Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Improvement Of Eeg Based Brain Computer Interface By Application Of Tripolar Electrodes And Independent Component Analysis, Hongbao Cao

Doctoral Dissertations

For persons with severe disabilities, a brain computer interface (BCI) may be a viable means of communication, with scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) being the most common signal employed in the operation of a BCI. Various electrode configurations can be used for EEG recording, one of which was a set of concentric rings that was referred to as a Laplacian electrode. It has been shown that Lapalacian EEG could improve classification in EEG recognition, but the complete advantages of this configuration have not been established.

This project included two parts. First, a modeling study was performed using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to …

Micro, Nano Encapsulation Methods For Sustained Release Drug Formulations And Biomimetic Applications, Shantanu Balkundi

Doctoral Dissertations

The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly technique was used to obtain a new type of protein/polyphenol microcapsule based on naturally occurring polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and gelatin, type A. The dependence of permeability on the molecular weight of permeating substances was studied and compared with commonly used polyallylamine/polystyrene sulfonate capsules. A quartz crystal microbalance was used to monitor the regularities of EGCG adsorption in alternation with type A and B Gelatins and electrophoretic mobility measurements were used that indicated that the nature of assembly was dependent on Gelatin properties. It was shown that EGCG retains its antioxidant activity in the LbL assemblies. …

Applied Electrokinetics For Tissue Engineering Applications, Stephanie R. Tully-Dartez

Doctoral Dissertations

Tissue engineering could provide an alternative source of transplant tissue regardless of donor supply and with reduced risk of immune rejection. Engineered tissue requires three critical components for successful development: the cells, growth factors, and the scaffold on which they will initially grow. The scaffold acts as a temporary extracellular matrix (ECM) allowing cell attachment and acclimation to the environment prior to synthesis and construction of the cell's native ECM. Prior to cell seeding, the scaffold must be characterized to determine whether or not the pore geometry is conducive to cell implantation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provides a unique and …

Nano-Formulation And Controlled Delivery Of Low Solubility Anticancer Drugs, Anshul Agarwal

Doctoral Dissertations

Optimal drug delivery and reduction of systemic adverse effects have been age old problems in chemotherapeutics in all types of human cancer. During chemotherapy, using water insoluble drugs like paclitaxel and tamoxifen, it has been realized that better formulations are needed for more specific and controlled drug delivery of these agents. In a novel approach to form high content stable nanocolloids of these drugs with controllable release rate, a sonicated layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte coating technology is suggested. The desired features of pharmaceutical carriers for intravenous administration include their small size and biodegradability, good loading capacity for a given drug, high …

Infrared Light Activated Floating Micro Stimulators For Neuro-Prosthetic Applications, Kimberlyn M. Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

The most common failures in neural stimulation implants are due to interconnect complications such as tissue response, lead migration, and lead breakages. The challenge in eliminating interconnects lies in minimizing device size to maintain spatial selectivity required in the CNS. One approach to this problem is a current generating device that can be stimulated by an external signal, such as light or sound. Here, we report the design, construction and testing of rnicrophotodiode devices that can be stimulated remotely with near-infrared (NIR) light to generate current that can be injected locally into the peripheral nervous system. The use of near-infrared …