Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

Quantifying Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Using Mobile Devices, Charles R. Aylward Dec 2016

Quantifying Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Using Mobile Devices, Charles R. Aylward

Master's Theses

Current assessments for evaluating the progression of Parkinson’s Disease are largely qualitative and based on small sets of data obtained from occasional doctor-patient interactions. There is a clinical need to improve the techniques used for mitigating common Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. Available data sets for researching the disease are minimal, hindering advancement toward understanding the underlying causes and effectiveness of treatment and therapies. Mobile devices present an opportunity to continuously monitor Parkinson’s Disease patients and collect important information regarding the severity of symptoms. The evolution of digital technology has opened doors for clinical research to extend beyond the clinic by incorporating …


Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler Dec 2016

Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate and evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on a paper microfluidic device platform. The integration of ELISA technology onto paper microfluidic chips allows for a quantitative detection of stroke biomarkers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Dye experiments were performed to confirm fluid connectivity throughout the 3D chips. Several chip and housing designs were fabricated to determine an optimal design for the microfluidic device. Once this design was finalized, development time testing was performed. The results confirmed that the paper microfluidic device could successfully route fluid throughout its channels at …


The Impacts Of Arterial Occlusion, Sex, And Exercise On Arteriogenesis And Functional Vasodilation, Megan Tze-Mei Chu Dec 2016

The Impacts Of Arterial Occlusion, Sex, And Exercise On Arteriogenesis And Functional Vasodilation, Megan Tze-Mei Chu

Master's Theses

The most frequent clinical presentation of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is intermittent claudication, which may be caused by impaired vasodilation. Patients demonstrate both local and systemic impairments in vasodilation, but as the collateral circulation is the primary site of resistance to the ischemic zone, impaired collateral vasodilation would have the greatest potential to induce claudication. Collateral function following arterial occlusion is not well defined, but immature collaterals may demonstrate impaired vasodilation in animal models, although this is potentially improved with exercise training. Furthermore, as females exhibit poorer physical function with ischemia and less improvement with therapeutic exercise, there appears …


Nanoindentation Techniques For The Evaluation Of Silicon Nitride Thin Films, Weston T. Mangin Dec 2016

Nanoindentation Techniques For The Evaluation Of Silicon Nitride Thin Films, Weston T. Mangin

Master's Theses

Silicon nitride thin films are of interest in the biomedical engineering field due to their biocompatibility and favorable tribological properties. Evaluation and understanding of the properties of these films under diverse loading and failure conditions is a necessary prerequisite to their use in biomedical devices. Three wafers of silicon nitride-coated silicon were obtained from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and used to create 96 samples. Samples were subjected to nanoindentation testing to evaluate the mechanical properties of the film. Samples were subjected to nanoimpact testing to compare the damage resistance of the film to separate nanoimpact types. Samples were subjected to …


A 3-D Multiplex Paper-Microfluidic Platform, Mitchell Patrick Young Sep 2016

A 3-D Multiplex Paper-Microfluidic Platform, Mitchell Patrick Young

Master's Theses

3-D paper-based microfluidic devices (micoPADs) are small and portable devices made out of paper that offer a promising platform for diagnostic applications outside of a laboratory. These devices are easy to use, low cost, require no power source, and capable of detecting multiple targets simultaneously. The work in this thesis demonstrated the ability of a 3-D paper-microfluidic platform to simultaneously detect 5 targets. Rubber cord stock was used in conjunction with an acrylic housing unit to apply pressure along the edge of the channel. The indirect pressure application was successful in promoting vertical fluid flow between layers. Average channel development …


Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Aortic Arch Model, Alexandra Mariel Knauer Aug 2016

Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Aortic Arch Model, Alexandra Mariel Knauer

Master's Theses

Transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure to replace a failing aortic valve and is becoming the new standard of care for patients that are not candidates for open-heart surgery [2]. However, this minimally invasive technique has shown to cause ischemic brain lesions, or “silent infarcts”, in 90% of TAVR patients, which can increase the patient’s risk for stroke by two to four times in future years [3]. Claret Medical Inc., a medical device company, has developed a cerebral protection system that filters and captures embolic debris released during endovascular procedures, such as TAVR. This thesis utilized CT …


Characterizing Neurotransmitter Receptor Activation With A Perturbation Based Decomposition Method, Stephen Gregory Jue Jun 2016

Characterizing Neurotransmitter Receptor Activation With A Perturbation Based Decomposition Method, Stephen Gregory Jue

Master's Theses

The characterization of postsynaptic potentials, in terms of neurotransmitter receptor activation, is of clinical significance because information associated with receptor activation can be used in the diagnosis and study of neurological disorders. Single-unit recordings provide a method of measuring postsynaptic potentials in neurons using a microelectrode system, but yield no detailed information regarding the neurotransmitter receptors that contribute to the potential. To determine the types of neurotransmitter receptors that result in a compound postsynaptic potential from a microelectrode reading, decomposition of the potential is necessary. In this work, a perturbation-based decomposition method developed by R. Szlavik is evaluated for this …


Empirical Validation Of An In Silico Model Predicting The Fluid Dynamics Of An Iliac Artery Aneurysm, Rachel E. Willis Jun 2016

Empirical Validation Of An In Silico Model Predicting The Fluid Dynamics Of An Iliac Artery Aneurysm, Rachel E. Willis

Master's Theses

Iliac artery aneurysms are considered rare and difficult to detect and treat. Prompt diagnosis and timely intervention are essential, because the incidence of rupture is as high as 50%. The reported mortality rate for patients who undergo surgery for ruptured iliac artery aneurysm ranges from 50% to 70%. This study developed an in-vitro mechanical model of an iliac artery aneurysm to verify the accuracy of computer simulation software. Both the in vitro model and the in silico model can be used for further research to develop better treatment technology. This study also looks at the different types of iliac artery …


The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco Jun 2016

The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …


Design And Analysis Of A Lift Assist Walker, Deep P. Shah Mar 2016

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 Mar 2016

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. …


Fluid Flow Characterization In Rapid Prototyped Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Molds, Daniel Cole Greinke Mar 2016

Fluid Flow Characterization In Rapid Prototyped Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Molds, Daniel Cole Greinke

Master's Theses

The goal of this project was to determine whether i) fused deposition modeling could be employed to manufacture molds for vascular constructs, ii) whether vascular constructs could be created from these molds, and iii) to verify practical equivalence between observed fluid velocities. Dye tracking was to be employed to characterize fluid velocity profiles through the in vitro vascular constructs, including a half-vessel model and a full vessel model of an iliac artery aneurysm. A PDMS half-vessel construct was manufactured, and the movement of dye through the construct was tracked by a cellphone camera. Thresholds were applied to each video in …