Engineering Commons^™

Modernization Of House #3: Improving Greenhouse Cut Flower Production And Students' Experience By Modernizing House #3, Kristina Anton

Biomedical Engineering

This paper documents the modernization of the black cloth, lighting, shade, and support systems in one of Cal Poly's on-campus, student operated cut flower production greenhouses. Problems with the old system are examined along with design requirements for a new system. Alternate designs are considered along with the installation process of the chosen design.

Testing And Validation Of An Autostainer, Nicholas Hanne

Biomedical Engineering

Histology performed by Cal Poly students for research projects and labs are currently performed by hand using a dipping technique. This technique is time consuming, expensive, imprecise, and often unrepeatable. Central Coast Pathology donated a Dako Autostainer to the Biomedical Engineering Department that can perform immunohistological stains of up to 48 samples simultaneously using tightly controlled reagent volumes and incubation times. Protocols are programmed into the machine and can be repeated under the same conditions every time with minimal preparation and exposure to potentially dangerous reagents. The autostainer was repaired and validated by comparing PECAM & BBI stains performed on …

Esem Analysis Of Mice Femurs With Varying Sost Levels, Patrick K. Mcclay

Biomedical Engineering

This project’s goal was to analyze the properties of the cortical femur on 100 mice bones from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Analysis was limited to imaging which determined the ratio of bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) and osteocyte lacunae density. Mice were altered to knock out their SOST gene: a negative regulator of bone formation. Twelve groups were created to differentiate their treatment, duration, and phenotype. Transgenic (TG) mice had an overexpression of the SOST gene: they carried a bacterial artificial chromosome. Mice with limb defects (DEF) were the offspring of two TG mice and carried twice the amount …

Rfid For Inventory Of Medical Records, Johny Wu

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility and economic viability of the implementation of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system in a large-scale, medical office setting. Practitioners in fields such as; medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers do not have a sufficient method for tracking filing forms. RFID has the potential to reduce wait time, improve checking-in time, and decrease the possibility of interchanging documents between patients.

The purpose of this RFID system is to improve upon the filing system already in place in any office setting. The major consideration behind this …

Hydraulically Driven Mechanical Representation Of A Biological System, Andrea Argouarch, Michael Mceachern, Brandon Parham

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development And Characterization Of Plga And Eptfe Blood Vessel Mimics Using Gene Expression Analysis, Michael Gibbons, Sarah Ur

Biomedical Engineering

Tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBV’s) have the potential to act not only as a replacement for diseased vessels, but also as a testing platform for intravascular devices such as stents. To this end, the goal of this study was to develop protocols for the construction of TEBV’s composed of human vascular cells and either expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), as well as a protocol for gene expression in those TEBV’s. Initial experiments involved only human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC’s), but after low cell confluency and spreading in single-sodded vessels a second cell type, human umbilical vein smooth …

Development Of A Protocol To Measure Gene Expression In The Mouse Tibia, Daniel Hoover

Biomedical Engineering

Numerous molecular factors active in bone tissue direct fracture repair and remodeling which can be altered by disease conditions such as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Osteoporosis. Methods of molecular biology are commonly applied to investigate the expression and role of these molecular factors. This project presents a robust three-step protocol for examining gene expression in the mouse tibia. The protocol begins with isolating RNA from a flash frozen tibia sample. The isolated RNA is reverse transcribed into cDNA. Finally, PCR is performed to indentify expressed genes. Establishing this protocol will allow further research into the mechanisms of bone remodeling …

Development Of A Blood Flow Measurement Protocol Using Particle Image Velocimetry, Jennifer Chi-Ying Go

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) is an acquired inflammatory disease where a peripheral artery becomes occluded due to the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques. In patients that possess collateral arteries, an occlusion can lead to shear induced outward remodeling, arteriogenesis, of these collaterals, partially restoring blood flow. However, newly remodeled collaterals exhibit reduced functional vasodilation, which may impair normal activity, such as ambulation. To model chronic ischemia and arteriogenesis in collaterals, a femoral artery ligation in a murine hindlimb is commonly performed. Previous efforts by our group involved measurements of collateral artery diameter to assess the impact of arteriogenesis on functional …

Evaluation Of Decellularization Procedures For Porcine Arteries, Charles Clapp

Biomedical Engineering

Coronary artery disease has become the leading cause of death in the United States, with over 425,000 deaths in 2006. Stenting has evolved into the preferred preventative technique for myocardial infarction by opening up an occluded artery, due to its low invasiveness compared to the alternative of coronary artery bypass grafting. Bare metal stents have been improved by coating with anti-proliferative drugs to advance their effects, but even drug eluting stents still have a risk of restenosis, thrombus formation, and necessary revascularization. Continual advancement in stent design necessitates faster, effective pre-clinical evaluation techniques. Kristen Cardinal, Ph.D., developed the blood vessel …

Ql+ Body Temperature Regulating Vest, Melissa Goss, Brittnee Cubero, Dillon Lynch, Greg Olsen, Julian Jazayeri

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to design a thermal vest to be worn by individuals with spinal injuries to help regulate their core body temperature. Individuals with spinal injuries have impaired thermoregulation abilities which increase their susceptibility to succumbing to either heat stroke or hypothermia. This project focused on preventing heat stroke by inducing a cooling mechanism. To provide this cooling mechanism, a thermoelectric cooler was used to chill water in a reservoir. This water is then pumped through tubing sewn into the vest. The chilled water will absorb heat from the human body and return to the reservoir. …

A Novel In-House Design Of A Bioreactor For The Modeling Of An In Vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model, Ian Mahaffey

Biomedical Engineering

The blood brain barrier is the protector of the central nervous system and a physical barrier that functions to regulate the substances that can pass in and out of the brain; it is the function and integrity of this system that keeps the homeostasis of the central nervous system. Yet this shield against foreign invaders in the blood also prevents drugs designed for treatment of various ailments of the central nervous system from reaching their target in the brain. Developing drugs that can pass through this barrier, and understanding it’s function has become an area of increasing interest. Many researchers …

Effect Of Size Reduction Parameters In Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process, Brian Breneman

Biomedical Engineering

Within pharmaceutical manufacturing, size reduction is one of the most extensively used and vital unit operations. Size reduction in tablet production is achieved primarily through milling procedures, which allows for attaining product uniformity, optimizing product solubility, and improving bioavailability. Additionally, powders with a narrow range of size distribution can obviate problems in downstream processing as pertains to blending, compression, and coating as well as improve drug performance¹. The purpose this study was to characterize the effect of various size reduction parameters as a result of the pharmaceutical milling process on a lactose wet granulation formulation and chemically active …

Impaired Resistance Artery Reactivity Following Arteriogenesis, Michael (Mike) Machado

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Improved Manufacturing Methods Of Bovine Femur Samples For Ultrasonic Testing And Assessment Of Materials Through Contract Angle Measurement, Kevin Mathew Lopez Galang

Biomedical Engineering

At California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), the Biomedical Engineering department (BMED) requires its students to take the course listed as “BMED 420: Principles of Biomaterial Designs.” BMED 420 has a required laboratory section every week throughout the duration of the course that is meant to be a supplemental tool for learning. During the lab sections, students perform experiments and exercises that are currently being implemented in the industry. Despite accuracy of the methods and experiments relative to their use in the industry, there is always room for improvement. The objective of this project will illustrate …

Nitrogen Mass Balance In A High Rate Algal Pond, Kevin Jones

Biomedical Engineering

The objective of the study described herein was to perform a mass balance on nitrogen in four small high rate algal ponds (HRAPs) in order to determine the fate of the nitrogen. The total percentage of nitrogen lost via ammonia volatilization was calculated via the mass balance.

An Inexpensive Method For Creating Paste To Be Used In Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices, Kirra Marie Sankey

Biomedical Engineering

Microfluidic devices are diagnostic tools that are small, portable, and inexpensive. This makes them ideally suited for resource-limited settings. To construct a 3D device, each layer of patterned paper is stacked using double-sided tape with holes corresponding to the pattern. It is necessary to have a paste to fill the holes in the tape and provide a medium for the fluid to wick through. The powder used to make the paste is very expensive and must be bought in bulk (an estimated $1121 - $1231), so it is not convenient for the Biomedical (BMED) department to use. This project was …

Development Of An In-Vitro Hyperglycemic Tissue Engineered Blood Vessel Mimic, Brian C. Wong

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Pmma Cement Penetration In Prepared Femoral Heads With A Longitudinal Slot For Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty, Scott Snyder

Biomedical Engineering

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty is becoming increasingly popular in younger, active patients due to its preservation of natural biomechanics. Failure of these implants can be very traumatic and potentially life threatening. The role of cement penetration in early implant failure is not yet known, and must be investigated. This study specifically investigates the effects of a 5mm by 5mm longitudinal channel on cement penetration into the femoral head. High-density open-cell reticulated vitreous carbon foam cylinders and Huntsman Pro-cast® 20 implants based on the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing implant were used. It was determined cement penetration was increased in the area immediately surrounding …

Characterization Of Bioreactor System For Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels, Kasim Shah

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Process Parameters To Optimize The Fiber Diameter Of Electrospun Vascular Scaffolds Through Experimental Design, Steffi Wong

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Characterization And Analysis Techniques Of A Dynamic In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Model, Ryan Everett Woodhouse

Biomedical Engineering

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is responsible for maintaining the sensitive environment required by the brain. Although the BBB is necessary for proper functioning of the brain, it acts as an obstacle for doctors attempting to treat neurological disease. For a drug to act upon the brain, it must first pass through the discriminating BBB. For this reason, much research has been performed in recent years in order to create an in vitro model of the BBB on which drugs targeted for the central nervous system may be tested. The main goal of this project is to create an in vitro …

Can Spr Be Used To Interrogate The Double Layer Of Nacl, Brandon Kawula

Biomedical Engineering

Solutions of reagent grade salt .1, .01, .001, .0001, .00001M were run through a SPR to see if SPR had enough resolution to detect the formation of the electric double layer. We found that NaCl did in fact return a detectable signal. The signal shape seems to depend on concentration. While more study may need to be done to get definite information it looks like SPR can interrogate the double layer.

Motorcycle Data Acquisition System, Jonathan Luke Harmse

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Immunohistochemical Mapping Of Hypoxia In Ischemic Mouse Hindlimb Skeletal Muscle, Emily Deckert

Biomedical Engineering

The study of blood vessel growth and remodeling is a complex endeavor. Hypoxia, the lack of oxygen in a tissue, is known to stimulate angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), and have little effect on arteriogenesis (the enlargement of existing blood vessels). However, the role of hypoxia in vessel function is unknown, but may be determined using the results and methods developed in this experiment.

Supplied by the bloodstream, oxygen is required by all cells and tissues to remain healthy. If the bloodstream supplying a certain tissue with blood is disrupted, the tissue becomes ischemic, often leading to hypoxia. …

Aircraft Data Collection System, Amy Kronsteiner, Danny Marx, Collin Heller, Nathaniel Garcia, Nicholas Riccobono, Scott Parks, Albert Liu

Biomedical Engineering

This report outlines the design and building process for an interchangeable testing device that collects aircraft performance data. Included is the project objectives, system requirements, management plan, design concept development, design details, manufacturing procedures, and project verification test plans. The device is a wing-mounted Pitot-static system integrated with an Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS).

Development Towards A Protocol To Test For The Creation Of A “Diabetic” Environment In A Blood Vessel Mimic, Kaitlyn Kirk, Development Towards A Protocol To Test For The Creation Of A “Diabetic” Environment In A Blood Vessel Mimic

Biomedical Engineering

Diabetes mellitus affects a huge proportion of people; about 6% of the population in the US had diabetes in 2007 (16). Diabetes promotes dyslipidemia, an imbalance in the circulating levels of lipids and lipoproteins, and diabetes is one of the leading risk factors for coronary artery and peripheral vascular diseases (11, 51, 52). There are two types of diabetes; type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10% of diagnosed cases and type 2 accounts for about 90% (11). Diabetic patients react differently to stents and there is a great need to enhance the treatment. The goal of this project was, and …

A Sustainable Business Proposition For Selling Irrigation Pumps In Ndola, Zambia, Robert Hosbach

Biomedical Engineering

Robert Hosbach is proposing a sustainable business plan to bring a small‐scale irrigation pump to rural Ndola, Zambia. With hundreds of thousands of citizens living in poverty and semi‐annual starvation, Ndola is in need of a means to grow crops effectively in the rainy season. Their current agricultural practices rely solely on the inconsistent rainfall during this time. My pump will be constructed from locally‐available aluminum cans, epoxy, glue, and fasteners (refer to Appendix B for technical drawings of the pump). The business will employ only a small number of Zambians, but will bring a means of food and income …

Impaired Vascular Reactivity Following Chronic Ischemia In The Arteries Of The Mouse Hindlimb, Thomas (Tom) Kesler

Biomedical Engineering

Collateral dependent hyperemia is reduced following chronic ischemia, but the contribution of individual vessel reactivity is unknown. Further, it is not known what aspect of the complex ischemic injury response impacts vascular reactivity. To determine the impact of ischemia on vascular reactivity, we measured functional vasodilation in the muscular branch artery following resection of the femoral artery proximal to the muscular branch. On day-14 after surgery the diameter of the muscular branch was measured using side-stream dark field (SDF) imaging intravital microscopy. At moderate intensity skeletal muscle contraction (1mA, 200µs, 8Hz, 90sec), functional vasodilation is reduced compared to the contralateral …