PubMed · 5808182
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H M Kase. Altro's data processing program.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5808182/
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The objective of this study was to examine the effects of optical and tracking properties on the accuracy of an optically locatable operating microscope. The intraoperative arrangement was based on experimental results obtained from a skull model. Measurements were taken from 24 patients undergoing intranasal microscopic sinus surgery for various disorders. Two major groups of influencing factors were determined from measurements on the model: 1) optical properties of the microscope, such as the method of focal point adjustment, focal length, and magnification of the lens; and 2) tracking properties of the microscope, such as the distance of the digitizer to the tracked object, the number of reference infrared light-emitting diodes (IR-LEDs), and the area circumscribed by these IR-LEDs. Patient measurements showed an overall spatial error of 2.39+/-1.15 mm with a laser-supported adjustment of the focal point of the microscope. Although the associated 95th percentile was at 4.36 mm, such a value is encouraging for further development of microscopically navigable systems. It must be noted that the noninvasive patient-to-image registration was performed on the basis of a computed tomographic image with a slice distance of 2 mm.
Pruritus is an inherently subjective perception that cannot be quantified. However, in trials of new therapies for pruritus, it is necessary to base assessments of therapeutic efficacy on objective quantitative criteria. This can be achieved by measuring the behavioural consequence of pruritus, scratching activity, and using an index of scratching activity as an efficacy endpoint. A portable device to monitor scratching activity in patients with pruritus is described. The key feature of this device is a piezo-element attached to a fingernail. Vibrations of the fingernail in the act of scratching induce electrical impulses in the piezo-element. Electrical signals from the device are filtered and measured. The measurements, which are not absolute, have nevertheless been shown to provide an objective index of scratching activity that is independent of arm and hand movements. An advantage of the device is that recordings can be made while the patient is in a normal, non-hospital environment, thereby obviating effects of change of environment (e.g. hospitalisation) on the intensity of pruritus. Application of the device enables data on scratching activity during periods of treatment with a test drug and with a placebo to be compared in individual patients.
We have used the computer program Teleform for automated forms processing (AFP) and have compared error rates, time consumption, and expenses with those of single or double manual data entry. For choice fields the error rate for AFP was very low and comparable to double manual data entry, while for numeric recognition the error rate was higher than for both single and double manual data entry. AFP reduced processing time, but we found that a very large number of forms need to be processed in order to recover the initial investment. A considerable amount of time and computer expertise was required for implementation of AFP.