152 research outputs found
Francesca da Rimini: cantata for soprano, bass, chorus and orchestra; text by Dante Alighieri. Full score
No full textPrima edizione delle cantata di Ponchielli - First edition of Ponchielli's cantata. First edition by Henry Howey, Introduction by Licia Sirch, Revision by Marco Pace, Critical remarks by Pietro Zappala
Open-source automated external defibrillator
No full textThe Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a medical device that analyzes a patient’s electrocardiogram in order to establish whether he/she is suffering from the fatal condition of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), and subsequently allows the release of a therapeutic dose of electrical energy (i.e. defibrillation). SCA is responsible for over 300,000 deaths per year both in Europe and in USA, and immediate clinical assistance through defibrillation is fundamental for recovery. In this context, an open-source approach can easily lead in improvements to the distribution and efficiency of AEDs. The proposed Open-Source AED (OAED) is composed of two separate electric boards: a high voltage board (HV-B), which contains the circuitry required to perform defibrillation and a control board (C-B), which detects SCA in the patient and controls the HV-B. Computer simulations and preliminary tests show that the OAED can release a 200 J biphasic defibrillation in about 12 s and detects SCA with sensitivity higher than 90% and specificity of about 99%. The OAED was also conceived as a template and teaching tool in the framework of UBORA, a platform for design and sharing medical devices compliant to international standards
Co-design open-source medical devices: how to minimize the human error using UBORA e-infrastructure*
No full textIn the complex context of the medical device industry and healthcare systems, the reduction in cost may increase access to medical technologies moving towards global health equity. This paper is focused on the description of UBORA, an e-infrastructure based on a new concept of biomedical engineering which promotes the open-source approach for co-designing medical devices, fostering innovative ideas, needs-based, low-cost and safe technology. UBORA structures the entire design process using EN ISO 13485:2016, standard related to medical technology for inspiration. As a proof of concept, this paper shows an example of the development of an open source medical device for hand rehabilitation, designed using UBORA. We demonstrate the straightforward pathway to gather information on safety requirements. Finally, we describe a usability test of the e-infrastructure performed during the 4 th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices in India
“Introduction”
No full textWriting Our Way Home is an important contribution to
literary studies. “Italian-Canadian writers are not just
Canadian writers, but world writers,” states literary critic
Elena Lamberti in the introduction to Writing Our Way
Home. “They write from Canada with an original point of
view on multiple (hybrid) identities and have something to
tell the whole world ...” A unique volume of creative and
critical texts, Writing Our Way Home features contributors
from Canada, Italy and the United States: Annalisa
Bonomo, John Calabro, Michele Campanini, Licia
Canton, Maria Giuseppina Cesari, Pietro Corsi, Domenic
Cusmano, Marisa De Franceschi, Mike Dell’Aquila,
Alberto Mario DeLogu, Delia De Santis, Gil Fagiani, Nino
Famà, Venera Fazio, Frank Giorno, Gabriella Iacobucci,
Elena Lamberti, Maria Lisella, Ernesto Livorni, Darlene
Madott, Michael Mirolla, Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni,
Linda Morra, Oriana Palusci, Gianna Patriarca, Maria
Cristina Seccia, Maria Tognan, Osvaldo Zappa, Jim
Zucchero
Memorie di ricerche antiquarie nella tenuta della «Sepoltura di Nerone» (1780-1796) tratte dall'archivio del Capitolo Vaticano
No full textViene posta in risalto l'importanza, sul piano documentario (con specifico riferimento alla scienza antiquaria), dell'archivio del Capitolo di S. Pietro, veneranda istituzione, titolare, per secoli, di un vastissimo comprensorio della Campagna Romana. Nel caso della tenuta della Sepoltura di Nerone, la preziosa documentazione archivistica ha contribuito ad un migliore inquadramento delle esplorazioni archeologiche tardo-settecentesche nell'area, fornendo inediti ragguagli in merito alle campagne di scavo, susseguitesi nel periodo 1780-1783 nonché dando notizia di ulteriori (mal conosciuti) interventi in locoThe importance, on the documentary level is shown (with specific reference to antiquarian science), of the archive of the Chapter of St. Peter's, venerable institution, owner, for centuries, of a vast area of the Roman Campagna. In the case of Nero's Sepultura estate, the precious archival documentation contributed to a better classification of the late eighteenth-century archaeological explorations in the area, providing unpublished information on the excavation campaigns, which took place during the period 1780-1783, as well as giving news about further on-site interventions (ill-known
I ballabili per banda di Amilcare Ponchielli
No full textDopo aver richiamato l'importanza della banda per la diffusione della musica nell'Ottocento, soprattutto presso i ceto sociali meno abbienti, viene presa in considerazione la consistenza della produzione ponchielliana per banda - tuttora soggetta a censimento - e, in particolare per i ballabili, vengono discussi problemi di datazione. I risultati dell'indagine, per quanto provvisori, dimostrano l'attenzione di Ponchielli al repertorio più recente e diffuso in Europa e la sua azione per offrire alla piazza cremonese le musiche in voga. Il successivo esame delle musiche rileva come, pur all'interno di un genere naturalmente predisposto ad una certa schematicità e ripetitività, una ricca vena melodica e una scrittura che comunque richiede doti esecutive non comuni ai bandisti. In chiusura, una sintesi delle situazioni in cui i ballabili venivano impiegati - con esclusione dei ballabili inseriti nelle opere liriche, e un censimento aggiornato della produzione ponchielliana
Open-source medical devices: Healthcare solutions for low-, middle-, and high-resource settings
No full textOpen-source and collaborative design of medical devices has the potential to increase the access to medical technologies, thanks to a feasible reduction in design, management, maintenance, and repair costs, due to the open access to device blueprints. To be truly transformative and have a real impact on the medical industry and healthcare systems, open-source medical devices (OSMDs) and their boundaries should be adequately defined. In this chapter, a reasoned definition of OSMD is proposed, and the underlying enabling technologies and supporting practices are provided
Open-Source Medical Devices as Tools for Teaching Design, Standards and Regulations of Medical Technologies
No full textA multidisciplinary approach is necessary to design medical devices. Scientific and technical knowledge has to address the clinical needs of patients and healthcare providers, and biomedical engineering (BME) education has to promote problem-solving abilities and teamwork. In the BME field, standards and regulations on medical technologies have a paramount role, as they ensure safety and efficacy of the devices but, despite their importance, it is difficult to engage students’ attention when teaching norms and legislations.
This chapter (The authors would like to thank Dr. Giulia Carbognani, Dr. Marco Ferrari and the ITS Maker Institute of Fornovo di Taro (PR) for the help in the fabrication of the prototype of the walking frame. Dr. Stefano Moroni, Dr. Riccardo Granati and Dr. Matilde Tomasi for helping in the design and fabrication of walking frame, and Dr. Francesco Niccolini, Dr. Carlotta Bonfiglioli and Dr. Eleonora Del Pia for helping in the design and fabrication of AMBU+. The content of this chapter is partially described in the paper: “Teaching Design Standards and Regulations on Medical Devices Through a Collaborative Project-Based Learning Approach” published in 2019 (Prepregs) and on the EU report of the UBORA project “Compendium of innovation created through UBORA (King & Fries, Int J Eng Educ 19(2):346–353, 2003).) describes some case studies, which demonstrate how the development of open-source medical devices could engage the participation of students, and their fruitful understanding on the fundamental role of legislation and standardization.
The devices here presented were developed by students, working in team, during a course on medical device design at the University of Pisa, which was based on the conceived-design-implement-operate methodology empowered by the use of the UBORA platform (see Chap. 2). Standards and regulations were introduced as design constraints for the project-based final examination.
The collaborative design and prototyping of a walking frame and an “smart” manual breathing unit are discussed in detail, and their blueprints are available on the UBORA e-platform as open-source tools to be used in university courses for a new generation of biomedical engineers
Palpreast - A New Wearable Device for Breast Self-Examination
No full textBreast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Although targeted screening programs using mammography have facilitated earlier detection and improved treatment has resulted in a significant reduction in mortality, some negative aspects related to cost, the availability of trained staff, the duration of the procedure, and its non-generalizability to all women must be taken into consideration. Breast palpation is a simple non-invasive procedure that can be performed by lay individuals for detecting possible malignant nodules in the breast. It is a simple test, based on the haptic perception of different stiffness between healthy and abnormal tissues. According to a survey we carried out, despite being safe and simple, breast self-examination is not carried by women because they are not confident of their ability to detect a lump. In this study, a non-invasive wearable device designed to mimic the process of breast self-examination using pressure sensing textiles and thus increase the confidence and self-awareness of women is proposed. Combined with other screening methods, the device can increase the odds of early detection for better prognosis. Here, we present the physical implementation of the device and a finite element analysis of the mechanics underlying its working principle. Characterization of the device using models of large and medium breast phantoms with rigid inclusions demonstrates that it can detect nodules in much the same way as does the human hand during breast self-examination
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