Medical devices‘ malfunctions are identified by a new air-powered computer that eliminates electronic sensors and saves money. This technology is now capable of detecting air pressure changes and is intended to be utilized in hazardous environments in the future.
A team of scientists has created an air-powered computer that can detect and alert doctors when certain medical devices fail. This device reduces the need for electronic sensors in the monitoring process, providing a cost-effective and dependable means of preventing blood clots and strokes.
The device, as described in a paper published in the journal Device, operates on air and uses it to signal when it detects an issue with the lifesaving compression machine.
IPC devices, also known as intermittent pneumatic compression, are devices that periodically fill the air pockets of blood in the sex of the person’s limbs, gradually increasing blood flow through the veins to prevent clots from forming and prevent dangerous consequences such as blocked blood vessels, strokes or even death, because of their electronic (powered) electronics monitoring.
IPC devices are costly due to their high electronics cost, which complicates life savings. Our goal, as stated by William Grover, an associate professor of bioengineering at UC Riverside, was to create a pneumatic device that eliminates some electronics and makes them safer and cheaper.
Pneumatics act as a means of transporting compressed air from one area to another. Emergency brakes on freight trains, as well as bicycle pumps, tire pressure gauges, respirators, and IPC devices, all operate in this manner. It seemed reasonable to Grover and his colleagues to use one pneumatic logic device to control another and enhance its safety.
Parity bit calculations are utilized by this device, much like in electronic circuits, to ensure the sender gets the correct message. Grover explained that if messages were to be sent in three bits, then they could be expressed in ones and zeroes, such as 1-0-1.
If a message contains odd numbers of ones and even numbers of ones, the missing number with a parity bit is recognized as 1 on a message, and a similar number of zero on a message, demonstrating that the message was flawed. This is a common method for electronic computers to communicate with each other.
William Grover/UCR’s Pneumatic Logic Sensor demonstration is designed to detect performance flaws in compression devices.
The whistle is not blown if the clock is not counting the ones and zeroes, as it is used by an air-powered computer that handles variations in air pressure through 21 small valves.
If the blow is successful, it indicates that the machine needs to be repaired. In a video demonstrating the air computer, Grover and his students are shown using a knife to cut open an IPC device, rendering it non-functional, and then the whistle comes out seconds later.
According to Grover, this gadget is small in size and can replace a computer and a few sensors. This allows for cost savings and troubleshooting existing issues, and it could also be used in unfeasible high temperatures or humidity conditions that are not conducive to electronics usage.
The IPC device monitoring is a one-of-a-kind application of air computing, but Grover aims to create a device that eliminates the need for human-effort to travel through grain at the highest altitudes of tall silos.
In the Midwest, tall buildings are often occupied by tall buildings containing corn or wheat, known as grain silos. To even out the piles and break the grain pieces, a human usually has to dig inside using a shovel.
According to Grover, there is a significant number of deaths caused by the shift in the temperature and trapping of people, necessitating a human operator to perform the task instead of an electronic user, as these silos are hazardous. He further stated that he wanted to create an air-powered robot that could work without any sparks and escape humans.
Air-powered computing, which can play music using punched rolls of paper, has been around for at least a century. Pneumatic circuits became less popular among engineers with their knowledge of computers.
Grover noted that we tend to lose interest in alternative solutions to problems as new technologies gain dominance. He also noted that research can showcase the potential of old ideas to new audiences.
A study of air-powered logic circuits in pneumatic systems has been proposed by Shane Hoang, Mabel Shehada, Zinal Patel, Minh-Huy Tran, Konstantinos Karydis, Philip Brisk and William H. Grover. A DOI is required to access the paper, which is available at DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2024.100507 until August 12, 2024.