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3-In-1 Medical Lancet, Jonathan J. Panella, Gage Vogtlin, Marissa Koski, Benjamin Neyland

Mechanical Engineering

First responders need a quick, sterile, and convenient way to sample blood for glucose testing because glucose levels are a vital metric in assessing time-critical emergency situations. The blood sampling process consists of pre-sterilizing the sample site on the skin with an alcohol pad, pricking the skin with a lancet, and lastly, after sampling, putting a bandage over the prick site. The scope of this project is to design a device which integrates and streamlines the use of the three sub-processes (sterilization, lancing, and bandaging) while upholding the necessary requirements of a single-use medical device and considering other factors which …

Assessing The Effects Of Oxaliplatin On An In Vitro Three-Dimensional Human Colorectal Cancer Model, Sabrina Nelson

Master's Theses

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States with a 5-year late-stage survival rate of only 14%. Due to the lack of translation between animal models and clinical trials as well as the inefficacy of many chemotherapeutics in initial clinical trials, researchers are turning to in vitro drug screening models in an effort to mimic the conditions in vivo. This research project aimed to validate an in vitro tumor culture model within a microfluidic device using a clinically relevant chemotherapy drug. The first experiment consisted of a cell density and drug concentration study to determine …

Classifying Electrocardiogram With Machine Learning Techniques, Hillal Jarrar

Master's Theses

Classifying the electrocardiogram is of clinical importance because classification can be used to diagnose patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Many industries utilize machine learning techniques that consist of feature extraction methods followed by Naive- Bayesian classification in order to detect faults within machinery. Machine learning techniques that analyze vibrational machine data in a mechanical application may be used to analyze electrical data in a physiological application. Three of the most common feature extraction methods used to prepare machine vibration data for Naive-Bayesian classification are the Fourier transform, the Hilbert transform, and the Wavelet Packet transform. Each machine learning technique consists of …

Characterizing Direction Specific Ganglion Cell Receptor Activation Using A Perturbation Based Decomposition Method, Camila Paola Monchini Moline

Master's Theses

Characterizing postsynaptic current signals in the retina by neuroreceptor activation frequency is important for studying the mechanism of action behind phototransduction of varied visual stimuli. A better understanding could in turn lead to the creation of methods for early detection and prevention of debilitating optical neuropathies, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa. More recent in-vitro and in-vivo studies have aimed to differentiate the effects of various neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, GABA, and glutamate, on receiving and processing different types of visual stimuli from the retina into the visual cortex.

The focus of this work will be to …

Subclinical Atherosclerosis Quantified Through Cumulative Shear Measurement, Margaret Lynne Papka

Master's Theses

With the high mortality rate of cardiovascular disease, it is important to study the early signs. The early detection of cardiovascular disease can lead to saved lives. Currently the most prevalent detection methods are the Framingham Risk Score and the carotid intima media thickness, both of which are insufficient. The necessary tool for early detection requires a uniform quantification system. The stimulus leading to endothelial dysfunction, the most significant predictor of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE)—and subsequently subclinical atherosclerosis—is reduced shear stress. Increased surface relative roughness affects the flow profile transition from laminar to turbulent resulting in reduced shear …

Noninvasive Measurement Of Arterial Compliance With A Blood Pressure Cuff Using A Surrogate Arm Bench Top Model For Oscillometric Use, Shane Wilsey

Master's Theses

A surrogate arm model was created that is capable of being used for oscillometry. This model is capable of being used as a bench top model for blood pressure cuff devices. The arm consists of endplates and internal supports that are 3D printed with ABS, a silicone rubber outer sleeve, and interchangeable arteries made from two silicone rubber strips glued together at the edges. The interchangeable arteries have varying compliances that can be used as different inputs for oscillometric testing. A process was established to measure the artery compliances with a curve fit correlation of 0.95. However, testing revealed that …

Modeling Action Potential Propagation During Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Through A Three-Dimensional Computational Model, Julia Elizabeth Kelley

Master's Theses

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common monogenic disorder and the leading cause of sudden arrhythmic death in children and young adults. It is typically asymptomatic and first manifests itself during cardiac arrest, making it a challenge to diagnose in advance. Computational models can explore and reveal underlying molecular mechanisms in cardiac electrophysiology by allowing researchers to alter various parameters such as tissue size or ionic current amplitudes. The goal of this thesis is to develop a computational model in MATLAB and to determine if this model can accurately indicate cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This goal is achieved by combining …

Automatic Tourniquet For Military Emergencies, Arshia Nazerani Houshmand, Marina Felt, Blake Juett

Biomedical Engineering

This document contains the progress and development of an automated tourniquet that would be intended for use within the United States military. The project was student-led and sponsored. Coordination and confirmation of our device was provided by Dr. John F. Kragh, who is part of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research. The document will outline the research conducted on tourniquets, specification development of the tourniquet, morphology process, and final design production of the automatic tourniquet.

Handheld Transvaginal Probe For Pap Smear Exams, Kim Knollenberg, Taeah Truong

Biomedical Engineering

This project aims to discard the use of the speculum in pap smear exams. A pap smear is a procedure that tests for cervical cancer in individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) by screening cells collected from the cervix. Speculums are utilized in these examinations, as well as other gynecologic examinations and procedures. Due to the stigma and racist and misogynistic history of the speculum, we moved to design a device that removes the need for specula in pap smear exams. This device will aim to decrease the cervical cancer mortality rate and reduce the stigma around pap smear exams.

Calibrated Tensioner For Total Knee Arthroplasty Gap Balancer, Lauren Henigman, Jaypreet Dhanota, Corey Catuara

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to design a device that interfaces with the previously created gap balancer to simultaneously measure the gap between the femur and tibia and measure the tension in the ligaments of the knee. First, we met with Dr. Delagrammaticas to outline the key customer requirements: we wanted the device to be precise, sterilizable, reliable, and compatible with the gap balancer. Based on the customer requirements, we outlined the specifications that would drive our design and testing, which included precision, ease of use, size, and material properties. The design process began by using a morphology to …

Hand Strength And Dexterity Enhancer, Julia Ann Denison, Autumn B. Rexford, Melissa A. Kurani, Christina K. Fong

Biomedical Engineering

Good Grips created the hand strength and dexterity enhancer project to meet the challenge presented by Bill Phelps. He has Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), an inflammatory muscle disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Bill has limited strength in both hands and lost the ability to bend his fingers, making it difficult to grip anything. He needed a device that would help with everyday tasks such as writing, lifting, and holding various objects.

Our team consists of four engineering students attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. We researched, designed, manufactured, and tested a device that would fulfill the problem …

Portable Ventilator, Bradley C. Weeks, Jack W. Brewer, Sanders Sanabria

Electrical Engineering

The current COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the healthcare system in the United States and elsewhere. The need for patients to have access to a hospital with a ventilator along with a shortage of ventilators for recovery and at-home care as a result of minimal hospital vacancy for patients has been greatly stressed. The presented problem is both an unmet demand and supply of portable and effective ventilators. Existing ventilators have many shortcomings that should be addressed: size, weight, cost, and complexity of current ventilators confines users to stay in a medical facility whilst being monitored by professionals. This both …

Evaluation Of Blood Vessel Mimic Scaffold Biocompatibility, Nicole M. Abraham

Master's Theses

The Tissue Engineering Research Lab at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo focuses on creating tissue-engineered blood vessel mimics (BVMs) for use in preclinical testing of vascular devices. These BVMs are composed of electrospun scaffolds made of an assortment of polymers that are seeded with different cell types. This integration of polymers with cells leads to the need for biocompatibility testing of the polymer scaffolds. Many of the lab’s newest scaffolds have not been fully characterized for biologic interactions. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis developed methods for in vitro cytotoxicity testing of polymers used in the fabrication …

The Impact Of Myoblast Transplantation On Collateral Capillary Arteriogenesis And Macrophage Phenotype, Christine Hue Do

Biomedical Engineering

Gangrene, pain, loss of limb function, amputation, and death are only few of the grievous consequences associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a vascular disease caused by an obstruction that narrows the blood vessels. Since some patients have collateral vessels that can re-route blood to its downstream destination, much focus has been spotlighted upon discovering the mechanism of this process, termed arteriogenesis, as well as cell therapies to increase arterial diameter of collateral vessels. Since some patients do not have native pre-existing collateral vessels, another method to re-route blood is through arterialized collateral capillaries (ACC), which is the conversion of …

Stair Wagon To Heaven, Maria Cristina Solis Andrade, Nick Ryan Dion, Alexander Pham

Biomedical Engineering

Our design process began with developing a list of questions for our sponsor based on the problem statement we were provided. We took these questions to interview our sponsor. From this interview, we derived a series of customer requirements, which were then used to develop our more specific engineering specifications (Table 8.1). We used these engineering specifications to develop a design morphology. Each of our group mates used the concepts from our design morphology to develop their own full concept sketches. We used Pugh charts to compare the different aspects of each design. The designs were compared based off their …

Microfluidic Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy System Automation And Characterization, Keaton Frahmann

Master's Theses

In this work, a novel microfluidic cell culture platform capable of automated electrical impedance measurements and immunofluorescence and brightfield microscopy was developed for further in-vitro cellular research intended to optimize cell culture conditions. The microfluidic system design, fabrication, automation, and design verification testing are described. Electrical and optical measurements of the 16 parallel cell culture chambers were automated via a custom LabView interface. A proposed design change will enable gas diffusion, removing the need for an environmental enclosure and allow long-term cell culture experiments. This "lab on a chip" system miniaturizes and automates experiments improving testing throughput and accuracy while …

Computational Bone Mechanics Modeling With Frequency Dependent Rheological Properties And Crosslinking, Timothy G. Moreno

Master's Theses

Bone is a largely bipartite viscoelastic composite. Its mechanical behavior is determined by strain rate and the relative proportions of its principal constituent elements, hydroxyapatite and collagen, but is also largely dictated by their geometry and topology. Collagen fibrils include many segments of tropocollagen in staggered, parallel sequences. The physical staggering of this tropocollagen allows for gaps known as hole-zones, which serve as nucleation points for apatite mineral. The distance between adjacent repeat units of tropocollagen is known as D-Spacing and can be measured by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). This D-Spacing can vary in length slightly within a bundle, but …

Hypoxic Incubation Chamber, Makenzie Jones, Andrea Skattenborg, Henry Elsner

Biomedical Engineering

In developing a model to test anti-tumor drugs, Dr. Christopher Heylman’s lab requires the ability to culture cells in a hypoxic environment. The purpose of this project was to make this possible. Funding for this project comes from the Biomedical Engineering Department, the Hannah-Forbes Fund, and Dr. Heylman’s lab. The chamber must be able to reach a user-defined oxygen concentration and hold that concentration for 48 hours while creating an environment conducive to cell culture. Importantly, the chamber must also be sterilizable and cleanable for repeated use. While several products exist to create hypoxic environments for cell culture, they are …

Electro-Muscle-To-Muscle Transfer, Hailey Quinn Casino, Jake Keola Javier, Samuel Joseph Borda, Charlotte Amalie Anderson

Biomedical Engineering

The Electro Muscle to Muscle Transfer (EMMT) system will entail designing, manufacturing, and providing a wearable device that stimulates paralyzed muscles in the hand by sampling and amplifying muscles from the forearm. With further development, the system may be capable of using different muscle inputs other than the forearm muscles along with different stimulated muscle outputs other than the hand. The system functions as a rehabilitative device for spinal cord injuries, irreparable nerve loss and/or damage, and improper neuromuscular function. It is not for total treatment nor for curing of the disabilities listed above but to alleviate the side effects …

The Tierni Resistance Training System, Michael J. Hansen, Abigail M. Youngblood, Gabriel M. Johnson

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of the Tierni Resistance Training System project was to design and construct functional workout apparel that has built-in resistance. For this product, the key customer requirements we set out to address were most importantly material comfort and functionality, followed by stylishness, lack of latex, safety for injured and uninjured users, and washer safety. To meet these customer requirements, we started by researching current resistance training technology, and used the findings as a springboard for our own design development. After initial brainstorming, engineering specifications were generated based on the customer requirements. These specifications revolved around the thermal insulation, pressure, …

Development Of A Robust Methodology To Obtain And Assess Myogenic Precursor Cells For Their Use In Regenerative Therapies, Ricardo Lasa

Master's Theses

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is characterized by buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in peripheral arteries that leads to an occlusion that can interrupt the supply of blood to the peripheral tissue, causing downstream tissue ischemia/hypoxia. PAOD is estimated to affect over 200 million patients worldwide. Current surgical revascularization treatments can be effective in about half of the patient population, leading to a significant number of patients with no treatment options beyond pharmacological intervention and lifestyle modification. The decrease in blood flow downstream of the occlusion leads to increased blood pressure gradient in the microvasculature, specifically in vessels that connect arterial …

Studying The Efficacy Of An Injectable 3-Dimensional Fibrin Extracellular Matrix To Characterize The Effects Of Antitumor Agents On Sw620 Cells In A Microfluidic Device, Thèo Anastos

Master's Theses

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and there is currently a lot of research going into new antitumor agents to kill the cancer. One method for replicating the tumor response to a drug in vivo is by creating an in vitro drug testing model to replicate the in vivo condition. This research project was conducted to determine the efficacy of testing tumor cultures in a microfluidic device as a way to provide accurate drug responses in vitro instead of using in vivo subjects in clinical trials. A total of four experiments were conducted with …

Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Of Scenedesmus Obliquus For Increased Carbohydrate Content And Biomass Productivity, Nahel Ali

Master's Theses

The economics of microalgal bioproduct commercialization would benefit from increased accumulation of energy storage compounds, such as carbohydrates and lipids, and increased biomass productivity. This thesis explores two adaptive laboratory evolution strategies for improving Scenedesmus obliquus: single UV-mutagenesis and low light cultivation at a high dilution rate to produce cultigens with greater carbohydrate content and iterative UV-mutagenesis and selection under outdoor conditions in a raceway pond at a high dilution rate to increase biomass productivity.

Two cultigens were generated with the goal of increased carbohydrate content: K5 and K7. Both were mutagenized for 5 seconds and cultivated in 50-mL …

The Effect Of Focused Ultrasound On Altering The Diameter Class Of Nerve Fibers Contributing To A Compound Evoked Potential, Analyzed Using A Perturbative Decomposition Technique., Megan Wurden

Master's Theses

Peripheral neuropathies are disorders that involve the damage of peripheral nerve fibers, affecting the ability of different parts of the body to communicate. A differentiating factor in diagnosis between various clinical conditions can be which size class of nerve fibers are affected. A nerve conduction velocity test can be used to assess the viability of the nerve but is a single-parameter test and gives no information about the population characteristics of the remaining active fibers. A method developed and previously reported by Szlavik (2016) utilizes a mathematical perturbed decomposition to determine the normalized frequency of each size class of fiber …