BIODEVICES 2021 Abstracts

Full Papers Short Papers
Full Papers
Paper Nr: 2
Title:

Effect of the Materials’ Properties in the Design of High Transmittance and Low FWHM SiO2/TiO2 Thin Film Optical Filters for Integration in a Malaria Diagnostics Device
Authors:

Mariana S. Costa, Vitória Baptista, Graça Minas, Maria I. Veiga and Susana O. Catarino
Abstract: Malaria is an infectious disease, highly prevalent in world regions with lacking healthcare conditions. Nowadays, malaria diagnostic methods in these endemic regions are mainly based on microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests by immunochromatographic assays. Here, it is presented an optical diagnostic method, based on reflectance spectrophotometry, through hemozoin (Hz) quantification, towards an innovative non-invasive malaria diagnostic device. Therefore, a set of optical filters, with high transmittance and low full width at half maximum (FWHM) at specific wavelengths, is designed for being integrated in the device. These allow the full reconstruction of the optical reflectance spectrum, able to distinguish between healthy and infected samples, with a detection limit up to 12.5 parasites/μl of red blood cells. This work presents the design, performance simulation, and optimization of 16 highly selective narrow band-pass optical filters, based on multilayer stacks of SiO2/TiO2 thin films. The optical properties of the thin films layer materials, in particular the refractive indexes, are the main focus in this study. Three different reflective indexes were evaluated and the results showed that, for all the simulated conditions, each filter is sensitive to a single wavelength with a FWHM < 25 nm and peak transmittance intensity > 90%, but slight variations were observed for the different refractive indexes. The simulation results proved that these 16 optical filters designs are extremely sensitive to the material properties, although they are the best option regarding the required optical response, assuring feasibility and being adequate for the fabrication process.
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Paper Nr: 3
Title:

Fish Gelatin-based Films for Gas Sensing
Authors:

Inês P. Moreira, Laura Sato, Cláudia Alves, Susana Palma and Ana C. Roque
Abstract: Electronic noses (e-noses) mimic the complex biological olfactory system, usually including an array of gas sensors to act as the olfactory receptors and a trained computer with signal-processing and pattern recognition tools as the brain. In this work, a new stimuli-responsive material is shown, consisting of self-assembled droplets of liquid crystal and ionic liquid stabilised within a fish gelatin matrix. These materials change their opto/electrical properties upon contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). By using an in-house developed e-nose, these new gas-sensing films yield characteristic optical signals for VOCs from different chemical classes. A support vector machine classifier was implemented based on 12 features of the signals. The results show that the films are excellent identifying hydrocarbon VOCs (toluene, heptane and hexane) (95% accuracy) but lower performance was found to other VOCs, resulting in an overall 60.4% accuracy. Even though they are not reusable, these sustainable gas-sensing films are stable throughout time and reproducible, opening several opportunities for future optoelectronic devices and artificial olfaction systems.
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Paper Nr: 6
Title:

Unipolar Amplifier Enabling Measurement of Far-field Intra-cardiac Electromyogram for Blood Pump Control
Authors:

Seraina A. Dual, Dominic Jacob, Mirko Meboldt and Marianne Schmid Daners
Abstract: Heart pumps are implanted as an alternative to heart transplantation in patients with heart failure. Future devices are expected to respond to the physiological need of each patient automatically. Physiological control algorithms have shown to be robust if based on the measurement of end-diastolic volume (EDV); but real-time measurements of EDV are not available. In theory, the EDV has been shown to correlate with the maximum depolarization amplitude (DA) of the intra-cardiac electromyogram (iEMG). In practice, this requires the unipolar measurement of an electric signal, which has not been attempted inside the heart. We herein present a custom-built unipolar amplifier, which we connected to a heart pump cannula prototype with four integrated off-the-shelf pacemaker electrodes. The recorded signals from the unipolar amplifier showed excellent agreement with the gold standard measurement of surface electrocardiogram (ECG) using a commercial ECG simulator and in-vivo data acquired in four pigs. We present recordings of unipolar iEMG from the cannula of a heart pump. The new unipolar amplifier makes it possible to measure the DA of the iEMG and therefore potentially provides a real-time EDV signal to heart pumps for physiological control in the future.
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Paper Nr: 7
Title:

Integrated 3D-Capacitors for Implantable Bradycardia Pacemakers: Dielectric Integrity and Local Electrical Characterizations using AFM
Authors:

Rosine C. Germanicus, Florent Lallemand, Nicolas Normand, Catherine Bunel and Ulrike Lüders
Abstract: A silicon 3D-array capacitor dedicated for an implantable bradycardia pacemaker is presented. The integrated 3D-shape of the capacitors are designed by fabricating a high ratio micropore array inside the silicon wafer. This special shape enhances the developed surface of the dielectric layer, leading to high capacitance densities, critical for the application in such a biomedical system. The process control, based on nano-characterizations performed on an Atomic Force Microscopy, is deployed for the three major critical fabrication steps: the dielectric conformity, the in-situ phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon pore filling and the uniformity of the doping of the electrodes of the SIS capacitor. After the chemical revelation of the deposited dielectric layer, the conformity of the layer and the effectiveness of the filling are proven by AFM topographies. Moreover, the delineation of the electrode doping is examined with the electrical Scanning Capacitance Mode by recording the spatial extension and the carrier concentration. Macroscopic characterisations of the dielectric properties show the stability of the 3D-patterning silicon capacitors concerning the applied voltage and the temperature. Finally, a high integration solution, where the 3D-capacitor are embedded and sandwiched into a multilayer printed circuit board, is exposed by employing thin epoxy laminates prepreg sheets.
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Paper Nr: 8
Title:

Gait Phases Detection in Elderly using Trunk-MIMU System
Authors:

Elisa Digo, Valentina Agostini, Stefano Pastorelli, Laura Gastaldi and Elisa Panero
Abstract: The increasing interest towards wearable Magnetic Inertial Measurement Units (MIMUs) for gait analysis is justified by their low invasiveness, confirmed repeatability and complete independence from laboratory constraints. However, some crucial doubts about the identification of a suitable sensor set-up and algorithm in different gait conditions and populations still exist. In this context, the principal aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different walking conditions on the accuracy of gait phases detection with a trunk-MIMU system. Eleven healthy elderly subjects performed gait trials in four different walking conditions (fast speed, normal speed, slow speed and normal speed with dual-task). A stereophotogrammetric system was adopted as gold standard. The accuracy of the estimation of stance and swing phases was evaluated from the comparison of trunk-MIMU to the stereophotogrammetric system. Mean error values smaller than 0.03 s confirmed the accuracy of the trunk-MIMU algorithm for an elderly population. Consequently, trunk-MIMU system can be considered suitable for the characterization of gait phases in elderly subjects regardless of walking conditions.
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Paper Nr: 22
Title:

Detection of <12 µVRMS Extracellular Action Potential and Local Field Potential by Optimum Design of a Single Pixel Electrolyte-Oxide-MOSFET Interface in CMOS 28 nm
Authors:

David Tomasella, Elia Vallicelli, Andrea Baschirotto and Marcello De Matteis
Abstract: Microelectrode-Arrays (MEAs) allow monitoring thousands of neurons/mm2 by sensing: extracellular Action Potentials and (in-vivo) Local Field Potentials. MEAs arrange several recording sites (or pixels) in a spatial grid, planarly and capacitively coupled with in-vitro cell cultures and/or integrated in electrocorticography grids. This paper focuses on Electrolyte-Oxide MOS Field-Effect-Transistors (EOMOSFET) MEAs for cell-level recording and presents a complete model of the neuron-electronics junction that reduces to a single electrical scheme all the biological (the neuron) and physical layers (the electrolyte, the Diffuse/Helmoltz capacitances, the oxide and the MOS transistor) composing the interface. This allows to predict the noise power coming from biological environment (electrolyte bath) and to optimize all electrical parameters with the main aim to minimize the final sensing Noise Figure and thus enhance the acquisition Signal-to-Noise-Ratio. Frequency domain simulations from the proposed model demonstrates that there is an optimum design point for all parameters involved in the building EOMOSFET pixel that allows to perform >9 dB Signal-to-Noise-Ratio at <12 µVRMS extracellular neuro-potentials power at the electrode node. This will finally enable high-resolution recording of ultra-weak neuro-potentials signals flowing by the electrolyte cleft that have not been never explored adopting planar capacitive coupling interfaces.
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Paper Nr: 23
Title:

Front-end Design Optimization for Ionoacoustic 200 MeV Protons Beam Monitoring with Sub-millimeter Precision for Hadron Therapy Applications
Authors:

Elia A. Vallicelli, Mattia O. Cosmi, Andrea Baschirotto and Marcello De Matteis
Abstract: This paper presents the design of a multichannel acoustic detector optimized for sensing proton induced thermo-acoustic signals (ionoacoustic signals) in clinical scenarios experiments. Ionoacoustics is a promising technique for real-time monitoring of proton beams with interesting possible applications in oncological hadron therapy. However, clinical scenarios are characterized by very low signal amplitudes (few tens millipascals). State-of-the-art experiments use general purpose acoustic sensors and heavily rely on averaging (up to thousands beam shots) to detect a clear signal, at the cost of a significant extra-dose above clinical limits. To overcome this limit, this paper presents the design of a dedicated acoustic sensor that exploits spatial correlation (multichannel sensor) to increase the SNR with no extra-dose and localize the maximum energy deposition of a 200 MeV proton beam in clinical scenarios (35 mGy/shot dose, 25 mPa signal amplitude). The results are validated by a complete cross-domain simulation of the physical (proton beam), acoustic (wave propagation) and electrical (sensor and electronics frequency response and noise) environments. The presented detector achieves a clear 20.5 dB single-shot SNR (35 mGy total dose) and can localize the maximum energy deposition with 0.5 mm precision (<1% w.r.t. the particle range) with ~1/100 dose reduction compared to state-of-the-art.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 1
Title:

Air Quality Monitoring and Alerting System to Help in Reducing Asthma Attack in Asthmatic Children
Authors:

Khawla Alzoubi, Manal Al-bzoor, Omar Aljalahma and Mohamed Ali
Abstract: Asthma attack is one of the most common emergency cases seen in hospitals. It can be dramatically triggered by environmental factors such as air pollution, temperature and humidity. In this paper, we developed a system to avoid asthma attacks, especially for children, by informing parents about the air quality conditions. Our developed prototype system consists of two main subsystems that communicate wirelessly. The first subsystem is an Air-Quality Sensing Subsystem, and the second subsystem is a mobile phone application. The Air-Quality Sensing Subsystem (AQSS) collects data from surrounding environment about the air-quality using different sensors that measure the main environmental factors (temperature, humidity, dust, and Carbon Monoxide (CO)) that trigger asthma attack in our region (Qatar). This subsystem processes the collected data and decides whether the air-quality is safe for asthmatic children. The processed data along with alerting messages are sent to the smart-phone app wirelessly using Bluetooth technology. The Smart-phone app shows the measured air-quality factors as well as sends a message to inform the parents if the air-quality outside is safe for their asthmatic children or not. Accordingly, parents can take precautions to protect their asthmatic children from having asthma attack. This would help in stabilizing the health condition of asthmatic children/person and avoid costly hospitalization procedures.
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Paper Nr: 5
Title:

Hydrothermally Fluorinated Graphene Oxide Chemiresistive Sensor for Detecting NH3 and Acetone under Atmospheric Conditions
Authors:

Ivan Amor, Bruno Gamero, Siziwe Bebe and Ravi Prakash
Abstract: Emergence of graphene-derived highly functional materials has transformed chemical and bio sensing, with several novel approaches utilizing chemical modification of graphene oxide (GO). These materials have been implemented in device fabrication for the detection of biomolecules, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and other chemical analytes. The detection methods rely on using specificity of the modified graphene material to target selective and quantifiable electrical responses. In this work, we report ultra-low-level detection of NH3 (1-10 ppm) and extend the same chemiresistor sensor to additionally detect acetone and distinguish between their individual transient responses. The low-level detection of both these gaseous analytes is highly relevant, and the comparable physiological detection range of these analytes makes the device suitable for continuous health monitoring and detecting specific gas molecules in exhaled breath. The sensor system is compactly designed to make it low cost and ideal for wearable health monitoring and environmental monitoring, using an in-house hydrothermal fluorination technique to synthesize fluorinated-GO (FGO) suspension, and its solution-phase deposition onto interdigitated chrome electrodes to create the chemiresistive gas sensor. The sensor device reported a highly linear detection range for NH3, ranging over 1 – 10 ppm and was additionally able to detect acetone in a similar low concentration range, whilst distinguishing the two gases based on its rapid transient response.
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Paper Nr: 10
Title:

Electrochemical Impedance Simulation for Single Cell Analysis using a Microelectrode
Authors:

Masataka Shiozawa and Shigeyasu Uno
Abstract: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is one of the ways to monitor living cells in terms of morphology and cell-substrate adhesion. In conventional cell analysis, averaged values from many cells on a large area electrode are acquired. Meanwhile, single cell characteristics are obtained by using a microelectrode which is smaller than single cell size. In this study, we investigated the impact of electrode size on single cell EIS analysis by using a computer simulation. The electrode smaller than the cell size would enable independent measurement of the cytoplasm electrical conductivity and the cell-substrate gap resistance. In addition, changes in morphology such as cell height and radius should be monitored at the same time in different frequency range. Thus, our simulation indicates that EIS measurement with microscale electrode may be used in monitoring various physiological changes in cells such as immune response.
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Paper Nr: 12
Title:

Automatic Classification of Sleep Apnea Type and Severity using EEG Signals
Authors:

Maryam Alimardani and Guido de Moor
Abstract: Sleep apnea is a potentially fatal disorder that causes frequent breathing pauses during sleep. Prior research has shown that monitoring of EEG signals during sleep can contribute to automatic detection of apnea events. However, a more comprehensive classification of specific apnea types and their severity is required for accurate clinical diagnosis and real-time detection of critical apnea episodes. In this study, we employed annotated EEG signals from 25 apnea patients and constructed two distinct classifiers using EEG frequency domain and non-linear features for binary classification of apnea severity and multiclass classification of apnea types. In both classification problems, three models i.e. Support Vector Machine (SVM), Linear Discriminant analysis (LDA) and Naive Bayes (NB) were evaluated and compared. Results showed that SVM model performed the best in both classification problems reaching accuracy higher than the baseline level. The SVM performance in the binary classification of apnea severity was acceptable (76% mean accuracy) however in the case of multiclass classification of apnea types, the SVM classifier did not reach acceptable performance for all apnea types (48% mean accuracy). Our findings illustrate that in addition to the detection of apnea episodes, EEG signals can be used in classification of apnea severity, which could lead to development of accurate diagnostic systems for automatic assessment and management of sleep disorders.
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Paper Nr: 13
Title:

Development of a Miniaturized Motion Sensor for Tracking Warning Signs of Low-back Pain
Authors:

Jérôme Molimard, Tristan Delettraz and Etienne Ojardias
Abstract: Low-back pain (LBP) is a widespread disease which can also be highly disabling, but physicians lack of basic understanding and diagnosis tools. During this study, we have designed and built a new wearable device capable of detecting features helpful in LBP follow-up while being non-invasive. The device has been carefully validated, and shows good metrological features, with small noise level (σ = 1)̊ and no observable drift. Two simple exercises were proposed to two young volunteers, one of them with LBP history. These exercises are designed to target two characteristics: the lumbar lordosis angle and the hip & shoulder dissociation. Even if no general rules can be extracted from this study, we have shown that Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) are able to pick up those characteristics and the obtained values are meaningful refereeing to LBP disease. Henceforth, we are confident in going to clinical studies to investigate the link between back related feature and LBP, in particular the hip & shoulder dissociation which is poorly documented.
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Paper Nr: 15
Title:

Finding the Optimal Time Window for Increased Classification Accuracy during Motor Imagery
Authors:

D. A. Blanco-Mora, A. Aldridge, C. Jorge, A. Vourvopoulos, P. Figueiredo and S. Bermúdez i Badia
Abstract: Motor imagery classification using electroencephalography is based on feature extraction over a length of time, and different configurations of settings can alter the performance of a classifier. Nevertheless, there is a lack of standardized settings for motor imagery classification. This work analyzes the effect of age on motor imagery training performance for two common spatial pattern-based classifier pipelines and various configurations of timing parameters, such as epochs, windows, and offsets. Results showed significant (p ≤ 0.01) inverse correlations between performance and feature quantity, as well as between performance and epoch/window ratio.
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Paper Nr: 16
Title:

Effects of Electrical Fields on Neuroblastoma (N2A) Cell Differentiation: Preliminary Results
Authors:

Daniel M. Fernández, Pablo P. García, María E. Martín, Paula Daza, Juan A. Serrano-Viseas, Gloria Huertas and Alberto Yúfera
Abstract: This work describes Electrical Stimulations (ES) assays on stem cells. The neuroblastoma (N2A) cell linage was submitted to several electrical fields to enable and enhance its differentiation toward neurons. Both Direct Current (DC) and Alternated Current (AC) time dependent electric field protocols were applied to N2A cell culture under differentiation conditions, obtaining different responses. Control and electrically excited samples’ number of differentiated cells and neurite lengths were measure after differentiation. Results showed that DC fields have a strong influence on N2A differentiation since the percentage of differentiated cells and the neurites lengths were the highest. In addition, a significant alignment of neurites measured with the applied electrical field has been detected, which demonstrates the high sensitivity of differentiation processes to electrical field polarity.
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Paper Nr: 19
Title:

Scalable Imaging Device using Line Scan Camera for Use in Biometric Recognition and Medical Imaging
Authors:

Michal Dvořák, Ondřej Kanich and Martin Drahanský
Abstract: In this paper, a novel imaging system for use in a biometric or medical application utilizing a line scan camera is being presented. The system utilizes a linear motion system to achieve a variable field of view as per operators' demands, while maintaining the high resolution per unit area. Use cases are presented using several demonstrations of possible applications. Fingerprint quality evaluation algorithms are showing applicability as a biometric-enabled system. Dermatological application is demonstrated by using the acquired images to perform a measurement of common nevi. Further uses in wound treatment and other biometrics such as hand geometry recognition and palmprint recognition are discussed.
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Paper Nr: 20
Title:

Soft Active Dynamic Brace for Spinal Deformities
Authors:

Athar Ali, Vigilio Fontanari, Marco Fontana and Werner Schmölz
Abstract: Scoliosis is a 3D deformity of the spine which not only limits the daily activities but in severe cases results in damaging the musculoskeletal, respiratory and nervous system. A conventional way to treat spine deformity is to wear braces. Braces are usually static, rigid and passive and they do not allow the mobility to the spine. This causes the issues of spine stiffness and weakening of the muscles around the spine, which results in other spine complexities such as the flat back. In this study, we have developed a soft active dynamic brace which not only applies the 3D corrective forces but also allow the mobility to the spine. The brace applies the corrective forces using elastic bands, whose tension is being controlled using lightweight twisted string actuation (TSA) mechanism. TSA generates a higher pulling force using low torque motors, which not only reduce the weight of the device but also the metabolic cost.
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Paper Nr: 21
Title:

Dynamic Flow Behaviour of a Blood Analogue Fluid in Microchannels for Microcirculation Studies
Authors:

I. Gonçalves, J. Varelas, G. Coutinho, A. S. Moita, D. Pinho, R. Lima, J. M. Miranda, E. J. Veja, J. M. Montanaro and A. N. Moreira
Abstract: This study proposes a simple, stable and low cost 2-phase blood analogue fluid, which can mimic multiphase phenomena of real flow in microcirculation. This analogue fluid is mainly composed of Brij L4 surfactant suspended in pure water. The analogue fluid is compared with real blood, both in terms of thermophysical properties as well as in terms of its dynamic fluid flow behaviour, for different concentrations of the surfactant. The results on the particle size distribution confirm the reproducibility of the fluid preparation, as well as of its stability. The analogue fluid density is close to that of water, thus approaching the blood density. As for the rheology, the blood analogue fluid depicts a shear thinning behaviour, matching that of blood, except for very high Brij L4 concentrations. Fluid flow experiments show that the blood analogue can generate cell-free layers (CFL), with thickness close to that of real blood, which corroborates that the proposed analogue is able to mimic blood flow phenomena in microvessels. Increasing the surfactant concentration promotes the augmentation of the CFL’s, but also endorses agglomeration and clogging. Flow separation occurs also at the highest surfactant concentrations, which makes more difficult for the particles to follow the flow, so that flow field evaluation becomes more problematic.
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Paper Nr: 26
Title:

Matching of Mechanical Properties of Biological Tissues and Technical Materials for the Fabrication of Anatomical Models by Material Jetting
Authors:

Alexander Preis, Hannah Riedle, Elisabeth Benke and Jörg Franke
Abstract: Realistic, high-fidelity anatomical models with material properties corresponding to those of human tissue can be used for surgical planning and training, medical education and medical device testing and validation. Conventional manufacturing of anatomical models is a time consuming, and expensive process, which nevertheless is not able to fully mimic the complex nature of the human body regarding geometry and mechanical properties. To create models closer to reality in a fast and cost-effective way, additive manufacturing, especially the process of material jetting, can be a solution. Utilizing this process, it is possible to fabricate multi-color, multi-material objects with complex geometries, high resolution, and even gradients in material properties. To replicate the mechanical properties of biological tissues, they must be matched with the technical materials or material combinations available for the utilized manufacturing process. Therefore the authors propose to conduct measurements according to standardized testing procedures like ISO 37 for tensile and ISO 48-4 for indentation tests, which allows matching to the manufacturing materials and thus will result in the possibility to create more accurate replicas of the human body that provide realistic haptic feedback.
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Paper Nr: 29
Title:

Classification of Taekwondo Techniques using Deep Learning Methods: First Insights
Authors:

Paulo Barbosa, Pedro Cunha, Vítor Carvalho and Filomena Soares
Abstract: Research in motion analysis area has enabled the development of affordable and easy to access technological solutions. The study presented aims to identify and quantify the movements performed by a taekwondo athlete during training sessions using deep learning techniques applied to the data collected in real time. For this purpose, several approaches and methodologies were tested along with a dataset previously developed in order to define which one presents the best results. Considering the specificities of the movements, usually fast and mostly with a high incidence on the legs, it was concluded that the best results were obtained with convolution layers models, such as, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) plus Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) deep learning models, with more than 90% in terms of accuracy validation.
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Paper Nr: 30
Title:

Real-time Evaluation System for Top Taekwondo Athletes: Project Overview
Authors:

Pedro Cunha, Paulo Barbosa, Fábio Ferreira, Carlos Fitas, Vítor Carvalho and Filomena Soares
Abstract: Assessing athletes' performance is a constant challenge for coaches, whatever the sport is. In some sports there are no technological solutions to assist coaches in this task. This is the case of Taekwondo, where currently the methods used are mainly manual. Following this trend, this article presents the work developed in a PhD project whose main objective is the development of a friendly and low-cost system for assessing the performance of Taekwondo athletes in real time. Thus, the system uses a 3D camera with depth sensor (Orbbec Astra), a computer and software developed for data collection and processing. The system also provides the inclusion of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). The system allows an accurate feedback for the correction or improvement of the athlete's techniques, enabling an increase in the athlete's performance in a shorter period of time. In all, the project contributes to the evolution of the techniques used during Taekwondo training, as well as to the technological development in the practice of Taekwondo.
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Paper Nr: 9
Title:

A Thermochromic Ink Heater-cooler Color Change System for Medical Blood Simulation
Authors:

Mohammad Noorizadeh, Abdullah Alsalemi, Yahya Alhomsi, Faycal Bensaali and Nader Meskin
Abstract: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a modified form of CPB that supports intensive care patients’ vital functions during recovery from cardiac or pulmonary trauma. ECMO, although lifesaving, is vulnerable to a plethora of mechanical complications which can cause mortality. This is why developing advanced training systems is of crucial importance. In this paper, as part of an ECMO simulator for training management, a novel thermochromic heater-cooler system is presented. The need of such contribution arises from the lack of high-realism blood simulation methodologies Hence, developed upon thermochromic ink, cost-effective blood simulation is achieved by temperature adjustment, simulating oxygenation and hypoxemia. The system has been developed as a prototype with successful and reversible transitions between dark and bright red blood color. After addressing the limitations, the heater-cooler will be integrated with the ECMO simulator, allowing unpreceded cost-efficient simulation possibilities.
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Paper Nr: 14
Title:

A Low Cost IoT Enabled Device for the Monitoring, Recording and Communication of Physiological Signals
Authors:

Borja F. Villar, Ana C. de la Rica, Miguel M. Vargas, Javier P. Turiel and Juan F. M.
Abstract: The physiological information obtained from patients during rehabilitation tasks with robot-assited platforms is essential to carry out them properly. It has been shown that an environment adapted to the needs of each patient favors their involvement and leads to a reduction in rehabilitation times. In order to be able to control the degree of involvement of the subjects at all times and subsequently adapt certain parameters of the rehabilitation task, physiological signals such as ECG, GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) or SKT (Skin Temperature) are used. A low-cost device that integrates sensors for reading and recording the ECG and GSR signals, which subsequently communicates via WiFi to a cloud-based environment is proposed in order to carry out online data processing and dynamically adapt upper-limb rehabilitation tasks.
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Paper Nr: 24
Title:

Development of Wearable Devices for Measurement of Multiple Physiological Variables and Evaluation of Emotions by Fingerprints and Population Hypotheses
Authors:

Martin Malčík, Miroslava Miklošíková and Tomáš Zemčík
Abstract: We live in an age in which technology provides us with constant access to virtual online services. Consumption and production of an immense amount of instant data, which is becoming the basic raw material autonomously processed by artificial intelligence algorithms, open up brave new possibilities and levels of research and its application in many traditional scientific disciplines. Biometrics is one of the disciplines experiencing an unexpected renaissance, owing to the wide availability of cheap sensory technologies connected to the network. We find great untapped potential, especially in devices that allow measuring the body’s physiological responses to emotional stimuli, such as heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity (EDA), also known as galvanic skin response (GSR). Many readily available and professional wearable devices provide digital recordings of these variables. However, each of these technologies suffers from multiple shortcomings. These shortcomings stand in the way of the mass popularization of the technology, which enables, among other things, real-time monitoring and digital recording of the body’s physiological reactions to emotional stimuli. In other words, creating big data that can be used for digital, automated reconstruction of certain aspects of emotionality. In our research, we have identified three main social areas where these technologies are of interest: laboratories, professionals working with the human psyche-body-emotionality, and regular users of biofeedback devices such as wearable devices (WD). Each of these groups has specific requirements in terms of the hardware implementation of the technology, and software and measurement methodology open to users. In our emotion laboratory, we have developed a series of comprehensive solutions, Sensetio, based on a thorough analysis of the needs of all three groups of users of biofeedback technologies. We intend to obtain standardized big data sets for further thorough scientific analysis.
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Paper Nr: 27
Title:

FPGA Implementation of Filters in Medical Imaging
Authors:

Arban Uka, Gerald Topalli, Julian Hoxha and Nihal E. Vrana
Abstract: Real time analysis of images is an inherent expectation of the medical imaging research area. Monitoring of important medical data requires the acquisition of high-quality images at a high rate. Nowadays many experiments are conducted on multiwell culture plates to determine the influence of different physical and chemical conditions on a specific biological sample. Often the medical practitioners need to supervise the complete data acquisition process in order to ensure the collection of reliable data. For this reason, some pre-processing steps including noise removal, contrast enhancement and preliminary edge detection needs to be implemented in real time. Here in this work we review important contribution on the implementation of filters on FPGAs and report runtime of 8 ms for images sized 1000x1000 pixels when two or more filters are applied subsequently.
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