Cicor (Germany)

Handheld ultrasound (HHUS) devices are increasingly used in clinical practice due to their portability and cost-effectiveness. However, HHUS image quality remains variable, and a standardized expert-based evaluation protocol is lacking. This study compares the image quality of B-mode recordings of five HHUS models with a high-end reference system (HEUS) using a blinded assessment to identify differences, covariates, offering a standardized evaluation framework.In this blinded, multi-center study, video sequences of the liver, pancreas, and sigmoid colon were recorded in ten volunteers using 5 HHUS devices - Vscan Air, Butterfly iQ+, Philips Lumify, Clarius C3, and Clarius C3 HD3 - and one HEUS (GE Logiq E10). Twenty-two physicians with many years of abdominal ultrasound experience rated blinded clips for 5 image quality parameters.The HEUS consistently received the highest ratings. Image quality differed significantly between HHUS devices. Clarius systems showed the smallest deviation from the reference, followed by Vscan Air and Philips Lumify. All image parameters significantly correlated with the overall impression, without a single dominant factor. The patients' BMI had no relevant influence. Examiner experience was less impactful than device familiarity and personal preference.The image quality of HEUS remained superior to all tested HHUS devices. Further subdivision of image quality aspects did not provide additional information. Furthermore, we could not identify significant covariates in our setup. These findings could justify simplified setups with reduced questionnaires and requirements for examiners.

Background:Progress in artificial intelligence-based analysis of surgical videos has been constrained by reliance on manual frame-level annotations rather than patient-level outcomes. In addition, concerns about data privacy restrict the exchange of laparoscopic video data and, thereby, multicenter collaboration.Methods:To address these limitations, we developed a pipeline that integrates weakly supervised deep learning with Swarm Learning, a decentralized machine learning approach that enables collaborative model training without data centralization. We evaluate our pipeline using a newly curated dataset of 397 laparoscopic appendectomy recordings from six international surgical centers. We identified optimal modelling configurations (frame sampling rates and model architectures) and subsequently compared Swarm Learning to single-center and centralized learning across three novel patient-level disease staging tasks: (i) binary detection of perforated appendicitis, (ii) laparoscopic grading of appendicitis, and (iii) histopathologic inflammation grading. In addition, we surveyed participating centers to identify real-world barriers to the clinical implementation of our decentralized learning pipeline for surgical video analysis.Results:For appendicitis grading tasks, frame sampling at 1.0 frames per second and use of the SurgTempoNet architecture resulted in reliable classification performance, outperforming SurgFrameNet and Multiple Instance Learning. Across all three disease staging tasks, Swarm Learning consistently outperformed single-center training and achieved performance comparable to centralized learning, with stable generalization in external validation. The user survey identified hardware failure and limited integration of the decentralized learning pipeline with electronic patient records as key barriers to the clinical implementation of our decentralized learning pipeline for collaborative surgical video analysis.Conclusions:Weakly supervised deep learning enables the prediction of patient-level endpoints directly from surgical video data. Swarm Learning facilitates privacy-preserving multicenter collaboration and achieves performance on par with centralized learning, highlighting its potential for advancing clinically relevant, collaborative AI development in surgical video analysis, especially when integrated with patients’ electronic health records.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to show up the current possibilities by combination of classic thick-film technology with advanced processing. Thick-film hybrid ceramic substrates have been a base for highly reliable devices for space, aerospace, medical and industrial applications since many years. The combination of classic thick-film printing with advanced technologies for fine line structuring provides substrates best suited for packaging solutions with challenging requirements, such as temperature stability and extended product lifetime. Combined with state of the art assembly technologies, thick-film substrates are used in highly demanding industries.Design/methodology/approachIn recent years, several technologies for fine line structuring have been introduced, e.g. fine line printing, photo imaging, etching, laser structuring for local chip fan-out or fine line structuring on single layers. For further miniaturization of thick-film multilayers circuits, after solving the fine line resolution, the reduction of electrical connection of conductive layers through printed insulation/dielectric layer (via) diameters to connect the layers should be addressed.FindingsThe focus of this paper is to show the results of combining fine line structuring with laser microvias and to compare laser drilling in thick-films with different established via forming technologies.Originality/valueThe reduction of via size to 60 µm – smaller than 50% compared to using state-of-the-art printing technologies enables a solution for significant relaxation of current design possibilities.

For a large number of industrial, technical processes and in aerospace science, the monitoring and control of water content of solid, liquid, or gaseous materials is a central and quality determining task [1]. In this paper we present our work on development of a humidity sensor array for detecting of absolute trace humidity using Pt-P 2 O 5 electrolytic cells. Many sensor solutions on the market are using this material system for detecting of humidity. Disadvantages of these systems are their non-ability to monitor the absolute amount of water in air and their limited robustness and redundancy. One of important focuses in this work is the development of a robust and stable package for the developed sensor system. The package has to protect the sensors from surrounding, but has to provide the interface between the sensor surface and the atmosphere and a sensor electrical interface for electronics. For a reliable detection of humidity in air, a constant and laminar flow over the sensor surface is needed. The system is containing 4 sensors (cells) in a row, which allows detection of total water in the air. Our realized sensor system shows a high reliable and accurate behavior and is suitable for use in aerospace and industry [2].

Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) are used in a wide range of RF and microwave applications. The ceramic multilayer technology provides a truly three-dimensional circuit technology, hermetical sealing, hybrid integration, and favorable microwave properties at moderate costs. In order to take full advantage of millimeter wave frequencies, resolutions of lines and spaces below the typical, screen printable 50 μm are desired. This paper describes the technological development of a fine-line structuring process based on resinate thin films and electroplating on LTCC. A combination of thin-film technology and thick-film technology leads to a novel resinate technology. This new process replaces the commonly used expensive sputtered layers, usually required for thin-film structuring combined with standard LTCC technology. The initial layer is replaced by a screen-printed metallo-organic paste (resinate paste). Resinate pastes consist of metallo-organic noble metal compounds (e.g. gold and silver), which are dissolved in organic suspensions. The film thickness after firing is typically below 1 μm. This layer can be used to define structures with high precision using photolithography and electroplating followed by an etching process. The etching processes investigated here showed promising resolutions of 25 μm for lines and spaces. But wet-chemical processes can be applied to sintered LTCC surfaces only. Buried fine structures may be achieved with tape-on-substrate (ToS) technology which allows for laminating and subsequent sintering of structured greensheets onto sintered ceramics. The benefits of this technology for microwave applications are obvious, given an improved resolution and parameter spread, and an accordingly reduced variation of the resulting structures.

Low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) are widely acknowledged for wide-band and microwave circuits. Within the project consortium KERAMIS, implementation of higher functionality in LTCC substrates is being investigated. Among the applications considered are a 4 × 4 switch matrix [1], voltage-controlled oscillators [2], and amplifiers for multimedia satellite communications working in Ka-band. In order to add more functionality (e.g., filters, couplers) in LTCC, current patterning limits of line width and line separation need to be extended. Four different technologies were considered for higher resolution: a) fine-line printing technology with special screens, b) photo-imageable pastes, c) etching of thick-film conductors (co- and post-fired), and d) thin films on LTCC. Evaluation of patterning technologies is based on a test coupon that was designed and manufactured by the consortium members. The artwork contains lines, line transitions, ring resonators (microstrip and stripline), edge-coupled filters, DC blocking structures, and various lines for DC resistance testing. The smallest gap definition is 50 μm. Two substrate materials, Du Pont tapes 951 and 943, are included in the study. In addition to the main frequency band of interest in the project (17–22 GHz), these structures have been characterized up to 50 GHz. Electrical results are correlated to physical measurements of the structures (line width, spaces, and tolerances) and are evaluated with respect to performance, manufacturability, and yield. Results show excellent performance for screen-printed structures and demonstrated the importance of mask tuning to achieve optimum resolution (under etching etc.).

Als Teilstrahlungspyrometer werden die Instrumente bezeichnet, bei denen ein engbegrenzter (monochromatischer) Teil des Spektrums ausgesondert und die Temperatur durch photometrische Messung der Strahlungsintensität in diesem Spektralgebiet bestimmt wird. Die beiden gebräuchlichsten Formen sind das Glühfadenpyrometer nach Holborn und Kurlbaum und das Pyrometer von Wanner. Ihrem Wesen nach unterscheiden sich die beiden Apparate nach der Art, wie die photometrische Abgleichung vorgenommen wird. Von beiden PyroMetern gibt es Formen, bei denen eine bestimmte Farbe durch Farbglasfilter und solche, bei denen sie durch spektrale Zerlegung ausgesondert wird.