Transfer Devices Research Articles

Assessment of environmental viral contamination of liquids prepared in a closed system drug transfer device

Assessment of environmental viral contamination of liquids prepared in a closed system drug transfer device

An assessment of seven closed system transfer devices in accordance with the 2015 NIOSH vapor containment performance protocol.

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the effectiveness of seven different closed system transfer device (CSTD) product lines following the 2015 NIOSH Vapor Containment Performance Protocol, using a Gasmet™ DX5000 Terra multigas FTIR analyzer. Seven different CSTD systems were assessed using a two-task evaluation on their capacity to contain the NIOSH-specified challenge agent, 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Task 1 simulated reconstitution and compounding steps while Task 2 simulated compounding and administration steps. Vial adapters, syringe adapters, IV bag adapters, and y-site adapters from each CSTD product line were tested. All tasks were performed in a custom-built environmental test chamber as outlined in the 2015 NIOSH protocol, with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) release detected and measured by a Gasmet™ analyzer. The BD PhaSeal™ CSTD product line effectively contained IPA vapor during both tasks with a task performance metric of 0.00 ppm for each task. BD PhaSeal™ Optima, Equashield®, Yukon Medical Arisure®, ICU Medical ChemoLock™, BD Texium™, and ICU Medical ChemoClave™ non-vented CSTDs demonstrated detectable and quantifiable IPA leakage during each task. The leaks occurred at different steps within the protocol, and the amount of IPA vapor detected varied. In this study, one CSTD product line (i.e., PhaSeal™) successfully contained IPA vapor below the Gasmet™ analyzer's limit of quantification (LOQ) for IPA of 0.04 ppm for both Tasks 1 and 2, demonstrating it to be a validated closed system per the study protocol. All other CSTD product lines demonstrated some level of IPA leakage with task performance metrics above the analyzer's LOQ. However, these results tell us little about how well CSTDs contain hazardous drugs (HDs), as a universal HD surrogate for effectively assessing the closedness of all types of CSTDs has yet to be identified.

Simulation and Experimental Study of Two-Phase Gas–Liquid Behavior in Two-Dimensional Porous Medium Based on Lattice Boltzmann Method

Abstract Loop heat pipe is a passive two-phase heat transfer device. The key component of the loop heat pipe is the evaporator. In this study, the gas–liquid two-phase behavior inside a two-dimensional porous medium with a single-pore size and multi-pore size distributions was comparatively studied, both experimentally and numerically by the lattice Boltzmann method. With a constant heat flux applied to the evaporator's shell, the wick initially fills with saturated liquid, then undergoes evaporation with vapor invasion, and partially dries out with a gas–liquid interface. Due to the multi-pore size distribution in porous medium, vapor is more easily expelled from the wick. There is a significant difference gas–liquid interface inside the wick between the single-pore size wick and the multi-pore size wick, and the temperature of the evaporator's shell of the multi-pore size wick is 27.6% lower than that of the single-pore size wick. To validate the numerical results, two loop heat pipes were built, including monoporous wick and biporous wick, respectively. The experiment found that under high power, the performance of loop heat pipe with biporous wick is significantly better than that of loop heat pipe with monoporous wick. The temperature of the biporous wick is 9.79 K lower than that of the monoporous wick at 230 W. Experiments and simulations show that the porous medium with multi-pore has better performance.

Structure, Shape, Ms Spectral Data and Biological Activities of Fullerenes

Fullerenes or buckyballs are a new allotrope of carbon characterized by a closed-cage structure. The chemical and physical properties of fullerenes have been important topic in the field of research and development. Buckeyballs and carbon nanotubes have opened the door to a vast range of carbon-based materials with some extremely useful properties. Fullerene derivatives are found to exhibit fascinating electronic, mechanical, charge transfer, photophysics and photovoltaic device properties, they also exhibit thermodynamic stability. Fullerene derivatives act as HIV-1 inhibitors, antimicrobial, antioxidants and neuroprotective agents. The present article discusses the structure, curvature, shielding effect, properties, computational data, current research, biological application and mass spectroscopy of fullerenes.

Numerical Investigation of Nanofluid-based Flow Behavior and Convective Heat Transfer Using Helical Screw

Numerous industrial and home users have made use of heat transfer devices for the purpose of heat conversion and recovery. For the past half-century, engineers have worked tirelessly to perfect a heat exchanger design that cuts down on power use without sacrificing performance. Most methods of improving heat transfer work by either increasing the effective heat transfer surface area or creating turbulence, which results in lower thermal resistance. In this study, CFD was used to simulate Al2O3 and CuO nanoparticles in the adsorber tube of a parabolic solar collector with N=1 and N=2 turbulators at Re=20000, 60000, and 100000, respectively, and a turbulence strength of 5%. The turbulence strength was calculated as 5% of the total energy of the particles. Heat conduction is improved by the presence of nanoparticles in the base fluid. Therefore, nanofluids are candidates for alternative methods of heat transfer. Torsional turbulator models with N=2 have a greater output temp than those with N=1 because N=2 models have a higher practical heat level. The intake temp is raised from 35 to 46 degrees Celsius thanks to the presence of CuO nanoparticles in the two turbulator adsorber tubes that are close to one another. The Reynolds number invariably makes the Nusselt number higher. In addition, the Nusselt number demonstrates that there are a greater number of CuO nanoparticle models than Al2O3 nanoparticle models. In addition, CuO nanoparticles are more effective than Al2O3 at lowering pressure. When compared to the N=2 dual-turbulator mode, the N=1 single-turbulator mode has 34% more conflict. PECs are greater for models with two turbulators. Over a wide range of Reynolds numbers, the thermal PEC for N=2 models were 12 percentage points higher than that of N=1 models. CuO nanofluid receivers are superior to Al2O3 ones in their ability to convert solar energy into thermal energy. The two-turbulator model with a Reynolds number of 100,000 that uses CuO nanoparticles achieves the maximum thermal efficiency.

Polymerization-Achieved Cyclodextrin Slide-Ring Supramolecular Hydrogel Self-Generating Flexible Electronic Device.

Supramolecular flexible electronic devices are one of the research hotspots due to their application in the fields of chemistry, biology, and materials. Herein, we reported a slide-ring supramolecular flexible electronic device, which is constructed by acrylamide (AAm), acrylic acid (AA), carboxymethyl-α-cyclodextrin (CM-α-CD), PEG20000 diacrylate (PEG20000DA), and calcium chloride via the photoinitiated polymerization, displaying not only the mechanical force-responded self-generation but also the human-computer information transfer. As compared with the polymer hydrogel, the addition of α-CD polypseudorotaxane to the hydrogel has notably enhanced both the tensile length and the tensile toughness, making it more suitable for flexible electronic device applications. The hydrogel can be stretched to ca. 15 times its original length and quickly recovers after the external force is removed. In addition, it also exhibits a conductivity of 0.21 S/m, demonstrating good electrical conductivity. Significantly, based on the slide-ring supramolecular array for energy harvesting, it can generate an open-circuit voltage of 420 V using the contact separation method for testing, which can be used as a flexible electronic device for human-computer information transfer.

Leaving Slings and Other Transfer Devices Under Patients: A Clinical Decision Support Quality Improvement Project.

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop guidance for safe patient handling and mobility efforts to prevent pressure injuries (PIs) within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) when slings and other transfer devices are left under patients. Health care staff (n=112) in patient safety and nursing at 77 unique VHA facilities responded to surveys between November and December 2019. Interviews (n=24) were conducted using purposive sampling with VHA staff at facilities with highest and lowest PI rates (n=9) between January and March 2021. Feedback on practices and perceptions related to leaving slings and other transfer devices were evaluated using online cross-sectional surveys and interviews with VHA staff. Secondary data for VHA inpatient rates of PIs were used to examine associations with staff-reported sling and other transfer device practices. Leaving slings under patients was associated with higher proportion of patients developing PIs in intensive care units (ICUs, P =.042) and medical-surgical care units (P =.025). In addition, use of sliding boards for seated transfer among short-stay residents in Community Living Centers was associated with higher PI occurrences (P =.017). Qualitative interviews found perceptions and guidance about PI risk related to slings and other transfer devices varied among staff who consider many factors when determining risk. There are perceived benefits and risks of leaving slings and other transfer devices under patients and limited knowledge of PI occurrences associated with this preactice. Clinical decision support can help staff determine safe sling use. More work is needed to test the safety of common sling and transfer device practices and define best practices for communicating PI risk related to sling and transfer device use across the care continuum.

A successful application of information technologies in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: a case report

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation, neurodegeneration, and failure of the central nervous system’s repair mechanisms. The role of infectious agents against the background of genetic predisposition is currently considered a possible pathogenesis factor of this disease.Case presentationWe report the case of a 52-year-old white (Russian) female musician with 15-year history of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis who had repeatedly received conventional therapy without much benefit. In 2017, she was admitted to the outpatient department of the Institute of Virology, where she was treated with erythromycin and acyclovir (tablet forms), which were not applied in the traditional way but through the “device for transfer of information from the drug to the human body.” The received effect led to suppression of the disease activity, a significant reduction in the symptoms of the disease, prevention of further increase in neurological manifestations of the disease, and improvement in the dynamics of the manifestation of the disease according to brain magnetic resonance imaging.ConclusionThe described case report is innovative and presents for the first time the results of a noninvasive approach to the treatment of a patient with multiple sclerosis in whom information about various medications was introduced into different parts of the body, including the brain. The results obtained may indicate a possible role of infectious agents in the genesis of multiple sclerosis. It indicates a potential impact on them by using a “device for transfer of information from the drug to the human body.” The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. It was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Research Institute of Virology of Uzbekistan (no. 12/8–1500, 1/3/2017).

Heat Transfer Simulation and Structural Optimization of Spiral Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger

The spiral fin-and-tube heat exchanger is a widely used heat transfer device in heating and cooling applications, and its performance is influenced by multiple structural parameters, including the pitch, thickness, and height of the fins, the diameter and thickness of the base tube, and the transverse and longitudinal tube spacings. This study comprehensively explores how these factors affect the heat transfer performance of the spiral fin-and-tube heat exchanger and aims to determine its optimal configuration of structural parameters. First, orthogonal experiments are arranged based on these factors to conduct the corresponding finite element numerical simulations and to determine the effects of these factors on the heat transfer and resistance performance of the spiral fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Subsequently, support vector regression (SVR) is introduced to predict the heat transfer factor and the resistance factor, with the aim of benefiting the construction of a multi-objective optimization model for optimizing the two factors simultaneously. Then, a comprehensive performance indicator is used to transform the multi-optimization problem to a single optimization problem, and the genetic algorithm is adopted to solve an optimal configuration of the heat exchanger structural parameters. Ultimately, the finite element numerical simulation is utilized to validate the accuracy of the optimization. Case studies are conducted on a specific spiral fin-and-tube heat exchanger. After the optimization, the heat transfer factor is improved by 44.44%, and the resistance factor is increased by 14.19%. However, the comprehensive performance indicator is increased by 38.79%.

Design and implementation of wireless power transfer device

Abstract. Magnetic coupled resonant radio energy transmission (WPT) technology utilizes the coupling of the magnetic fields of the transmitting and receiving coils and wirelessly transmits energy through electromagnetic induction, greatly expanding the applications of power equipment in special environments. The technology uses the magnetic field coupling between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil to realize the wireless transmission of energy through electromagnetic induction. This method breaks the limitation of traditional wire transmission and greatly expands the application potential of power equipment in various special environments. In this paper, an efficient, stable and long-distance wireless charging device is designed and realized. In order to improve transmission efficiency, two-coil configuration with series-series structure is adopted, and its equivalent circuit model is established by circuit theory and Kirchhoff's law. Therefore, a new radio energy transmission device based on single chip microcomputer is designed, including PWM signal generator, level matching circuit, high frequency inverter circuit and other key parts. Expressions for transmission efficiency and output power are derived from equation analysis and power-on experiments performed on a physical device. In addition, the effects of transmission frequency, load impedance and transmission distance on the performance are investigated.

TASA formulation for nonlinear radiative flow of Walter-B nanoliquid invoking microorganism and entropy generation

Recent scientists and engineers have keen interest for nanomaterial flow across the globe. It is because of the fact that nanomaterials possess innovative characteristics that have gained considerable attention for their involvement in medicine, automobiles, metal spinning, heat transfer and storage devices, power generation, renewable energy and many others. Heat transfer rate has key role regarding finishing and quality of end product. With such consideration the present communication analyzes magnetohydrodynamic bioconvective flow of Walter-B nanoliquid. Flow is generated by stretching surface. Gyrotactic microorganisms in presence of first order reaction is discussed. Energy expression comprises Brownian movement, magnetohydrodynamics, thermophoresis, thermal radiation and dissipation characteristics. Innovative features (random movement and thermophoresis) of Buongiorno's model are deliberated. Entropy minimization rate is under consideration. Soret effect in first order reactive flow is considered. Bejan number is calculated. Dimensionless ordinary expressions are developed through suitable transformations. Optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM) is invoked for convergence purposes. Total and individual residual errors have been computed through OHAM which guarantees the solutions convergence. Graphical analysis for entropy rate, microorganism field, liquid motion, temperature, Bejan number and concentration is arranged. In addition, the analysis for skin friction, motile density number and Nusselt and Sherwood numbers is organized. Here velocity and Bejan number decreased against larger magnetic field whereas opposite scenerio witnessed regarding thermal field and entropy rate. Decrease in liquid motion occurs through viscoelastic variable while an increasing effect seen for thermal transport rate. Higher Prandtl number lead to intensify the thermal transport rate. Nusselt number and entropy rate for radiation have similar response qualitatively when compared with concentration through higher Soret number.

Optimal Design Method for Wireless Power Transfer Devices Considering Magnetic and Electronic Circuits

Optimal Design Method for Wireless Power Transfer Devices Considering Magnetic and Electronic Circuits

Copper fiber wick with scaly fins fabricated by multi-tooth cutting for directional heat transfer

Wicks with directional liquid transport properties are the decisive factor in fabricating high-performance directional heat transfer devices. Aiming at the lack of wicks that can maintain directional liquid transport performance after high-temperature processes, sintered copper fiber wicks (SCFWs) with scaly fins were prepared. The copper fibers with scaly fins were fabricated by multi-tooth cutting and the additional driving force of scaly fins on ethanol was used to achieve directional capillary flow. The effects of scaly fin direction, sintering parameters, and porosity on the capillary performance of SCFWs were studied. The results show that the direction of scaly fins can adjust the liquid flow direction. The capillary performance parameter of SCFW3, with the same fin direction as the flow direction of ethanol, is 65.5% higher than that of SCFW1 with the opposite fin direction. Sintering temperature and holding time affect the formation of sintered necks and micropores, which affects the capillary performances of SCFWs. The effects of sintered necks on the capillary performances of SCFWs are more obvious than micropores on copper fibers. In addition, the relatively low porosity in the range of 70–80% helps improve the capillary performance of SCFWs. The SCFWs provide a feasible method for the fabrication of phase change heat transfer devices with directional heat transfer performances.

A Systematic Study of CSTD-Generated Stress on Different Biomolecular Modalities

Although Closed System Transfer Devices (CSTDs) are used in oncology for dose preparation and administration, the impact of CSTDs on biologics and other non-small molecular modalities are not fully understood. We investigated particle formation when preparing and mock administering three experimental biologics (mAb, ADC, and fusion protein) using seven models of CSTDs. A wide range of visible and subvisible particle formation was observed among CSTD models. Particles were found to consist of silicone oil and protein. X-ray micro-computed tomographic images of the fluid paths of the CSTDs showed that most have highly tortuous fluid paths. Computational fluid dynamics analysis of dose preparation using the CSTDs that produced the highest and lowest amounts of particles demonstrated a 154-fold difference in maximum shear stress as well as a significant difference in solution residence time. Control experiments with silicone oil spiking showed that exposing the proteins to silicone oil does not account for the majority of visible and subvisible particle formation. These results demonstrate that the geometry of the fluid paths of CSTDs can have a detrimental effect on protein stability.

Digital Approach Provides Predictability in Increasing the VDO in Erosive Wear: Clinical Technique and 9-Year Follow-Up.

This clinical case describes a digital workflow using face scans and CAD/CAM technology for a full-mouth rehabilitation with increased vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) with adhesive lithium disilicate restorations after 9 years. A healthy, 46-year-old man displaying severe tooth wear, underwent an extensive full-mouth rehabilitation involving an increase of the VDO through laminate veneers and adhesive partial coverage lithium disilicate restorations. Anatomical landmarks of the face and reference planes were captured using a digital face scanning system. The anatomical position of the maxilla was registered with a transfer device. Digital data sets of the intraoral situation combined with a facial scan enabled precise virtual planning, guiding minimally invasive preparations. Long-term provisional restorations, milled from high-performance polycarbonate, were used to test the novel VDO before the final lithium disilicate restorations were fabricated. This approach provided a time- and cost-efficient treatment solution. No failures were observed at the 9-year follow-up. Utilizing face scans and design software enable a virtual visualization and comprehensive quality control for patients with dental wear, resulting in significant time savings and increased predictability for the dental technician, dentist and patient. The described digital workflow optimizes the planning and implementation of a comprehensive adhesive full-arch rehabilitation with an increase of the VDO. The clinical long-term follow up result of CAD/CAM assisted minimally invasive lithium disilicate restorations after 9 years demonstrates to clinicians a reliable treatment concept for patients with dental wear.

Thermal Performance Investigation of Vapor Chamber Under Partial Heating and Different Heat Flux Conditions: Effects of Inclination Angle

Abstract The need for cooling technologies increases tremendously with raising demand on the powerful and compact electronics. There, it pushes the research and technology to the new investigations on varying heat transfer mechanisms and devices. While one of these devices is vapor chamber (VC), an experimental study has been carried out to investigate the heat transfer performance of a VC under partial heating, varying heat fluxes, and different inclination angles for different temperatures, in the current study. For this purpose, a VC with a dimension of 90 mm × 90 mm × 3 mm is evaluated via its resulting thermal resistance, performance, and the temperature distribution over the VC surface. There, the limited effect of inclination angle is observed on the performance, while the highest change is obtained with decreasing local heating surface area, thus increasing heat fluxes. Moreover, this trend is seen almost similar with a reasonable shift up or down according to the different temperature differences.

Experimental characterisation and visualisation of a novel two-phase flexible heat transfer device

The importance of passive Flexible Heat Transfer Device (FHTD) in electronic cooling or space applications lies in their ability to provide efficient, reliable, and adaptable thermal management solutions. Heat transfer enhancement studies pertaining to FHTD developed to meet the thermal management demands of futuristic flexible electronic devices are presented in the current work. The possibility of extending the heat transport limit of FHTD beyond 24 W by limiting the maximum operating temperature to 60 °C is discussed. The superior performance of FHTD at varying heat loads from 5 W to 40 W at 45°and 90°bending angles is brought out compared with existing heat transfer devices like Flexible Heat Pipe (FHP) and copper thermal straps. The performance is reported in thermal resistance and equivalent thermal conductivity. A commercial dielectric liquid is used as a working fluid in FHTD to enhance the heat transfer limit employing phase change. The evaporator and condenser sections of the flexible section are made transparent to visualise the boiling and condensation phenomenon. Under steady-state operation at a 45°bending angle, The FHTD demonstrates a minimum thermal resistance of 0.73 K/W and a peak effective thermal conductivity of 8172 W/m K. The heat transfer coefficient ranges from 200 to 700 W/m2 K, consistent with values reported for heat pipes in the literature. Additionally, the study explores the impact of modifying the external surface texture to create more nucleation sites, thereby enhancing the performance of the FHTD. The results show that the laser-textured surface on the heat pipe condenser effectively reduces the onset of nucleate boiling for dielectric fluid by 3.5 °C and decreases the maximum temperature of the evaporator by 4.5 °C. The present work dictates the fundamental baseline for possible design choices of futuristic passive flexible heat transfer devices.

Cumulative optimization of magnetoelectric composite-based wireless energy transfer

Abstract Magnetoelectric composite-based wireless energy transfer (WET) comprising omnidirectional ring-shaped transmitter and laminated plate receiver elements have been studied experimentally and theoretically. The objective is to reveal the conditions conducive to achieving optimal power based on the device geometries, the relative orientations, and the operating conditions, including the vibrational frequency, applied electric field, bias magnetic field, and the corresponding resistive load. The reformulated physics-based model establishes the dependence of the output power on the load resistance, elucidating a strong interrelationship between the transferred power, vibrational displacement, and strain transduction coefficient based on relaxing all previous simplifying assumptions. The model ascertained the non-monotonic variation of the output power as a function of the interface coupling factor, emphasizing the crucial influence of gradual change in material properties within the strain-mediated magnetoelectric transmitter and receiver devices, i.e., an agile design framework for multiferroics-based power transfer devices.

Unveiling Visual Physiology and Steady-State Evoked Potentials using Low-Cost and Transferable Electroencephalography for Evaluating Neuronal Activation

Purpose: The ability to see and process images depends on the function of the eyes and the processing of visual information by neurons in the cerebral cortex, something that could be measured through electroencephalography (EEG). Although the EEG is used to evaluate visual pathways in children and demyelination diseases, the limited utilization of brain recording techniques in other applications like therapy is primarily due to budget constraints. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate results from studying brain aspects of vision, utilizing measurements based on oscillatory activity analysis, low-cost, portable equipment, and a processing pipeline relying on Python’s open-source libraries. These studies involve healthy subjects who wear glasses to assess changes in visual perception. Methods: First, electroencephalographic signals were recorded while the subjects observed a visually standardized stimulus. The signals were processed and filtered to reduce artifacts, and the power spectral density (PSD) was calculated to observe the presence of steady-state visual potentials (VEP) to confirm the capture of neuronal activation to the visual stimulus. Results: It was possible to establish a difference between subjects wearing and not wearing their glasses, allowing validation that the information acquired with the transferable equipment is adequate for the analysis of neuronal activity related to visual processing, opening the possibility to be used in future studies in therapy. Conclusion: This study contributes to the development of cost-effective and portable EEG solutions for visual system analysis. It demonstrates the potential for applying transferable EEG devices in clinical settings and highlights the importance of tailored visual stimuli for reliable neural activation.

Calculation of Curie Temperature and Carriers Effective Masses of (Ga, Mn)As Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor from the Eight-Band k.p Model

An important step toward the development of spintronic information processing, transfer, and storage devices is the discovery of a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) that demonstrates carrier-mediated ferromagnetism and maintains its magnetic properties above room temperature. Despite considerable progress made in recent decades, the maximum Curie temperature (∼200 K) remains well below room temperature. Mndoped GaAs are among the various diluted magnetic semiconductor materials that have been studied and have emerged as one of the most promising contenders for technological usage. The key characteristic of GaMnAs is its ferromagnetic properties, which are critical for spintronic devices. The primary goal of this work is to compute two critical properties of GaMnAs: the effective masses and the Curie temperature. The 8-band k.p model put forth by Kane was utilized to compile the GaMnAs band parameters using a MATLAB program. Our calculations are based on Lowdin perturbation theory, where spin-orbit, sp-d exchange interaction, and biaxial strain are taken into account. We calculated the Curie temperature of the GaMnAs alloy, within the mean-field approach based on the Zener model. Our findings demonstrated a direct proportionality relationship between the Curie temperature and the hole concentration (p) in GaMnAs. Moreover, we looked into how the Mn content and strain affected the effective masses of electrons, heavy, and light holes that were calculated for various crystallographic directions in GaMnAs. The effective masses that were calculated were highly dependent on the Mn content, which ranged from 1% to 5%, and the strain, which varied from −2% (tensile strain) to 2% (compressive strain).