This book summarizes the theoretical and experimental studies confirming the concept of the liquid-crystalline nature of boundary lubrication in synovial joints. It is shown that cholesteric liquid crystals in the synovial liquid play a significant role in the mechanism of intra-articular friction reduction. The results of structural, rheological and tribological research of the creation of artificial synovial liquids containing cholesteric liquid crystals in natural synovial liquids are described. These liquid crystals reproduce the lubrication properties of natural synovia and provide a high chondroprotective efficiency. They were tested in osteoarthritis models and in clinical practice.

This book introduces a new cyberphysical system that combines clinical and basic neuroscience research with advanced data analysis and medical management tools for developing novel applications for the management of epilepsy. The authors describe the algorithms and architectures needed to provide ambulatory, diagnostic and long-term monitoring services, through multi parametric data collection. Readers will see how to achieve in-hospital quality standards, addressing conventional "routine" clinic-based service purposes, at reduced cost, enhanced capability and increased geographical availability. The cyberphysical system described in this book is flexible, can be optimized for each patient and is demonstrated in several case studies.

Nanomedicine is the field of science that deals with organic applications of medicine at the nano-scale level. It primarily addresses finding, anticipating, and treating sickness, as well as using nanotechnology to assist in controlling human frameworks at the cellular level. The nature of nanotechnology allows it to address numerous medical issues in humans. This book offers comprehensive information to better comprehend and apply multifunctional nanoparticles in nanomedicine, and thus open avenues in the field. Medicating at the nanolevel is an exceptional therapeutic avenue, as it avoids symptoms associated with conventional medicines. This book investigates recent insights into structuring novel drug delivery frameworks. It concentrates on the physical characteristics of drug delivery transporters, and the preliminary procedures involved in their use. The book offers in-depth detail that benefits academics and researchers alike, containing broad research from experts in the field, and serves as a guide for students and researchers in the field of nanomedicine, drug delivery, and nanotechnology.

This book presents the research involving in situ gelling polymers and can be used as a guidebook for academics, industrialists and postgraduates interested in this area. This work summaries the academic contributions from the top authorities in the field and explore the fundamental principles of in situ gelling polymeric networks, along with examples of their major applications. This book aims to provide an up-to-date resource of in situ gelling polymer research.

The book presents automatic and reproducible methods for the analysis of medical infrared images. All methods highlighted here have been practically implemented in Matlab, and the source code is presented and discussed in detail. Further, all methods have been verified with medical specialists, making the book an ideal resource for all IT specialists, bioengineers and physicians who wish to broaden their knowledge of tailored methods for medical infrared image analysis and processing.

This book is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary resource for the latest information on implantable medical devices, and is intended for graduate students studying electrical engineering, electronic instrumentation, and biomedical engineering. It is also appropriate for academic researchers, professional engineers, practicing doctors, and paramedical staff. Divided into two sections on Basic Concepts and Principles, and Applications, the first section provides an all-embracing perspective of the electronics background necessary for this work. The second section deals with pacing techniques used for the heart, brain, spinal cord, and the network of nerves that interlink the brain and spinal cord with the major organs, including ear and eye prostheses. The four main offshoots of implantable electronics, which this book discusses, are: The insertion of an implantable neural amplifier for accurate recording of neural signals for neuroengineering studies The use of implantable pulse generators for pacing the activities of diseased organs The use of implantable sensors for observing the influence of therapy and monitoring a patient's biological parameters The use of drug delivery systems to supervise the supply of accurate doses of medicine to affected parts Readers will also find chapters on the essentials of clocking and timing circuits, pulse generator circuits, neural amplifiers, batteries, biomaterials and biocompatibility, and more. Unique to this book is also a chapter on cyber security and confidentiality concerns with implants. End-of-chapter questions and exercises help readers apply the content to practical use, making this an ideal book for anyone wishing to learn more about implantable devices.

This book covers the most recent developments in the field of osteochondral tissue engineering (OCTE) and covers in detail the concepts and current challenges for bone and cartilage repair and regeneration. Specific topics include viscosupplementation, biologicals, tissue engineering approaches, in vitro and in vivo models, and technological advances with stem cells, bioreactors, and microfluidics. Osteochondral Tissue Engineering: Challenges, Current Strategies, and Technological Advances presents challenges and strategies in the field of osteochondral regeneration and serves as a core reference for biomedical engineering students and a wide range of established researchers and professionals working in orthopedics.

This book discusses feature engineering and computational intelligence solutions for ECG monitoring, with a particular focus on how these methods can be efficiently used to address the emerging challenges of dynamic, continuous & long-term individual ECG monitoring and real-time feedback. By doing so, it provides a "snapshot" of the current research at the interface between physiological signal analysis and machine learning. It also helps clarify a number of dilemmas and encourages further investigations in this field, to explore rational applications of feature engineering and computational intelligence in ECG monitoring. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in the field of biomedical engineering, ECG signal processing, and intelligent healthcare.

This book presents the timeline of immunodiagnostics evolution, including advancements in immunological/nucleic acid probes, assay design, labelling techniques, and devices for signal transduction and acquisition. In the past few years, enzyme and nanocatalyst-based immune assays have undergone numerous modifications to enhance their sensitivity and potential for automation. Further, to reduce production costs and the use of laboratory animals, engineering small antibodies and nucleic acid probes (aptamers) has become increasingly popular in the development of novel and powerful bioassays. In light of the notable advancements in immunodiagnostics, this book highlights the combined efforts of clinicians, biotechnologists, material scientists, nanotechnologists and basic scientists in a coherent and highly structured way. The book takes readers on the journey of immunodiagnostic technologies, from their introduction to the present.

This book gives a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving field of three-dimensional (3D) printing, and its increasing applications in the biomedical domain. 3D printing has distinct advantages like improved quality, cost-effectiveness, and higher efficiency compared to traditional manufacturing processes. Besides these advantages, current challenges and opportunities regarding choice of material, design, and efficiency are addressed in the book. Individual chapters also focus on select areas of applications such as surgical guides, tissue regeneration, artificial scaffolds and implants, and drug delivery and release. This book will be a valuable source of information for researchers and professionals interested in the expanding biomedical applications of 3D printing.

This book reports on the latest technological and clinical advances in the field of neurorehabilitation. It is, however, much more than a conventional survey of the state-of-the-art in neurorehabilitation technologies and therapies. It was formed on the basis of a week of lively discussions between curious PhD students and leading research experts during the summer school on neurorehabilitation (SSNR2012), September 16-21 in Nuevalos, Zaragoza (Spain). Its unconventional format makes it a perfect guide for all PhD students, researchers and professionals interested in gaining a multidisciplinary perspective on current and future neurorehabilitation scenarios. The book covers various aspects of neurorehabilitation research and practice, organized into different parts. The first part discusses a selection of common impairments affecting brain function, such as stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease; the second deals with both spinal cord and brain plasticity. The third part covers the most recent rehabilitation and diagnostics technologies, including robotics, neuroprostheses, brain-machine interfaces and electromyography systems. Practical examples and case studies related to the application of some of the latest techniques in realistic clinical scenarios are covered in the fourth part.

Omnidirectional Inductive Powering for Biomedical Implants investigates the feasibility of inductive powering for capsule endoscopy and freely moving systems in general. The main challenge is the random position and orientation of the power receiving system with respect to the emitting magnetic field. Where classic inductive powering assumes a predictable or fixed alignment of the respective coils, the remote system is now free to adopt just any orientation while still maintaining full power capabilities. Before elaborating on different approaches towards omnidirectional powering, the design and optimisation of a general inductive power link is discussed in all its aspects. Special attention is paid to the interaction of the inductive power link with the patient 's body. Putting theory into practice, the implementation of an inductive power link for a capsule endoscope is included in a separate chapter.

In this book, 22 authors discuss development of Ambient Assisted Living. It presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. As the technological innovation raises also social issues, the book addresses micro and macro economical aspects of assistive systems and puts an additional emphasis on the ethical and legal discussion. The presentation is supported by real world examples and applications.

Active implants are actually drug or protein-eluting implants that induce healing effects, in addition to their regular task, such as support. This effect is achieved by controlled release of the active agent to the surrounding tissue. This book will give a broad overview of biomaterial platforms used as basic elements of drug-eluting implants. It will include mainly coatings for vascular stents with controlled release of antiproliferative agents, wound dressings with controlled release of antibacterial agents, drug-eluting vascular grafts, protein-eluting scaffolds for tissue regeneration, drug-eluting platforms for dental and other applications. Thus, both internal and external implants are described. The drug-eluting implants will be described in terms of matrix formats and polymers, incorporated drugs and their release profiles from the implants, as well as implant functioning. Smart polymeric systems, such as crosslinked poly-lactones, thermo and pH-sensitive hydrogels and poly(amido-amines), as well as novel basic structural elements, such as composite fibers and films, and nanostructures will be thoroughly described. The effect of the processing parameters on the microstructure and on the resulting drug release profiles, mechanical and physical properties, and other relevant properties, will be emphasized. The described new biomaterials approaches for active implants enhance the tools available for creating clinically important biomedical applications.

The book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field of gait and balance rehabilitation. It describes technologies and devices together with the requirements and factors to be considered during their application in clinical settings. The book covers physiological and pathophysiological basis of locomotion and posture control, describes integrated approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases and spinal cord injury, as well as important principles for designing appropriate clinical studies. It presents computer and robotic technologies currently used in rehabilitation, such as exoskeleton devices, functional electrical stimulation, virtual reality and many more, highlighting the main advantages and challenges both from the clinical and engineering perspective. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book is intended for people with different background and expertise, including medical and engineering students, clinicians and physiotherapists, as well as technical developers of rehabilitation systems and their corresponding human-compute interfaces. It aims at fostering an increased awareness of available technologies for balance and gait rehabilitation, as well as a better communication and collaboration between their users and developers.

This book presents an introduction to biomaterials with the focus on the current development and future direction of biomaterials and medical devices research and development in Indonesia. It is the first biomaterials book written by selected academic and clinical experts experts on biomaterials and medical devices from various institutions and industries in Indonesia. It serves as a reference source for researchers starting new projects, for companies developing and marketing products and for governments setting new policies. Chapter one covers the fundamentals of biomaterials, types of biomaterials, their structures and properties and the relationship between them. Chapter two discusses unconventional processing of biomaterials including nano-hybrid organic-inorganic biomaterials. Chapter three addresses biocompatibility issues including in vitro cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, in vitro cell models, biocompatibility data and its related failure. Chapter four describes degradable biomaterial for medical implants, which include biodegradable polymers, biodegradable metals, degradation assessment techniques and future directions. Chapter five focuses on animal models for biomaterial research, ethics, care and use, implantation study and monitoring and studies on medical implants in animals in Indonesia. Chapter six covers biomimetic bioceramics, natural-based biocomposites and the latest research on natural-based biomaterials in Indonesia. Chapter seven describes recent advances in natural biomaterial from human and animal tissue, its processing and applications. Chapter eight discusses orthopedic applications of biomaterials focusing on most common problems in Indonesia, and surgical intervention and implants. Chapter nine describes biomaterials in dentistry and their development in Indonesia.

Artificial organs may be considered as small-scale process plants, in which heat, mass and momentum transfer operations and, possibly, chemical transformations are carried out. This book proposes a novel analysis of artificial organs based on the typical bottom-up approach used in process engineering. Starting from a description of the fundamental physico-chemical phenomena involved in the process, the whole system is rebuilt as an interconnected ensemble of elemental unit operations. Each artificial organ is presented with a short introduction provided by expert clinicians. Devices commonly used in clinical practice are reviewed and their performance is assessed and compared by using a mathematical model based approach. Whilst mathematical modelling is a fundamental tool for quantitative descriptions of clinical devices, models are kept simple to remain focused on the essential features of each process. Postgraduate students and researchers in the field of chemical and biomedical engineering will find that this book provides a novel and useful tool for the analysis of existing devices and, possibly, the design of new ones. This approach will also be useful for medical researchers who want to get a deeper insight into the basic working principles of artificial organs.

Biomedical Materials provides a comprehensive discussion of contemporary biomaterials research and development. Highlighting important topics associated with Engineering, Medicine and Surgery, this volume reaches a wide scope of professionals, researchers and graduate students involved with biomaterials. A pedagogical writing style and structure provides readers with an understanding of the fundamental concepts necessary to pursue research and industrial work on biomaterials, including characteristics of biomaterials, biological processes, biocompatibility, and applications of biomaterials in implants and medical instruments.

Written by leading researchers in the field, this text book takes readers to the forefront of biomedical materials development, providing them with a taste of how the field is changing, while also serving as a useful reference to physicians and engineers.

This book contains original articles submitted to the Seventh International Conference on Cognitive Neurodynamics (ICCN 2019). The brain is an endless case study of a complex system characterized by multiple levels of integration, multiple time scales of activity, and multiple coding and decoding properties. The contribution of several disciplines, mathematics, physics, computer science, neurobiology, pharmacology, physiology, and behavioral and clinical sciences, is necessary in order to cope with such seemingly unattainable complexity that transforms the experimental information into a tricky puzzle which hides the correspondence with model predictions. This conference gathered active participants to discuss ideas and pose new questions from different viewpoints, ranging from single neurons and neural networks to animal/human behavior in theoretical and experimental studies. The conference is organized with plenary lectures, mini-symposia, interdisciplinary round tables, and oral and poster sessions.

This book shows the various sandwich assays that are constructed from recognition molecules, such as antibodies, oligonucleotide sequences and aptamers, developed as a result of nano- and biotechnology advances. It consists of ten chapters presenting interesting examples of these assays, organized according to the type of analytic methods (colorimetric, fluorescence, electrochemical, etc.) and detected objects (protein, nucleic acid, small-molecule, ion, etc.). It also includes a chapter discussing the introduction of sandwich assays as biosensors for the detection of a range of targets. It is an interesting and useful resource for a wide readership in various fields of chemical science and nanotechnology.

Design of Artificial Human Joints & Organs is intended to present the basics of the normal systems and how, due to aging, diseases or trauma, body parts may need to be replaced with manmade materials. The movement of the body generates forces in various work situations and also internally at various joints, muscles and ligaments. It is essential to figure out the forces, moments, pressure etc to design replacements that manage these stresses without breaking down. The mechanical characterization of the hard and the soft tissues are presented systematically using the principles of solid mechanics. The viscoelastic properties of the tissue will also discussed. This text covers the design science and methodology from concept to blueprint to the final component being replaced. Each chapter will be a brief overview of various joint/organ replacement systems. Engineers working on artificial joints and organs, as well as students of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are the main intended audience, however, the pedagogy is simple enough for those who are learning the subject for the first time.

In this book, leading authors in the field discuss developments of Ambient Assisted Living. The contributions have been chosen and invited at the 8th AAL Congress, Frankfurt/M. The meeting presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. The 8th AAL Congress focusses its attention on technical assistance systems and their applications in homecare, health and care.

This book presents latest results and selected applications of Computational Intelligence in Biomedical Technologies. Most of contributions deal with problems of Biomedical and Medical Informatics, ranging from theoretical considerations to practical applications. Various aspects of development methods and algorithms in Biomedical and Medical Informatics as well as Algorithms for medical image processing, modeling methods are discussed. Individual contributions also cover medical decision making support, estimation of risks of treatments, reliability of medical systems, problems of practical clinical applications and many other topics. This book is intended for scientists interested in problems of Biomedical Technologies, for researchers and academic staff, for all dealing with Biomedical and Medical Informatics, as well as PhD students. Useful information is offered also to IT companies, developers of equipment and/or software for medicine and medical professionals.

This book highlights electromagnetic actuation (EMA) and sensing systems for a broad range of applications including targeted drug delivery, drug-release-rate control, catheterization, intravitreal needleless injections, wireless magnetic capsule endoscopy, and micromanipulations. It also reviews the state-of-the-art magnetic actuation and sensing technologies with remotely controlled targets used in biomedicine.

This second edition volume provides an overview of some of the types of nanostructures commonly used in nanobiomedicine. The chapters in this book discuss practical information on the synthesis and characterization of a variety of solution-phase and surface-bound nanomaterials, with examples of how they can be used in sensing, imaging, and therapeutics. Specific topics include the synthesis and characterization of molecule and biomolecule-functionalized nanoconjugates with gold, iron oxide, or polymeric cores; the development of biosensing, imaging, and therapeutic applications of multicomponent/multifunctional nanostructures; and the application of flow cytometry in nanobiomedicine. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.< Thorough and comprehensive, Biomedical Nanotechnology: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a useful resource for scientists and researchers at all levels who are interested in working in a new area of nanoscience and technology, or in expanding their knowledge base in their current field.