To directly compare percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) with conventional surgical tracheostomy, a prospective study was performed in 83 patients requiring tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit or after surgery for a large tumor in the upper respirodigestive tract. Median follow-up was 355 days after PDT and 338 days after conventional tracheostomy. The overall morbidity rate was significantly lower with PDT than with conventional tracheostomy (6.4% vs 36.1%; P < 0.001). Compared with conventional tracheostomy, PDT was also associated with a significantly lower incidence of postoperative bleeding (2.1% vs 13.9%; P < 0.05) and postoperative wound infection (0% vs 22.2%; P < 0.001). There were no clinical signs of laryngotracheal stenosis in either group. In conclusion, PDT is a simple, fast, safe bedside procedure that is associated with significantly lower morbidity than standard surgical tracheostomy.
A concept that allows the cognitive automation of robotic assembly processes is introduced. An assembly cell comprised of two robots was designed to verify the concept. For the purpose of validation a customer-defined part group consisting of Hubelino bricks is assembled. One of the key aspects for this process is the verification of the assembly group. Hence a software component was designed that utilizes the Microsoft Kinect to perceive both depth and color data in the assembly area. This information is used to determine the current state of the assembly group and is compared to a CAD model for validation purposes. In order to efficiently resolve erroneous situations, the results are interactively accessible to a human expert. The implications for an industrial application are demonstrated by transferring the developed concepts to an assembly scenario for switch-cabinet systems.
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