Abstract: Handling life-critical systems complexity requires to be equipped with appropriate technology and the right human agents’ functions such as knowledge, experience, and competence in problem’s prevention and solving. Human agents are involved in the management and control of human-machine system’s performance. Documenting human agent’s situation awareness is crucial to support human-machine designers’ decision-making. Knowledge about risks, critical parameters and factors that can impact and threaten automation system’s performance should be collected using preventive and retrospective approaches. This paper aims to document operators’ situation awareness through the analysis of automated organizations’ feedback. The analysis of automated hospital pharmacies feedback helps identify and control critical parameters influencing human machine interaction in order to enhance system’s performance and security. Our human machine system evaluation approach has been deployed in Macon hospital center’s pharmacy which is equipped with automated drug dispensing systems since 2015. Automation’s specifications are related to technical aspects, human-machine interaction, and human aspects. The evaluation of drug delivery automation performance in Macon hospital center has shown that the performance of the automated activity depends on the performance of the automated solution chosen, and also on the control of systemic factors. In fact, 80.95% of automation specification related to the chosen Sinteco’s automated solution is met. The performance of the chosen automated solution is involved in 28.38% of automation specifications performance in Macon hospital center. The remaining systemic parameters involved in automation specifications performance need to be controlled.
Abstract: Medication dispensing system is a life-critical system whose failure may result in preventable adverse events leading to longer patient stays in hospitals or patient death. Automation has led to great improvements in life-critical systems as it increased safety, efficiency, and comfort. However, critical risks related to medical organization complexity and automated solutions integration can threaten drug dispensing security and performance. Knowledge about the system’s complexity aspects and human machine parameters to control for automated equipment’s security and performance will help operators to secure their automation process and to optimize their system’s reliability. In this context, this study aims to document the operator’s situation awareness about automation risks and parameters involved in automation security and performance. Our risk management approach has been deployed in the North Luxembourg hospital center’s pharmacy, which is equipped with automated drug dispensing systems since 2009. With more than 4 million euros of gains generated, North Luxembourg hospital center’s success story was enabled by the management commitment, pharmacy’s involvement in the implementation and improvement of the automation project, and the close collaboration between the pharmacy and Sinteco’s firm to implement the necessary innovation and organizational actions for automated solutions integration security and performance. An analysis of the actions implemented by the hospital and the parameters involved in automated equipment’s integration security and performance has been made. The parameters to control for automated equipment’s integration security and performance are human aspects (6.25%), technical aspects (50%), and human-machine interaction (43.75%). The implementation of an anthropocentric analysis system before automation would have prevented and optimized the control of risks related to automation.
Abstract: Strain sensors based on a change in resistance are
well established for the measurement of forces, stresses, or material
fatigue. Within the scope of this paper, fully additive manufactured
strain sensors were produced using an ink of silver nanoparticles.
Their behavior was evaluated by periodic tensile tests. Printed
strain sensors exhibit two advantages: Their measuring grid is
adaptable to the use case and they do not need a carrier-foil,
as the measuring structure can be printed directly onto a thin
sprayed varnish layer on the aluminum specimen. In order to
compare quality characteristics, the sensors have been manufactured
using two different technologies, namely aerosoljet-printing and
micropipette-dispensing. Both processes produce structures which
exhibit continuous features (in contrast to what can be achieved with
droplets during inkjet printing). Briefly summarized the results show
that aerosoljet-printing is the preferable technology for specimen with
non-planar surfaces whereas both technologies are suitable for flat
specimen.
Abstract: The management of pharmacotherapy and the process of dispensing medicines is becoming critical in clinical pharmacy due to the increase of incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases, the complexity and customization of therapeutic regimens, the introduction of innovative and more expensive medicines, the unbalanced relation between expenditure and revenue as well as due to the lack of rationalization associated with medication use. For these reasons, co-payments emerged in Europe in the 70s and have been applied over the past few years in healthcare. Co-payments lead to a rationing and rationalization of user’s access under healthcare services and products, and simultaneously, to a qualification and improvement of the services and products for the end-user. This analysis, under hospital practices particularly and co-payment strategies in general, was carried out on all the European regions and identified four reference countries, that apply repeatedly this tool and with different approaches. The structure, content and adaptation of European co-payments were analyzed through 7 qualitative attributes and 19 performance indicators, and the results expressed in a scorecard, allowing to conclude that the German models (total score of 68,2% and 63,6% in both elected co-payments) can collect more compliance and effectiveness, the English models (total score of 50%) can be more accessible, and the French models (total score of 50%) can be more adequate to the socio-economic and legal framework. Other European models did not show the same quality and/or performance, so were not taken as a standard in the future design of co-payments strategies. In this sense, we can see in the co-payments a strategy not only to moderate the consumption of healthcare products and services, but especially to improve them, as well as a strategy to increment the value that the end-user assigns to these services and products, such as medicines.
Abstract: In order to improve the overall safety of chemotherapy, safety-protecting netwas established for the whole process from prescribing by physicians, transcribing by nurses, dispensing by pharmacists to administering by nurses. The information system was used to check and monitorwhole process of administration and related sheets were computerized to simplify the paperwork.
Abstract: We present an integration approach of a CMOS biosensor into a polymer based microfluidic environment suitable for mass production. It consists of a wafer-level-package for the silicon die and laser bonding process promoted by an intermediate hot melt foil to attach the sensor package to the microfluidic chip, without the need for dispensing of glues or underfiller. A very good condition of the sensing area was obtained after introducing a protection layer during packaging. A microfluidic flow cell was fabricated and shown to withstand pressures up to Δp = 780 kPa without leakage. The employed biosensors were electrically characterized in a dry environment.
Abstract: Several works regarding facial recognition have dealt with methods which identify isolated characteristics of the face or with templates which encompass several regions of it. In this paper a new technique which approaches the problem holistically dispensing with the need to identify geometrical characteristics or regions of the face is introduced. The characterization of a face is achieved by randomly sampling selected attributes of the pixels of its image. From this information we construct a set of data, which correspond to the values of low frequencies, gradient, entropy and another several characteristics of pixel of the image. Generating a set of “p" variables. The multivariate data set with different polynomials minimizing the data fitness error in the minimax sense (L∞ - Norm) is approximated. With the use of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) it is able to circumvent the problem of dimensionality inherent to higher degree polynomial approximations. The GA yields the degree and values of a set of coefficients of the polynomials approximating of the image of a face. By finding a family of characteristic polynomials from several variables (pixel characteristics) for each face (say Fi ) in the data base through a resampling process the system in use, is trained. A face (say F ) is recognized by finding its characteristic polynomials and using an AdaBoost Classifier from F -s polynomials to each of the Fi -s polynomials. The winner is the polynomial family closer to F -s corresponding to target face in data base.
Abstract: The use of electronic sensors in the electronics
industry has become increasingly popular over the past few years,
and it has become a high competition product. The frequency
adjustment process is regarded as one of the most important process
in the electronic sensor manufacturing process. Due to inaccuracies
in the frequency adjustment process, up to 80% waste can be caused
due to rework processes; therefore, this study aims to provide a
preliminary understanding of the role of parameters used in the
frequency adjustment process, and also make suggestions in order to
further improve performance. Four parameters are considered in this
study: air pressure, dispensing time, vacuum force, and the distance
between the needle tip and the product. A full factorial design for
experiment 2k was considered to determine those parameters that
significantly affect the accuracy of the frequency adjustment process,
where a deviation in the frequency after adjustment and the target
frequency is expected to be 0 kHz. The experiment was conducted on
two levels, using two replications and with five center-points added.
In total, 37 experiments were carried out. The results reveal that air
pressure and dispensing time significantly affect the frequency
adjustment process. The mathematical relationship between these
two parameters was formulated, and the optimal parameters for air
pressure and dispensing time were found to be 0.45 MPa and 458 ms,
respectively. The optimal parameters were examined by carrying out
a confirmation experiment in which an average deviation of 0.082
kHz was achieved.
Abstract: Environment today is featured with aging population,
increasing prevalence of chronic disease and complex of medical
treatment. Safe use of pharmaceutics relied very much on the efforts
made by both the health- related organizations and as well as the
government agencies. As far as the specialization concern in providing
health services to the patients, the government actively issued and
implemented the divisions of medical treatment and pharmaceutical to
improve the quality of care and to reduce medication errors and ensure
public health. Pharmaceutical sub-sector policy has been implemented
for 13 years. This study attempts to explore the factors that affect the
patients- behavior intention of refilling a prescription from a NHIB
pharmacy. Samples were those patients refilling their prescriptions
with the case NHIB pharmacies. A self-administered questionnaire
was used to collect respondents- information while the patients or
family members visit the pharmacy for the refilling. 1,200
questionnaires were dispatched in 37 pharmacies that randomly
selected from Pingtung City, Dongkang, Chaozhou, Hengchun areas.
732 responses were gained with 604 valid samples for further analyses.
Results of data analyses indicated that respondents- attitude,
subjective norm, perceived behavior control and behavior intentions
toward refilling behavior varied from some demographic variables to
another. This research also suggested adding actual behavior, either by
a self-report or observed, into the research.
Abstract: The purposes of this research were 1) to survey the
number of drugstores that unlawful dispense of asthma prescription
drugs, in form of drug combinations in the Phaya Thai district of
Bangkok, 2) to find the steroids contained in that drug combinations,
3) to find a means for informing general public about the dangers of
drugs and for a campaign to stop dispensing them.
Researcher collected drug combinations from 69 drugstores in
Phaya Thai district from Feb 15, 2012 to Mar 15, 2012. The survey
found 30.43%, 21, drug stores, sold asthma drug combinations to
customers without a prescription. These collected samples were
tested for steroid contamination by using Immunochromatography
kits. Eleven samples, 52.38%, were found contaminated with
steroids. In short, there should be control and inspection of
drugstores in the distribution of steroid medications. To improve the
knowledge of self health maintenance and drug usage among public,
Thai Government and Department of Public Health should educate
people about the side effects of using drug combinations and steroids.