Stainless Steel Needle Research Articles

Sterilization by negative and positive DC plasma with a micro discharge gap at atmospheric pressure

A new needle-to-droplet electrode structure with a micro discharge gap (2 mm) was designed to achieve direct current (DC) discharge plasma in ambient air with the aim of using the plasma to sterilize liquids. Without using noble gases or an external air flow, we succeeded in generating both a negative and positive DC plasma at atmospheric pressure. The plasma was driven by a 0 to −20,000 V, 100 W DC power supply. A stainless steel needle with a tip diameter of [Formula: see text] and a 200-[Formula: see text] droplet of bacteria-containing liquid served as the electrodes. At atmospheric pressure and room temperature (23[Formula: see text]C), utilizing the negative DC plasma, the discharge time lasted 10 s; the results showed that the higher the discharge voltage, the more efficient the sterilization effect. Conversely, when we applied a voltage of −5.5 kV, we found that the sterilization effect was more efficient for longer discharge times. Our findings demonstrate that Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) can be killed in about 30 s. Our experiments show that our sterilization method required less time and was more efficient for positive than for negative DC plasma under the same conditions.

Development of Carbotrap B-packed needle trap device for determination of volatile organic compounds in air

Carbotrap B as a highly pure surface sorbent with excellent adsorption/desorption properties was packed into a stainless steel needle to develop a new needle trap device (NTD). The performance of the prepared NTD was investigated for sampling, pre-concentration and injection of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, o-xylene, and p-xylene (BTEX) into the column of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) device. Response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) was also employed in two separate consecutive steps to optimize the sampling and device parameters. First, the sampling parameters such as sampling temperature and relative humidity were optimized. Afterwards, the RSM was used for optimizing the desorption parameters including desorption temperature and time. The results indicated that the peak area responses of the analytes of interest decreased with increasing sampling temperature and relative humidity. The optimum values of desorption temperature were in the range 265–273°C, and desorption time were in the range 3.4–3.8min. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) of the studied analytes were found over the range of 0.03–0.04ng/mL, and 0.1–0.13ng/mL, respectively. These results demonstrated that the NTD packed with Carbotrap B offers a high sensitive procedure for sampling and analysis of BTEX in concentration range of 0.03–25ng/mL in air.

Preparation of Hollow Fiber Membranes by Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation along with Hydrogen Gas Formation Using a Single Orifice Spinneret

AbstractTraditional nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process for fabrication of hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) faces challenges, like design and manufacture of spinneret with two concentric orifices to provide parallel and continuous feed of polymer solution and bore fluid at specific rates. These factors limit the use of traditional technique to produce HFMs. Here, a new direct spinning method for fabricating HFMs by feeding a polymer solution, containing a gas producing agent using single orifice spinneret is reported. Polysulfone‐dimethylacetamide solution containing NaBH4 is extruded through a stainless‐steel needle (single orifice spinneret) into HCl aqueous solution (coagulation bath) at specific rates. Effects of polysulfone concentration, temperature, and pH of coagulant bath on structure and performance of the HFMs are investigated. Synergy between hydrogen from NaBH4 hydrolysis and NIPS process benefits fabrication of HFMs with good hollow bore structure and high porous wall. The prepared HFMs show good dye separation.

Gelatin promotes rapid restoration of the blood brain barrier after acute brain injury.

The neural interfaces field holds great promise to enable elucidation of neural information processing and to develop new implantable devices for stimulation based therapy. Currently, this field is struggling to find solutions for reducing tissue reactions to implanted micro and nanotechnology. Prior studies have recently shown that gelatin coatings lower activation of digestive microglia and mitigate the ubiquitous loss of neurons adjacent to implanted probes, both of which impede implant function. The underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, however. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that gelatin has a significant effect on the BBB by promoting rapid restoration of integrity after injury. Moreover, gelatin alters microglia phenotypes and modulates gelatinase activity for up to 2weeks favoring anti-inflammation and restoration of the tissue. Given the key importance of the BBB for normal brain functions, we believe our findings have substantial significance and will be highly interesting to researchers in the biomaterial field.

An inorganic boronate affinity in-needle monolithic device for specific capture of cis-diol containing compounds

In this work, inorganic boronate affinity monolith was prepared by in situ synthesis in 0.33mm i.d. stainless steel needle through sol-gel process using tetraethoxysilane and tetrabutyl orthotitanate as the co-precursors. The morphology, structure and composition of the monolith were characterized. In contrast to conventional boronate affinity materials, inorganic boric acid was used as affinity ligand. Different compounds were used for the evaluation of the boronate affinity of this inorganic monolithic material. The monolith exhibited good selectivity towards cis-diol containing compounds. Recovery of greater than 90% was achieved for in-needle extraction of catechol under neutral conditions. Owing to the hydrophilic property of the monolith, the procedure of affinity chromatography could be performed in aqueous solution. This monolithic in-needle device will be useful for boronate affinity extraction of small-volume samples.

Pregnancy outcomes of women randomized to receive real versus placebo acupuncture on the day of fresh or frozen-thawed embryo transfer

IntroductionAcupuncture is commonly used in various aspect of Western medicine in recent years including in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Although there are many clinical trials of acupuncture in IVF and the Cochrane meta-analysis did not find benefit of adjuvant acupuncture for IVF, there is no report on the pregnancy outcomes of women who had received acupuncture during their IVF treatment. ObjectivesTo compare the pregnancy outcomes of women randomized to receive real versus placebo acupuncture during their IVF treatment. MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed on the 212 women with on-going pregnancies after receiving real or placebo acupuncture by sterile disposable stainless steel needles or Streitberger’s placebo needles to the acupoints before and after the embryo transfer on the day of fresh or frozen-thawed embryo transfer. The pregnancy outcomes were obtained from the Hospital Authority Clinical Management System for deliveries in the public sector or from a self-returned questionnaire if those in the private sector. ResultsNo significant differences were found between the demographics of the two groups including their age, gravida, parity and the duration of subfertility. Maternal adverse outcomes including gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorder were comparable for the real acupuncture group (35.3% and 4.4% respectively) and the placebo acupuncture group (39.7% and 5.5% respectively). None of the patients had placenta accreta. The preterm delivery (<37 weeks gestation) rate in the real acupuncture group (23/86, 26.7%) was similar to that in the placebo acupuncture group (25/97, 25.8%). No statistical significant difference was found in the mode of delivery. There were no significant differences between the two groups for Apgar scores and birthweight. ConclusionAcupuncture during IVF treatment does not influence pregnancy outcomes.

Greener corona discharge for enhanced wind generation with a simple dip-coated carbon nanotube decoration

Corona discharge-induced wind (CDIW) has been widely utilized in production lines in the food and semiconductor industries and in indoor devices such as electrostatic precipitators. Some ozone is inevitably emitted, posing serious health risks to respiratory system and lung function of a human being. In this work, a greener corona discharge with enhanced wind generation for a needle-to-cylinder discharge structure is demonstrated using a simple dip-coating method to attach carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to the discharge electrode of a stainless steel needle. Compared with a conventional discharge electrode without CNT decoration, the velocity of the CDIW is greatly enhanced, the onset voltage is lowered, the energy conversion efficiency is greatly improved and the concentration of generated ozone is much reduced, making this easy method of CNT decoration a promising candidate for greener corona discharge systems. In addition, several impact factors for improved performance are discussed mathematically and phenomenologically, providing an insight into the corona discharge and wind generation.

Syringe Filling of High-Concentration mAb Formulation: Slow Suck-Back Pump Speed Prevented Filling Needle Clogging

Partial and complete clogging of filling needles occurred during syringe filling of a high-concentration mAb formulation. This caused nonvertical liquid flow, which eventually led to the termination of filling. Overcoming this phenomenon was essential to ensure minimal fill weight variation, product waste, and manufacturing downtime. The liquid behavior inside the filling needle was studied using glass and stainless steel needles and demonstrated that effective suck-back control was critical for preventing needle clogging. A key finding of our work is that the suck-back pump speed was a critical factor to achieve an effective suck back. More specifically, a slow suck-back pump speed (<10 rpm; liquid flow rate, <5 mL/min) was essential to improve suck-back control inside the conventional stainless steel filling needles. In contrast, higher suck-back pump speeds (>10 rpm; liquid flow rate, >5 mL/min) resulted in downward product migration within the filling needle leading to formation of a liquid plug at the needle tip, which was prone to rapid drying. Slowing the suck-back pump speed in conjunction with modifying the suck-back volume was effective at consistently withdrawing product into the stainless steel filling needles and prevented needle clogging.

Reinforced microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from polluted soil samples using an in-needle coated fiber with polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanocomposite.

The surface of a stainless-steel wire was platinized using electrophoretic deposition method to create a high-surface-area with porous and cohesive substrate. The platinized fiber was coated by the polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanocomposite by electropolymerization and accommodated into a stainless-steel needle to fabricate an in-needle coated fiber. The developed setup was coupled to gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and applied to extract and determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene) in complicated solid matrices, along with reinforcement of the extraction by cooling the sorbent, using liquid carbon dioxide. To obtain the best extraction efficiency, the important experimental variables including extraction temperature and time, temperature of cooled sorbent, sampling flow rate, and desorption condition were studied. Under the optimal condition, limits of detection for five studied analytes were in the range of 0.2-0.8pg/g. Linear dynamic ranges for the calibration curves were found to be in the range of 0.001-1000ng/g. Relative standard deviations obtained for six replicated analyses of 1ng/g of analytes were 4.9-13.5%. The reinforced in-needle coated fiber method was successfully applied for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated soil samples.

Sorbent material characterization using in-tube extraction needles as inverse gas chromatography column.

In-tube extraction is a full automated enrichment technique that consists of a stainless-steel needle, packed with sorbent material for the extraction of volatile and semivolatile compounds. In principle, all particulate sorbents used for enrichment in air or headspace analysis can be used. However, the selection of the sorbents is merely based on empirical considerations rather than on experimental data, which is caused by a lack of knowledge about the relevant physicochemical properties of the sorbent. Especially, the knowledge of hydrostatic, advective, diffusive, and dispersion mechanisms in addition to sorption enthalpies are important for combined transport and sorption models. To provide these missing parameters, we developed and evaluated a method in which an ordinary in-tube extraction needle was employed directly as column for sorbent characterization by inverse gas chromatography. As probe compounds, benzene, ethyl acetate, and 3-methyl-1-butanol were used to determine thermodynamic parameters such as sorption enthalpy, partitioning constant between the solid and gas phase, and kinetic parameters such as the diffusion coefficient, dispersion coefficient, and apparent permeability, exemplarily. As sorbent, three commercially available phases were characterized to demonstrate the applicability of the method.

Direct evidence of passive film growth on 316 stainless steel in alkaline solution

Evolution of the oxide films formed on the surface of 316 stainless steel needles during the electrochemical polarization in 0.1M NaOH solution is investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). During the polarization process, the films can grow from ~4nm to dozens of nanometers and are composed of crystalline structures incorporated with amorphous phases. Additionally, Cr (III) species that are formed at low potentials will transform into Cr (VI) species in secondary passive region. Fe element is present as Fe3O4-like spinel oxides while no Fe2O3 is found in the films. The Fe/Cr ratio increases with the increase of applied potential.

Field-assisted paper spray mass spectrometry for therapeutic drug monitoring: 1. the case of imatinib in plasma.

The field-assisted paper spray (FAPS) - mass spectrometric method has been employed to quantify the imatinib (IMT) plasma levels in treated patients. The quantitative measurements have been performed on the collisionally generated fragment at m/z 394 of the protonated molecules of IMT and deuterated IMT (d3 -IMT), used as internal standard. The FAPS-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method exhibits some limitations, because of the high number of operative parameters that need to be carefully controlled. For this aim, papers of different geometry, thickness, and porosity were tested. To obtain a more focalized and intense electrical field, a stainless steel needle was mounted axially and placed at 4kV voltage. The variability observed in the measurements was ascribed either to the inter-individual variability (e.g. the concomitant presence of other compounds such as proteins, lipids, drugs and/or salts in the plasma of different patients) or to the uncontrollable variables in the instrumental set-up (e.g. sample deposition, changes in paper spray conditions). Furthermore, the manual sample deposition and solvent dripping strongly affects the measure reproducibility. Despite this, it is interesting to observe that, once applied in blind on 24 real plasma samples, FAPS-MS/MS led to results analogous to those obtained by the well-consolidated liquid chromatography-MS/MS, even if the mean coefficient of variation % (CV%) values of 20.4% and 2.6% were observed for the two methods, respectively. In conclusion, despite CV values are relatively high, it is worth noting that the FAPS-MS/MS method is much more straightforward, rapid and economical than the liquid chromatography-MS/MS one, and it appears therefore very promising for applications where a high precision is not always a required task, as e.g. in some cases of therapeutic drug monitoring. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Amino-silica/graphene oxide nanocomposite coated cotton as an efficient sorbent for needle trap device

Cotton and silica are easily available and plentiful natural materials, with significant sorptive properties, which can be provided easily at low prices. In this research, a novel and effective sorbent was synthesized by covalent attachment of amino-silica/graphene oxide nanocomposite to the cotton (Cot/GO/Si) and packed into a stainless steel needle for preparation a needle trap device (NTD). The nanocomposite sorbent was characterized by SEM and FT-IR. The Cot/GO/Si packed NTD was used for direct extraction of PAHs from polluted soil samples, followed by GC-FID measurement. Different affecting experimental variables, including extraction temperature, flow rate, desorption time and temperature were studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, good linearity of the calibration curves (R2 > 0.99) was obtained over the concentration range of 0.01–1.0 μg g−1. The limits of detection, limits of quantification and relative standard deviations were found to be in the ranges of 0.05–0.17 ng g−1, 0.2–0.6 ng g−1 and 9.7–15.4% (n = 6), respectively. Finally, the proposed NTD-GC-FID method was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of PAHs in contaminated soil samples.

Sonographic Visualization of the Posterior Cutaneous Nerve of the Forearm: Technique and Validation Using Perineural Injections in a Cadaveric Model.

To determine the ability to sonographically identify the posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm (PCNF) and its distal epicondylar branches using sonographically guided perineural injections in an unembalmed cadaveric model. A single experienced operator used a 12-3-MHz linear array transducer to identify the PCNF and its distal epicondylar region branches in 10 unembalmed cadaveric specimens (6 right and 4 left) obtained from 10 donors. Sonographically guided perineural PCNF injections were then completed with a 22-gauge, 38-mm stainless steel needle to deliver 0.25 mL of 50% diluted colored latex at 3 points along the PCNF. The latex location was then confirmed via dissection. The 10 donors included 4 male and 6 female cadavers aged 48 to 94 years (mean, 73 years) with body mass indices of 19 to 37 kg/m2 (mean, 26 kg/m2 ). The operator sonographically identified the PCNF and several distal branches traversing over or directly adjacent to the lateral epicondyle in all 10 specimens. Only 7 of 10 specimens showed a distinct PCNF bifurcation into anterior and posterior divisions, and all 7 were accurately identified and localized on sonography. There was no evidence of latex overflow to clinically relevant adjacent structures or injury to regional vessels or nerves. High-resolution sonography can identify the PCNF and its distal epicondylar branches. Sonographic evaluation of the PCNF should be included in the evaluation of patients presenting with refractory or atypical lateral elbow pain syndromes. Diagnostic and therapeutic sonographically guided procedures targeting the PCNF or its lateral epicondylar branches are feasible and warrant further investigation.

Reduced-port surgery aided by the newly developed free jaw clip and free loop plus for local resection of gastric submucosal tumors

Background: Gastric cancer requiring lymph node dissection is not often approached laparoscopically because of the surgical difficulty. However, in cases of gastric submucosal tumor, such as gastroin-testinal stromal tumor (GIST), lymph node dissection is not usually necessary. Local resection is generally sufficient, and GIST, then, is a good indication for reduced-port surgery (RPS). We describe RPS performed through two ports—one in the umbilicus and one in the left epigastric region. Two devices have been developed for this procedure: the free jaw (FJ) clip, which is used to grasp organs in the abdominal cavity, and the free loop plus, which is used pull suture threads from inside the abdominal cavity to outside the body. We have used the new devices with good outcomes in 11 patients undergoing resection of GIST. We describe the new devices, their use in RPS for GIST, and the case outcomes. Methods: The FJ clip is a short clip designed to assist with organ elevation. The clip comes in two sizes, one for use in a 5-mm port and the other for use in a 12-mm port, and in two lengths, 29.4 and 35.6 mm, respectively. Both clips are made of stainless steel, and they can be easily maneuvered with commonly-used laparoscopy forceps. The clips have a powerful grasping force (200±20 and 300±30 gf, respectively) but cause no or only negligible organ damage. The jaw surface is textured in a lattice-like relief to resist slippage. The free loop plus is used to puncture the abdominal wall and pull suture threads from inside the abdominal cavity to outside the body. It is fitted with a φ 0.1-mm NiTi alloy suture thread that passes through a 90-mm 21 G stainless steel needle. Generally, the device is attached to the FJ clip and used to guide the traction suture to outside the body. Results: In the 11 cases noted above, mean operation time was 156 minutes (78–287 minutes). The blood loss volume was ≤30 g per patient and so low in 8 patients that it could not be measured. In all 11 patients, the surgery was performed via two ports, one in the umbilicus and the other in the left epigastric region. Laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery was performed in 4 of the 11 patients. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 9.9 days (range, 8–11 days). Conclusions: Our success with the devices leads us to believe that the FJ clip will assume the role of forceps in many laparoscopic surgery settings in fields such as obstetrics and gynecology and urology. We are also led to believe that the FJ clip will pave the way for new developments in RPS.

P083 Method for continuous multichannel measurement of impedance at the auricular sites innervated by various cranial nerves

Question External auricule receives afferent supply via vagal, trigeminal and cervical nerves ( Peuker and Filler, 2002 ). Reduced impedance of the auricular sites innervated by vagal and trigeminal nerves is associated with pain and malfunction of internal organs ( Oleson et al., 1980 ; Saku et al., 1993 ). The aim was to develop the robust method for continuous measurement of skin impedance at the sites of auricle, supplied by various cranial nerves. Methods Multichannel device for continuous impedance measurement, based on Atmel ATmega16 microprocessor with 1 kHz of probing alternating current frequency was controlled using Matlab environment via USB port. The device measures voltage difference between the reference electrode (right forearm) and the sites of interest (innervation areas of cranial nerves) and transforms the voltage values into impedance using the calibration measurements of known resistances. Surface ECG and stainless steel needle electrodes were used at the sites of interest on the right auricles of healthy volunteers. Impedance monitoring was performed at rest and under the heat pain stimuli, delivered via CHEPS thermode (MEDOC analyser, Israel). Results Reproducible stable data with the voltage of 1 V, current values of 100 μ A and impedance around 10 k Ω were acquired (Fig. 1 Download : Download high-res image (306KB) Download : Download full-size image ), whereas invasive measurement yielded less variable data than non- invasive procedure. Heat pain stimulation led to differential reduction of the impedance in the sites of cranial nerve innervation (Fig. 2), whereas the decreased impedance recovered to the baseline values (Fig. 2 Download : Download high-res image (266KB) Download : Download full-size image ). Conclusions The multichannel continuous measurement of impedance at the external auricle was feasible. Further investigations are warranted to clarify the differential impedance response from the auricular sites in healthy subjects under stress challenge and patients.

Tibia deformity correction by circular external fixator in multiple enchondromatosis

Objective To discuss the outcomes of tibia varum and shorting deformity correction by circular external fixator in multiple enchondromatosis. Methods Thirty-one tibias treated with varum and shorting deformity correction by circular external fixator in multiple enchondromatosis were statistically analyzed. Of 31 tibias (28 cases), 12 were from boys, and 19 from girls, with an average age of 12.3 years. After open tibia and fibula osteotomy through small incision, all tibia varum and shorting deformity were corrected slowly by circular external fixator. The patients were followed up for 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after the operation. Preoperative and postoperative data at 12th and 36th month about tibia shorting deformity, angle of varus knee, medial proximal tibial angle, lateral distal tibial angle, the maximum length and width of the tumors which had been gone through by stainless steel needles were analyzed. Results As compared with the preoperative group whose tibia shorting deformity was (35.16±8.62) mm, postoperative tibia shorting deformity at 12th and 36th month was (16.04±2.73) mm and (6.99±1.93) mm respectively, the difference between the two groups had statistical significance (t=15.927, P=0.000; t=20.814, P=0.000). As compared with the preoperative group whose angle of varus knee was (25.0±7.9)°, postoperative angle of varus knee at 12th and 36th month was (2.1±0.9)° and (5.0±1.1)° respectively, the difference between the two groups had statistical significance (t=15.955, P=0.000; t=13.843, P=0.000). As compared with the preoperative group whose medial proximal tibial angle was (70.6±3.0)°, postoperative medial proximal tibial angle at 12th and 36 month was (88.7±1.6)° and (87.6±1.4)° respectively, the difference between the two groups had statistical significance (t=-26.806, P=0.000; t=-28.591, P=0.000). As compared with the preoperative group whose lateral distal tibial angle was (131.5±2.9)°, postoperative lateral distal tibial angle at 12th and 36th month was (88.9±1.9)° and (89.3±1.8)° respectively, the difference between the two groups had statistical significance (t=78.459, P=0.000; t=71.467, P=0.000). As compared with the preoperative group whose the maximum length of the tumors was (46.2±23.7) mm, postoperative maximum length of the tumors at 12th and 36th month was (47.2±24.0) mm and (46.6±24.1) mm respectively, the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance (t=-1.808, P=0.081; t=-0.741, P=0.464). As compared with the preoperative group whose maximum width of the tumors was (33.9±5.0) mm, postoperative the maximum width of the tumors at 12th and 36th month was (34.6±6.3) mm and (35.1±5.1) mm respectively, the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance (t=-1.014, P=0.319; t=-1.910, P=0.066). All patients were not diagnosed with osteomyelitis and had no symptoms of nerve and vascular injury. Conclusion It demonstrates that tibia deformity correction by circular external fixator in multiple enchondromatosis is safe and effective. Tumors being gone through by stainless steel needles have no growth rapidly in a short time. But the higher probability of malignant change is necessitating lifelong follow-up. Key words: Multiple enchondromatosis; Tibia; Circular external fixator

Lab-on-a-chip mRNA purification and reverse transcription via a solid-phase gene extraction technique.

Extraction and purification of high quality RNA is a crucial initial step required for a variety of genomic assays. We report a solid phase gene extraction (SPGE) method for automated extraction, purification and reverse transcription of mRNA in a microfluidic device. This is performed using a 130 μm diameter stainless steel needle that is amino-linked to dT(15) oligonucleotides for selective hybridization of mRNA. By inserting this probe into the biological sample for only 30 seconds, mRNA is captured with high selectivity and a yield greater than 10 pg per mm of probe length. The probe is then inserted into a lab-on-a-chip device, where the bound poly-adenylated RNA is thermally released and immediately reverse transcribed for subsequent PCR amplification. The insertion of the probe into the microfluidic device is straightforward: the microchannel is formed with an elastomer (PDMS) that, when punctured, will seal around the probe. The specificity and RNA loading capacity of the probes were evaluated using conventional qPCR. This procedure was successfully used to extract, purify, and transcribe mRNA from rat glioblastoma cell spheroids in less than seven minutes. Analysis of the product confirmed that the SPGE technique selectively captures and inherently purifies high-quality mRNA directly from biological material with no need for additional pre-processing steps. Integrating this elegant sample preparation method into a complete lab-on-a-chip system will substantially enhance the speed and automation of mRNA assays for research and clinical diagnostics.

Consideration of different heating lengths of needles with induction heating and resistance system: A novel design of needle module for thermal ablation.

Thermal ablation using alternating electromagnetic fields is a promising method to treat tissues including tumors. With this approach, an electromagnetic field is generated around an induction coil, which is supplied with high frequency current from a power source. Any electrically conducting object, which is placed in the electromagnetic field, is then heated due to eddy currents. Basic principles underlying this novel thermotherapy needle system are internal induction and resistance heating. This presents a new design of a standard gauge 18 percutaneous trans-hepatic cholangiography needle module combined with a compact power source. Three needle modules containing coils of different lengths were used to locally heat up different volumes of tissues in in vitro experiments on pig livers. Temperature on the inside surface of the needle was controlled and monitored through a K-type thermocouple. By using this needle module system, no two-section or ferromagnetic nanoparticle-coated needles were required; the system worked well with the SUS-304 stainless-steel needle. Successful results were demonstrated in the in vitro experiments on pig livers with different heating lengths of 10, 20, and 30 mm needles. With low power sources, needles could be heated up to a high temperature. The novel design of the needle module incorporated with a high frequency power source was thus shown to be a promising technology for tissue ablation. Bioelectromagnetics.38:220-226, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Progress of Advanced Engineering Materials in Acupuncture Needle

In order to promote the development of acupuncture technique and improve the effect of acupuncture, acupuncturists have innovated and produced many new acupuncture needles using suitable engineering materials. This article aims to show the progress of advance engineering materials in acupuncture needles. We searched the international database PubMed, EI, and the Chinese database CNKI, Wangfang. The MESH and Key words were: acupuncture needle, needle implement, acupuncture implement, float needle, new nine needles, fire needle, laser acupuncture. And we classified the new needles into 5 related parts: name, inventor, function, materials and application. In this study, we had summarized common used 13 needles and 15 materials. The mainly used needles were Stone Needle, Metal needle, Stainless steel needle, New nine needles, Magnetic pole needle and Floating-Acupuncture. The mainly used materials were Si Bin floating stone, stainless steel, magnet, molybdenum, tungsten .Stainless steel needle is the most frequently used in clinic. In conclusion, there are not many advance engineering materials applied in acupuncture needles. A few materials help to promote the development of acupuncture but they are not frequently used enough. The development of acupuncture needs more suitable materials to improve the function of needle. An ideal needle may be painless but thicker enough to manipulate, and produce some material effect to produce enough stimulating quantity.