Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Removal Of Trace Organic Compounds In Domestic Wastewater Using Recirculating Packed-Bed Media Filters, Brittani Nikole Perez

Masters Theses

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are commonly detected in the environment resulting from their survival from conventional wastewater treatment systems. More information is needed about the fate and transfer of these trace organic compounds in domestic wastewater and their associated risks so that efficient strategies for their removal can be developed for both large/small scale treatment systems. This study aimed to determine whether onsite wastewater treatment systems were capable of providing PPCP removal, in addition to quantifying different forms of removal (biodegradation/sorption). A column study was constructed to determine the removal efficiencies of 3 target PPCPs, endocrine disrupting compound …

Icloudecg: A Mobile Cardiac Telemedicine System, David S. Clifford

Masters Theses

With rising healthcare costs and a substantially growing number of patients 65 or over, the benefits of telemedicine and patient self-monitoring systems are becoming increasingly evident. Patients, physicians, hospitals, and even insurance providers benefit from vigilant, cost-effective patient monitoring systems. This thesis describes the development of a portable, smart-phone connected system for continuous cardiac monitoring. The system is capable of continuously monitoring the conditions of the heart, automated detection of cardiac arrhythmias, and real-time notifying patients and physicians of the detected abnormalities. The system consists of four main subsystems: 1) a Bluetooth capable chest-strap ECG, 2) an Android-enabled mobile device, …

Effects Of Varus Knee Alignment And Using Toe-Cages On Frontal Plane Knee Biomechanics In Stationary Cycling, Guangping Shen

Masters Theses

Effects of varus knee alignment on the internal knee abduction moment (KAM) in walking has been widely studied. KAM has been shown to be closely associated with the development of medial knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite the importance of the knee alignment, no studies have explored its effects on knee frontal plane biomechanics during stationary cycling. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of varus knee alignment and using a toe-cage on the knee frontal plane biomechanics during stationary cycling. Eleven participants in each of the varus and neutral groups participated in the study. The participants performed in …

In Vivo Mechanics Of Cam-Post Engagement In Fixed And Mobile Bearing Tka And Vibroarthrography Of The Knee Joint, Sumesh M. Zingde

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to determine the mechanics of the cam-post mechanism for subjects implanted with a Rotating Platform (RP) PS TKA, Fixed Bearing (FB) PS TKA or FB Bi-Cruciate Stabilized (BCS) TKA. Additionally, a secondary goal of this dissertation was to investigate the feasibility of vibroarthrography in correlating in-vivo vibrations with features exhibited in native, arthritic and implanted knees. In-vivo, 3D kinematics were determined for subjects implanted with nine knees with a RP-PS TKA, five knees with a FB-PS TKA, and 10 knees with a FB-BCS TKA, while performing a deep knee bend. Distance between the cam-post …

Alternating Current Electrokinetics Based Capacitive Affinity Biosensor: A Point-Of-Care Diagnostic Platform, Haochen Cui

Doctoral Dissertations

Capacitive bioaffinity detection using microelectrodes is considered as a promising label-free method for point-of-care diagnosis, though with challenges in sensitivity, specificity and the time “from sample to result.” This work presents an alternating current (AC)-electrokinetic based capacitive affinity sensing method that is capable of realizing rapid in-situ detection of specific biomolecular interactions such as probe-analyte binding. The capacitive biosensor presented here employs elevated AC potentials at a fixed frequency for impedimetric interrogation of the microelectrodes. Such an AC signal is capable of inducing dielectrophoresis (DEP) and AC electrothermal (ACET) effects, so as to realize in-situ enrichment of macro and even …

A Magnetic Actuated Fully Insertable Robotic Camera System For Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery, Xiaolong Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a common surgical procedure which makes tiny incisions in the patients anatomy, inserting surgical instruments and using laparoscopic cameras to guide the procedure. Compared with traditional open surgery, MIS allows surgeons to perform complex surgeries with reduced trauma to the muscles and soft tissues, less intraoperative hemorrhaging and postoperative pain, and faster recovery time. Surgeons rely heavily on laparoscopic cameras for hand-eye coordination and control during a procedure. However, the use of a standard laparoscopic camera, achieved by pushing long sticks into a dedicated small opening, involves multiple incisions for the surgical instruments. Recently, single …

Fluorochlorozirconate Glass Ceramics For Photovoltaic And Computed Radiography Applications, Russell Lee Leonard

Doctoral Dissertations

Fluorochlorozirconate (FCZ) glass ceramics are versatile materials whose optical properties may be tuned through compositional or processing changes. For this work, FCZ glasses were synthesized, and then subsequently heat treated to create optically-active glass ceramics. The glasses and glass ceramics were characterized using a number of methods including differential scanning calorimetry, phosphorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and spectrophotometry. Samples were evaluated for applications in photovoltaics and computed radiography–especially those pertaining to intraoral dental radiography and portal imaging.

The ability of FCZ glass ceramics containing hexagonal barium chloride nanocrystals doped with the rare earth elements, holmium and europium, to downshift ultraviolet light to …

Biodegradable Nano-Hybrid Polymer Composite Networks For Regulating Cellular Behavior, Charles Henley Sprague

Masters Theses

Photo-crosslinkable polymeric biomaterials have emerged in the field of biomedical research to promote tissue regeneration. For example, scaffolds that can be crosslinked and hardened in situ have been known to make suitable implant alternatives. Since injectable and photo-crosslinkable biomaterials offer the advantage of being minimally invasive, they have emerged to compete with autografts, a current highly invasive method to repair diseased tissue. A series of novel photo-crosslinkable, injectable, and biodegradable nano-hybrid polymers consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) has been synthesized in our laboratory via polycondensation. To engineer the material properties of the nano-hybrid networks, varied …

Fiber Optic Bandage, Logan Mcneil

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Nerve Block Simulator, Avik Purkayastha, David Call, Alex Zare, Michael Fister

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Engineering The “Pluripotency” Of Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glasses As Biomedical Materials, Lu Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are a family of novel alloys with amorphous microstructures. The combination of their excellent mechanical properties, good chemical stability, high thermal formability, and general biocompatibility has brought up new opportunities for biomaterials. Research in this dissertation was focused on exploring multiple biomedical functionalities of Zr-based BMGs over a wide spectrum, combining materials and biological characterizations, through experimental and computational approaches. Four distinct yet interconnected tasks were endeavored, involving inflammation, hard-tissue implant, soft-tissue prosthesis, and pathogenic infection.

The inflammation that can be potentially triggered by Zr-based BMGs was investigated using macrophages. Lower level or comparable macrophage activations …

Doping Of Fluorchlorozirconate And Borate-Silica Glass Ceramics For Medical Imaging And Fast Neutron Scintillation, Julie Elizabeth Swafford

Masters Theses

Borate silica glass ceramics were produced for neutron scintillation. The Glass ceramics were doped with europium fluoride [EuF₂] and cerium chloride [CeCl₃]. Isotopic lithium fluoride [⁶LiF] and boron oxide [¹⁰B₂O₃] were used in most samples while non-isotopic lithium fluoride [LiF] and boron oxide [ B₂O₃] were used in the rest. When exposed to a neutron beam, samples doped with europium fluoride [EuF₂] scintillated while samples doped with cerium chloride [CeCl₃] did not. This contradicts current literature on fast scintillation. What …