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Biomedical subjects

I F Herrmann

Publications and source records attributed to I F Herrmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Microflora on explanted silicone rubber voice prostheses: taxonomy, hydrophobicity and electrophoretic mobility.

Silicone rubber voice prostheses are implants which are inserted in a non-sterile environment and therefore become quickly colonized by micro-organisms. The micro-organisms exist on the medical grade silicone rubber as mixed biofilms of bacteria and yeasts. A total of 79 bacterial and 39 yeast strains were isolated from these biofilms by soft ultrasonic treatment. Gram-positive/catalase-negative and Gram-positive/catalase-positive cocci represented the dominant bacterial strains. The yeasts were mainly Candida species. Further characterization of cell surface properties such as hydrophobicity by microbial adhesion to hexadecane and electrophoretic mobility showed a distinct difference when the bacterial strains were compared with the yeasts. The bacterial hydrophobicities ranged from 0 to 100% adhesion to hexadecane, whereas the yeast strains, especially the Candida albicans strains, all had markedly hydrophilic cell surfaces. A comparison of the electrophoretic mobilities showed also differences between bacteria and yeast. The values for the bacteria were found to be between -2.5 to -0.5 (10(-8) m2 V-1 s-1), whereas for the yeasts electrophoretic mobilities were more positive. Based on the adhesive properties of the isolated micro-organisms, strategies can now be developed to modify the properties of the silicone rubber to reduce biofilm formation on such prostheses.

Candida↗
PubMed1994

Design and test of a hands-free tracheostoma valve to improve the rehabilitation process after laryngectomy.

The surgical treatment of throat cancer often requires total laryngectomy. The necessary tracheostoma attracts attention, especially during speech, when one must close it manually to force air into the esophagus. To avoid this manual control, several devices have been developed. These must be placed in or around the tracheostoma and possess a valve which closes with a large air flow value. Most devices have a major drawback; coughing calls for manual adaptation, which again attracts attention. A new hands-free tracheostoma valve has been developed. The device consists of two magnetic valves, one which closes the outflow to allow speech, and one which opens to cough. Prototypes were tested in a physical model. Air flow resistance and closing pressures of the speech valve proved to be comparable to those of existing devices. Patients were enthusiastic about the new approach, even though air leakage sometimes occurred.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

[Cinematographic study of the pathologic mechanisms of aspiration pneumonia].

6% of all patients suffering from a cerebrovascular injury die from aspiration pneumonia within the first year. The high temporal resolution of high-speed cineradiography (HFK) (50 frames/sec.) allows the recording of the 0.7 sec. process of pharyngeal swallow. Five case-examples are presented (total number of cases: 95) illustrating the possibility of differentiation between three types of aspiration by means of cineradiography. These types are the so-called pre-, intra- and postdeglutitive aspiration, that is aspiration before or after triggering of the swallowing reflex. This differentiation is of great therapeutic importance. The analysis of disturbances of pharyngo-laryngeal motility and the temporal coordination allows setting up individual surgical and/or conservative programme for rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[New aspects in the therapy of laryngeal tumors from the surgeon's viewpoint].

New techniques in tumor diagnosis allow us to improve and to refine the surgical procedure of partial laryngectomy. The first aim remains the radical tumor resection. After that we postulate a better functional surgery. Improvements were also realized using surgical voice restoration during and after laryngectomy. Technique and results are described with the use of voice prosthesis and tracheostoma valves for non-sign language speech. The treatment of laryngeal cancer today means cooperation between radiotherapy, oncology and ENT-surgery. Therefore the discussion of new developments in ENT-tumor surgery is of interest.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

[Secondary surgical voice rehabilitation].

Surgical voice restoration is possible years after laryngectomy by using hypopharyngeal puncture and cricopharyngeal myotomy if necessary. We have developed a technique of insertion of the ESKA-Herrmann tracheostoma valve for fingerfree speech. The patient moistens and cleans the tracheostoma valve every day. The quality of fingerfree speech is the best of all known techniques.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

[Monoclonal antibody UW 21/123: clinical use and diagnostic specificity in head and neck cancers].

In addition to the originally described monoclonal antibody (MAB) against laryngeal carcinoma cells (Arch. Otorhinolaryngol. 233 (1981) 161) a new MAB was induced by means of somatic cell hybridisation techniques. The MAB UW 21/123 enables recognition of a group of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. An in-vitro assay was designed allowing clinical diagnosis of malignancy in 18% out of 211 tumour patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

[Finger-free speech following total laryngectomy. Instrumentation and technic of surgical voice rehabilitation].

Surgical voice restoration during and after total laryngectomy using Blom-Singer puncture and the glottoplasty techniques provide good results. There is no doubt that the proportion of patients with a good voice is higher after surgical voice restoration than with the use of the esophageal speech or electronic speaking aids. Nevertheless there are problems due to the shunt or the necessary daily changing of the prosthesis with its risks, and failures due to the tracheostomy, the prosthesis and the pharynx. In order to reduce these surgical problems we developed new instruments, a personal surgical procedure for restoration during and after laryngectomy using this set of instruments, a new type of prosthesis and a tracheostoma valve. This technique allows the patient to speak fluently without using his hands, to breathe and to swallow without aspirating.

Humans↗
PubMed1984

[Experiences with the Blom-Singer prosthesis following Blom-Singer puncture and following functionally disordered neoglottis phonatria].

The Blom-Singer puncture is a new operative technique which can help to make the laryngectomized patient speak again even years after laryngectomy. 34 patients were treated with a modified procedure. 5 patients with a good voice gave up despite intensive medical and speech therapy. Painstaking postoperative treatment is needed to make the Blom-Singer puncture successful. Patients who had a Blom-Singer prosthesis fitted after a neoglottis procedure spoke after only brief instruction without speech therapy being necessary.

Esophagus↗
PubMed1984

[Glottoplasty--a new method of surgical voice rehabilitation].

A simple operative technique is presented which restores speech without any later risk of aspiration in a one-stage operation performed together with the laryngectomy. 4 types can be distinguished depending on the extent of the resection and the amount of reconstruction necessary. The surgical technique is described. Resection of the tumour is not restricted. Our results on 85 patients are presented. Attention is drawn to mistakes and dangers.

Glottis↗
PubMed1982

[Familial recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, a genetically fixed syndrome -- additional remark on linkage of deficiency gene and HLA (author's transl)].

Hereditary laryngeal paralysis has been rarely reported. Some authors describe additional neurological signs in connection with the cranial nerve, or mental retardation. It has been assumed that there is a causal connection with genetic deficiency. Familial studies, presented with this article, showed abductor and adductor paralysis in the mother and in the son, aged 13, abductor paralysis in the daughters, who were 11 and 5 years old, respectively, and normal laryngeal function in the father and in one 10-year old daughter. There were no neurological signs or mental deficits in any member of the family. Genetic analysis of blood-group and HLA systems confirmed linkage of the HLA system and vocal cord disorder, as suggested by Mace et al. (5). Hence, further observations and investigations will be necessary to prove this statement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Examination of the correlation between lung function and voice quality after glottoplasty or Blom-Singer-puncture (author's transl)].

The correlation between lung function and the quality of oesophageal speech was investigated in 36 patients who had undergone laryngectomy with glottoplasty. It was found that this correlation did not depend on any important lung function parameters. Lung tests were carried out on 10 patients before and after laryngectomy. No changes in lung function could be found that may have been directly attributed to a laryngectomy. This means that restrictive or obstructive lung disturbances do not contra-indicate glottoplasty or a Blom-Singer-puncture.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

[Fine-needle biopsy in tumor diagnosis of the head and neck region. A method for general practice].

During the last 4 years over 1500 thin-needle aspiration biopsies from tumors in the head and neck region were carried out in the University-ORL-Clinic of Würzburg. 306 cytological results were compared with the histological diagnoses. None of the benign tumors was classified cytologically as malignant (false positive = 0%). 84% of the malignancies were attached to the groups III, IV or V according to the so called Pap.-staging. The rest could not be detected by this method because of technical mistakes as well as accidental false punctions. Some types of tumors could be classified histogenetically in high percentage of cases, especially the pleomorphic adenoma of the glandula parotis and carcinoma metastases.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1979

Establishment of carcinoma cell lines from larynx and submandibular gland.

For many techniques in the oncology of head and neck tumors large amounts of pure tumor cells are required. Although larynx and salivary gland tumors are common in man, no report exists on isolation and purification of tumor cells of which malignancy was proved. The present paper describes in vitro cultivation of living human malignant tumor cells from a larynx and a submandibular gland carcinoma. Carcinoma cells were freed from all non-tumor cells and cloned thus indicating that cultures contained only a single cell type. Transplantation of grown cells s.c. into athymic (nu/nu) mice induced rapidly growing tumors of which malignancy was demonstrated by histology.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

[Tumor associated antigens induce humoral and cellular immune response to laryngeal carcinomas (author's transl)].

Tissue from larynx carcinomas or cultured tumor cells were incubated in the presence of patient's sera and binding of IgG antibodies was measured. Sera of 47 from 50 patients showed antibodies against their own malignomas. Furthermore 20% possessed antibodies crossreacting with isolated cultured larynx carcinoma cells. Moreover lymphocytes prepared from patient's blood lysed isolated carcinoma cells. The experiments suggest the presence of tumor associated antigens on the surface of larynx carcinoma cells.

Antibodies, Neoplasm↗