Conventional conductive adhesives are composed of micro-sized filler metal and polymer matrix. Currently, the conductivity of conventional conductive adhesives is generated by small contact points formed among the particles during the curing process and by the tunneling effect. Therefore, conventional conductive adhesives generally exhibit higher electrical resistance than metal solder materials. In this study, a new class of conductive adhesive, composed of nano-particles and micro-particles in epoxy, was developed to improve electrical conductivity. This study used four conventional conductive adhesives (CCA1 to 4) and three hybrid conductive adhesives (HCA1 to 3). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation was used to investigate the configuration of nano-particles and micro-particles. The electrical resistance of HCA1 to 3 was investigated and compared to CCA1 to 4 using a four-point probe method. When 2 mass% of nano-particle content was added to the micro-particle (HCA1), the electrical resistance decreased compared to CCA3. At 4 mass% of nano-particle content (HCA2), the electrical resistance value was similar to CCA3. However, at 8 mass% of nano-particle content (HCA3), the electrical resistance continued to increase, and exceeded that of CCA3.
Sialorrhea is a major cause of recurrent aspiration pneumonia in severe chronic brain injury. Previous reports have shown that transdermal scopolamine can decrease saliva production. We present four patients with severe chronic brain injury who experienced repeat aspiration pneumonia with sialorrhea. Longitudinal computed tomography examinations to assess the therapeutic effect were performed in all four cases before and after transdermal scopolamine. Transdermal scopolamine was applied as a patch (0.1 g/2.5 cm2) behind the earlobe every 24 h after confirming the absence of glaucoma. Patches were formulated as an in-hospital preparation (scopolamine butylbromide 0.25 g and hydrophilic cream 4.75 g) under the approval of our institutional review board. Longitudinal computed tomography after transdermal scopolamine use showed a decrease in pleural effusions associated with continuous aspiration pneumonia in all four cases. The data from repeat computed tomography suggest that long-term transdermal scopolamine for reducing saliva production may be a reasonable option for appropriate palliative care in severe chronic brain injury patients.
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