ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the electrical properties of lumbar paraspinal muscles (LPM) of patients with acute lower back pain (LBP) and to study a new approach, namely Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM), for reliable, low-cost, non-invasive, and real-time assessment of muscle-strained acute LBP.DesignPatients with muscle-strained acute LBP (n = 30) are compared to a healthy reference group (n = 30). Electrical properties of LPM are studied.BackgroundEIM is a novel technique under development for the assessment of neuromuscular disease. Therefore, it is speculated that EIM can be employed for the assessment of muscle-strained acute LBP.MethodsSurface electrodes, in 2-electrode configurations, was used to measure the electrical properties of patient's and healthy subject's LPM at six different frequencies (0.02, 25.02, 50.02, 1000.02, 3000.02, and 5000.02 kHz), with the amplitude of the applied voltage limited to 200 mV. Parameters of impedance (Z), extracellular resistance (Re), intracellular resistance (Ri), and the ratio of extracellular resistance to intracellular resistance (Re/Ri) of LBP patient's and healthy subject's LPM were assessed to see if significant difference in values obtained in muscle-strained acute LBP patients existed.ResultsIntraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed that all measurements (ICC>0.96 for all studying parameters: Z, Re, Ri, and Re/Ri) had good reliability and validity. Significant differences were found on Z between LBP patient's and healthy subject's LPM at all studying frequencies, with p<0.05 for all frequencies. It was also found that Re (p<0.05) and Re/Ri (p<0.05) of LBP patient's LPM was significant smaller than that of healthy subjects while Ri (p<0.05) of LBP patient's LPM was significant greater than that of healthy subjects. No statistical significant difference was found between the left and right LPM of LBP patients and healthy subjects on the four studying parameters.ConclusionEIM is a promising technique for assessing muscle-strained acute LBP.

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The objective of this study was to develop a ferrocene mediated glucose biosensor for reverse iontophoresis. An amperometric ferrocene mediated glucose biosensor based on a three electrodes planar configuration was constructed using screen printing technique. Different combinations of glucose oxidase and ferrocene loading were drop coated onto the surface of the amperometric transducer. The amperometric transducer was characterized electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry and its electrochemical characteristics (DeltaE(p) = 70 mV, I(pa)/I(pc) = 0.89) were found close to an ideal amperometric transducer. The biosensor on the detection of glucose at 200 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) showed a linear response range (0-4 mM). The response time of the biosensor was about 10 s. Finally, the biosensor was used together with reverse iontophoresis technique. By the use of an actual model for evaluation, an excellent linear relationship (r(2) = 0.99) was found between the glucose concentration of the actual model and the biosensor current response. In conclusion, a ferrocene mediated glucose biosensor incorporated with reverse iontophoresis function was developed.

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