Now, running water is a huge game changer when it comes to working on a composite preparation. Unfortunately, I very rarely have access to the Sim-clin, so I am left with only the pre-clin. Therefore, I decided to experiment to see if I can somehow get running water in the pre-clin.

So the first idea was to somehow get water into the handpiece itself.

However, this is not easy since the bottom attachment doesn’t have any room for me to inject water.

Instead, I was inspired to use a water pump to squirt water into the manikin/typodont’s mouth.

I was able to get one from Petco (which is normally used for fish tanks) and then I hooked it up to a tube (using materials from Home Depot). I then put it all into a bucket of water.

When I turned the pump on, I got running water!

However, I needed the water to be “squired” out like a super-soaker, not a faucet. So I used a clamp to decrease the diameter of the tube at the output end.

I then simply pointed the tube at the tooth that I am working on. Yes, this does mean that the water is always running, even if the handpiece is not running. Also, this means I may have to use my other hand to redirect the water which can be very annoying; especially if I am doing indirect vision for a tooth preparation.

Thankfully, the typodont already has a drainage hole, so I simply connected another tube to it…

and then had it drain to another bucket.

For the most part, this “works”. Here are some of the benefits of doing this:

• As I am drilling, all the debris does get washed out
• The visual effect that water has on the tooth is very similar to what is happening in the sim-clin; meaning I will get the same kind of refraction and translucency that throw me off when I work with water

There are lots of obvious issues right now (and I am open to suggestions to fix them):

• Since the water tube is completely separate from the hand piece, I would have to use another hand in order to direct it. As mentioned eairler, I can’t do this well if I am working on maxillary teeth. I tried to mount the tube on top of the hand piece, but that actually blocked my view of the tooth so much that it was completely useless.
• There is no way to stop it without either using clamps or simply unplugging the machine. It would be nice to make a button of some kind that would allow me to stop the water when I don’t need it.

I’ll post any updates if I solve any issues.

• Link to my presentation
• Link to the source code
• Link to a presentation done by my former co-worker Justin Noel

Also, here is a Youtube video of my quick demo:

import QtQuick 1.0

Item {
    property alias hormoneModel: hModel
    ListModel {
        id: hModel

        ListElement {
            name: "Follicle-stimulating (FSH)"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Females: stimulates maturation of Graafian follicles in ovary. Males: spermatogenesis"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Luteinizing (LH)"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "In female: ovulation. In male: stimulates Leydig cell production of testosterone"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Adrenocorticotropic (ACTH)"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Synthesis of corticosteroids (glucocorticoids and androgens) in adrenocortical cells"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Thyroid-stimulating (TSH)"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Stimulates the thyroid to secrete thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Prolactin"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Milk production in mammary glands; sexual gratification after sexual acts"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Endorphins"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Inhibit the perception of pain in the brain"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Growth hormone"
            source: "Anterior pituitary"
            action: "Stimulates growth and cell reproduction"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Oxytocin"
            source: "Hypothalamus; stored in posterior pituitary"
            action: "Stimulates uterine conteractions during labor; release breast milk"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Vasopressin (ADH)"
            source: "Hypothalamus; stored in posterior pituitary"
            action: "Retention of water in kidneys"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Thyroid hormones (T4, T3)"
            source: "Thyroid"
            action: "Increase the basal metabolic rate; sensitivity to catecholamines, affect protein synthesis"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Calcitonin"
            source: "Thyroid"
            action: "Construct bone; reduce blood Ca2+"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Parathyroid hormone"
            source: "Parathyroid"
            action: "increase blood Ca2+; indirectly stimulate osteoclasts"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Glucocorticoid"
            source: "Adrenal cortex"
            action: "Stimulation of gluconeogenesis; Inhibition of glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue; Stimulation of fat breakdown in adipose tissue"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Mineralocorticoids"
            source: "Adrenal cortex"
            action: "Acts on the kidneys to provide active reabsorption of sodium and an associated passive reabsorption of water"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Epinephrine"
            source: "Adrenal medulla"
            action: "Fight-or-flight response; Boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Norepinephrine"
            source: "Adrenal medulla"
            action: "Fight-or-flight response; Boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Glucagon"
            source: "Pancreas"
            action: "Increases blood glucose level"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Insulin"
            source: "Pancreas"
            action: "Intake of glucose, glycogenesis and glycolysis in liver and muscle from blood"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Somatostatin"
            source: "Pancreas"
            action: "Inhibit release of GH, insulin and glucagon; Lowers rate of gastric emptying"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Testosterone"
            source: "Testes"
            action: "Growth of muscle mass and strength, increased bone density, growth and strength"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Estrogen"
            source: "Ovary"
            action: "promote formation of female secondary sex characteristics; accelerate metabolism; reduce muscle mass; increase fat stores"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Progesterone"
            source: "Ovary"
            action: "Support pregnancy; Raise epidermal growth"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Melatonin"
            source: "Pineal"
            action: "Antioxidant and causes drowsiness"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Atrial-natriuretic peptide"
            source: "Heart muscle cells"
            action: "Reduction in blood volume and therefore a reduction in cardiac output and systemic blood pressure"
        }

        ListElement {
            name: "Thymosins"
            source: "Thymus"
            action: "Enhance cell-mediated immunity and lymphocte development"
        }
    }
}

As for how the quiz will look like, it will probably be something like:

Yeah, it will be a listview of listviews

The desktop file was fairly simple: it pretty much looks like this:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=AAMobile Quiz
Comment=A Quiz for Learning the different amino acids
Icon=chronometer
 
X-Plasma-API=declarativeappletscript
X-Plasma-MainScript=ui/main.qml
X-Plasma-DefaultSize=360,360
 
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Author=Tej Ashok Shah
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Email=myFullName@gmail.com
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Website=http://tshah.wordpress.com
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Category=Education
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name=org.kde.aamobilequiz
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Version=0.1
 
X-KDE-PluginInfo-Depends=
X-KDE-PluginInfo-License=GPL
X-KDE-PluginInfo-EnabledByDefault=true
X-KDE-ServiceTypes=Plasma/Applet
Type=Service

import QtQuick 1.0

Rectangle {
    width: 360
    height: 360

    XmlListModel {
        id: kvtmlModel
        source: "/home/kata/Amino-Acid-Tutorial-Project/aa.kvtml"
        query: "/kvtml/entries/entry"

        XmlRole {
            name: "aaName"
            query: "translation/text/string()"
        }
        XmlRole {
            name: "aaImage"
            query: "translation/image/string()"
        }
    }

    ListView {
        anchors.fill: parent
        model: kvtmlModel
        delegate: rowComp
        spacing: 20
    }

    Component {
        id: rowComp
        Row {
            Text {
                text: aaName
            }
            Image {
                id: theImg
                source: "/home/kata/Amino-Acid-Tutorial-Project/" + aaImage
            }
        }
    }

}

You can find the images and the kvtml files over here. I think with this proof of concept, I can work on the mobile version that will read the kvtml files and I can quiz myself on a mobile phone.

Screen shot of KWordQuiz using the amino acid kvtml file

A lot more work needs to be done (like being able to use more than just flash cards to quiz myself); but if I put enough effort into it, I can make something useful for everybody.