HardwareX最新文献

{"title":"Open-source implementation of polarisation-resolved single-shot differential phase contrast microscopy (pDPC) on a modular openFrame-based microscope","authors":"Huihui Liu ,&nbsp;Sunil Kumar ,&nbsp;Edwin Garcia ,&nbsp;William Flanagan ,&nbsp;Jonathan Lightley ,&nbsp;Christopher Dunsby ,&nbsp;Paul M.W. French","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We recently demonstrated polarisation differential phase contrast microscopy (<em>pDPC</em>) as a robust, low-cost single-shot implementation of (semi)quantitative phase imaging based on differential phase microscopy. <em>pDPC</em> utilises a polarisation-sensitive camera to simultaneously acquire four obliquely transilluminated images from which phase images mapping spatial variation of optical path difference can be calculated. <em>pDPC</em> microscopy can be implemented on existing or bespoke microscopes and can utilise radiation at a wide range of visible to near infrared wavelengths and so is straightforward to integrate with fluorescence microscopy. Here we present a low-cost open-source <em>pDPC</em> module that is designed for use with the modular open-source microscope stand “<em>openFrame</em>”. With improved hardware and software, this new <em>pDPC</em> implementation provides a real-time readout of phase across a field of view that facilitates optimisation of system alignment. We also provide protocols for background subtraction and correction of crosstalk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143060751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"3D printed dummy heads for crosstalk cancellation studies in bone conduction","authors":"Irwansyah ,&nbsp;Sho Otsuka ,&nbsp;Seiji Nakagawa","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thanks to affordable 3D printers, creating complex designs like anatomically accurate dummy heads is now accessible. This study introduces dummy heads with 3D-printed skulls and silicone skins to explore crosstalk cancellation in bone conduction (BC). Crosstalk occurs when BC sounds from a transducer on one side of the head reach the cochlea on the opposite side. This can disrupt binaural cues essential for sound localization and speech understanding in noise for individuals using BC hearing devices. We provide a step-by-step guide to constructing the dummy head and demonstrate its application in canceling crosstalk. The 3D models used in this study are freely available for replication and further research. Several dummy heads were 3D-printed using ABS for the skull and silicone skins of varying hardness, with a 3-axis accelerometer at the cochlea location to simulate inner ear response. Since the cochlea is inaccessible in humans, we targeted crosstalk cancellation at the mastoid, assessing if this cancellation extended to the cochlea within the dummy heads. We compared these results with our previous experiments conducted on seven human subjects, who had their hearing thresholds measured with and without crosstalk cancellation, to evaluate if the dummy heads could reliably replicate human crosstalk cancellation effects<em>.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00618"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11733055/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143013421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"SyncGenie: A programmable event synchronization device for neuroscience research","authors":"Ludvik Alkhoury ,&nbsp;Giacomo Scanavini ,&nbsp;Petras Swissler ,&nbsp;Sudhin A. Shah ,&nbsp;Disha Gupta ,&nbsp;N. Jeremy Hill","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In neuroscience, accurately correlating brain activity with stimuli and other events requires precise synchronization between neural data and event timing. To achieve this, purpose-built synchronization devices are often used to detect events. This paper introduces SyncGenie, a programmable synchronization device designed for a range of uses in neuroscience research—primarily as a “trigger box” to align neurophysiological data with physical stimulus events, among other possibilities. It can support both hardware-triggered and software-triggered pulse synchronization and can even serve as a cost-effective digitizer for real-time analysis of analog signals. We provide the complete circuit-board designs, 3D models, and Arduino code necessary to build and use SyncGenie. The board is designed for easy manufacturing and assembly, with components that can be seamlessly soldered. It includes a range of connector types required for common applications, such as 3.5 mm TRS, D-sub25, BNC, and JST-XH. Additionally, SyncGenie features a user-friendly interface that allows for experiment-specific adjustments without requiring coding expertise. Its programmability, supported by our public-domain Arduino library, provides the flexibility to adapt SyncGenie to diverse experimental protocols. Overall, SyncGenie offers enhanced functionality at a lower cost relative to commercially available trigger boxes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00619"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11743915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143013424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The WOCA negative pressure wound therapy device designed for low resource settings","authors":"Arjan J. Knulst ,&nbsp;Salome Berger ,&nbsp;Jorijn van den Boom ,&nbsp;Inge Bosch ,&nbsp;Noa Nicolai ,&nbsp;Suraj Maharjan ,&nbsp;Eileen Raaijmakers ,&nbsp;Chang-Lung Tsai ,&nbsp;Lisa van de Weerd ,&nbsp;Jenny Dankelman ,&nbsp;Jan-Carel Diehl","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a treatment that promotes healing of chronic wounds. Despite high prevalence of chronic wounds in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), NPWT devices are not available nor affordable. This study aims to improve chronic wound care in LMICs by presenting the Wound Care (WOCA) system, designed for building, testing and use in LMICs. Design requirements were formulated using input from literature, ISO standards, and wound care experts. The WOCA design was developed to provide safe, portable, user-friendly and affordable NPWT to patients in LMICs. The design features an adjustable operating pressure ranging from −75 to −125 mmHg, a battery for portability, a 300 ml canister, overflow protection, and system state alarms. An Arduino controls the pressure and monitors the system state. Three prototypes were developed and built in Nepal, and their performance was evaluated. Pressure control was 125 ± 10 % mmHg, internal leakage was 7.5 ± 4.3 mmHg/min, reserve capacity was 189 ± 16.9 ml/min, and overflow protection and alarm systems were effectively working. Prototype cost was approximately 280 USD. The WOCA demonstrates to be a locally producible NPWT device that can safely generate a stable vacuum. Future research will include clinical trials situated in LMICs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00620"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An open source ultrasonic flowmeter for monitoring the input/output flow rates of wastewater treatment plants","authors":"Hélène Guyard ,&nbsp;Stéphanie Prost-Boucle ,&nbsp;Julien Sudre ,&nbsp;Sylvain Moreau ,&nbsp;Arnold Imig ,&nbsp;Gabrielle Favreau ,&nbsp;Valerie Quatela ,&nbsp;Remi Clement","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sensors play an important role in both the continuous monitoring and intermittent analyses, which are essential for the study of wastewater treatment plant management and conducting related research. Given the significant environmental impact of the issues involved, accurate measurement of the volume of water flowing into and out of treatment plants is a key parameter for plant management, ecotoxicological studies and academic research programs. Traditionally, flow measurements have been based on calibrated weirs or venturi flumes, using water level measurements for conversion into flow, according to established relationships. In this article, the authors propose an innovative approach to explore the feasibility of developing an open-source, reparable and cost-effective data logger for flow monitoring using ultrasonic technology. By leveraging Arduino modules and a complementary Grove shield, the proposed data logger offers seamless integration and affordability. In particular, it features an on-board web server to facilitate data collection and device testing, offering accessibility through Wi-Fi connectivity with smartphones or computers. The authors demonstrate the effectiveness of their flowmeter by comparing its performance with that of a commercial reference flowmeter, yielding a maximum permissible measurement error of 0.6 mm on the water level measurement. Furthermore, they demonstrate the durability and reliability of the developed data logger through extensive field-testing over a 9-month period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11719284/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142972499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Customizable large-scale HPLC fraction collection using low-cost 3D printing","authors":"William J. Crandall ,&nbsp;Marco Caputo ,&nbsp;Lewis Marquez ,&nbsp;Zachery R. Jarrell ,&nbsp;Cassandra L. Quave","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an invaluable technique that has been used for many decades for the separation of various molecules. The reproducible collection of eluates from these systems has been significantly improved via its automation by fraction collection systems. Current commercially available fraction collectors are not easily customizable, incompatible with other platforms, and come with a large cost barrier making them inaccessible to many researchers. Here we present the efficient construction of a low-cost customizable fraction collector that can easily be paired to any HPLC system. Notably, it supports significantly larger volumes for collection than commercial alternatives. Using a hobbyist-grade three-dimensional (3D) printer (Creality Ender 3 Pro) and aluminum extrusions, the fraction collector can be built for less than $280 USD. An additional graphical user interface (GUI) enables simple programming of the collection methods, requiring no coding experience to operate the collector. The presented fraction collector can be highly customized and use collection vessels as large as 470 mL (80x), facilitating repeated collection at a preparatory scale. The use of this platform will increase the reproducibility of scalable and iterative fraction collection methods while removing the cost barrier and allowing for a high degree of customizability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11729689/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Automated entrance monitoring to investigate honey bee foraging trips using open-source wireless platform and fiducial tags","authors":"Diego Penaloza-Aponte ,&nbsp;Sarabeth Brandt ,&nbsp;Erin Dent ,&nbsp;Robyn M. Underwood ,&nbsp;Benedict DeMoras ,&nbsp;Selina Bruckner ,&nbsp;Margarita M. López-Uribe ,&nbsp;Julio V. Urbina","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honey bee foraging is a complex behavior because it involves tens of thousands of organisms making decisions about where to collect pollen and nectar based on the quality of resources and the distance to flowers. Studying this aspect of their biology is possible through direct observations but the large number of individuals involved in this behavior makes the implementation of technologies ideal to scale up this type of study. Consequently, there is a need for instruments that can facilitate accurate assessments of honey bee foraging at the colony level. To address this need, this work aimed to develop an automated imaging system for monitoring the in-and-out activity of honey bee foragers as they walk through a customized entrance with a camera sensor at the hive entrance. We used AprilTags attached to each bee’s thorax to provide unique identification numbers that allowed the system to track in-and-out events throughout the foraging season of the colony. Our design relies on low-cost Raspberry Pi computers and cameras, along with commercially off-the-shelf components, making it easily reproducible with the open-source documentation provided. We successfully deployed and evaluated our system in six locations, demonstrating consistent results. In this paper, we present the details about the development of the system, data collected from multiple colonies, and post-processing analysis from one of our apiaries. Our results highlight the system’s effectiveness in monitoring honey bee trips, capturing various behaviors associate with their activities outside the colony, which lay the groundwork for future estimations of foraging distances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article e00609"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142747230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “A customizable digital holographic microscope” [HardwareX 19 (2024) e00569]","authors":"Claudia Ravasio ,&nbsp;Luca Teruzzi ,&nbsp;Mirko Siano ,&nbsp;Llorenç Cremonesi ,&nbsp;Bruno Paroli ,&nbsp;Marco A.C. Potenza","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00586","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article e00586"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11707936/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142956437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and manufacture of a low-cost 3D-printed laboratory device to measure the hyperelastic properties of polymeric films with small form factor suitable for medical devices","authors":"Hemanta Dulal,&nbsp;Seyedhamidreza Alaie","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hyperelastic materials are extensively incorporated in medical implants and microelectromechanical systems due to their large, elastic, recoverable strains. However, their mechanical properties are sensitive to processing parameters that may lead to inconsistent characterization. Various test setups have been employed for characterizing hyperelastic materials; however, they are often costly. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing and open-source software/hardware suggest the possibility of simpler solutions in research settings for characterizing them; raising the question of whether one can characterize these materials with low-cost tools and tests that take advantage of soft and small form-factor samples. Here, the authors investigate the potential of an open-source, 3D-printed test system designed for characterizing such materials. This system is tailored for small form-factor samples (sub-mm thickness) and large elastic deformations, common in polymeric parts of minimally invasive implants. The authors developed parts using additive manufacturing for uniaxial and planar tension testing, with a low-cost image correlation method adapted for measuring large strains. Polydimethylsiloxane was chosen for demonstration of a two-parameter Mooney–Rivlin model, due to its documentation and use in biocompatible devices. The estimated Young’s and shear moduli were repeatable and consistent with the literature. Curve-fitting was challenging and dependent on the optimization choices, when data points were limited, consistent with prior reports. However, with a large number of data points and ideal optimization error choice, <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> were found to be close to those reported previously. This work demonstrates a low-cost, 3D-printed, open-source test setup for characterizing hyperelastic materials using a two-parameter Mooney–Rivlin model with reasonable accuracy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00608"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11697124/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142932941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low cost, portable, 3D printable tissue precision slicer","authors":"Beatriz Martinez-Martin ,&nbsp;Isabella Lambros ,&nbsp;Lukas Nuesslein ,&nbsp;Yubing Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Slicing tissue samples into thin pieces is commonly used in histology analysis and more recently for organotypic culture when tissue samples are sliced alive. Currently available devices for slicing tissue samples are either designed for fixed tissue samples at low cryogenic temperatures (<em>e.g.</em>, Cryostats), or bulky and expensive (<em>e.g.</em>, vibratome), preventing them from routine lab usage. Here we report a cost-effective device designed to section live tissues for subsequent culture. This device consists of components crafted from 3D-printed Nylon-12- a material suitable for autoclaving to ensure sterility. Its small footprint enhances portability, allowing for convenient placement within a biosafety cabinet for an added layer of sterility assurance. Using human pluripotent stem cells derived brain organoids as an example, we demonstrated that the device both precisely and accurately makes slices. We further validate its suitability for long-term culture by extended tissue culture following slicing. Our results indicate that brain organoid slices are viable and show improved proliferation rate compared with unsliced organoids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article e00611"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142704762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}