Rubber Tube Research Articles

Indigenous Navigatory Devices used during the High Floods in North Bihar

This paper takes into account the methods of adaptations to the extreme situations of floods in the rainy season of 2020 in the rural and urban areas of Darbhanga district in northern Bihar, India. Boats made of different types of woods are the first choice of people. The region has a sprawling boat industry that provides a basis of livelihood to the wood smith community. Boats are generally made available to the needy people by the agencies of Government. However, those deprived of the boat facility adapt to the situation by carving makeshift devices made from banana pseudo stems, water hyacinth fronds, dry wood pieces, pitcher floats, bamboo rafts, cement bowls for feeding the livestock etc. High floods of 2020 witnessed people using boats of thermocol and rubber tubes on a large scale. All these devices, whether natural or man-made, work on the principle of Archimedes. The paper reports an innovative practice of using the hollow gas cylinders intricately strung in the fashion of an open boat that was used for about 15-20 days till the high floods receded in the village Harichanda of Hanuman Nagar C.D. Block of Darbhanga district India. The system was devised by local young men to tide over the crisis of ferrying people to local orchards for defecation and also for maintaining the supply chain of drinking water, cooking gas and other essential services. The plant items achieve buoyancy due to their density lower than water. Those made of flattened wood or tin plates achieve floatability on account of large volume of water that they displace. The weight of people carried on these boats is lighter than the weight of the volume of water displaced in the process.

KSHEERA DHOOMA: A TRADITIONAL PRACTICE WITH MULTIFOLD APPLICATION

Ksheera Dhooma is an effective and popular Ayurvedic procedure in which decoction of herbal medicines and cow’s milk are mixed, heated and the emitted vapours are directed through a rubber tube. The steam coming out of the tube is applied to the whole body or the affected part of the patient’s body. It is used in the treatment of facial paralysis, lock jaw and disorders of head and neck, with Vata Dosha imbalance. Though Ksheera Dhooma is considered as a type of Sweda, it is termed as Dhooma because steam is inhaled with gaping mouth. Ksheera Dhooma has multi-fold benefits like facilitating proper blood circulation of the body and relaxation of the mind, lubrication of the joints, relief from pain, spasms and stiffness of the muscles and joints. This study was performed with an aim to review the procedure of Ksheera Dhooma or Palpuka Swedam, understand the standard operating procedure and its efficacy.

Complete Prevention of Contact Electrification by Molecular Engineering

Summary Electrostatic charges are easily generated on surfaces during contact electrification. Although these invisible charges have emerged as a new dimension in mediating the functions of surfaces, such as energy conversion, liquid transport, reactivity, and adsorbability, the accumulation of charges on surfaces can also pose many undesirable consequences. Despite notable progress, existing approaches in engineering antistatic surfaces suffer from limitations such as the need to modify bulk materials or for delicate control of patterning on surfaces that rely on the neutralization of generated charges. Herein, we report a general toolbox for designing antistatic coatings by leveraging on chemically heterogeneous components with electron-donating and electron-accepting functions, i.e., N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl trimethoxysilane, to molecularly engineer the surface potential to achieve an electrostatic homogeneity and completely prevent charge generation. Our approach is general, which allows the facile fabrication of antistatic coatings on various materials, even flexible and curved, with good re-writability and transparency.

BASF’s Elastollan stars in bicycle tube

BASF and the bicycle-tube maker Schwalbe say new tire tubes made entirely of BASF’s Elastollan-brand thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) can reduce the risk—and danger—of a sudden flat tire. The TPU version has higher puncture resistance than traditional butyl rubber tubes. It is also 40% lighter, as well as recyclable and easy to assemble, the firms say.

Design and Modeling of Soft Pneumatic Helical Actuator with High Contraction Ratio

Soft contraction actuators are becoming important elements particularly for human-friendly robotic applications. However, it is challenging to achieve both a large operating distance while generating practical force. Hence, we present a new soft contraction actuator capable of realizing a high ratio contraction by pneumatic power. It can be easily fabricated using soft materials, including rubber tubes, one-way extensible cloth, and inextensible wire. Its initial shape is tubular but it can curve and coil to a helix shape owing to its different extensibilities on two sides when pressurized. A maximum contraction ratio of 78% and a 23 N contraction force can be achieved with an 11.6 mm initial outer diameter tube under 0.3 MPa. The effect of the tilt angle of a one-way extensible cloth on the helical shape is investigated, and a mathematical model illustrating the relationship between the contraction ratio and force is derived. Our experimental results suggest that this helical actuator has a much higher contraction ratio than a McKibben actuator under the same conditions. Finally, we discuss the potential application of the proposed actuator to a wearable device, i.e., for assisting the dorsiflexion of an ankle joint requiring a wide range of motion.

Results of a project to calibrate mercury sphygmomanometer blood pressure-measuring devices in Egypt

Hypertension (HTN) is a common health problem and a major cardiovascular risk factor. Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is mandatory for proper diagnosis and follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of mercury sphygmomanometer BP-measuring devices in public hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. Fifty public hospitals were included, and 10% of all mercury sphygmomanometer devices in each hospital were tested. Assessment included physical condition (e.g., mercury status, lid of the device, state of the rubber tubes), leakage rate, and calibration accuracy (as compared with a reference device). Devices were approved as accurate when they could successfully pass all three assessment tests. The total number of sphygmomanometer devices was 465. The overall pass rate was 1.3% (six devices). Twenty-five (5.2%) devices passed all of the physical tests, 50 (10.8%) passed the leakage test, and 50 (16.5%) passed the calibration accuracy test. There were 162 (34.8%) devices that showed a high leakage rate (>80 mmHg) and thus were not tested for calibration accuracy. In conclusion, most of the mercury sphygmomanometer devices in hospitals are neglected and not checked regularly for any errors. A plan should be made to gradually replace those failed devices with new, validated, and well-calibrated devices, preferably devices that do not contain mercury.

Toward improved 3D carotid artery imaging with Adaptive CaRdiac cOne BEAm computed Tomography (ACROBEAT).

Interventional treatments of aneurysms in the carotid artery are increasingly being supplemented with three-dimensional (3D) x-ray imaging. The 3D imaging provides additional information on device sizing and stent malapposition during the procedure. Standard 3D x-ray image acquisition is a one-size fits all model, exposing patients to additional radiation and results in images that may have cardiac-induced motion blur around the artery. Here, we investigate the potential of a novel dynamic imaging technique Adaptive CaRdiac cOne BEAm computed Tomography (ACROBEAT) to personalize image acquisition by adapting the gantry velocity and projection rate in real-time to changes in the patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) trace. We compared the total number of projections acquired, estimated carotid artery widths and image quality between ACROBEAT and conventional (single rotation fixed gantry velocity and acquisition rate, no ECG-gating) scans in a simulation study and a proof-of-concept physical phantom experimental study. The simulation study dataset consisted of an XCAT digital software phantom programmed with five patient-measured ECG traces and artery motion curves. The ECG traces had average heart rates of 56, 64, 76, 86, and 100bpm. To validate the concept experimentally, we designed and manufactured the physical phantom from an 8-mm diameter silicon rubber tubing cast into Phytagel. An artery motion curve and the ECG trace with an average heart rate of 56bpm was passed through the phantom. To implement ACROBEAT on the Siemens ARTIS pheno angiography system for the proof-of-concept experimental study, the Siemens Test Automation Control System was used. The total number of projections acquired and estimated carotid artery widths were compared between the ACROBEAT and conventional scans. As the ground truth was available for the simulation studies, the image quality metrics of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) were also utilized to assess image quality. In the simulation study, on average, ACROBEAT reduced the number of projections acquired by 63%, reduced carotid width estimation error by 65%, reduced RMSE by 11% and improved SSIM by 27% compared to conventional scans. In the proof-of-concept experimental study, ACROBEAT enabled a 60% reduction in the number of projections acquired and reduced carotid width estimation error by 69% compared to a conventional scan. A simulation and proof-of-concept experimental study was completed applying a novel dynamic imaging protocol, ACROBEAT, to imaging the carotid artery. The ACROBEAT results showed significantly improved image quality with fewer projections, offering potential applications to intracranial interventional procedures negatively affected by cardiac motion.

Post-fire elastic modulus of rubberized fiber-reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns: Experimental and theoretical study

Since the literature regarding the axial stiffness of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns containing waste materials and their behavioral changes after thermal loading is very limited, this research attempted to evaluate the elastic modulus of rubberized fiber-reinforced concrete-filled steel tube (RuF-CFST) stub columns following thermal loading. To achieve this goal, 57 RuF-CFST specimens were constructed and various types of elastic moduli including the initial, real, secant, steel yielding point, and peak point elastic moduli were examined after thermal loading at elevated temperatures. The variables of the research for the RuF-CFST specimens with the high-strength concrete core included the thermal loading temperature (20, 250, 500, and 750 °C), percentage of crumb rubber aggregate substituting for sand by volume (0, 5, and 10%), steel fiber volume ratio (0, 1, and 1.5%), and the ratio of the steel tube external diameter to thickness (25.4 and 43). Based on the results, by increasing the thermal load, the extent of the elastic modulus drop in the specimens became notable (between 50 and 70% at 750 °C), and also, adding crumb tire to the concrete mixture led to a drop in the elastic modulus of the RuF-CFST specimens (between 7 and 18% per adding crumb tire by 10%). On the contrary, via raising the ratio of fibers in the specimens with and without thermal loading, the elastic modulus increased by 5–10%, and additionally, via raising the tube thickness, the elastic modulus increased by 25–34%. Ultimately, models to capture the elastic modulus of RuF-CFST columns after thermal loading were proposed, which were then evaluated against the empirical data of the present study and those of others, which showed a good correlation between the results.

Ventilated Upper Airway Endoscopic Endonasal Procedure Mask: Surgical Safety in the COVID-19 Era.

BACKGROUNDCOVID-19 poses a risk to the endoscopic skull base surgeon. Significant efforts to improving safety have been employed, including the use of personal protective equipment, preoperative COVID-19 testing, and recently the use of a modified surgical mask barrier.OBJECTIVETo reduce the risks of pathogen transmission during endoscopic skull base surgery.METHODSThis study was exempt from Institutional Review Board approval. Our study utilizes a 3-dimensional (3D)-printed mask with an anterior aperture fitted with a surgical glove with ports designed to allow for surgical instrumentation and side ports to accommodate suction ventilation and an endotracheal tube. As an alternative, a modified laparoscopic surgery trocar served as a port for instruments, and, on the contralateral side, rubber tubing was used over the endoscrub endosheath to create an airtight seal. Surgical freedom and aerosolization were tested in both modalities.RESULTSThe ventilated mask allowed for excellent surgical maneuverability and freedom. The trocar system was effective for posterior surgical procedures, allowing access to critical paramedian structures, and afforded a superior surgical seal, but was limited in terms of visualization and maneuverability during anterior approaches. Aerosolization was reduced using both the mask and nasal trocar.CONCLUSIONThe ventilated upper airway endoscopic procedure mask allows for a sealed surgical barrier during endoscopic skull base surgery and may play a critical role in advancing skull base surgery in the COVID-19 era. The nasal trocar may be a useful alternative in instances where 3D printing is not available. Additional studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings.

Study in deep shale gas well to prevent shoulder protruding packer with high pressure sealing

Shale gas is a kind of unconventional oil and gas resources that can be exploited in shale strata. According to the evaluation of oil and gas resources carried out by the ministry of land and resources of China, the geological resources of shallow shale gas with a depth of 4500 m are 122 trillion cubic meters. However, the overall geological conditions of shale gas in China are complex and the buried depth is too large. For deep shale gas wells with vertical depth of more than 3500 m, problems such as shoulder protruding, tearing, crushing and insufficient sealing performance of rubber tube are caused by high-pressure fracturing. Aiming at the above problems, proposes a high-pressure sealed preventing shoulder protruding (HPS-PSP) structure packer. Based on the deformation theory of rubber tube, the finite element calculation model of packer tube under the setting condition was established. The influence of the thickness of the prevent shoulder protruding ring and the height of the trapezoidal ring groove and the length of the trapezoidal upper base on the sealing performance of the rubber tube were analyzed. The results show that: The HPS-PSP packer can effectively solve the problems of protrusion of rubber tube shoulder and insufficient sealing performance, and the contact pressure increases by 60.1% compared with the conventional one. The research work provides a method to improve the sealing performance of packer rubber, which is of great significance to improve the applicability of packer in deep shale gas fracturing operation.

A Low-Cost Insertion Trainer for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA).

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an emergency procedure designed to treat non-compressible torso hemorrhage. Because this is a high-acuity low-occurrence event, it is difficult to train providers on the procedure and difficult for trained providers to stay proficient. Our primary objective was to develop a low-cost, high-fidelity teaching model to increase emergency medicine (EM) resident knowledge, confidence, and proficiency in performing REBOA. We utilized readily available materials to allow for ease of replication and cost-effectiveness. The aorta was simulated by a bicycle tire inner tube, and the femoral artery was simulated by natural rubber tubing. Once connected, these simulated vascular structures were threaded through a plastic torso mold and filled with simulated blood. Participants then performed the REBOA procedure with very little time required for reset between participants. After completing the training using our model, participants completed a survey rating aspects of the session on a five-point Likert scale. Participants included 21 EM residents from all levels of training. Participants rated the fidelity of the REBOA insertion trainer very highly (mean = 4.05, SD 0.67) and felt that the training was overall very useful (mean = 4.29, SD 0.56). Comments regarding the model were universally positive. We present a novel low-cost REBOA task trainer that is easy to build, reusable, and portable, and can be utilized either in a hospital or austere training environment.

Designing and manufacturing of a user friendly and affordable nasal suction machine for Acute Bronchiolitis treatment of children in Oman

Acute Bronchiolitis is a disease which usually infects children of the age 0 to 6 years old. The patients infected by this disease require medical attention at hospitals. The patients must be admitted in the hospitals for a period of 2-3 days. Parents of the patients must stay in the hospital along with them. This causes lack of hospital beds, more expense of the hospital to provide extra food for the parents. By a qualitative research, it was found that parents would want an affordable device so that they could care for their children from home instead of staying at the hospital. Parents from all over Oman come to the capital so that their children can be treated. Children also tend to get exposed to more sickness by being around sick children at the hospital. Taking this problem into consideration, a circuit has been designed in such a way it was easy to use and that it could be used by parents to treat their children at home without the need to visit a hospital. The circuit works on Arduino Uno and has various pre-existing modules attached to it , the estimated cost of the device is far lesser than what the mainstream industrial devices cost. The device consists of a Bluetooth Module for the purpose of connectivity via cellphone ,a 12V vacuum pump to suck the mucus out of the patient’s lungs, variable resistor to control the force of vacuum and a rubber tube capable of fitting into the nostril to allow suction of mucus. This simple device made from the counter parts can offer significant benefits to patients affected by Acute Bronchitis.

Development of a Solar Water Distiller with a Receiver and Condenser

The solar water distillation distills brackish water, which can mitigate the demand of pure water for the human beings. This study proposes a solar water distiller with a condenser and collector made from a tube bank. The receiver and condenser are connected by the rubber tubes. The brackish water from a tank flows along with condenser. The water temperature is relatively low, so this tube bank acts as a condenser for the water vapor that evaporates from a water basin of the distiller. It is believed that this can increase the condensation rate of the system. After passing through the condenser, the brackish water flows up along the receiver and its temperature is increased. Then the water continuously flows to the basin. According to the experimental results, the water’s temperature in the proposed system is higher than that of the conventional distiller. This leads to the higher productivity of the proposed system (approximately 3.3 L/m2 day). In addition, it was found that the temperature of the condenser of the proposed system was lower than that of the top cover of the conventional system.

Optimizing Assessment of Surgical Knot Tying Skill

Knot tying is a fundamental surgical skill. Existing knot tying models assess tying efficiency and errors but do not address respect for tissue. Development of a model that assesses tissue displacement during knot tying may provide a good surrogate for respect for tissue, allow detection of expertise, and offer an improved training platform for skill acquisition. This study aimed to develop a novel, low-cost, knot tying board (KTB) that collects objective, automated metrics of knot displacement, and assesses knot displacement by level of surgical expertise. The novel KTB was developed in collaboration between engineering students and surgical educators. Joystick potentiometers were incorporated on 2 parallel rubber tubes to measure vertical and horizontal displacement while tying. Participants used a standardized technique to tie 1- and 2-handed knots. Differences in time and tubing displacement were compared among junior residents (postgraduate year 1-2), senior residents (postgraduate year 3-5), and attending surgeons; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. This study was conducted at the Indiana University Surgical Skills Center in Indianapolis, IN. Forty-seven residents and faculty participated in the study (26 juniors, 14 seniors, 7 attendings). KTB development required 100 hours and $70.00. The attending surgeons tied 2-handed knots faster and with significantly more vertical tubing displacement than residents. Senior residents tied knots significantly faster but with similar tubing displacement as juniors. Similar trends were found for 1-handed knots. A novel, low-cost KTB was developed to measure knot displacement as a surrogate for tissue handling. The new performance metric of vertical knot displacement proved more sensitive in detecting performance differences among groups compared with horizontal knot displacement. This board and its novel metrics may promote the development of robust knot tying skill by residents.

Experimental Study on Compressive Behavior of FRP-Confined Expansive Rubberized Concrete

Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the behavior of rubberized concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer tube (CFFT) columns, where the fiber-reinforced polymer (F...

Recovery of o-toluidine and p-toluidine from wastewater by silicon rubber membrane extraction

Abstract Wastewater treatment has become a major global issue due of undegradable pollutants. As toxic water pollutants, namely o-toluidine and p-toluidine are difficult to treat, this study uses the silicon rubber technology to treat them. A pair of modules having single tabular nonporous silicon rubber tube and HCl stripping solution were set up to extract o-toluidine and p-toluidine from high-saline wastewater. Reaction quotient ( Q C ) was calculated after every 12 h intervals to evaluate the equilibrium reaction. The effect of concentration, pH, temperature, ionic strength, and flow rate on the permeability (P) and removal efficiency ( η ) were investigated to illustrate the process parameters and mechanisms of recovery of both elements from wastewater. The results showed that the recovery efficiency was more than 96% with concentration of 2–10g/L. When pH of the extraction solution was 2 or less, the pollutant permeability efficiency was nearly 95%. Moreover, when the salting strength was over 10%, the recovery efficiency increased quickly to some extent. Permeability, which mainly influenced by membrane resistance and desorption rate, initially increased and then decreased when the water flow increased from 2 and 20 mL/min. Aging of silicon rubber tube was also studied with respect to salinity, temperature, and acidity. Acidity and temperature was found to have a significant effect on the tube, permeability increased with an increase in aging, and aging had a minor effect on the elastic properties of the silicon rubber tube. Absorption and diffusion of water in silicon rubber tubes decreased when salinity increased more than 10%, which increased separation of p-toluidine and water. Due to this, there is no need of desalination before membrane extraction in treatment of p-toluidine wastewater with high saline. Thus, this study demonstrates that membrane extraction is a highly energy-efficient process for the effective recovery of o-toluidine and p-toluidine from wastewater with high salinity.

Soft, Wearable, and Pleated Pneumatic Interference Actuator Provides Knee Extension Torque for Sit-to-Stand.

Soft wearable actuators can help connect machines and humans, providing a personalized, ergonomic, and cooperative physical interface between people and their world. Until now, the torque of these interfaces has been limited, restricting their ability to assist the completely paralyzed. This article presents a method for realizing a soft structure that stably and comfortably applies a knee extension torque to the body that is sufficient for sit-to-stand (STS). The structure, the pleated pneumatic interference actuator (PPIA), is based on pleated inflatables; is lightweight, collapsible, and clothing integratable; and generates torque from buckling of a constrained fabric-reinforced rubber tube. Multiple PPIAs were integrated into a soft orthosis, the soft lift assister for the knee (SLAK). The SLAK was inflated to a pressure of 320 kPa, and it produced a maximum 324 Nm torque at a flexion angle of 82°. This exceeds the peak 180 Nm torque required for STS and torques required for other everyday tasks. The SLAK met the torque requirement for STS, which is more than 93% of the STS motion when worn by a test leg. Worn by a human, it shows potential for complete support, which is more than 100% of the motion. The PPIA's theoretical model overestimated torque at low to moderate flexion angles and underestimated PPIA torque at high flexion angles. Further development of the PPIA will focus on testing the SLAK with human subjects; increasing the PPIA's speed and flexibility; reducing the PPIA's bulk; and improving the PPIA's model accuracy.

Safety measures for conducting exercise oxygen consumption, VO2, tests in developing countries.

Measurements of rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) recorded during controlled exercise is used to assess cardiovascular health in test individuals. In low- or middle-income countries, where Mycobacterium tuberculosis is common and older VO2 systems are in use, three specific preventative measures should be in place to prevent the transmission of tuberculosis. These include: (1) disinfecting reusable plastic masks and rubber tubing with bleach solution; (2) limiting maximum exposure of test individuals to Cl2 gas to <1-3 ppm for a duration of ≤15 min to prevent respiratory distress; and (3) carefully inspecting for degradation of plastic VO2 masks and rubber tubing repeatedly disinfected with bleach and replace these at the first signs of deterioration.

Fluid-solid Coupling Analysis of the Pressure Expansion of Packers

For the packers, the pressure expansion process and differential pressure loading process have been simulated by the fluid-solid coupling finite element method. The results show that under the internal pressure load of 10MPa at both ends of the hydraulic oil, the structure of the packer can be fully expanded, and the simulated expansion process is consistent with the actual expansion process of the packer in the test. During the internal pressure loading phase of the hydraulic oil, the internal pressure gradually increases, and the pressure near the ends of the hydraulic oil increases faster. During the pressure difference loading phase of the packer, the internal pressure of the hydraulic oil gradually increases, and the growth curves of different nodes are basically the same. The internal pressure speed and viscosity of the hydraulic oil have a great influence on the internal pressure transmission of the hydraulic oil. After the packer is expanded, the stress at the bell mouth where the rubber tube is in contact with the rubber tube joint is large. When actually designing the packer, this location should consider stress concentration or use a stronger material.

Preliminary Studies on Design of Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Solar Collector for Roofing System Application.

This study was conducted to develop and study the performance of a Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) system technology, a system which combines the Photovoltaic (PV) system with a solar thermal (T) system that produces electricity and hot water simultaneously. The objective of this study is to develop a working prototype of the PVT system for roofing system application with water as the cooling agent. A polycrystalline PV cells was used as the solar collector while a transparent rubber tube was attached at the backside of the PV panel with water flowing directly from a water tap source. Two designs were examined for the heat absorber design which was categorized as the parallel and spiral flow design. The system was run at an open space to simulate real life application. A working PVT system was developed; however an electrical efficiency drops 0.3% and 1.07% on the parallel and spiral design respectively when compared to the standard PV system.