[An intelligent glass cupping device with closed-loop control]

As the living standard improves and population aging continues, the traditional cupping manipulations fail to meet the ever-growing demand for high-quality medical and health services. Aiming to address such shortcomings of traditional cupping manipulations as difficulty in achieving real-time temperature control, unsatisfactory negative pressure effect and inconve-nience to observe the internal situation, we have developed a glass cupping device with closed-loop control that could automatically integrate the acupoint-symptom analysis models. This device, composed of two cups, boasts high safety, good sealing and sound economic efficiency. The PT100 thermocouple probe and the pressure sensor equipped with P89C668 single chip microcomputer enable the multimodal integration of temperature and pressure, whose main parameters can be automatically displayed on the LED screen by the built-in data processing device. This glass cupping device with closed-loop control is an updated design for acupuncture and moxibustion based on multidisciplinary resources.

A Comparative Evaluation of Temperature Changes in the Pulpal Chamber during Direct Fabrication of Provisional Restorations: An In Vitro Study

To compare the temperature changes in the pulpal chamber during fabrication of provisional restorations by direct method. A total of 108 three-unit FPD provisional restorations were fabricated on a study model and divided into three main groups according to the material used for the fabrication of matrix. Group A-Alginate impression index group, Group B-Polyvinylsiloxane putty impression index group, Group C-Vacuum formed template group. Each group comprising of 36 specimens, was subdivided into three subgroups based on the provisional restorative material used: polymethylmethacrylate (subgroup 1), polyethylmethacrylate (subgroup 2), bis-acryl composite resin (subgroup 3). Intrapulpal temperature changes were observed with the help of a thermocouple probe (connected to a digital microprocessor thermometer) inserted into the pulp chamber of an extracted mandibular second molar mounted on a study model, during the fabrication of provisional restorations by direct method. The subgroups mean temperature rise observed in Group A-A1, A2, A3 was 2.6250 ± 0.2491, 1.0500 ± 0.1382, 0.4083 ± 0.1165, respectively. The subgroups mean temperature rise observed in Group B-B1, B2, B3 was 4.6250 ± 0.2454, 3.3750 ± 0.3415, 2.5917 ± 0.2678, respectively. The subgroups mean temperature rise observed in Group C-C1, C2, C3 was 4.7694 ± 1.8361, 3.0611 ± 1.5767, 2.3806 ± 1.5713, respectively. The observations were statistically significant. The intrapulpal temperature rise during fabrication of a provisional restoration depended both on the type of provisional restorative material and the type of matrix used. The clinician should choose carefully the resin and the matrix material while fabricating provisional restorations with direct method.