Effect of torsional mode phacoemulsification on cornea in eyes with/without pseudoexfoliation

AIM: To evaluate the effect of torsional mode phacoemulsification on central corneal thickness, corneal endothelial cell density, and morphology in eyes with/without pseudoexfoliation(PEX) syndrome.METHODS: Fourty-two consecutive patients with and42 patients without PEX as a control group scheduled for cataract surgery was studied. Phacoemulsification, using OZi L IP system, was performed with quick chop technique. Using noncontact specular microscopy, the central endothelial cell density(ECD), coefficient of variation, percentage of hexagonal cells, and the central corneal thickness(CCT) were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 7 and 30 d.RESULTS: The ECD in PEX syndrome was statistically significantly lower than that in the control group preoperatively and postoperatively(P ≤0.001).Percentage change in ECD was statistically significantly higher in PEX than that in control group after surgery follow up(P ≤0.04).There was no statistically significant difference between both groups comparing percentage of hexagonal cells and coefficient of variation in the cell size before and after the surgery. At 1 and 7d after surgery, percentage change in CCT was statistically significantly higher in PEX group than that in the control group(P ≤0.041).CONCLUSION: Although torsional mode phacoemulsification and intraocular lens(IOL) implantation provided a safe and favorable surgical outcome in patients with/without PEX, torsional phacoemulsification led to significantly higher ECD loss in the PEX group than that in the control group during the whole follow up period.In addition, more corneal swelling in the PEX group than that in the control group during the early postoperative period has indicated that the corneal endothelium, in presence of PEX endotheliopathy, seems to be more susceptible to the effects of phacoemulsification surgeryin eyes with PEX. The increased risk of anterior chamber manipulations in patients with PEX should be taken into account for an increased risk of bullous keratopathy.

DETECTION OF LONGITUDINAL DEFECT IN PIPES USING TORSIONAL MODES

The multi-modes and disperse characteristics of torsional modes in pipes are investigated theoretically and experimentally. At all frequencies, both phase velocity and group velocity of the lowest torsional mode T（0,1） are constant and equal to shear wave velocity. T（0,1） mode at all frequencies is the fastest torsional mode. In the experiments, T（0,1） mode is excited and received in pipes using 9 thickness shear vibration mode piezoelectric ceramic elements. Furthermore, an artificial longitudinal defect of a 4 m long pipe is detected using T（0,1） mode at 50 kHz. Experimental results show that it is feasible for longitudinal defect detection in pipes using T（0,1） mode of ultrasonic guided waves.

Resonance-mode effect on piezoelectric microcantilever performance in air,with a focus on the torsional modes

A high quality factor is preferred for a microresonator sensor to improve the sensitivity and resolution. In this paper we systematically investigate the performance of the microcantilever in different resonance modes, which are the first three flexural modes, the first lateral mode, and the first and the second torsional modes. An aluminum nitride-based piezoelectric cantilever is fabricated and tested under controlled pressure from an ultra-high vacuum to a normal atmosphere, using a custom-built vacuum chamber. From the experiment results, it can be seen that the torsional modes exhibit better quality factors than those of the flexural and lateral ones. Finally, an analytical model for the air damping characteristics of the torsional mode cantilever is derived and verified by comparing with experimental results.

Detection of internal crack growth in polyethylene pipe using guided wave ultrasonic testing

Despite the success of guided wave ultrasonic inspection for internal defect detection in steel pipes,its application on polyethylene(PE)pipe remains relatively unexplored.The growth of internal cracks in PE pipe severely affects its pressure-holding capacity,hence the early detection of internal cracks is crucial for effective pipeline maintenance strategies.This study extends the scope of guided wave-based ultrasonic testing to detect the growth of internal cracks in a natural gas distribution PE pipe.Laboratory experiments and a finite element model were planned to study the wave-crack interaction at different stages of axially oriented internal crack growth with a piezoceramic transducer-based setup arranged in a pitch-catch configuration.Mode dispersion analysis supplemented with preliminary experiments was performed to isolate the optimal inspection frequency,leading to the selection of the T(0,1)mode at 50-kHz for the investigation.A transmission index based on the energy of the T(0,1)mode was developed to trace the extent of simulated crack growth.The findings revealed an inverse linear correlation between the transmission index and the crack depth for crack growth beyond 20%crack depth.

Principle and Experimental Verification of Flexible Caudal Fin Based on Active Torsion Propulsion Mode

The active torsion propulsion mode of a caudal fin,composed of macro fiber composites(MFC)and carbon fiber orthotropic composite material is proposed.The caudal fin is excited by the piezoelectric structure to vibrate flexibly.The work principle is firstly analyzed by finite element method(FEM)and experiments.Then the caudal fin is optimized to increase the torque and improve the streamline,and the added mass effect from the water is discussed in terms of the frequency of the structure.The torsion resonance frequency is around 103 Hz in the air and decreased by 75%to 25 Hz in the water.Finally,the mean thrust is discussed and measured to be 11 mN at900V(Peak to peak)driving voltage.A flexible micro robot is developed and tested.The locomotion velocity and flow velocity is 320mm/s and 268mm/s,respectively.The results of the simulation and experiments indicate that the locomotion of the biomimetic aquatic robot has fast movement characteristics.