Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Commons^™

The Use Of A Pylon Mounted Transducer For Investigating The Gait Of Transtibial Amputees, Justin Robert Brink

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Two areas of research interest in the design and use of lower limb prosthetic devices are how foot performance varies with design and how prosthesis alignment affects gait. The current study addressed both of these areas through the use of the JR3 triaxial transducer mounted at the base of the socket. The transducer is an innovative form of instrumentation that measures forces and moments at the end of the socket. Traditional measurement of gait uses a force plate buried in the floor of a gait laboratory. The study established that the transducer offers a viable means of instrumentation for amputee …

Silver Coated Bioactive Glass Particles For Wound Healing Applications, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, P. Hassanzadeh, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glass particles (0.42SiO₂-0.15CaO-0.23Na ₂O-0.20ZnO) of varying size (<90 >μm and 425-850 μm) were synthesized and coated with silver (Ag) to produce Ag coated particles (PAg). These were compared against the uncoated analogous particles (Pcon.). Surface area analysis determined that Ag coating of the glass particles resulted in increased the surface area from 2.90 to 9.12 m²/g (90 μm) and 1.09-7.71 m²/g (425-850 μm). Scanning electron microscopy determined that the Ag coating remained at the surface and there was little diffusion through the bulk. Antibacterial (Escherichia coli - 13 mm and Staphylococcus epidermidis …

Improving Health Care Quality And Safety: The Development And Assessment Of Laparoscopic Surgery Instrumentation, Practices And Procedures, Bernadette Mccrory

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adverse events due to medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States exceeding the mortality rates of motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer and AIDS. Improvements can and should be made to reduce the rates of preventable surgical errors since they account for nearly half of all adverse events within hospitals. Although minimally invasive surgery has proven patient benefits such as reduced postoperative pain and hospital stay, its operative environment imposes substantial physical and cognitive strain on the surgeon increasing the risk of error. In order to mitigate errors and protect patients, a multidisciplinary approach was taken …

The Presence Of Regional Accents In Electrolarynx Speech And The Resultant Effect On Overall Intelligibility., Brian Madden, Eugene Coyle

Conference Papers

During voiced speech, the larynx provides quasi-periodic acoustic excitation of the vocal tract. In most electrolarynxes, mechanical vibrations are produced by a linear electromechanical actuator, the armature of which percusses against a metal or plastic plate at a frequency within the range of glottal excitation. In this paper, a phonological analysis of a section of results from an online perceptual intelligibility test was performed which compared speech produced using a novel hands-free electrolarynx and a commercially available electrolarynx. A portion of the test consisted of a closed-set format containing a selection of four sets of four random CVC audio samples …

Safety, Ergonomics And Human Factors Engineering On Biomedical Devices Design, Alejandra Sandoval Vazquez^, Noe Vargas Hernandez*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Design And Realization Of A Piezoelectric Ink Jet Head And Driver For Medical Diagnostics In Remote Areas, Alejandra Hernandez^, Annagiulia Morachioli, Julio Rincon, Sylvia Natividad, Thomas Boland*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Dc Dielectrophoretic Assisted Anti-Fouling Filtration System, Nathan M. Cohen

Master's Theses

Filtration processes, whether on the microfluidic, clinical treatment systems, or industrial scale (e.g., point-of-care diagnostics, dialysis, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, respectively), are often inseparable from membrane clogging (fouling). As a consequence, most, if not all, filtration systems require frequent maintenance to maintain functionality and efficiency. The thesis of this project hypothesizes that Dielectrophoresis can be combined with standard filtration to reduce filter fouling, extending membrane life, and enabling continuous operation. This project investigates a method to reduce fouling, add specificity and efficiency, and decrease the cost and challenge of filtration based biofluid separations.

To substantiate this thesis, we designed, fabricated, and …

Development Of A Standardized Method For Comparing Biomechanical Properties Of Various Sternal Closure Techniques, Ramzi P. Hawit

Master's Theses

Background:

33.6% of all deaths in America are caused by cardiovascular disease. An estimated 82.6 million adults (>1 in 3) in America have some form of cardiovascular disease. There were over 400,000 bypass surgeries requiring open-heart surgery. Sternal dehiscence is associated with a morbidity rate of over 47% if mediastinitis supervenes. A rigid closure is required to avoid healing complications, and wire, plates, and bands are all used in an attempt to make a better closure. The purpose of this study it to compare multiple closures and validate a new testing method.

Methods:

Polyurethane foam blocks will be used, …

Second Generation Data-Logging System For Long-Duration Field Measurement Of Vibration Exposure And Grip Force, Robert H. Knapp Iii

Master's Theses

Millions of United States workers are exposed to vibration at their job, whether it is from a power tool that causes hand and arm vibration or from heavy machinery. These vibrations are known to result in physical disorders such as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome, which can be debilitating to the point where workers can no longer do their job effectively. Research groups have taken an interest in finding what vibration characteristics are most harmful and choose to record vibration information using data-logging devices. Often, many devices, whether they are commercial or custom-built devices, use frequency weightings and full day estimations to …

Artificial Devices As A Viable Alternative To The Conventional Heart Transplant, Hadassah Radzik

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The human heart is one of the most vital organs in the body. It distributes blood throughout the body, providing the body with oxygen and nutrition, and contributes to metabolism. When the heart fails, blood flow is impaired, thereby limiting the exchange of oxygen within the cardiopulmonary system as well as diminishing oxygenation and nutrition to the other major organs and periphery. The only current proven treatment for advanced heart failure is cardiac transplant. Given the heart’s importance and the scarcity of donated organs, modern medicine has experimented with the creation of an artificial heart. Because the heart is primarily …

Alignment And Composition Of Laminin-Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Blends Enhance Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Rebekah A. Neal, Sunil S. Tholpady, Patricia L. Foley, Nathan Swami, Roy C. Ogle, Edward A. Botchwey

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Peripheral nerve transection occurs commonly in traumatic injury, causing deficits distal to the injury site. Conduits for repair currently on the market are hollow tubes; however, they often fail due to slow regeneration over long gaps. To facilitate increased regeneration speed and functional recovery, the ideal conduit should provide biochemically relevant signals and physical guidance cues, thus playing an active role in regeneration. To that end, laminin and lamininpolycaprolactone (PCL) blend nanofibers were fabricated to mimic peripheral nerve basement membrane. In vitro assays established 10% (wt) laminin content is sufficient to retain neurite-promoting effects of laminin. In addition, modified collector …

A Thousand Tiny Pieces: The Federal Circuit’S Fractured Myriad Ruling, Lessons To Be Learned, And The Way Forward, Jonathan R. K. Stroud

IP Theory

No abstract provided.

Use Of Hybrid Diffuse Optical Spectroscopies In Continuous Monitoring Of Blood Flow, Blood Oxygenation, And Oxygen Consumption Rate In Exercising Skeletal Muscle, Katelyn Gurley

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

This study combines noninvasive hybrid diffuse optical spectroscopies [near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS)] with occlusive calibration for continuous measurement of absolute blood flow (BF), tissue blood oxygenation (S_tO₂), and oxygen consumption rate (VO₂) in exercising skeletal muscle. Subjects performed rhythmic dynamic handgrip exercise, while an optical probe connected to a hybrid NIRS/DCS flow-oximeter directly monitored oxy-, deoxy-, and total hemoglobin concentrations ([HbO₂], [Hb], and [tHb]), S_tO₂, relative BF (rBF), and relative VO₂ (rVO₂) in the forearm flexor muscles. Absolute baseline BF and …

Effect Of Extracellular Matrix (Ecm) Protein Micropatterns On The Behavior Of Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Ishwari Poudel

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent advances in patterning techniques and emerging surface microtechnologies have allowed cell micropatterning to control spatial location of the cells on a surface as well as cell shape, attachment area, and number of contacting neighbor cells. These parameters play important roles in cell cellular behaviors. Cell micropatterning has thus become one of the most important strategies for biomedical applications, such as, tissue engineering, diagnostic immunoassays, lab-on-chip devices, bio-sensing, etc., and cell biology studies as well. For neuronal cells, there have been attempts to distribute neuronal cells on specific patterns to control cell-to-cell interaction. However, there have been very limited understanding …

Impedance-Based Detection Of Tissue Using A Multi-Electrode Device, Shane Killian Fleshman

Master's Theses

Melanoma skin cancer is the abnormal growth of the melanocytes – the pigmented cells located in the epidermis. The current gold standard diagnostic technique for determining whether a lesion is cancerous involves subjectively examining suspicious lesions and performing an invasive biopsy to confirm melanoma. This method may neglect some lesions or cause scarring from biopsies that turn out to be benign. Thus, impedance-based detection using a multi-electrode device was investigated as a noninvasive technique to diagnose melanoma skin cancer. The multi-electrode device was designed with 8 equally spaced Ag/AgCl electrodes surrounding one central electrode at a 5 mm radius. The …

Comparison Of Microwave And Conventionally Sintered Yttria-Doped Zirconia Ceramics, Colin J. Reidy, Thomas J. Fleming, Stuart Hampshire, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper reports on improvement of the physical and mechanical properties of Y₂O₃-ZrO₂ ceramics through compositional optimization, the use of nanograined powders and utilization of microwave sintering. ZrO₂ with 2-5 mol% Y₂O₃, prepared from nanopowders, was sintered in both conventional and microwave furnaces under exactly the same heating schedule. It was found that microwave sintering improves physical and mechanical properties of Y₂O₃-ZrO₂ ceramics compared with conventional sintering. Compositions containing 2 mol% Y₂O₃ exhibit the greatest improvement due to retention of tetragonal ZrO …

Ros-Drill Automation: Visual Feedback Control And Rotational Motion Tracking, Jhon F. Diaz

Master's Theses

ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) has attracted research interest from both biological and engineering groups. The technology is constantly evolving to perform this procedure with precision and speed. One such development is the contribution of this thesis. We focus on a relatively recent procedure called Ros-Drill^© (rotationally oscillating drill), of which the early versions have already been effectively utilized for the mice. In the first part, we present a procedure to automate a critical part of the operation: initiation of the rotational oscillation, Visual feedback is used to track the pipette tip. Predetermined species-specific penetration depth is successfully utilized …

Sol-Gel Derived Silver-Incorporated Titania Thin Films On Glass: Bactericidal And Photocatalytic Activity, Betul Akkopru Akgun, Anthony W. Wren, Caner Durucan, Mark R. Towler, Nathan P. Mellott

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and silver-containing TiO₂ (Ag-TiO₂) thin films were prepared on silica pre-coated float glass substrates by a sol-gel spin coating method. The bactericidal activity of the films was determined against Staphylococcus epidermidis under natural and ultraviolet (UV) illumination by four complementary methods; (1) the disk diffusion assay, (2) UV-induced bactericidal test, (3) qualitative Ag ion release in bacteria inoculated agar media and (4) surface topographical examination by laserscan profilometry. Photocatalytic activity of the films was measured through the degradation of stearic acid under UV, solar and visible light conditions. The chemical state and …

Clinical Risk Factors For Osteoporosis In Ireland And The Uk: A Comparison Of Frax And Qfracturescores, N. M. Cummins, E. K. Poku, Mark R. Towler, O. M. O'Driscoll, S. H. Ralston

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently two algorithms have become available to estimate the 10-year probability of fracture in patients suspected to have osteoporosis on the basis of clinical risk factors: the FRAX algorithm and QFractureScores algorithm (QFracture). The aim of this study was to compare the performance of these algorithms in a study of fracture patients and controls recruited from six centers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. A total of 246 postmenopausal women aged 50-85 years who had recently suffered a low-trauma fracture were enrolled and their characteristics were compared with 338 female controls who had never suffered a fracture. Femoral bone mineral …

Cyberknife Radiation Modeling: Effects Of Relaxed Translational And Rotational Constraints On Healthy Tissue Irradiation, Sudha Bhavaroop Potineni

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Cyberknife system is a robotic radio surgery instrument that is used to treat cancers in different parts of the human body. Because of its accuracy and precision, it has become one of the best radio surgery systems in the world. However, even with Cyberknife the treatment time for one session takes from 30 minutes up to 120 minutes depending on the size, shape, and position of the tumor in the human body. In this research, a solution is presented to aid in reducing this long treatment time. An algorithm is developed which simulates the amount of the healthy tissue …