Green synthesized iron(III) oxide (Fe
O
) nanoparticles are gaining appeal in targeted drug delivery systems because of their low cost, fast processing and nontoxicity. However, there is no known ...research work undertaken in the production of green synthesized nano-particles from the Ugandan grown Moringa Oleifera (MO). This study aims at exploring and developing an optimized protocol aimed at producing such nanoparticles from the Ugandan grown Moringa.
While reducing ferric chloride solution with Moringa oleifera leaves, Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe
O
-NPs) were synthesized through an economical and completely green biosynthetic method. The structural properties of these Fe
O
-NPs were investigated by Ultra Violet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These nanoparticles exhibited UV-visible absorption peaks at 225 nm (nm) for the sixth dilution and 228 nm for the fifth dilution which indicated that the nanoparticles were photosensitive and the SEM study confirmed the spherical nature of these nanoparticles. The total synthesis time was approximately 5 h after drying the moringa leaves, and the average particle size was approximately 16 nm. Such synthesized nanoparticles can potentially be useful for drug delivery, especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).
There is a disparity between low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) in translating medical device innovations to the market, affecting health care service delivery. ...Whereas medical technologies developed in HICs face substantial challenges in getting to the bedside, there are at least clear pathways in most of the major markets, such as the UK, the EU, and the USA. Much less is known about the challenges that innovators of medical technologies face in LMICs. The aim of this study was to map out current bottlenecks in medical device innovation in Uganda, a LMIC in Sub-Saharan East Africa.
Virtual experimentation is a widely used approach for predicting systems behaviour especially in situations where resources for physical experiments are very limited. For example, targeted treatment ...inside the human body is particularly challenging, and as such, modeling and simulation is utilised to aid planning before a specific treatment is administered. In such approaches, precise treatment, as it is the case in radiotherapy, is used to administer a maximum dose to the infected regions while minimizing the effect on normal tissue. Complicated cancers such as leukemia present even greater challenges due to their presentation in liquid form and not being localised in one area. As such, science has led to the development of targeted drug delivery, where the infected cells can be specifically targeted anywhere in the body. Despite the great prospects and advances of these modeling and simulation tools in the design and delivery of targeted drugs, their use by Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) researchers and clinicians is still very limited. This paper therefore reviews the modeling and simulation approaches for leukemia treatment using nanoparticles as an example for virtual experimentation. A systematic review from various databases was carried out for studies that involved cancer treatment approaches through modeling and simulation with emphasis to data collected from LMICs. Results indicated that whereas there is an increasing trend in the use of modeling and simulation approaches, their uptake in LMICs is still limited. According to the review data collected, there is a clear need to employ these tools as key approaches for the planning of targeted drug treatment approaches.
Background
Leukemia encompasses various subtypes, each with unique characteristics and treatment approaches. The challenge lies in developing targeted therapies that can effectively address the ...specific genetic mutations or abnormalities associated with each subtype. Some leukemia cases may become resistant to existing treatments over time making them less susceptible to chemotherapy or other standard therapies.
Objective
Developing new treatment strategies to overcome resistance is an ongoing challenge particularly in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Computational studies using COMSOL software could provide an economical, fast and resourceful approach to the treatment of complicated cancers like leukemia.
Methods
Using COMSOL Multiphysics software, a continuous flow microfluidic device capable of delivering anti-leukemia drugs to early-stage leukemia cells has been computationally modeled using dielectrophoresis (DEP).
Results
The cell size difference enabled the micro-particle drug attachment to the leukemia cells using hydrodynamic focusing from the dielectrophoretic force. This point of care application produced a low voltage from numerically calculated electrical field and flow speed simulations.
Conclusion
Therefore, such a dielectrophoretic low voltage application model can be used as a computational treatment reference for early-stage leukemia cells with an approximate size of 5 μm.
Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of major limb loss. No recent study has reported on Uganda's state of public sector prosthetics services. This study aimed to document the ...landscape of major limb loss, and the structure of available prosthetics services in Uganda.
This study involved a retrospective review of medical records at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, and a cross-sectional survey of personnel involved in the fabrication and fitting of prosthetic devices across orthopaedic workshops in the country.
Upper limb amputations accounted for 14.2%, and lower limb accounted for 81.2%. Gangrene (30.3%) was the leading cause of amputation, followed by road traffic accidents and diabetes mellitus. Orthopaedic workshops offered decentralised services, and most materials used were imported. Essential equipment was largely lacking. Orthopaedic technologists had diverse experience and skill sets, but many other factors limited their service provision.
The Ugandan public healthcare system lacks adequate prosthetic services both in terms of personnel and supporting resources, including equipment, materials, and components. The provision of prosthetics rehabilitation services is limited, especially in rural regions. Decentralising services could improve patients' access to prosthetic services.
Implications for Rehabilitation
Availability and accessibility of prosthetic services are essential to the rehabilitation and reintegration of amputees into communities in Low-and-Middle-Income countries (LMICs).
For stakeholders to formulate effective plans to address issues within prosthetics service provision, quality data on the current state of services is necessary.
Service providers should prioritise the decentralisation of prosthetic rehabilitation services, especially for patients in rural areas, to improve access and reach of these services.
To achieve optimal limb functionality after amputation for both lower and upper limb amputees, rehabilitation professionals working in LMICs should focus on delivering comprehensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation services.
Orthopaedic personnel should ensure complete and accurate documentation of patient information following amputation to enable effective tracking and monitoring of patient care to improve outcomes of rehabilitation.
Effective regulatory frameworks, harmonized to international standards, are critical to expanding access to quality medical devices in low- and middle-income countries. This review provides a summary ...of the state of medical device regulation in the 14 member countries of the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) and South Africa. Countries were categorized according to level of regulatory establishment, which was found to be positively correlated to gross domestic product (GDP; r
=0.90) and years of freedom from colonization (r
=0.60), and less positively correlated to GDP per capita (r
=0.40). Although most countries mandate medical device regulation in national legislation, few employ all the guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization. A streamlined regulatory process across African nations would simplify this process for innovators seeking to bring medical devices to the African market, thereby increasing patient access to safe medical devices.
80% of people with disabilities worldwide live in low resourced settings, rural areas, informal settlements and in multidimensional poverty. ICT4D leverages technological innovations to deliver ...programs for international development. But very few do so with a focus on and involving people with disabilities in low resource settings. Also, most studies largely focus on publishing the results of the research with a focus on the positive stories and not the learnings and recommendations regarding research processes. In short, researchers rarely examine what was challenging in the process of collaboration. We present reflections from the field across four studies. Our contributions are: (1) an overview of past work in computing with a focus on disability in low resource settings and (2) learnings and recommendations from four collaborative projects in Uganda, Jordan and Kenya over the last two years, that are relevant for future HCI studies in low resource settings with communities with disabilities. We do this through a lens of Disability Interaction and ICT4D.
Transducer arrays operating above 15 MHz enable real time high resolution imaging of tissue, capable of resolving features below 200μm. Clinical applications such as oncology and gastroenterology ...could significantly benefit from the improved resolution for high frequency ultrasound (HFUS) characterization of tissues. However, this is presently challenging due to the limited penetration depth of HFUS and limited access. Since the device dimensions scale with imaging wavelength, it becomes feasible to integrate HFUS arrays with interventional tools such as biopsy needles. Although there are many design and fabrication challenges associated with incorporating transducers with interventional tools such as biopsy needles, it creates opportunities for timely and accurate characterisation of tissue, leading to in-vivo pathology. This study reports progress in the development of fabrication processes for miniature linear arrays suitable for integration with biopsy needles. While patterning high frequency transducer arrays based on piezocomposites has been shown to be feasible, there remain many challenges to miniaturize the interconnect and cabling of an ultrasound probe suitable for in vivo pathology. Novel packaging techniques for integrating an ultrasound array into a needle were developed. Wafer scale fabrication was adopted to reduce the overall cost of fabrication. Microfabrication and precision micromachining processes were developed to overcome the technical challenges in fabricating miniature arrays operating up to 25 MHz. Array elements are defined by precision dicing and the necessary external flex circuit cabling was fed through the needle. A flexible printed circuit is connected to back surface electrodes using low-temperature bonding methods. A flex circuit connected to the 1-3 piezocomposite was patterned with 60 μm pitch to define array elements suitable for a 25 MHz linear array. The polyimide flexible printed circuit, with fine pitch traces, was twisted into a helical structure so that it can fit within the core of the biopsy needle and permit large numbers of elements and electrode traces. The spiral-helical flexi-circuit design was developed as a way to fit multiple conductive tracks into a needle. The definition of fine-pitch conductive tracks on polyimide polymer was achieved using dry-film photoresist and the application of a megasonic transducer to provide agitation and small bubbles for copper etching. Investigation and evaluation of low temperature bonding methods was undertaken. This overcomes the problem of using high temperature methods on the temperature sensitive single crystal materials. Bonding techniques such as ultrasonic bonding and magnetically aligned anisotropic UV curable epoxy were investigated. A Resolution integral was applied to simulated beam plots as a way of evaluating transducers at a design stage. This considers the ultrasound beams and a measure of the beam at -6 dB is taken as the lateral resolution. This is measured over the depth of field. A transducer with a higher resolution integral would have a narrow beam over a long distance The process was validated with a single element transducers made from fine-scale single crystal composites involving PMN-PT and Manganese doped Lead Indium Niobate-Lead Magnesium NiobateLead Titanate (Mn-PIN-PMN-PT). These were fabricated using the conventional dice and fill method, and incorporated into needles and tested. These composites had pitches as small as 50 μm with kerf of 18 μm. Images were generated using these transducers. Arrays operating at 5 MHz and 15 MHz were fabricated. The fabrication process development and testing demonstrated the feasibility of a linear array integrated into a biopsy needle. The extension of the fabrication processes to higher frequency arrays.
Transducer arrays operating above 15 MHz enable real time high resolution imaging of tissue, capable of resolving features below 200μm. Clinical applications such as oncology and gastroenterology ...could significantly benefit from the improved resolution for high frequency ultrasound (HFUS) characterization of tissues. However, this is presently challenging due to the limited penetration depth of HFUS and limited access. Since the device dimensions scale with imaging wavelength, it becomes feasible to integrate HFUS arrays with interventional tools such as biopsy needles. Although there are many design and fabrication challenges associated with incorporating transducers with interventional tools such as biopsy needles, it creates opportunities for timely and accurate characterisation of tissue, leading to in-vivo pathology. This study reports progress in the development of fabrication processes for miniature linear arrays suitable for integration with biopsy needles. While patterning high frequency transducer arrays based on piezocomposites has been shown to be feasible, there remain many challenges to miniaturize the interconnect and cabling of an ultrasound probe suitable for in vivo pathology. Novel packaging techniques for integrating an ultrasound array into a needle were developed. Wafer scale fabrication was adopted to reduce the overall cost of fabrication. Microfabrication and precision micromachining processes were developed to overcome the technical challenges in fabricating miniature arrays operating up to 25 MHz. Array elements are defined by precision dicing and the necessary external flex circuit cabling was fed through the needle. A flexible printed circuit is connected to back surface electrodes using low-temperature bonding methods. A flex circuit connected to the 1-3 piezocomposite was patterned with 60 μm pitch to define array elements suitable for a 25 MHz linear array. The polyimide flexible printed circuit, with fine pitch traces, was twisted into a helical structure so that it can fit within the core of the biopsy needle and permit large numbers of elements and electrode traces. The spiral-helical flexi-circuit design was developed as a way to fit multiple conductive tracks into a needle. The definition of fine-pitch conductive tracks on polyimide polymer was achieved using dry-film photoresist and the application of a megasonic transducer to provide agitation and small bubbles for copper etching. Investigation and evaluation of low temperature bonding methods was undertaken. This overcomes the problem of using high temperature methods on the temperature sensitive single crystal materials. Bonding techniques such as ultrasonic bonding and magnetically aligned anisotropic UV curable epoxy were investigated. A Resolution integral was applied to simulated beam plots as a way of evaluating transducers at a design stage. This considers the ultrasound beams and a measure of the beam at -6 dB is taken as the lateral resolution. This is measured over the depth of field. A transducer with a higher resolution integral would have a narrow beam over a long distance The process was validated with a single element transducers made from fine-scale single crystal composites involving PMN-PT and Manganese doped Lead Indium Niobate-Lead Magnesium NiobateLead Titanate (Mn-PIN-PMN-PT). These were fabricated using the conventional dice and fill method, and incorporated into needles and tested. These composites had pitches as small as 50 μm with kerf of 18 μm. Images were generated using these transducers. Arrays operating at 5 MHz and 15 MHz were fabricated. The fabrication process development and testing demonstrated the feasibility of a linear array integrated into a biopsy needle. The extension of the fabrication processes to higher frequency arrays.
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