Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Point Of Care Diagnostics And Health Monitoring Devices, Akshaya Shanmugam

Doctoral Dissertations

Existing disease screening methods mostly rely on symptom based diagnosis. This is mainly because of lack of accessibility and cost associated with the tests. Testing for the presence of the disease after the onset of symptoms has a negative impact on chances of survival and treatment costs. Miniaturized low cost diagnostic devices that can be used outside the hospital setting can provide continuous health monitoring and aid in early diagnosis. This thesis presents techniques to develop such disease screening and health monitoring devices. The techniques presented here focus on medical devices that can benefit from microfluidic devices, fluorescence imaging, and …

Design And Analysis Of A Lift Assist Walker, Deep P. Shah

Master's Theses

Walkers provided stability to the elderly but cannot assist a person from sitting to standing. The objective of this project is to present the design and analysis of a lift assist walker. This report discusses the design and analysis of a collapsible lift assist walker capable of lifting a patient up to 250 lbs. from seated to standing in under 10 seconds. The designed walker utilized a two stage scissor mechanism with a gas spring assisted embedded linear actuator.

Design And Validation Of A Fall Detection Application For Ios, Connor Lewis Mosley

Master's Theses

Despite significant preventative efforts, falls continue to be a major source of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Additionally, the fear of falling can be a major obstacle to independent living for otherwise self-sufficient individuals. This fear is significantly heightened in individuals who have sustained a fall and often results in self-imposed restrictions on mobility and exercise, causing weakening in these individuals and further exacerbating the danger. Much time has been spent developing alert systems in an attempt to mitigate these problems. Unfortunately these systems typically involve dedicated monitoring centers and therefore often come with substantial upfront and recurring costs. …

Characterization Of Silica-Based And Borate-Based, Titanium-Containing Bioactive Glasses For Coating Metallic Implants, Omar Rodriguez, Declan J. Curran, Marcello Papini, Lana M. Placek, Anthony W. Wren, Emil H. Schemitsch, Paul Zalzal, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glasses have found applications in diverse fields, including orthopedics and dentistry, where they have been utilized for the fixation of bone and teeth and as scaffolds for drug delivery. The present work outlines the characterization of two novel titanium-containing glass series, one silica-based and one borate-based. For the silica-based series, titanium is added at the expense of silicon dioxide whereas for the borate-based series, it is added at the expense of boron oxide as confirmed by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Amorphous structures are obtained for silica-based glass at 15 mol% TiO₂ and for borate-based glasses at 0 mol% and …

Effect Of Temporal Onset Of Mechanical Loading On Tendon To Bone Healing, Determined With A Novel In-Vivo Device, Mark E. Stasiak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Exposure to tensile loading has been shown to maintain tendon/ligament homeostasis, with the tensile modulus of the tissue increasing in response to greater loading frequency, and even decreasing in the absence of load. However after injury or surgical repair the effect of tensile load is controversial, with many studies implicating mechanical loading with impaired healing. It is currently unknown when the tensile loading imparted during rehabilitation exercise, can be safely reintroduced after surgical tendon repair or ligament reconstruction, and at what time point it can most benefit the remodeling process. To investigate the effect of tensile loading protocols on …

A Computational Study Of Curvature In The Outflow Graft Of A Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device, Laura Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an increasingly utilized therapy for end-stage heart failure. Thrombosis within the graft from the pump to the aorta has been documented, but is poorly researched. This study examines the effect of graft geometry, as measured by radius of curvature, bend angle, and diameter, on thrombogenic flow patterns within the graft for a range of flow conditions. It also examines the effect blood properties, including viscosity and density, on these flow patterns. The results indicated that radius of curvature had a powerful effect on thrombogenic flow patterns. Flowrate and bend angle were also influential. The …

Emlighten, Emily Mulvany

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is focused on creating a system to increase patient satisfaction in hospitals. My senior design team has been working hand in hand with the emergency department of Akron General to design this system called EMlighten. The goal is to create an experience for patients where they exit the hospital feeling more satisfied than they currently are. Patient satisfaction is a key performance indicator used by many hospitals to determine how much additional funding each hospital department is granted. If patients feel more satisfied, not only is that indicative of better care, but departments will receive extra funding. EMlighten …

Analysis Of Vocal Fold Kinematics Using High Speed Video, Harikrishnan Unnikrishnan

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Vocal folds are the twin in-folding of the mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. They vibrate modulating the constant air flow initiated from the lungs. The pulsating pressure wave blowing through the glottis is thus the source for voiced speech production. Study of vocal fold dynamics during voicing are critical for the treatment of voice pathologies. Since the vocal folds move at 100 - 350 cycles per second, their visual inspection is currently done by strobosocopy which merges information from multiple cycles to present an apparent motion. High Speed Digital Laryngeal Imaging(HSDLI) with a temporal resolution of up to …

Reference Point Indentation Of Human Trabecular Bone Treated With Bisphosphonates For Varying Durations, Drew Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Reference point indentation (RPI), a novel form of micro-indentation, quantifies RPI material parameters which correlate with modulus, yield stress, strength, or toughness. Information linking bisphosphonate treatment length with the material properties of osteoporotic trabecular bone is needed to improve patient treatment. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine if RPI can be used to successfully evaluate human trabecular bone and if so, determine an optimized test method for using RPI on trabecular bone, and 2) use this method to determine if any RPI parameters are related to the duration of bisphosphonate treatment.

Indentation using a 4 N applied …

Closed-Loop Afferent Nerve Electrical Stimulation For Rehabilitation Of Hand Function In Subjects With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury, Christopher J. Schildt

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is commonly used to promote use-dependent cortical plasticity for rehabilitation of motor function in spinal cord injury. Pairing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with PNS has been shown to increase motor evoked potentials most when the two stimuli are timed to arrive in the cortex simultaneously. This suggests that a mechanism of timing-dependent plasticity (TDP) may be a more effective method of promoting motor rehabilitation. The following thesis is the result of applying a brain-computer interface to apply PNS in closed-loop simultaneously to movement intention onset as measured by EEG of the sensorimotor cortex to test whether …

Reducing Fretting Corrosion At The Femoral Neck To Taper Junction In Total Hip Arthroplasty, Andrea M. Carly, Nicholas S. Moyer, Abel S. Pietros

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Fretting corrosion due to micromotion between the femoral head and neck of hip implants is a growing concern of surgeons and patients. Debris from corrosion can lead to severe adverse effects for patients of total hip arthroplasty and reduce the lifespan of the product. Previous studies conducted by Zimmer Biomet show a connection between higher impaction force and reduced fretting corrosion and debris. This design project explored this issue and developed a training device using a current technology, a dynamic force sensor, and data analysis software for surgeons to obtain muscle memory of a 4kN strike on the head impactor, …

Self-Powered Microfluidic Device For Rapid Assay Of Antiplatelet Drugs, Bincy Jose, Peter Mccluskey, Niamh Gilmartin, Martin Somers, Dermot Kenny, Antonio J. Ricco, Nigel Kent, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts

Articles

We report the development of a microfluidic device for the rapid assay in whole blood of platelet-protein interactions indicative of the efficacy of antiplatelet drugs—e.g., aspirin and Plavix, two of the world’s most widely used drugs—in cardiovascular patients. Because platelet adhesion to surface-confined protein matrices is modulated by fluid shear rates at the blood/protein interface, and because such binding is a better indicator of platelet function than platelet self-aggregation, we designed, fabricated, and characterized the performance of a family of disposable, self-powered microfluidic chips with well-defined flow and interfacial shear rates suitable for small blood volumes (≤ 200 µL). We …

Hydroband: The Continuous Hydration Monitoring System, Karina E. Atkinson, Catherine P. Benedict

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Dehydration is defined as a mild, moderate, or extreme loss of water in the body. It can result in fever, muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness, or heat stroke in athletes. Ways to determine hydration levels include analysis of the urine, blood, or sweat, body weight changes, skin elasticity tests, and increases in core temperature. Patent search, research journals, and outside studies in the health and fitness market showed that a convenient and continuous hydration monitoring system was not available. Changes in core body temperature proved to be the quickest way to measure hydration levels. The HydroBand system is geared towards athletes …

Expanded 3d Nanofiber Scaffolds: Cell Penetration, Neovascularization, And Host Response, Jiang Jiang, Zhuoran Li, Hongjun Wang, Yue Wang, Mark A. Carlson, Matthew J. Teusink, Matthew R. Macewan, Linxia Gu, Jingwei Xie

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Herein, a robust method to fabricate expanded nanofiber scaffolds with controlled size and thickness using a customized mold during the modified gas-foaming process is reported. The expansion of nanofiber membranes is also simulated using a computational fluid model. Expanded nanofiber scaffolds implanted subcutaneously in rats show cellular infiltration, whereas non-expanded scaffolds only have surface cellular attachment. Compared to unexpanded nanofiber scaffolds, more CD68+ and CD163+ cells are observed within expanded scaffolds at all tested time points post-implantation. More CCR7+ cells appear within expanded scaffolds at week 8 post-implantation. In addition, new blood vessels are present within the expanded scaffolds at …

Relating Ion Release And Ph To In Vitro Cell Viability For Gallium-Inclusive Bioactive Glasses, Timothy J. Keenan, L. M. Placek, T. L. Mcginnity, Mark R. Towler, M. M. Hall, A. W. Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A bioactive glass (BG) in which Ga was substituted for Zn was formulated to investigate whether the ionic form of Ga can elicit effects similar to gallium nitrate. The ion release and pH of BG extracts were evaluated, as well as the in vitro cytocompatibility of extracts in contact with mouse fibroblasts and human osteoblasts. After incubation times of 1 year, the glass (TGa-1) containing the smaller Ga-addition (8 mol%) released the most sodium (Na) (1420 mg/L), silicon (Si) (221 mg/L), and Ga (1295 mg/L), while the glass (TGa-2) containing the larger Ga-addition (16 mol%), exhibited release levels between TGa-1, …

Antibacterial Properties Of Poly (Octanediol Citrate)/Gallium-Containing Bioglass Composite Scaffolds, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ivan Djordjevic, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Anthony W. Wren, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glasses may function as antimicrobial delivery systems through the incorporation and subsequent release of therapeutic ions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of a series of composite scaffolds composed of poly (octanediol citrate) with increased loads of a bioactive glass that releases zinc (Zn²⁺) and gallium (Ga³⁺) ions in a controlled manner. The antibacterial activity of these scaffolds was investigated against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The ability of the scaffolds to release ions and the subsequent ingress of these ions into hard tissue was evaluated …

Inorganic Hemostats: The State-Of-The-Art And Recent Advances, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ehsan Zeimaran, Ivan Djordjevic, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hemorrhage is the most common cause of death both in hospitals and on the battlefield. The need for an effective hemostatic agent remains, since all injuries are not amenable to tourniquet use. There are many topical hemostatic agents and dressings available to control severe bleeding. This article reviews the most commonly used inorganic hemostats, subcategorized as zeolite and clay-based hemostats. Their hemostatic functions as well as their structural properties that are believed to induce hemostasis are discussed. The most important findings from in vitro and in vivo experiments are also covered.

A New Technique To Improve The Operation Of Prosthetic Limbs During Muscle Fatigue, H. Albunashee, G. Rasool, K. Iqbal, G. White

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Prosthetic limbs hold a promise to renew the quality of life for the amputee. Neural commands are decoded via a classifier to generate control signals for the prosthetic devices. In the literature, many challenges and limitations have been identified that affect the prosthesis operation. One such drawback is muscle fatigue which degrades the surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals, and consequently, the performance of the deployed classification algorithm declines from 90% to 50% of average accuracy. We used a new technique using the Linear Discrimination Analysis (LDA) algorithm and the muscle synergy-based task discrimination (MSD) algorithm to improve the classification accuracy. In …

The Smart Hard Hat, Darcy Fyffe, Connor Langenderfer, Charlton Johns

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In a wide variety of manual labor industries, workers are often unaware that they are approaching dangerous vital thresholds until they have already overexerted themselves. According to a 2012 white paper by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), over 4,500 workers lose their lives, and more than 4 million are seriously injured each year. There is an immediate need to improve the safety and monitoring of manual workers to reduce the number of workplace injuries and fatalities. Millions of laborers around the globe go to work every day relying on basic safety devices, such as harnesses and steel toed …

A Software Application For Cardiac-Gated Computerized Tomography Scanning, Stephen Caldwell, Trevor Engelsman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Computerized tomography (CT) scans are a common clinical imaging procedure used worldwide. Operating in the X-Ray spectrum, these machines rotate scanners around a stationary body in order to compile two-dimensional images into a unified three-dimensional image. With adjustment to scan frequency and intensity, internal features such as muscles, organs, and tendons can easily be viewed. However, the heart has long evaded CT use due to its near-constant motion. Recently, cardiac-gated scans have entered the market as a technique to image the heart at a specific moment in time when it is nearly still - the quiescent period. Occurring during rapid …

Pediatric Electrical Stimulation For Limb Lengthening: A Non-Invasive Approach, Corey J. Schurko, Sofia Chinchilla, Amanda E. Pinheiro, Jacob A. Brock

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Leg Length Discrepancy (LLD) is a problematic ailment for children as the differences in limb lengths can lead to scoliosis, hip, knee, and ankle problems, and back pain. If LLD is untreated, the symptoms will worsen as the child matures. Today LLD is corrected by using the Ilizarov Method, which uses pins that are externally attached to the broken bone for extension over time using a fixator or by using internal plates that do not require externalization. In our project we aim to use external electrical stimulation to correct the limb discrepancies. Several companies, such as Zimmer Biomet, have created …

Gallium-Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glass With Potent Hemostatic Activity And Antibacterial Efficacy, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ehsan Zeimaran, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Nicola Gargiulo, Shani Samuel, Sangeetha Vasudevaraj Naveen, Tunku Kamarul, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Haemorrhage remains the leading cause of potentially survivable death in both military and civilian populations. Although a large variety of hemostatic agents have been developed, many of them have an inadequate capacity to induce hemostasis and are not effective in killing bacteria. In recent years, mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) were found to be effective in inducing hemostasis. However, the materials may not be considered as ideal hemostats since they do not offer antimicrobial activity. The gallium ion (Ga⁺³) not only exhibits antibacterial properties but also accelerates the blood coagulation cascade. The aim of this study was to develop …

Assessment Of Optimized Electrode Configuration In Electrical Impedance Myography Study Using Genetic Algorithm Via Finite Element Model, Somen Baidya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM) is a neurophysiologic technique in which high- frequency, low-intensity electrical current is applied via surface electrodes over a muscle or muscle group of interest and the resulting electrical parameters (resistance, reactance and phase) are analyzed to isolate diseased muscles from healthy ones. Beside muscle properties, some other anatomic and non-anatomic factors like muscle shape, subcutaneous fat (SF) thickness, inter-electrode distance, etc. also impact the major EIM parameters and thus affect the EIM analysis outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of variation in some of these factors impose on EIM parameters and …

Efficiency Evaluation Of A Magnetically Driven Multiple Disk Centrifugal Blood Pump, Kayla H. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure is expected to ail over 8 million people in America by 2030 leaving many in need of cardiac replacement. To accommodate this large volume of people, ventricular assist devices (VADs) are necessary to provide mechanical circulatory support. Current VADs exhibit issues such as thrombosis and hemolysis caused by large local pressure drops and turbulent flow within the pump. Multiple disk centrifugal pumps (MDCPs) use shearing and centrifugal forces to produce laminar flow patterns and eliminate large pressure drops within the pump which greatly reduce risks that are in current VADs. The MDCP has a shaft drive system (SDS) …

Design And Development Of Optical Elastography Setup, Abhinav Madhavachandran

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The mechanical properties of the skin are an indication of its physiological condition. The properties can serve as potential information for dermatologists for diagnosis and qualitative assessment. Elastography is a medical imaging modality developed to extract the elastic properties of a tissue by application of an external force. Optical elastography is a technique of elastography which uses laser speckle tracking to study the elastic properties of several soft tissue including skin.

This work is aimed at developing an optical elastography setup that can study the elastic properties of skin. The setup includes an imaging system and a force-application system controlled …

Impairment Of Continuous Insulin Delivery Therapy And Analysis From Graeco-Latin Square Design Model, Norou Diawara, Ayodeji Demuren, Eric Gyuricsko

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The desire to deliver measured amount of insulin continuously to patients with type I diabetes, for glycemic control, has attracted a lot of attention. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has seen some success in recent years. However, occlusion of insulin delivery may prevent the patient from receiving the prescribed dosage, with adverse consequence. An in vitro study of insulin delivery is performed, using different insulin pumps, insulin analogs and operating conditions. The aim is to identify incidences of occlusion due to bubble formation in the infusion line. A detailed statistical analysis was performed on the data collected to determine any significant …