In this paper, we present recent work on bioinspired polarization imaging sensors and their applications in biomedicine. In particular, we focus on three different aspects of these sensors. First, we describe the electro–optical challenges in realizing a bioinspired polarization imager, and in particular, we provide a detailed description of a recent low-power complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) polarization imager. Second, we focus on signal processing algorithms tailored for this new class of bioinspired polarization imaging sensors, such as calibration and interpolation. Third, the emergence of these sensors has enabled rapid progress in characterizing polarization signals and environmental parameters in nature, as well as several biomedical areas, such as label-free optical neural recording, dynamic tissue strength analysis, and early diagnosis of flat cancerous lesions in a murine colorectal tumor model. We highlight results obtained from these three areas and discuss future applications for these sensors.

A technique for creating maps of the direction and strength of fiber alignment in collagenous soft tissues is presented. The method uses a division of focal plane polarimeter to measure circularly polarized light transmitted through the tissue. The architecture of the sensor allows measurement of the retardance and fiber alignment at the full frame rate of the sensor without any moving optics. The technique compares favorably to the standard method of using a rotating polarizer. How the new technique enables real-time capture of the full angular spread of fiber alignment and retardance under various cyclic loading conditions is illustrated.

Postoperative patients might consume less than half of the opioid pills they are prescribed. More research is needed to standardize opioid prescriptions for postoperative pain management while reducing opioid diversion.

Elastic fibers are present in low quantities in tendon, where they are located both within fascicles near tenocytes and more broadly in the interfascicular matrix (IFM). While elastic fibers have long been known to be significant in the mechanics of elastin-rich tissue (i.e., vasculature, skin, lungs), recent studies have suggested a mechanical role for elastic fibers in tendons that is dependent on specific tendon function. However, the exact contribution of elastin to properties of different types of tendons (e.g., positional, energy-storing) remains unknown. Therefore, this study purposed to evaluate the role of elastin in the mechanical properties and collagen alignment of functionally distinct supraspinatus tendons (SSTs) and Achilles tendons (ATs) from elastin haploinsufficient (HET) and wild type (WT) mice. Despite the significant decrease in elastin in HET tendons, a slight increase in linear stiffness of both tendons was the only significant mechanical effect of elastin haploinsufficiency. Additionally, there were significant changes in collagen nanostructure and subtle alteration to collagen alignment in the AT but not the SST. Hence, elastin may play only a minor role in tendon mechanical properties. Alternatively, larger changes to tendon mechanics may have been mitigated by developmental compensation of HET tendons and/or the role of elastic fibers may be less prominent in smaller mouse tendons compared to the larger bovine and human tendons evaluated in previous studies. Further research will be necessary to fully elucidate the influence of various elastic fiber components on structure-function relationships in functionally distinct tendons.

Objective: This study evaluates the relationship between hospital and surgeon volumes of peritrochanteric hip fracture fixation and complication rates.Methods: Adults (60 years of age or older) who underwent surgical fixation for closed peritrochanteric fractures from 2009 to 2015 were identified using International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 Clinical Modification and Procedural codes in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Readmission, reoperations, in-hospital mortality, and other adverse events were compared across surgeon and facility volumes. Statistical significance was set at P , 0.05.Results: A total of 29,656 patients were included in the study. Lowvolume (LV) facilities had higher rates of readmission [hazard ratio (HR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.17], pneumonia (HR 1.36, 95% CI, 1.22-1.51), wound complications (HR 1.24, 95% CI, 1.03-1.49), and mortality (HR 1.15, 95% CI, 1.04-1.27) but lower rates of acute renal failure (HR 0.90, 95% CI, 0.83-0.98), deep vein thrombosis (HR 0.66, 95% CI, 0.55-0.78), and acute respiratory failure (HR 0.77, 95% CI, 0.62-0.95) than high-volume (HV) facilities. Patients treated by LV surgeons had lower rates of readmission (HR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.87-0.97) and deep vein thrombosis (HR 0.78, 95% CI, 0.66-0.94) but higher rates of acute renal failure (HR 1.13, 95% CI, 1.04-1.22) than those treated by HV surgeons.Conclusions: There are increased rates of mortality, readmission, and certain complications when peritrochanteric femur fractures are surgically managed at LV hospitals compared with those managed at HV hospitals. Thus, the benefit of a high-volume surgical facility is apparent in mortality and readmissions but not all complications. There was no significant decrease in complications if fixation was performed by HV surgeons relative to LV surgeons.