New disposable ERG electrode made of anomalous polyvinyl alcohol gel

Measurement of Gd-DTPA diffusion through PVA hydrogel using a novel magnetic resonance imaging method

Polyvinyl alcohol-cryogel (PVA-C) is a hydrogel that is an excellent tissue mimic. In order to characterize mass transfer in this material, as well as to demonstrate in principle the ability to noninvasively measure solute diffusion in tissue, we measured the diffusion coefficient of the magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent gadolinium diethylene triaminopentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) through PVA-C using a clinical MR imager. The method involved filling thick-walled rectangular PVA-C "cups" with known concentrations of Gd-DTPA solutions. Then by using a fast inversion recovery spin echo MR imaging protocol, a signal "null" contour was created in the MR image that corresponded to a second, known concentration of Gd-DTPA. By collecting a series of MR images through the PVA-C wall as a function of time, the displacement of this second known isoconcentration contour could be tracked. Application of Fick's second law of diffusion yielded the diffusion coefficient. Seven separate experiments were performed using various combinations of initial concentrations of Gd-DTPA within the PVA-C cups (3.2, 25.6, or 125 mM) and tracked isoconcentrations contours (0.096, 0.182, or 0.435 mM Gd-DTPA). The experimental results and the predictions of Fick's law were in excellent agreement. The diffusivity of Gd-DTPA through 10% PVA hydrogel was found to be (2.6 +/- 0.04) x 10(-10) m(2)/s (mean +/- s.e.m.). Separate permeability studies showed that the diffusion coefficient of Gd-DTPA through this hydrogel did not change with an applied pressure of up to 7.1 kPa. Accurate measurements could be made within 30 min if suitable Gd-DTPA concentrations were selected. Due to the excellent repeatability and fast data acquisition time, this technique is very promising for future in vivo studies of species transport in tissue.

Polyvinyl alcohol cryogel: an ideal phantom material for MR studies of arterial flow and elasticity

The authors present a unique application of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogel as an anthropomorphic, elastic, vascular phantom material that can be used in MR imaging. The composition consists of two nontoxic ingredients: water and PVA. The biomechanical and MR properties can be adjusted to be similar to those of excised porcine aortas by varying the number of freeze-thaw cycles to which the PVA solution is exposed. The authors present the T1, T2, shrinkage, and tensile properties of PVA cryogel tubes as a function of freeze-thaw cycles. MR images of a dual elastic aortic phantom undergoing pulsatile motion are shown.

Electrodes and the recording of the human electroretinogram (ERG)

The development of electrodes for recording the human electroretinogram is reviewed. The salient features of the different types in use are described and evaluated. The relation performance of different types is used as a basis for examining the dipole model of the origin of electroretinographic signals and suggestions are made for imposing it.

ERG electrode in pediatric patients: comparison of DTL fiber, PVA-gel, and non-corneal skin electrodes

Hard contact lens electrodes have been the type most frequently used in pediatric electroretinography but they are not well-tolerated by patients. The Dawson Trick Litzkow fiber electrode is better tolerated but it is fragile and difficult to sterilize. A new electrode made from anomalous polyvinyl alcohol gel is inexpensive, has stable electrical recording properties, and can be discarded after use. Dermal electrodes have been used for electroretinogram recording for some time; however, there are few reports that directly compare their performance against standard contact lens assemblies. We compared the DTL and the polyvinyl gel electrodes in the same group of subjects and investigated their recording characteristics along with non corneal skin electrodes placed on the infraorbital ridge. Signal-averaged electroretinogram were obtained under both scotopic and photopic stimulation conditions and the implicit time and amplitudes of the a- and b-waves were determined. Overall, dermal recordings generally had shorter implicit times and lower amplitudes than with the fiber or gel electrodes. The dermal electrodes were best tolerated and outlasted the corneal in repeated use. Since amplitude characteristics of the dermal electrodes were generally about 50% of that obtained with corneal electrodes, we feel that under standardized conditions they are acceptable for most clinical recording situations in infants and young children.