceivers

This article presents a comprehensive study of the use of small-sized frequency selective surfaces (FSS) to selectively shield pocket-sized devices against EM disturbances. A typical use case is to protect a 2.4-GHz transceiver (e.g. WiFi/Bluetooth) against ISM/GSM disturbances (around 868/915 MHz), using an 8.2 × 4.1 cm FSS structure. A detailed comparison is drawn between results in real and emulated far-fields for different FSS-to-antenna distances (5 and 25 mm), which is further confirmed by emission measurements employing an open transverse electromagnetic cell. Results demonstrate, in line with full-wave simulations including calculated Poynting integrals, that such a FSS can effectively reduce power by about 5 dB in the stopband, while providing no attenuation in the passband and is small enough for an easy integration. Moreover, it is shown that the farther the FSS from the antenna, the closer the results to a no-FSS scenario. This provides an insight to reconsider FSSs for the shielding of mobile and/or smart devices.

A pocket-sized device enables detection of methanol adulteration in alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic drinks contaminated, either accidentally or deliberately, by methanol claimed at least 789 lives in 2019, mostly in Asia. Here, a palm-sized, multi-use sensor-smartphone system is presented for on-demand headspace analysis of beverages. The analyser quantified methanol concentrations in 89 pure and methanol-contaminated alcoholic drinks from 6 continents and performed accurately for 107 consecutive days. This device could help consumers, distillers, law-enforcing authorities and healthcare workers to easily screen methanol in alcoholic beverages.

Pocket-sized echocardiography for screening structural heart disease: diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness for population-based studies.

The standard transthoracic echocardiography has some limitations in emergent and community-based situations. The emergence of pocket-sized ultrasound has led to influential advancements. In this prospective study, in the hospital-based phase, children with suspected structural heart diseases were enrolled. In the school-based phase, healthy children were randomly selected from six schools. All individuals were examined by experienced operators using both the standard and the pocket-sized echocardiography. A total of 73 individuals with a mean age of 9.9 ± 3.2 years in the hospital-based cohort and 143 individuals with a mean age of 12.8 ± 2.9 years in the school-based cohort were examined. The agreements between the standard and the pocket-sized echocardiography were good or excellent for major CHDs in both cohorts (κ statistics > 0.61). Among valvular pathologies, agreements for tricuspid and pulmonary valves' regurgitation were moderate among school-based cohorts (0.56 [95% confidence interval 0.12-1] and 0.6 [95% confidence interval 0.28-0.91], respectively). The agreements for tricuspid and pulmonary valves' regurgitation were excellent (>0.9) among hospital-based population. Other values for valvular findings were good or excellent. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% (95% confidence interval 47.3-99.7) and 93.8% (95% confidence interval 85-98.3) among the hospital-based individuals, respectively, and those were 88% (95% confidence interval 77.8-94.7) and 68.4% (95% confidence interval 56.7-78.6) among the school-based individuals, respectively. The cost of examination was reduced by approximately 70% for an individual using the pocket-sized device. When interpreted by experienced operators, the pocket-sized echocardiography can be used as screening tool among school-aged population.

A Low-cost Soil Moisture Monitoring Method by Using Walabot and Machine Learning Algorithms

Soil moisture plays an important role in agricultural processes, which has a significant effect on crop evapotranspiration, the exchange of water, and energy fluxes. Recently, soil moisture can be measured by remote sensing or proximate sensing techniques, such as thermal, optical, and microwave measurements. However, there are limitations to the applications of these methods, such as low spatial resolution, limited surface penetration, and vegetation. In this study, it proposed a new low-cost soil moisture monitoring method by using a Walabot sensor and machine learning algorithms. Walabot is a pocket-sized device cutting-edge technology for Radio Frequency tridimensional sensing. Unlike the remote sensing tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) limited by cloud cover or payload capability, the Walabot can be used flexibly in the field and provide data information more promptly and accurately than UAVs or satellite. By putting different moisture levels of soil on the Walabot, the Walabot can collect radio frequency reflectance data from different levels of soil moisture. Then, machine learning algorithms, such as principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), have been applied for data processing. Results showed that Walabot has a state-of-art performance in estimating soil moisture.

Diagnostic Capacity of Pocket-Sized Ultrasound Devices at Point of Care by a Non-radiologist Resident in Patients with Suspected Abdominal Pathology

Studies have reported the usefulness and tolerability in practice of abdominal ultrasound performed by non-radiologists in various clinical situations. This prospective observational single-center study included 184 patients hospitalized in an internal medicine department who underwent conventional abdominal ultrasound. A medical resident with basic training performed point-of-care clinical ultrasound using a pocket-sized device. The concordance obtained between the researcher and the radiologist was good (k >0.6) for the gallbladder, splenomegaly, longitudinal diameter of the kidney, presence of renal cysts and hydronephrosis. The specificity was >90% for all parameters assessed except normal renal size. A negative predictive value >90% was obtained for all variables studied except the presence of hepatic space-occupying lesions and gallbladder pathology, the negative predictive values for which were >80%. A positive predictive value >80% was obtained for all of these variables, except the presence of adenopathies, hepatomegaly, space-occupying lesions, echogenicity and/or enlargement of the biliary tract, left renal atrophy and right renal masses. We conclude there was a high concordance between a conventional abdominal study and that performed with a pocket-sized ultrasound device after a brief learning curve.