Placebo control is a useful method for determining the efficacy of a therapy. In acupuncture researches, the preferred method for placebo control is acupuncture using a placebo needle that has a blunt tip and achieves no skin penetration. We performed a crossover study to validate the blinding effect of a new type of placebo needle. Sixty volunteers were randomized to receive acupuncture using ...

In this paper, the needle penetrometer test was utilized to explore the reliability of the Needle Penetration Index (NPI) for estimating the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of sedimentary rocks including gypsum, marl, siltstone and sandstone collected from the Qom Formation. Following the UCS and NP test, regression analyses were carried out to control the predictive performances of NPI. ...

AIM To determine if pre-injection diffusion of local anaesthetic solution influences the discomfort of needle penetration in the palate. METHODS A placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind split-mouth investigation was conducted. 25 healthy adult volunteers were recruited and each received two needle penetrations in a random order during one visit. The penetration sites were 1 cm from the ...

We present an optofluidic optical coherence tomography (OCT) needle probe capable of modifying the local optical properties of tissue to improve needle-probe imaging performance. The side-viewing probe comprises an all-fiber-optic design encased in a hypodermic needle (outer diameter 720 μm) and integrates a coaxial fluid-filled channel, terminated by an outlet adjacent to the imaging window, a...

Acupuncture needle manipulation gives rise to "needle grasp," a biomechanical phenomenon characterized by an increase in the force necessary to pull the needle out of the tissue (pullout force). This study investigates the hypothesis that winding of connective tissue, rather than muscle contraction, is the mechanism responsible for needle grasp. We performed 1) measurements of pullout force in ...

We present the tip and friction forces acting on a needle during penetration into a canine prostate, independently measured by a 7-axis load cell newly developed for this purpose. This experimental apparatus clarifies the mechanics of needle penetration, potentially improving the development of surgical simulations. The behavior of both tip and friction forces can be used to determine the mecha...

BACKGROUND Double-blind evaluation of acupuncture treatment has not previously been reported. We investigated the possible advantage of analgesic effects of needle penetration compared with skin pressure using non-penetrating needles in a double-blind study. METHODS We conducted a double-blind crossover study of penetrating and non-penetrating (placebo) acupuncture trials. We recruited 56 hea...

OBJECTIVE Pen needles used for subcutaneous injections have gradually become shorter, thinner and more thin walled, and thereby less robust to patient reuse. Thus, different needle sizes, alternative tip designs and needles resembling reuse were tested to explore how needle design influences ease of insertion, pain and skin trauma. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS 30 subjects with injection-treate...

Two technical difficulties exist in transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCL) in the ciliary sulcus: first, exact needle penetration of the sulcus and second, exact positioning of the PCL haptics in the sulcus. We used, for the first time, intraocular endoscopy to visualize the site of needle penetration and the final location of the haptics in patients. It turn...