A new bionic body part that talks to your phone is the next frontier in knee replacements. It's called a smart knee, a new technology designed to improve recovery after surgery. Stephanie Stahl reports.

he appendix is a long narrow tube (a few inches in length) that attaches to the first part of the colon. It is usually located in the lower right quadrant of the abdominal cavity. The appendix produces a bacteria destroying protein called immunoglobulins, which help fight infection in the body. Its function, however, is not essential. People who have had appendectomies do not have an increased risk toward infection. Other organs in the body take over this function once the appendix has been removed.

Peripheral vascular disease, also called PVD, refers to any disease or disorder of the circulatory system outside of the brain and heart. The term can include any disorder that affects any blood vessels. It is, though, often used as a synonym for peripheral artery disease. PVD is the most common disease of the arteries. The build-up of fatty material inside the vessels, a condition called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, is what causes it. The build up is a gradual process. Over time, the artery becomes blocked, narrowed, or weakened.

The video shows how to perform the orotracheal intubation.Performed by harvard medical school

a video showing Phlebotomy steps

Examination of the heart

I call this technique deep rendering. I basically stacked graphical cross-sections (in this case, MRI rendering data), using proper increments and clip through them with the camera. This way I am able to explore all internal components in full 3D real-time.

I actually was able to figure out how to colorize different organs to help distinguish them apart from each other but couldn't get the shader to render real-time in Maya.

Credit: MRI scans courtesy of University of Washington Digital Anatomist Program

The complex circuitry interconnecting different areas in the brain, known collectively as white matter, is composed of millions of axons organized into fascicles and bundles. Upon macroscopic examination of sections of the brain, it is difficult to discern the orientation of the fibers. The same is true for conventional imaging modalities. However, recent advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) make such task possible in a live subject. By sensitizing an otherwise typical MRI sequence to the diffusion of water molecules it is possible to measure their diffusion coefficient in a given direction1. Normally, the axonal membrane and myelin sheaths pose barriers to the movement of water molecules and, thus, they diffuse preferentially along the axon2. Therefore, the direction of white matter bundles can be elucidated by determining the principal diffusivity of water. The three-dimensional representation of the diffusion coefficient can be given by a tensor and its mathematical decomposition provides the direction of the tracts3; this MRI technique is known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). By connecting the information acquired with DTI, three-dimensional depictions of white matter fascicles are obtained4. The virtual dissection of white matter bundles is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in clinical research.

Our journey begins with a transverse section of tightly packed axons as seen through light microscopy. Although represented as a two-dimensional "slice", we see that these axons in fact resemble tubes. A simulation of water molecules diffusing randomly inside the axons demonstrates how the membranes and myelin hinder their movement across them and shows the preferred diffusion direction --along the axons. The tracts depicted through DTI slowly blend in and we ride along with them. As we zoom out even more, we realize that it is a portion of the corpus callosum connecting the two sides of the brain we were traveling on and the great difference in relative scale of the individual axons becomes evident. The surface of the brain is then shown, as well as the rest of the white matter bundles--a big, apparently chaotic tangle of wires. Finally, the skin covers the brain.

With the exception of the simulated water molecules, all the data presented in the animation is obtained through microscopy and MRI. Computer algorithms for the extraction of the cerebral structures and a custom-built graphics engine make our journey through the brain's anatomy possible in a living person.

Micrograph courtesy of Dr. Christian Beaulieu, University of Alberta.
Music by Mario Mattioli.

References:
1. Stejskal, E.O., et al., J. Chem. Phys., 1965. 42:
2. Beaulieu, C., NMR Biomed., 2002. 15:435-55.
3. Basser, P.J., et al., J. Magn. Reson. B, 1994. 103:247-54.
4. Mori, S., et al., NMR Biomed., 2002. 15:468-80.

This endoscopy shows a patient with cancer of the larynx, Laryngeal cancer is the most common cancer of the upper respiratory tract. The incidence of laryngeal tumors is closely correlated with smoking, as head and neck tumors occur 6 times more often among cigarette smokers than among nonsmokers. The age-standardized risk of mortality from laryngeal cancer appears to have a linear relationship with increasing cigarette consumption. Death from laryngeal cancer is 20 times more likely for the heaviest smokers than for nonsmokers. It should be suspected in any patient with hoarseness of the voice for three weeks or longer until proven otherwise.

A video-animation presentation about sentinel lymph node biopsies for breast cancer diagnosis. 3D graphics are used to explain the process. Topics include the lymphatic system and the methods used. This video is part of the breast cancer education series produced by CancerQuest at Emory University

This animated video will run you through the process of nuclear stress test.

Complete Pineal Tumor excision by using Supracerebellar Infratentorial approach in sitting position was performed. The young adult male is up and about after surgery.

Intercostal Tube Insertion in case of pneumothorax

Diagnose an abusive relationship and you will be on your way to ending domestic abuse. Getting a definitive, objective diagnosis can put you in the "stop-guessing" mode and into the "start-treating" mode in moments.

Brief animation demonstrating emergency surgical cricothyrotomy; created with Lightwave 9.3

Vaccines are extremely safe. Adverse reactions are uncommon. The most common reaction is pain and swelling at the vaccine site, which is easily treated, and has no longterm problems. An allergic reaction to vaccines are rare. Dr. Michael Davis dispells this and other vaccine myths, including myths about autism and vaccines.

The video will describe the terms that were used in last video of streptococcal/pneumococcal pneumonia. Please see my website for disclaimer.

Bleeding during the ligation of an artery during right hemicolectomy

indicated in Radius and Ulna Fractures

this video is showing the laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal herina repair for direct inguinal herina