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Pulmonary arterial cannulation is a common and effective method for percutaneous mechanical circulatory support for concurrent right heart and respiratory failure [1]. However, limited data exists to what effect the positioning of the cannula has on the oxygen perfusion throughout the pulmonary artery (PA). This study aims to evaluate, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the effect of different cannula positions in the PA with respect to the oxygenation of the different branching vessels in order for an optimal cannula position to be determined. The four chosen different positions (see Fig. 1) of the cannulas are, in the lower part of the main pulmonary artery (MPA), in the MPA at the junction between the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and the left pulmonary artery (LPA), in the RPA at the first branch of the RPA and in the LPA at the first branch of the LPA.
Solar-electric propulsion (SEP) is superior with
respect to payload capacity, flight time and
flexible launch window to the conventional
interplanetary transfer method using chemical
propulsion combined with gravity assists. This fact
results from the large exhaust velocities of electric
low–thrust propulsion and is favourable also for
missions to the giant planets, Kuiper-belt objects
and even for a heliopause probe (IHP) as shown in
three studies by the authors funded by DLR. They
dealt with a lander for Europa and a sample return
mission from a mainbelt asteroid [1], with the
TANDEM mission [2]; the third recent one
investigates electric propulsion for the transfer to
the edge of the solar system.
All studies are based on triple-junction solar arrays,
on rf-ion thrusters of the qualified RIT-22 type and
they use the intelligent trajectory optimization
program InTrance [3].
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have shown to be promising in disease studies and drug screenings [1]. Cardiomyocytes derived from hiPSCs have been extensively investigated using patch-clamping and optical methods to compare their electromechanical behaviour relative to fully matured adult cells. Mathematical models can be used for translating findings on hiPSCCMs to adult cells [2] or to better understand the mechanisms of various ion channels when a drug is applied [3,4]. Paci et al. (2013) [3] developed the first model of hiPSC-CMs, which they later refined based on new data [3]. The model is based on iCells® (Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Inc. (FCDI), Madison WI, USA) but major differences among several cell lines and even within a single cell line have been found and motivate an approach for creating sample-specific models. We have developed an optimisation algorithm that parameterises the conductances (in S/F=Siemens/Farad) of the latest Paci et al. model (2018) [5] using current-voltage data obtained in individual patch-clamp experiments derived from an automated patch clamp system (Patchliner, Nanion Technologies GmbH, Munich).
We compare four different algorithms for automatically estimating the muscle fascicle angle from ultrasonic images: the vesselness filter, the Radon transform, the projection profile method and the gray level cooccurence matrix (GLCM). The algorithm results are compared to ground truth data generated by three different experts on 425 image frames from two videos recorded during different types of motion. The best agreement with the ground truth data was achieved by a combination of pre-processing with a vesselness filter and measuring the angle with the projection profile method. The robustness of the estimation is increased by applying the algorithms to subregions with high gradients and performing a LOESS fit through these estimates.
Attitude and Orbital Dynamics Modeling for an Uncontrolled Solar-Sail Experiment in Low-Earth Orbit
(2015)
Gossamer-1 is the first project of the three-step Gossamer roadmap, the purpose of which is to develop, prove and demonstrate that solar-sail technology is a safe and reliable propulsion technique for long-lasting and high-energy missions. This paper firstly presents the structural analysis performed on the sail to understand its elastic behavior. The results are then used in attitude and orbital simulations. The model considers the main forces and torques that a satellite experiences in low-Earth orbit coupled with the sail deformation. Doing the simulations for varying initial conditions in attitude and rotation rate, the results show initial states to avoid and maximum rotation rates reached for correct and faulty deployment of the sail. Lastly comparisons with the classic flat sail model are carried out to test the hypothesis that the elastic behavior does play a role in the attitude and orbital behavior of the sail
The scientific interest in near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and the classification of some of those as potentially hazardous asteroid for the Earth stipulated the interest in NEA exploration. Close-up observations of these objects will increase drastically our knowledge about the overall NEA population. For this reason, a multiple NEA rendezvous mission through solar sailing is investigated, taking advantage of the propellantless nature of this groundbreaking propulsion technology. Considering a spacecraft based on the DLR/ESA Gossamer technology, this work focuses on the search of possible sequences of NEA encounters. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through a number of fully-optimized trajectories. The results show that it is possible to visit five NEAs within 10 years with near-term solar-sail technology. Moreover, a study on a reduced NEA database demonstrates the reliability of the approach used, showing that 58% of the sequences found with an approximated trajectory model can be converted into real solar-sail trajectories. Lastly, this second study shows the effectiveness of the proposed automatic optimization algorithm, which is able to find solutions for a large number of mission scenarios without any input required from the user.
Flight times to the heliopause using a combination of solar and radioisotope electric propulsion
(2011)
We investigate the interplanetary flight of a low-thrust space probe to the heliopause,located at a distance of about 200 AU from the Sun. Our goal was to reach this distance within the 25 years postulated by ESA for such a mission (which is less ambitious than the 15-year goal set by NASA). Contrary to solar sail concepts and combinations of allistic and electrically propelled flight legs, we have investigated whether the set flight time limit could also be kept with a combination of solar-electric propulsion and a second, RTG-powered upper stage. The used ion engine type was the RIT-22 for the first stage and the RIT-10 for the second stage. Trajectory optimization was carried out with the low-thrust optimization program InTrance, which implements the method of Evolutionary Neurocontrol,using Artificial Neural Networks for spacecraft steering and Evolutionary Algorithms to optimize the Neural Networks’ parameter set. Based on a parameter space study, in which the number of thrust units, the unit’s specific impulse, and the relative size of the solar power generator were varied, we have chosen one configuration as reference. The transfer time of this reference configuration was 29.6 years and the fastest one, which is technically
more challenging, still required 28.3 years. As all flight times of this parameter study were longer than 25 years, we further shortened the transfer time by applying a launcher-provided hyperbolic excess energy up to 49 km2/s2. The resulting minimal flight time for the reference configuration was then 27.8 years. The following, more precise optimization to a launch with the European Ariane 5 ECA rocket reduced the transfer time to 27.5 years. This is the fastest mission design of our study that is flexible enough to allow a launch every
year. The inclusion of a fly-by at Jupiter finally resulted in a flight time of 23.8 years,which is below the set transfer-time limit. However, compared to the 27.5-year transfer,this mission design has a significantly reduced launch window and mission flexibility if the
escape direction is restricted to the heliosphere’s “nose".
Conventional EEG devices cannot be used in everyday life and hence, past decade research has been focused on Ear-EEG for mobile, at-home monitoring for various applications ranging from emotion detection to sleep monitoring. As the area available for electrode contact in the ear is limited, the electrode size and location play a vital role for an Ear-EEG system. In this investigation, we present a quantitative study of ear-electrodes with two electrode sizes at different locations in a wet and dry configuration. Electrode impedance scales inversely with size and ranges from 450 kΩ to 1.29 MΩ for dry and from 22 kΩ to 42 kΩ for wet contact at 10 Hz. For any size, the location in the ear canal with the lowest impedance is ELE (Left Ear Superior), presumably due to increased contact pressure caused by the outer-ear anatomy. The results can be used to optimize signal pickup and SNR for specific applications. We demonstrate this by recording sleep spindles during sleep onset with high quality (5.27 μVrms).
By DLR-contact, sample return missions to the large main-belt asteroid “19, Fortuna” have been studied. The mission scenario has been based on three ion thrusters of the RIT-22 model, which is presently under space qualification, and on solar arrays equipped with triple-junction GaAs solar cells. After having designed the spacecraft, the orbit-to-orbit trajectories for both, a one-way SEP mission with a chemical sample return and an all-SEP return mission, have been optimized using a combination of artificial neural networks with evolutionary algorithms. Additionally, body-to-body trajectories have been
investigated within a launch period between 2012 and 2015. For orbit-to-orbit calculation, the launch masses of the hybrid mission and of the all-SEP mission resulted in 2.05 tons and 1.56 tons, respectively, including a scientific payload of 246 kg. For the related transfer
durations 4.14 yrs and 4.62 yrs were obtained. Finally, a comparison between the mission scenarios based on SEP and on NEP have been carried out favouring clearly SEP.
Under DLR-contract, Giessen University and DLR Cologne are studying solar-electric propulsion missions (SEP) to the outer regions of the solar system. The most challenging reference mission concerns the transport of a 1.35-tons chemical lander spacecraft into an 80-RJ circular orbit around Jupiter, which would enable to place a 375 kg lander with 50 kg of scientific instruments on the surface of the icy moon "Europa". Thorough analyses show that the best solution in terms of SEP launch mass times thrusting time would be a two-stage EP module and a triple-junction solar array with concentrators which would be deployed step by step. Mission performance optimizations suggest to propel the spacecraft in the first EP stage by 6 gridded ion thrusters, running at 4.0 kV of beam voltage, which would save launch mass, and in the second stage by 4 thrusters with 1.25 to 1.5 kV of positive high voltage saving thrusting time. In this way, the launch mass of the spacecraft would be kept within 5.3 tons. Without a launcher's C3 and interplanetary gravity assists, Jupiter might be reached within about 4 yrs. The spiraling-down into the parking orbit would need another 1.8 yrs. This "large mission" can be scaled down to a smaller one, e.g., by halving all masses, the solar array power, and the number of thrusters. Due to their reliability, long lifetime and easy control, RIT-22 engines have been chosen for mission analysis. Based on precise tests, the thruster performance has been modeled.