Da Vinci Robotic System: Revolutionary Surgical System

Da Vinci Robotic System is an FDA approved robotic surgical system which was created by an American company called Intuitive Surgical. The study of the human anatomy, which was done by Leonardo Da Vinci, was the cause of the creation of the Da Vinci System. Surgical robots, that are a part of Artificial Intelligence, are self-powered. They are computer-controlled appliances and are programmed to operate surgical instruments in a very expert and professional manner.

This system assists in performing surgery with the minimally invasive procedures. Without the aid of Da Vinci Robotic System, operations would require incisions of various sizes. These incisions would increase the risk of infections, prolong the healing duration of the wound and in some cases, could leave permanent scars.

Bionic Lenses: Eagle Eyes

How many of us have heard this phrase "He has Eagle eyes!" well, now it has become a possibility for all of us to have these eagle eye. Thanks to advancements in ophthalmology section in the medical field we are now at the verge of a new technology that allows us to have a bionic lens that can be 3 times as good as the normal 20/20 vision.

These Bionic lenses will not only be able to make you see clearly but will also allow you to see at all distances and at a very sharp vision! Those how have reduced vision will not only restore their normal vision but will also be able to see better! How exciting is that?

Dreams Reconstructed Using FMRI with Pattern Recognition

Isn't it an amazing thing to be able to see your dreams in a recorded video so that you can actually see your dreams after you wake up? Well, let's see how scientists are trying to do so...

Facts about Dreams

Actually, this is not a very new idea for scientists and it trials originated since 2009, the Japanese were trying to catch dreams since that time. Now since that time, there are many advances in various technological fields that might aid tremendously in the progress of dreams reconstruction.

Some of the technologies that contribute to achieving such a goal are Artificial Intelligence in addition to advancements in FMRI machines as well. Furthermore, faster supercomputers are becoming much faster.

How Dual Source CT Becoming Promising New Imaging Method

Dual source CT (or DSCT) is a yet another new innovation in the CT industry, but instead of making it more difficult to simulate the X-Rays emitted from the Dual X-Ray tubes, what are the advantages that are provided in such system and is it a really new innovation or just a flashy name that would boost sales and spice up marketing campaigns?

As the name suggests, a Dual-source CT scanner has Dual X-ray tubes and thus 2 receivers, note that there are different concepts of dual-source CT scanners, but in this article, we are only focusing on this type of dual-source CT scanners.

There is space for using the Dual-source CT in two main operation modes, the first mode is to have the 2 X-ray sources working in the same dose called the "Dual Source Scanning", the other mode is to have the Dual Source CT to work in two different doses called the "Dual Energy Scanning".

Very Clear Illustration Regarding Phaco-Cataract Surgery

To Visit the Site of the Author

This is a very brief article about cataract surgery where you can know the image the main steps applied in such surgeries. The illustration is made by Christine Cote, she is an MS in Biomedical Visualization.

Formation of cataract in the lens of the eye is one of the most common problems for many above 65 years old and it is increasing due to the fact that the numbers of people living more than 65 are increasing.

The formation of a cataract means that the lens is becoming opaque and vision will start to become blurry and will continue to be worse until almost nothing can be seen.

ElectroSurgical Unit Preventive Maintenance

After we have extensively introduced the function, modes, and uses of an Electro Surgical Unit we are going to mention in this article how to apply preventive maintenance to this machine and when to do so.

Different ESU Types

We are going to break this into a list and it going to be as follows:

1. According to the sample risk assessment sheet, an electrosurgical unit needs inspection for a thorough preventive maintenance procedure 2 times per year. During which you will test the performance of the electrosurgical unit. Extreme caution should be taken while inspecting an ESU as there are a high risk of getting an electric shock from direct or indirect (e.x: leakage) ways.
2. You will need to test many things in an ESU, among which you will need to test the power output and properties of the output signal. You will also need to make sure that output current A, the power (W), and the peak-to-peak voltage (V) to be accurate.
3. The power distribution test will evaluate the ESU output across various loads to make sure that the output is adjusted with varying impedance. Thus making sure that impedance sensing circuits in the ESU are working properly and delivering outputs that are accurate regardless of load variation. 
4. ESU testing must be applied we are going through more details on how to test the ESU later in this article.
5. High-Frequency leakage (RF leakage current should also be tested, as it is a critical parameter to measure as it may cause accidental burns in patients. 
6. Return Electrode Current Monitor (RECM) is an alarm circuit that alarms operator with a visual and audible alarm in case the ESU generator reaches a high threshold of the amount of current passing through the return electrode plates/pad.
7. In case an ESU has an inert gas flow* the flow and pressure of such inert gas need to be tested. 
8. Cleaning and dust removal of the inside of an ESU is important as cleaning and dust removal helps reduce heat accumulation in the machine.
9. Some ESU manufacturers recommend replacing fuses of an ESU every preventive maintenance check. Make sure that fuses that are going to be placed are having the same specifications of the ones removed. 
10. Cables inspection is important as they are moving and could be subject to rupture. It is highly recommended that you keep spare cables as these cables can be damaged at any time and once damaged you cannot use them anymore.
11. A resistivity test must be applied to electrodes, even if they should last for a very long time. But due to continuous use, their resistance increases with time. Also, it is recommended that you have spare electrodes, or at least when you find that the resistance increased substantially consider replacing them soon. (Note: Resistivity can reach a certain limit where the electrode will no longer function properly even if the maximum load is applied).
12. The electrical safety test procedure is highly recommended, this can be easily applied if you have an electrical safety analyzer.  

Fluke 87-V Digital Multi-meter

*Some ESUs have this option by which an inert gas is flowing and envelops the surgery sites that oxygen is eliminated at the surgery site, this allows for a faster healing incision that is neat and clean as lack of oxygen prevents tissue charring.

ESU testing

Say No To high Heels

High heels are among one of the most bone devastating things a woman would endure, she wears such shoes just for her to look taller or prettier, without gaining anything good in return.

 Actually, she would have many bone deformities from the tip of her fingers to her spinal cord. What is worst than that is most people are unaware of such a problem, but if you just ask a girl what is she going to do soon after she returns from a party, she might tell you that she would want to take her heels off!

Ventilator Preventive Maintenance

Ventilators or respirators are devices used to assist patients in ventilating their lungs. There are many things to be done for a ventilator during a Preventive Maintainance check-up. Most manufacturers recommend that a PPM be applied every 3 months of use. During which you will be prompted to do some or all of the following:

760 series Ventilators

• Inspect for any physical damage that might indicate mechanical damage. 



• Run a full performance check, where you will check all modes of operation of the ventilator



• Change the air intake filter.



• Verify that all audible and visual alarms are working properly.



• Inspect labels.



• If there is a cooling fan filter then it is recommended to be inspected and cleaned every month. If you are in a dusty area you might want to clean it more often.



• Some ventilators have an option to self-calibrate their oxygen sensor. This needs to be done often, daily or as needed.



• If the ventilator has a collector vial then it needs to be cleaned and disinfected. In most cases, the collector vial can be sent to the autoclave to disinfect it, daily or as needed. 



• Inspiratory and expiratory bacteria filters. If the filters are reusable then they should be autoclaved if they are disposable they should be replaced after every patient. If the same patient stays connected to a ventilator for a long period of time usually more than 15 days. The filters should be autoclaved or replaced whichever case is applicable or after a circuit change. You can check filter resistance in many types of ventilators. By referring to the operation manual you will get instructions on what to do when the filter resistance increases above a certain level? 



• Check if the battery is charging and that it is fully charged after long charge times. Usually, it is recommended to change a ventilator battery every year. You can refer to the user/service manual of your ventilator to follow manufacturer recommendations.

Top 4 Biomedical Engineering Colleges in CANADA

Studying BME in Canada

In case you want to know more about BME you might want to see the link provided and then you can come here and look at the list of top colleges in Canada for Biomedical engineering.

There are 21 colleges that have BME program in Canada, and here is our list of top 4 universities in Canada to enroll for a BME program:

1- Carleton University

In Carleton university, you will be able to not only have a biomedical engineering certificate but you can specialize in Data Science, bioinformatics or clinical engineering.

2- University of British Columbia

In UBC university you will give you the option to be an electrical engineer with biomedical engineering specialty. They also provide the Co-Op option to their students.

Top 4 Biomedical Engineering Colleges in USA

BME

First of all if you are here because you want to know more about biomedical engineering then you might want to visit the article related to that. That said we can continue with our list of colleges from around the world that teach biomedical engineer in their campuses.

You might be surprised that many universities don't have a biomedical engineering program, so it is not a good idea to go look for any universities if you want to enroll in a BME program.

There are many well known and very well respected universities that tech biomedical engineering in USA but we have a list of 4 universities where you get top rank certificate.

1- The Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore

It was founded in 1876, but history is not all it is ranking as top 1 in biomedical engineering and the top 12th university in USA

2-  Duke University

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is the second in our list, and they have "Over two-thirds of biomedical engineering undergraduates are involved in independent study research projects" so this would give students good experience during their learning life.