Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Toy For Preschoolers With Deaf-Blindness, Allison R. Beckmann, Chelsea B. Gebs, Julia-Grace Polich

Capstone Design Expo Posters

There are approximately 70,000-100,000 people living in America that are diagnosed as deaf-blind. Since children with deaf-blindness are an extreme minority in the US, research, toys and technological advancements for these children get overlooked. As a result, the developmental processes of children with deaf-blindness are delayed by several years, compared to normal children, due to the lack of resources available to encourage learning. According to Virginia’s Department of Education standards of learning for preschoolers, development physically, mathematically,of environmental awareness and of a sense of self are core requirements for Kindergarten. Therefore, there is a need for a toy that will …

Decellularization Of Porcine Lung Tissue, Kirsten Hulbert, Linh Ta, Lumumba Reid, Mahir Dagra, Baltej Dhillon

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Our project aims to standardize the decellularization of a porcine lung by creating a bioreactor to house the lung, automating the decellularization process and developing a protocol that will increase the precision and the repeatability of the process. Our deliverables include a working prototype, an automated system that will inform the user when the decellularization process is complete, a pressure sensor to control perfusion, and automated pressurized pulses that will increase the rate of decellularization.

Our accomplishments thus far include: a design for a working prototype that will decellularize a porcine lung, determining the proper rate to perfuse the lung, …

Device To Deliver Endodontic Material For Temporary Dental Fillings, Garrett N. Cyprus, Hisham Kamoun, Gireesh B. Reddy, Ali Salman

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Root canal therapy requires patients be treated over several visits to clean and shape the pulp chamber. In endodontic treatments, cotton wool is placed beneath the temporary filling to preserve the space of the pulp chamber and to prevent any blockage of the root canals with temporary filling between clinic visits. Despite its simple application and affordability, cotton wool can lead to fibrous remnants in the pulp chamber or become incorporated into the temporary filling, which can lead to micro-leakage or bacterial colonization on the cotton fibers and subsequent infection.

Gelatin capsules or silica gels are proposed endodontic materials which …

Stethoscope-Based Detection Of Detorqued Bolts Using Impact-Induced Acoustic Emissions, Joe Guarino, Robert Hamilton

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Results of a preliminary study investigating a simple method for detecting looseness in bolted fasteners of a steel structure are presented. Extensive research by many investigators demonstrates that the frequency response of a bolted structural member changes when one or more bolts are loosened. A simple and effective method for detecting looseness can be applied to bolted joints, using inexpensive and commonly-available equipment and software. The difference between spectrograms associated with tight and loose bolts is clearly apparent due to the presence of a tell-tale mode when one or more bolts are loosened. Further, a striking difference can be elucidated …

Neuroimaging And Neuromodulation Approaches To Study Eating Behavior And Prevent And Treat Eating Disorders And Obesity, D. Val-Laillet, E. Aarts, B. Weber, M. Ferrari, V. Quaresima, L. E. Stoeckel, M. Alonso-Alonso, M. Audette, C. H. Malbert, E. Stice

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Functional, molecular and genetic neuroimaging has highlighted the existence of brain anomalies and neural vulnerability factors related to obesity and eating disorders such as binge eating or anorexia nervosa. In particular, decreased basal metabolism in the prefrontal cortex and striatum as well as dopaminergic alterations have been described in obese subjects, in parallel with increased activation of reward brain areas in response to palatable food cues. Elevated reward region responsivity may trigger food craving and predict future weight gain. This opens the way to prevention studies using functional and molecular neuroimaging to perform early diagnostics and to phenotype subjects at …

Emg And Kinematic Responses To Unexpected Slips After Slip Training In Virtual Reality, Prakriti Parijat, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Jian Liu

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

The objective of the study was to design a virtual reality (VR) training to induce perturbation in older adults similar to a slip and examine the effect of the training on kinematic and muscular responses in older adults. Twenty-four older adults were involved in a laboratory study and randomly assigned to two groups (VR training and control). Both groups went through three sessions including baseline slip, training, and transfer of training on slippery surface. The training group experienced 12 simulated slips using a visual perturbation induced by tilting a VR scene while walking on the treadmill and the control group …

Evaluation Of The Performance Of A Downward Flow Inclined Gravity Settler For Algae Dewatering, Dustin D. Bowden

ETD Archive

With recent concerns over the environmental implications of burning fossil fuels coupled with the depletion of fossil fuel reserves an alternative source of energy isneeded. Algae derived biofuels may be an effective replacement for transportation fuels as they are carbon neutral and have a high area productivity. Algae is superior to terrestrial plants as a biofuel source due to its high oil productivity and efficiency along with the fact that it will not displace food production. Currently the largest obstacle to the implementation of commercial algae to biofuel processes is algae dewatering. The separation of algae from water is difficult …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Histology Correlation In The Neocortex In Temporal Lobe Epilepsy., Maged Goubran, Robert R Hammond, Sandrine De Ribaupierre, Jorge G Burneo, Seyed Mirsattari, David A Steven, Andrew G Parrent, Terry M Peters, Ali R Khan

Robarts Imaging Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the histopathological correlates of quantitative relaxometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to determine their efficacy in epileptogenic lesion detection for preoperative evaluation of focal epilepsy.

METHODS: We correlated quantitative relaxometry and DTI with histological features of neuronal density and morphology in 55 regions of the temporal lobe neocortex, selected from 13 patients who underwent epilepsy surgery. We made use of a validated nonrigid image registration protocol to obtain accurate correspondences between in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and histology images.

RESULTS: We found T1 to be a predictor of neuronal density in the neocortical gray matter (GM) …

Determining The Transport Enhancement Of Sodium Fluorescein In Mechanically-Loaded Canine Tibia, Andrew Joseph Zak

ETD Archive

Quantitative research concerning the impact of mechanical loading on the transport properties of bone has several critical applications. One such application is the effect of a microgravity environment, where the lack of mechanical forces on bone has been shown to negatively impact both growth and repair. A method has been developed in our lab that can potentially allow for the measurement of the effective permeability of large molecules (i.e., 300-15,000 Da in size) in bone tissue under both unloaded and mechanically loaded conditions. In proof-of-concept experiments, previous students have measured the effective diffusivity of the model solute, sodium fluorescein (376 …

Frequency Domain Ultrasound Waveform Tomography Breast Imaging, Gursharan Singh Sandhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ultrasound tomography is an emerging modality for imaging breast tissue for the detection of disease. Using the principles of full waveform inversion, high-resolution quantitative sound speed and attenuation maps of the breast can be created. In this thesis, we introduce some basic principles of imaging breast disease and the formalism of sound wave propagation. We present numerical methods to model acoustic wave propagation as well methods to solve the corresponding inverse problem. Numerical simulations of sound speed and attenuation reconstructions are used to assess the efficacy of the algorithm. A careful review of the preprocessing techniques needed for the successful …

Development Of Scaffold Architectures And Heterotypic Cell Systems For Hepatocyte Transplantation, Dalia Alzebdeh

Wayne State University Dissertations

In vitro assembly of functional liver tissue is needed to enable the transplantation of tissue-engineered livers. In addition, there is an increasing demand for in vitro models that replicate complex events occurring in the liver. However, tissue engineering of sizable implantable liver systems is currently limited by the difficulty of assembling three dimensional hepatocyte cultures of a useful size, while maintaining full cell viability, an issue which is closely related to the high metabolic rate of hepatocytes. In this study, we first compared two designs of highly porous chitosan-heparin scaffolds seeded with hepatocytes in dynamic perfusion bioreactor systems. The aim …

A Biomechanical Assessment Of Canine Body Armor, Sarah Stojsih

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to establish a biomechanical assessment of canine body armor with a primary focus on civilian law enforcement canines. The specific aims included: 1) the compilation of canine casualty data to determine commonly reported causes of death/euthanasia while in service for civilian law enforcement canines, 2) the evaluation of the biomechanical response of the canine related to a behind armor blunt impact, 3) the identification of an injury criterion that will best predict canine thoracic injury as a result of behind armor blunt trauma, 4) correlation of the behind armor blunt trauma response to the …

Novel Incorportation Of Biomedical Engineering Algorithms (Bispectral Index Guided Or Anesthetic Concentration Guided) In Real-Time Decision Support To Prevent Intraoperative Awareness Using An Electronic Anesthesia Information Mananagement System, Amy Melanie Shanks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall (AWR) is a feared complication of surgery that can lead to significant psychological distress. Several large prospective trials have been completed comparing two methods of monitoring anesthetic depth [minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) or electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring using the bispectral index (BIS)] for the prevention of AWR. However, these trials were conducted in high risk populations, limiting generalizability.

Research Hypothesis: Real-time decision support with Anesthesia Information Management System alerts based on a novel anesthetic concentration algorithm (incorporating the use of intravenous anesthetics) or an EEG-guided algorithm will reduce the known incidence of AWR.

Methods: First, …

Terahertz Imaging Platform To Characterize The Growth Of In-Vitro Breast Tumors, Scarlett-Marie Acklin

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This study aimed at evaluating the ideal plating method and density for imaging with the terahertz (THz) spectrometer. In this study, different methods were used to grow in-vitro tumors using the 4T1 cell line. Here, attempts to grow breast tumors in-vitro were conducted. Results were produced in two environments, flat-bottomed plates and round-bottomed multiwell plates. The second method allowed for faster clumping and increased cell aggregation, producing tumors up to 7mm. Terahertz spectroscopy produced images that correlated well to photomicrographs taken of the in-vitro tumors. This methodology shows great promise for providing a reliable, parameter-controlled source of in-vitro breast tumors …

Du02, Center For Orthopaedic Biomechanics, Michael D. Harris, Phd, Kevin Shelburne, Phd

Natural Knee Data

No abstract provided.

Multiplexed Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Of The 16s Rrna Gene For The Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis In Resource-Limited Environments, Griffin T. Sonaty

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Sepsis, or dysregulated inflammation caused by bacterial infection, places a disproportionately high burden on newborns in developing countries. This is due in part to a lack of diagnostic tools suitable for sustainable use in resource-limited nurseries. One potential vehicle for a new diagnostic assay is loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a high-yield DNA amplification method. LAMP has previously been used to detect genes from single species of bacteria in blood serum samples to aid in sepsis diagnosis. LAMP could be adapted to detect a broad set of bacteria, while retaining a degree of specificity that allows clinicians to begin directed antimicrobial …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Of The Centalized Renewable Energy System (Cres) At Nebraska Innovation Campus, Matan Gill, Adam Liska

Adam Liska Papers

The Centralized Renewable Energy System (CRES) at Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) is a heat-exchanger system that utilizes reclaimed, non-drinkable water from the nearby water treatment plant to heat and cool a projected 1.675 million square feet of office and lab space. A greenhouse gas emissions inventory was estimated for the CRES operating at full build-out of the campus in 2035, compared to conventional office space, being a control system with standard chiller and boiler configuration. The control system is estimated to emit 30,787 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year (Mg CO₂e yr-1), whereas heating and cooling Nebraska …

Non-Invasive Biomedical Imaging And Radiobiology Investigations In Pre-Clinical Prostate Tumor Models, Derek A. White

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) in prostate tumors can hinder the biological effectiveness of radiotherapy. Therefore the ability to assess tumor hypoxia non-invasively in vivo in man could significantly improve therapy outcome. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is increasingly applied in clinical evaluation of prostate cancer. Therefore, an oxygen sensitive technique would be very attractive and the utility of oxygen-enhanced MRI (OE-MRI) has shown promise for predicting tumor growth delay in syngeneic rat prostate tumors following radiotherapy. In this dissertation, the overall goal was to investigate a potential imaging biomarker for predicting tumor response to image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). First, I used in vivo …

Development Of Atlas-Guided Diffuse Optical Tomography To Investigate Age-Dependent Human Cognitive Functions Under Risk Decision Making, Lin Li

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

To better understand the age effect on neural correlates under risk decision-making stimulations, studies using advanced neuroimaging with a sufficient statistical power are desired. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) of human brain functions is an emerging non-invasive neuroimaging technology. Compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DOT is more cost-effective, more portable, and easier to conduct studies targeting on different age groups. However, current DOT is limited by its low spatial resolution and depth accuracy. It is thus imperative to develop a technique that can improve imaging quality of DOT and be used to investigate age-dependent human brain functions under risk decision …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea On Cerebral Hemodynamics In Relation With Systemic Hemodynamics, Raichel Mary Alex

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a major sleep disorder affecting approximately 18 million adults in the US. Recent studies have observed cognitive impairments and brain structural changes in OSA subjects where these deficits were related to peripheral hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. Nonetheless, underlying cerebral hemodynamics and cerebral oxygenation might play an important role in the development of these impairments. Hence, in this study it is hypothesized that 1) OSA induces significant variations in cerebral hemodynamics, and 2) level of variations in cerebral hemodynamics can be related to the changes in systemic hemodynamics. To test these hypotheses, 8 hours of nocturnal …