Engineering Commons^™

Physicochemical Properties Of Blend Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) And Sodium Alginate Membranes For Potential Application In Wound Dressings, Martha Pieper

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) are water-soluble polymers with excellent biocompatibility suitable for biomedical applications in wound dressings. In this study, pure PVA, pure SA, and blends of PVA/SA membranes were solvent cast into films followed by crosslinking in CaCl₂, boric acid, and a mixture of CaCl₂/boric acid solutions for 5, 10, and 30 minutes. Initial feasibility studies showed a strong correlation of film thickness to the observed mechanical properties. Further studies in solvent casting of blend PVA/SA films, using various polymer concentrations, yielded better film appearance with minimal physical changes after crosslinking. …

System Integration Of C-Arm Robotic Prototype Using Motion Capture Guidance For Accurate Repositioning, Alireza Yazdanshenas

Mechanical Engineering Theses

One of the important surgical tools in spinal surgery is the C-Arm X-ray System. The C-Arm is a large “C” shaped and manually maneuvered arm that provides surgeons and X-ray technicians the ability to take quick quality X-rays during surgery. Because of its five degrees of freedom, the C-Arm can be manually maneuvered around the patient to provide many angles and perspectives, ensuring surgical success.

This system works fine for most surgical procedures but falls short when the C-Arm must be moved out of the way for complicated surgical procedures.

The aim of this thesis is to develop an accurate …