Use of the phaco tip technique for lens cleavage and removal does not require manual hydrodissection using a syringe and cannula, or cortical removal using an irrigation/aspiration tip. The phaco tip is the only surgical instrument required for this technique. Its advantages include maintaining a stable intraocular pressure during cortical cleaving hydrodissection and lens removal, which includ...

MORE than two decades after the first efforts toward the application of spectral mixture analysis techniques to remotely sensed data [1], [2], effective spectral unmixing still remains an elusive exploitation goal. Regardless of the available spatial resolution, the spectral signals collected in natural environments are invariably a mixture of the signatures of the various materials found withi...

The procedures for purchasing surgical instruments and consumables are similar to those for purchasing equipment, which were addressed in our “Equipment for eye care” issue (number 73, September 2010). The major difference with consumables is that the number of items in stock (the ‘stock level’) must be monitored constantly. Consumables are generally fast moving and require frequent replacement...

CONTENTS The purpose of this chapter is to examine the major types of policies and measures that can be used to mitigate net concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. 1 Alternative policy instruments are described and assessed in terms of specific criteria, on the basis of the most recent literature. Naturally, emphasis is on the instruments mentioned in the Kyoto Protocol (t...

CONTEXT Long-term care (LTC) settings have become a significant site for end-of-life care; consequently, instruments that assess the quality of dying and care may be useful in these settings. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the content of available measurement instruments to assess the quality of dying and care when dying. METHODS Qualitative content analysis to categorize items as structure of care...

BACKGROUND Quality of life instruments provide information that traditional outcome measures used in studies of multiple sclerosis do not. It is unclear if longer, disease-specific instruments provide more useful information than shorter, more general instruments, or whether patients prefer one type to another. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of quality of life in a multiple scle...

The greatest burden of surgical disease exists in low- and middle-income countries, where the quality and safety of surgical treatment cause major challenges. Securing necessary and appropriate medical supplies and infrastructure remains a significant and under-recognised limitation to providing safe and high-quality surgical care in these settings. The majority of surgical instruments are sold...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Few standardized testing procedures exist for instruments intended for Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery. These testing procedures are critical for evaluating surgical skills and surgical instruments to ensure sufficient quality. This need is widely recognized by endoscopic surgeons as a major hurdle for the advancement of Natural Orifice Translumenal En...

For ease of use and to aid precision, left-handed instruments are invaluable to the left-handed surgeon. Although they exist, they are not available in many surgical centres. As a result, most operating theatre staff (including many left-handers) have little knowledge of their value or even application. With specific reference to cardiac surgery, this article addresses the ways in which they di...

The Northwest Society for Classical Studies (NWCS) was honored and privileged to have Professor Larry Bliquez speak on one of his favorite topics, the surgical instruments found in classical archeological sites and described in classical literature. Professor Bliquez is a distinguished and popular University of Washington professor, trained in classical (Latin and Greek) philology, winner of th...