Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Determinants Of Knee Motion In Health, Disease, And Repair, Sean Edward Higinbotham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human knee joint is a complex and intricate structure, enabling a wide range of motions and facilitating various dynamic activities throughout a person's lifetime. The combination of the knee's complexity and its role as a primary load-bearing joint has made it susceptible to regular wear and tear, leading to pain and the development of Osteoarthritis (OA), to which, the only treatment currently is total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Despite TKA being a mature procedure, 20% of patients receiving a TKA are dissatisfied with their “new” knee. To reduce that 20% dissatisfaction and improve surgical outcomes, orthopedic companies are developing advanced …

The Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Echocardiographic Detection Of Congenital Heart Defects In The Fetus: A Mini-Review, Khadiza Tun Suha, Hugh Lubenow, Stefania Soria-Zurita, Marcus Haw, Joseph Vettukattil, Jingfeng Jiang

Michigan Tech Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining attention in radiology and cardiology for accurately diagnosing structural heart disease. In this review paper, we first outline the technical background of AI and echocardiography and then present an array of clinical applications, including image quality control, cardiac function measurements, defect detection, and classifications. Collectively, we answer how integrating AI technologies and echocardiography can help improve the detection of congenital heart defects. Particularly, the superior sensitivity of AI-based congenital heart defect (CHD) detection in the fetus (>90%) allows it to be potentially translated into the clinical workflow as an effective screening tool in …

Investigating Spatial Mapping Of Lipid And Protein Alterations Within Cells And Tissues Using Raman Microspectroscopy, Elnaz Sheikh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The progression of various diseases is associated with alterations in the microenvironment of cells, consisting of a variety of metabolites like lipids and proteins. It is well known that lipids and proteins are potential biomarkers for indicating alterations within the cell microenvironment induced by disease, and various methods are frequently used for their examination. To understand the chemical composition and spatial distribution of constituents in tissues and cells, confocal Raman spectroscopy and microscopy, as non-destructive tools, have shown potential for monitoring abnormalities at the cellular level with high resolution and can facilitate detection through targeting multiple biomarkers. The application of …

Emg-Based Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Using Advanced Machine Learning Approaches, Abdalla Nabil Elsharkawy, Nourhan Zayed

Mechanical Engineering

Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) plays a critical role in minimizing nerve damage during surgeries by providing real-time feedback on neural integrity. This study evaluated models associated with deep learning and machine learning models for electromyography classification of signal during intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). The CNNLSTM model achieved the highest accuracy (85.2%), outperforming traditional models like KNN (53%), RF (62%), and CNN (76%). This demonstrates the degree to which the CNN-LSTM model can gain insight into temporal and spatial dependencies throughout the EMG signals, which makes it optimal for real-time classification in IONM applications. This implies that deep learning techniques can improve surgical …

Neurophisology Biosignals Of Cognitive Training Classification In Virtual Reality Environment Using Deep Learning Model, Nourhan Zayed, Mohamed Reda

Mechanical Engineering

This research investigates the potential of neurophysiological biosignals fusion, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and Eye Tracking signals (ET), to classify cognitive states during virtual reality (VR) training, specifically for the rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases. By analyzing EEG data collected from participants engaged in VR-based cognitive exercises, we aim to identify patterns associated with different cognitive states and develop a robust classification system. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model was developed to predict task performance utilizing neurophysiological inputs in an immersive world. This system could be used to monitor cognitive function, assess treatment efficacy, and provide real-time feedback to adapt the …

Tannic Acid-Stabilized Liposomal Platform For Microrna Delivery In Endometriosis, Victoria Herrera, Rahul Tiwari, Bridgette Lozano Lozano, Subhash Chauhan, Murali Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial-type mucosa outside the uterine cavity. It affects about 6.5 million women of reproductive age in the United States. It is a leading cause of infertility, impacting up to 50% of women with difficulty conceiving, and is prevalent in as many as 90% of individuals experiencing severe, chronic pelvic pain. Women with endometriosis had 4.2-fold higher ovarian cancer risk than those without endometriosis. Within this work, a range of liposomal formulations was investigated for endometriosis. Recent studies confirmed the role of miR-205-5p as a potential suppressor of ectopic endometriotic progression. Clinical translation …

Fabrication Of Docetaxel Loaded Pcl/Plga Electrospun Nanofibers For Lung Cancer Therapy, Rahul Tiwari, Fnu Pranav, Eswara N. Hanuma Kumar Ghali, Subhash Chauhan, Murali Yallapu, Luis Chavez

Research Symposium

Background: Electrospinning is a commonly employed method in tissue engineering due to its ability to produce nano-/microscale fibrous materials with mechanical and functional properties that mimic the extracellular matrix of living tissues. The general interest in electrospun fibrous matrices has recently expanded to cancer research both as scaffolds for in vitro cancer modeling and as patches for in vivo therapeutic delivery. This research aims to investigate the efficient delivery of anticancer drug in lung cancer treatment.

Methods: Three different biocompatible polymeric nanofibers (i.e. PCL fibers, PCL-PLGA mixed fibers, and PCL-PLGA tetra-layered fibers) loaded with docetaxel, were prepared using electrospinning technique. …

Electrochemical Detection Of Dopamine Using Screen-Printed Graphene Electrode For Cancer Diagnosis And Therapy, Pritu P. Sarkar, Nazmul Islam

Research Symposium

Background: Dopamine plays a critical role in various essential functions, including motor control, hormone regulation, cognition, learning, and the reward system. In healthy individuals, dopamine levels are extremely low, with concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.25 nM in blood and 0.3 to 3.13 µM in urine. Abnormal levels are linked to disorders like Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, hypertension, and arrhythmia. Abnormal dopamine levels can indicate the presence of certain cancers. Dopamine receptors may be therapeutic targets for treating cancer, especially breast and colon cancer. Thus dopamine can increase the efficacy of anticancer drugs in breast and colon cancer. Detecting dopamine …

Conversational Voice User Interfaces Supporting Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Literature Review, Franceli L. Cibrian, Concepción Valdez, Lauren Min, Vivian Genaro Motti

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Conversational Voice User Interfaces (CVUIs) are widely used in commercial applications such as personal assistants. CVUIs are beneficial for most users as they enable interaction through speech and natural language. However, recent studies indicate that underrepresented user groups, such as individuals with speech impairments and specifically those with Down syndrome, face challenges in using voice commands to control CVUIs. The anatomical and physiological differences affecting the voice, speech, fluency, and prosody of users with Down syndrome hinder their experience with CVUIs. This article presents the results of 43 papers related to the use of voice user interfaces supporting individuals with …

Effect Of Walking Speed And Asymmetric Loading On Human Gait, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Alfirio Trejo, Eric Rodriguez, Camila T. Alvarez Barriga

Research Symposium

Background: Human gait is influenced by factors such as walking speed and carrying heavy objects asymmetrically. Understanding these effects enhances rehabilitation research for individuals recovering from leg injuries. Clinical angles of the knee, derived from experimental data, provide insights into movement patterns, revealing abnormalities or compensations. Calculating these angles requires a joint coordinate system (JCS) for the knee joint.

Methods: This study employed the VICON motion analysis system with ten infrared cameras arranged circularly for comprehensive gait analysis. Reflective markers placed on anatomical landmarks facilitated motion capture, recorded at 100 Hz. Data processing included filtering, establishing a JCS, …

Muscle Force Analysis In Patients With Forefoot Amputees And Healthy Subjects During Walking, Anthony Melgar, Dumitru Caruntu, Javier La Fontaine, Luis Venegas, Hafizur Rahman

Research Symposium

Forefoot amputation, a type of partial foot amputation, involves the surgical disarticulation of either the interphalangeal or metatarsophalangeal joints. This procedure not only removes critical joint structures but also alters the positioning of associated muscles. Forefoot amputations significantly affect gait patterns and redistribute plantar pressure maps across the plantar surface of the foot. The phalanges are crucial in absorbing and redistributing plantar pressure during the gait cycle. The absence of phalanges and the loss of metatarsophalangeal joints alter the normal pressure distribution maps, possibly shifting peak pressure from one local foot region to another region of the foot. This research …

Assessing Arterial Compliance: Utilizing A Surrogate Arm Bench Top Model For Oscillometric Blood Pressure Monitoring, Krystal Cardenas

Master's Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the compliance of artificial artery systems utilizing an adaptation of the Yong-Geddes Surrogate Arm model, composed of a blood pressure cuff, artificial artery, pressure transducers, and flow to replicate physiological conditions to validate oscillometric non-invasive blood pressure measurement methods. The experiment phases included tube, blood pressure cuff, and the surrogate arm compliance tests both in static and dynamic conditions. Tube compliance tests showed that larger diameters resulted in increased compliance, with Sample 1 (smaller inner diameter, ID) resulting in an average compliance of 0.0912 mL/mmHg, and Sample 2 (bigger ID) resulting in 0.1597 mL/mmHg. …

Realistic Bionic Arm Development For Transradial Amputation, Bailey A. Wall, Lilly Noel Curdy, Ruthie Mccall, Courtney Mahoney, Andres Trejo

Biomedical Engineering

The VeraLimb realistic bionic arm is intended for use by individuals with a trans-radial amputation or congenital limb deficiency below the elbow to provide functional hand and arm movements. This advanced prosthetic device is designed to mimic a biological hand's natural motion, dexterity, control, and aesthetic, giving the user a higher sense of restored limb functionality. It offers an experience that closely restores motor function in a way that resembles having a natural hand rather than interacting with a mechanical device. The VeraLimb is suitable for daily activities, allowing users to grasp, manipulate, and interact with objects. It is designed …

Operating Room Forcing Function, Olivia Rankin, Makena Moragne, Sasha Rovinsky

Biomedical Engineering

The Operating Room Forcing Function system aims to address the persistent issue of wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient errors (WSPEs) in surgical settings. WSPEs are largely caused by circumvention of the timeout procedure (a planned pause before incision to stop and confirm crucial details of the procedure to be performed known as ‘The Universal Protocol’). The goal set forth by our sponsor, Dr. Robert Turbow, is to develop a lock-out mechanism that requires a timeout to be performed by all appropriate personnel before an operation can begin.

Hospitals are extremely complex systems with competing values, productivity pressures, fast paced work, tight-coupled …

The Suture Guide, Nicole Schnettler, Ciara Murphy, Jocelyn Corona Cabrera

Biomedical Engineering

In the surgical field and specifically wound closure, there is a growing demand for techniques that allow surgeons to quickly, accurately, and ergonomically close surgical wounds while still optimizing patient recovery and not compromising the cosmetic appearance in wound closure. Currently more advanced and developed products exist for laparoscopic suturing, but not for superficial suturing. This project aims to find a way to close the most superficial layer of the skin in surgical incisions that is faster and more comfortable than current suturing techniques. The design process began with stakeholder interviews and market research, identifying key shortcomings of current manual …

Engineering Pamam Dendrimers For Optimized Drug Delivery, Amin Aleebrahim Dehkordi, Shirin Mollazadeh, Amirreza Talaie, Mostafa Yazdimamaghani

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dendrimers, first introduced by Fritz Vögtle in 1978, have emerged as promising nanocarriers for drug delivery due to their unique branched architecture, large internal cavities, and numerous surface amine groups. These dendrimers efficiently load various drugs through electrostatic interactions, covalent bonding, or encapsulation, owing to their high density of terminal amine groups. However, the inherent cationic nature of PAMAM dendrimers can lead to cytotoxicity and limited systemic circulation due to interactions with negatively charged biomolecules. To address these limitations, surface modification strategies have been developed to enhance targeting, trigger-controlled drug release, and decrease cytotoxicity. This review critically examines recent advancements …

Increasing A-Type Co32− Substitution Decreases The Modulus Of Apatite Nanocrystals, Stephanie Wong, Abigail Eaton, Christina Krywka, Arun Nair, Christophe Drouet, Alix Deymier

Faculty Publications

Biological apatite mineral is highly substituted with carbonate (CO₃²⁻). CO₃²⁻ can exchange for either phosphate, known as B-type, or hydroxyl groups, known as A-type. Although the former has been extensively studied, A-type CO₃²⁻ substituted apatites are poorly understood. Therefore, A-type CO₃²⁻ apatites with biologically relevant levels of CO32− (1.7–5.8 wt%) were prepared and characterized. The addition of A-type CO₃²⁻ into the apatite structure caused the predicted expansion of the a-axis and contraction of the c-axis in the unit cell. This was accompanied by a significant modification in the atomic …

Overexpression And Biophysical And Functional Characterization Of A Recombinant Fgf21, Phuc Phan, Jason Hoang, Thallapuranam Krishnaswamy Suresh Kumar

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an endocrine FGF that plays a vital role in regulating essential metabolic pathways. FGF21 increases glucose uptake by cells, promotes fatty acid oxidation, reduces blood glucose levels, and alleviates metabolic diseases. However, detailed studies on its stability and biophysical characteristics have not been reported. Herein, we present the overexpression, biophysical characterization, and metabolic activity of a soluble recombinant FGF21 (rFGF21). The far-UV circular dichroism spectra of rFGF21 show a negative trough at 215 nm, indicating that the protein’s backbone predominantly adopts a β sheet conformation. rFGF21 shows intrinsic tyrosine fluorescence at 305 nm. Thermal …

Unified Adaptive Cross-Attention Multimodal Network, Mahesh Sunuwar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Accurately diagnosing appendicitis remains a significant challenge in emergency medicine due to its varied clinical presentation and overlap with other abdominal conditions. Existing diagnostic models often rely on unimodal data, such as computed tomography (CT) images or clinical notes, limiting their ability to capture the full complexity of patient information. This study proposes a novel multimodal framework, a Unified Adaptive Cross-Attention Multimodal Framework (u-ACM), that integrates CT images and clinical notes using hybrid fusion strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy for appendicitis. The u-ACM leverages adaptive contextual filtering to dynamically remove irrelevant features, crossattention mechanisms to align features between modalities, and …

Thermophysical Properties Of Aqueous Amine Salts For Closed Air Cabin Revitalization, Mahmud R. Yusuf, Isabela Flores, Ben Hines, Li Hua Zhang, Seth Christa, Brooks D. Rabideau, Kevin West, Breanna Dobyns, James Davis

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plays a crucial role in closed cabin air revitalization, however current CO2 capture technologies pose several issues. Traditional amine solutions, such as monoethanolamine, are commonly used in CO2 capture on the International Space Station but face drawbacks including high volatility, thermal degradation, and unpleasant odor. To overcome these challenges, amine salt solutions have emerged as promising alternatives. Amine salt solutions have reduced environmental impact, lower corrosion potential, and improved CO2 loading capacity, making them a more efficient and sustainable replacement. Knowing these physical properties are critical for modeling and optimizing a scrubbing process that employs these …