Search

The objective of this study was to evaluate if the Bone UltraSonic Scanner (BUSS) can detect osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. BUSS is an axial transmission multi-frequency ultrasonometer for acquisition of wave propagation profiles along the proximal anterior tibia. We derived 10 diagnostically significant BUSS parameters that were then compared with the DXA spine T-score, which was used in this study as the “gold standard” for the assessment of osteoporosis (T-score

Background To perform a colonoscopy, the endoscopist maneuvers the colonoscope through a series of loops by applying force to the insertion tube. Colonoscopy insertion techniques are operator dependent but have never been comprehensively quantified. Objective To determine whether the Colonoscopy Force Monitor (CFM), a device that continually measures force applied to the insertion tube, can identify different force application patterns among experienced endoscopists. Design Observational study of 6 experienced endoscopists performing routine diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy in 30 patients. Setting Outpatient ambulatory endoscopy center. Patients Adult male and female patients between 30 and 75 years of age undergoing routine colonoscopy. Interventions CFM monitoring of force applied to the colonoscope insertion tube during colonoscopy. Main Outcome Measurements Maximum and mean linear and torque force, time derivative of force, combined linear and torque vector force, and total manipulation time. Results The CFM demonstrates differences among endoscopists for maximum and average push/pull and mean torque forces, time derivatives of force, combined push/torque force vector, and total manipulation time. Endoscopists could be grouped by force application patterns. Limitations Only experienced endoscopists using conscious sedation in the patients were studied. Sample size was 30 patients. Conclusions This study demonstrates that CFM allows continuous force monitoring, characterization, and display of similarities and differences in endoscopic technique. CFM has the potential to facilitate training by enabling trainees to assess, compare, and quantify their techniques and progress.

The present study examines the association of the changes in ultrasound velocity measured at 1 MHz using 1.5 micros duration tone burst in the human soleus muscle in vivo with several pathologies including patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and disorders of the cardiovascular system. Total 127 subjects were investigated, with approximately equal number of male and female subjects uniformly distributed by age, from 15 to 70 years old. Since molecular composition of the tissue is thought to have greater effect on the bulk ultrasound velocity, potential contribution of both water and fat, two main variable components of a muscle, were taken into account. Observed negative correlation of ultrasound velocity with the body mass index was considered a result of an elevated fat content. Based on the obtained data, presence of leg edemas results in a measurably lower ultrasound velocity in the soleus muscle. Unless patients had visibly detected leg edema, no difference between healthy individuals, patients with chronic heart failure, or CRF was found. Despite relatively high individual variations in velocity, ranging from 1530 to 1615 m/s, a statistically significant gender correlated difference between average values of the velocity was observed. No dependence of velocity on subject age was detected. An indirect confirmation of the muscle fluid homeostasis was revealed in patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis procedure. After hemodialysis, a significantly smaller increase (0.3% in average) of ultrasound velocity in the soleus muscle was observed than otherwise could be expected if a uniform relative loss of total body fluids was assumed (1-1.3%). In general, the study findings set a premise for using ultrasound velocity as a potential quantitative parameter for edema assessment.

Tissue water content is an important diagnostic parameter that can be used for estimation of water loss in muscles such as common dehydration during high endurance exercises. It could be also applied for evaluation of the increased fluids content in the tissue caused by the variety of pathological conditions or edemas. Ultrasonic method for tissue water content monitoring is based on the premise that the speed of a bulk or compression sound wave is determined mainly by the molecular content of the tissue. Most soft tissues, including muscles that consist of about 70-80% water, exhibit shift of the ultrasound velocity associated with the change in their water content. In the present paper, we tested the feasibility of assessing changes in tissue water content by measurements of ultrasound velocity in ex vivo animal muscle tissues. An increase in the ultrasound velocity correlated with the volumetric water loss in the tissue was observed when other tissue components (proteins, fat) remained constant. Possibility to assess muscle dehydration with 1% accuracy was confirmed in model dehydration experiments, where ultrasound velocity slope of about 3 m/s per 1% of water loss was revealed at measurement error less than 2 m/s. Hence, the ultrasonic approach can provide basis for a convenient, lightweight system in sports medicine for monitoring total body hydration during long-term endurance exercise in hot conditions, as well as for edemas monitoring and other medical applications.