Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Modular Open-Source Design Of Pyrolysis Reactor Monitoring And Control Electronics, Finn K. Hafting, Daniel G. Kulas, Etienne Michels, Sarvada Chipkar, Stefan Wisniewski, David Shonnard, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Industrial pilot projects often rely on proprietary and expensive electronic hardware to control and monitor experiments. This raises costs and retards innovation. Open-source hardware tools exist for implementing these processes individually; however, they are not easily integrated with other designs. The Broadly Reconfigurable and Expandable Automation Device (BREAD) is a framework that provides many open-source devices which can be connected to create more complex data acquisition and control systems. This article explores the feasibility of using BREAD plug-and-play open hardware to quickly design and test monitoring and control electronics for an industrial materials processing prototype pyrolysis reactor. Generally, pilot-scale pyrolysis …

Evaluation Of Polyvinyl Alcohol (Pva) For Electrospinning Utility In The Blood Vessel Mimic (Bvm) Lab, Logan Vandenbroucke

Master's Theses

Electrospinning has provided the opportunity to create extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicking scaffolds for the development of tissue-engineered constructs. Within Professor Kristen Cardinal’s Blood Vessel Mimic (BVM) Lab, at Cal Poly, there exists a constant demand for innovation and the expansion of polymer types and electrospinning capabilities for its BVM model. Along these lines, the BVM Lab has recently acquired two new electrospinning systems: the Spinbox, a commercially graded electrospinning system, and the Learn-By-Doing system, which was part of a recently completed thesis conducted by Jason Provol. Additionally, recently published literature has demonstrated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a viable option for …

Effects Of Beet Supplements On Cardiovascular Response Using A Noninvasive Blood Pressure Cuff, Nicholas M. Hughes

Master's Theses

A Calibrated Cuff Plethysmography device was built, tested for verification, and used to experiment on human subjects to measure the cardiovascular response of consuming a beet supplement, specifically looking at arterial compliance and pressure-area curves. Each subject was tested four times. A baseline was measured under normal conditions and after five-minute hyperemia conditions. 10 subjects were given 6 ounces of water mixed with either purple Kool-Aid (control), a SuperBeets supplement, or a SuperBeets Sport supplement and after 45 minutes, measurements were taken undergoing normal and hyperemia conditions once more. The verification testing demonstrated the calibration of the device was effectively …

Molecular Separation By Using Active And Passive Microfluidic Chip Designs: A Comprehensive Review, A. Ebrahimi, K. Icoz, R. Didarian, C.-H. Shih, A. Akpek, Berivan Cecen, Sabanci A. Bal-Ozturk, K. Güleç, Y.-C.E Li, S. Shih, B. Sirma Tarim, H.C. Tekin, E. Alarçin, H. Ghorbanpoor, C. Özel, A. Eker Sarıboyacı, Guzel F. Dogan, N. Bassous, S.R. Shin, H. Avci

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Separation and identification of molecules and biomolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and polysaccharides from complex fluids are known to be important due to unmet needs in various applications. Generally, many different separation techniques, including chromatography, electrophoresis, and magnetophoresis, have been developed to identify the target molecules precisely. However, these techniques are expensive and time consuming. “Lab-on-a-chip” systems with low cost per device, quick analysis capabilities, and minimal sample consumption seem to be ideal candidates for separating particles, cells, blood samples, and molecules. From this perspective, different microfluidic-based techniques have been extensively developed in the past two decades to separate …

Combining Adhesive And Nonadhesive Injectable Hydrogels For Intervertebral Disc Repair In An Ovine Discectomy Model., Christopher J Panebianco, Caroline Constant, Andrea J. Vernengo, Dirk Nehrbass, Dominic Gehweiler, Tyler J Distefano, Jesse Martin, David J Alpert, Saad B Chaudhary, Andrew C Hecht, Alan C Seifert, Steven B Nicoll, Sibylle Grad, Stephan Zeiter, James C Iatridis

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc (IVD) disorders (e.g., herniation) directly contribute to back pain, which is a leading cause of global disability. Next-generation treatments for IVD herniation need advanced preclinical testing to evaluate their ability to repair large defects, prevent reherniation, and limit progressive degeneration. This study tested whether experimental, injectable, and nonbioactive biomaterials could slow IVD degeneration in an ovine discectomy model.

METHODS: Ten skeletally mature sheep (4-5.5 years) experienced partial discectomy injury with cruciate-style annulus fibrosus (AF) defects and 0.1 g nucleus pulposus (NP) removal in the L1-L2, L2-L3, and L3-L4 lumbar IVDs. L4-L5 IVDs were Intact controls. IVD injury …

Perfusability And Immunogenicity Of Implantable Pre-Vascularized Tissues Recapitulating Features Of Native Capillary Network, Dhavan Sharma, Archita Sharma, Linghao Hu, Te An Chen, Sarah Voon, Kayla J. Bayless, Jeremy Goldman, Alex J. Walsh, Feng Zhao

Michigan Tech Publications

Vascularization is a key pre-requisite to engineered anatomical scale three dimensional (3-D) constructs to ensure their nutrient and oxygen supply upon implantation. Presently, engineered pre-vascularized 3-D tissues are limited to only micro-scale hydrogels, which meet neither the anatomical scale needs nor the complexity of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) environments. Anatomical scale perfusable constructs are critically needed for translational applications. To overcome this challenge, we previously developed pre-vascularized ECM sheets with long and oriented dense microvascular networks. The present study further evaluated the patency, perfusability and innate immune response toward these pre-vascularized constructs. Macrophage-co-cultured pre-vascularized constructs were evaluated in vitro to …

Methods For Objective Determination Of Musculoskeletal Coordinate Systems, Tara Francesca Nagle

ETD Archive

Joint mechanics research relies on joint kinematics and kinetics measurements, represented from relative relationships of local coordinate systems (CS) belonging to bones of the joint. It’s common to define these CSs from anatomical landmarks, which are sensitive to observer variability and often don’t result in CS that best represent the functional motion of the joint. This work is presented in three articles addressing the following aims: 1) to develop a method to objectively define coordinate systems through optimization of unique passive movement paths, 2) to develop an alternative method to objectively define coordinates systems for joints with non-unique passive movement …

Influence Of Ligament Locations And Activity Profiles On Risk Of Knee Injury In Adolescents, Alexandria Mallinos

ETD Archive

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the body. The overall goal of this project is to develop patient-specific computational pediatric knee models that can accurately predict the in vivo biomechanical environment of the ACL. The foundation of this research is broken down into three specific parts: 1) model construction, 2) model validation, and 3) model application.

Specific Aim #1 developed anatomically accurate specimen-specific finite element representations of pediatric tibiofemoral joints. The models were able to demonstrate the ability for the Open Knee cruciate stereolithography (stl) files to be three-dimensional scaled to create subject-specific ligaments …

Noninvasive Mapping Of Global And Regional Functional Connectivity In The Brain Of Children With Drug Resistant Epilepsy And Healthy Controls, Ludovica Corona

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

For patients with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE), resective surgery is the most effective treatment to achieve seizure-freedom. Its success largely depends on the resection, ablation, or disconnection of the epileptogenic zone (EZ), defined as the minimal area indispensable for the generation of seizures, with minimal or no functional deficits. To date, there is no clinical exam to delineate the EZ unambiguously. Instead, the EZ is indirectly defined through multiple noninvasive diagnostic tests used by the multidisciplinary epilepsy team, whose results are often insufficiently concordant or inconclusive. Thus, extra-operative intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) monitoring may be needed to precisely define the EZ …

Lung Cancer Growth Forecasting And Classification Models By Machine Learning Using A Novel 2d Co-Culture High Throughput Device, Adam Adrien Germain

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Co-culture devices have commonly been used during in vitro experimentation to create therapeutic testing devices for lung cancer that more closely mimic the in vivo environment to gain better insights into new therapies and the reasons for inconsistency for current therapies. Moreover, AI (artificial intelligence) in the form of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and convolutional long-short term memory neural networks (convLSTM) are being used to classify, diagnose, and predict drug outcomes from the visual data provided by clinical imaging modalities, such as CT-scans, MRIs, or histopathological slides among others, or from numerical and textual data gathered from the genetic testing …

Advances And Applications In Ultrasound-Switchable Fluorescence Imaging, Liqin Ren

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Cancer diagnosis is a prerequisite for further medical therapy and treatment. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is a desirable modality without invasiveness and nonionizing radiation. However, fluorescence suffers from a strong light scattering in tissues, leading to a low spatial resolution and low sensitivity in centimeter-deep tissue (limited to several millimeters). To enhance spatial resolution and avoid the high scattering of conventional fluorescence imaging in deep tissue, ultrasound-switchable fluorescence (USF) imaging has emerged as a highly promising technique for biomedical imaging and research. The principle of improving spatial resolution in USF imaging is to confine the fluorescence emission from thermosensitive fluorophores …

Development Of Multiscale And Multidimensional Light Sheet Microscopy For Image-Based Modelling Of Organogenesis, Tanveer Ashwini Ashwini Teranikar

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Behavioral analysis of individual cells, in the form of structural phenotypes arising in response to mechanical stimuli or genomic alterations as small molecule intermediates of disease, are instrumental for understanding organogenesis. In this regard, dynamic cell tracking or temporal changes in cell shape, area and size are vital for modelling tissue interactions. However, optical diffraction limits imposed by lenses, hinders high resolution volume reconstruction of microscale biological processes and subcellular organelles. Thereby, isotropic intensity is restricted to limited focal volumes, reducing imaging distance to less than 1 mm for high magnification. To combat this, Light Sheet Microscopes (LSM) have emerged …

Quantification Of Dynamic Changes Of Hemodynamic And Metabolic Responses To Brachial Artery Occlusion: A Broadband Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study, Caroline Elizabeth Carter

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in the United States, and non-Hispanic African Americans are at higher risk than other racial and ethnic groups. Endothelial dysfunction is a major contributor to CVD development and progression. Remote ischemic pre/conditioning (RIC), which involves exposing cells or tissues to brief sublethal stress, has been shown to protect cardiovascular cells from ischemia and reperfusion injury, including CVD. This study aimed to investigate hemodynamic and metabolic dynamics in response to 5-min forearm arterial occlusion using broadband near-infrared spectroscopy. My thesis is a tripartite investigation that weaves RIC, mitochondrial dynamics, and health disparities …

Formation And Morphological Changes Of Stress Actin Filaments In Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, Adam Priester

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) are a sub-type of stem cell that can be collected and isolated from the adipose tissue. Adipogenesis describes the commitment and differentiation of stem cells, including ADSCs, toward the adipocyte lineage. While much research has been completed on this process in the long term (>2 weeks), morphological changes of adipogenesis during the early phase (<24 hours) are lacking in the literature and remain to be elucidated. The current study focuses on these changes in the early and later stages of adipogenesis using adipogenic differentiation factors and fluorescent imaging analyses. Quantifiable data on morphological changes during both phases can provide insight into how these changes affect later differentiation and lay the groundwork for additional research in this area. Using fluorescent image analysis, it was shown that the eccentricity of ADSCs, a measure of cellular circularity, decreases exponentially in the early phase of adipogenesis. In contrast, the cellular area appears to increase exponentially during the same early period. During the later stages of differentiation, it was shown that actin filament length decreases exponentially and the ratio of lipid to actin length increases exponentially, demonstrating that lipid accumulation outpaces actin filament shortening and increasing circularity during the later stages. These findings may be used in future studies to further define the role of actin filament-mediated morphological changes and mechanobiology during adipogenesis.

Investigation Of Rate Pressure Product As A Metric To Quantify Cardiac Workload In Sleep Apnea Events, Carlos Cruz

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

An investigation on the use of rate pressure product (RPP) to measure the cardiac workload in sleep apnea patients is presented. RPP is the product of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR). The application of RPP to quantify cardiac workload is combined with the detection of respiratory events occurring in close proximity (less than 30 seconds apart). These two combined factors provide a unique framework for analyzing sleep apnea events and are the primary novelty of the study. Close proximity events are referred to as respiratory event chains (RECs). Statistical analyses were conducted on various RPP metrics as …

The Effects Of Poloxamer 188 On Wound Closure In A Mouse Brain Endothelium Model, Mia Claire Grubbs

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a crucial role in maintaining central nervous system homeostasis and, if structurally and functionally compromised, can lead to severe neurological consequences. This thesis explores the therapeutic potential of Poloxamer 188 (P188) in the context of BBB wound healing. P188, FDA-approved copolymer that is known for its cytoprotective properties, is examined for its impact on endothelial monolayers through in vitro scratch wound assays. The study aims to establish a consistent endothelial monolayer model, quantify wound healing dynamics, and assess the efficacy of P188 at varying concentrations. The thesis goals include detailed methodologies such as cell culture …

Novel Implementation Of Additive Manufacturing To Visualize The Human Brain Connectome, Greg Tyler

Computational and Data Sciences (MS) Theses

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging technology with diverse areas of application. In this paper we explore a new application of AM that uses a subset of AM known as 3D printing, to create real life models of the human connectome. The human connectome is a color coded map of the connections in the human brain where directions are indicated by colors and the density of connections are indicated by color intensity.

There are several different algorithms for mapping the connections and describing the output. The Neu- roImaging Tools and Resource Collaboratory (NITRC) provides one such algorithm. It uses probabilistic …

An Improved Saliency Map With Trustworthiness For Localizing Abnormalities In Medical Imaging, Nolan C. Skelly

Theses and Dissertations

Saliency maps are a widely used methodology to make deep learning models more interpretable. They provide post-hoc explanations through identification of the most pertinent areas of an input medical image. These techniques have been assessed based on 1) localization utility, 2) sensitivity to model weight randomization, 3) repeatability, and 4) reproducibility. Ten saliency map techniques will be tested, Grad, Smooth Grad, Integrated Gradients, Smooth Integrated Gradients, XRAI, Grad-CAM, Guided Backpropagation, Guided GradCAM, GradCAM++, and ScoreCAM. The neural networks used to predict and read medical information require a reliable solution to provide medical practitioners intelligible results. Using the information of two, …

Design Of Human Serum Albumin And Adenovirus Conjugation Via Catcher/Tag Molecular Glue, Peijie Zhao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Adenovirus (Ad) has been the ideal cargo delivery mechanism, and its moderate immunological response makes it ideal for in vivo gene therapies since its discovery in 1953. However, the robust immunogenicity of the Ad capsid and low vaccine absorption via mucous membranes and epithelium put a limit on the process of developing intranasal vaccines. Efforts are being made to enhance the effectiveness of Ad vectors and numerous studies have demonstrated the remarkable capacity of human serum albumin (HSA) to extend plasma half-life and facilitate targeted intranasal delivery. In this study, we devised an innovative method for employing the Catcher/Tag molecular …

Determining The Effects Of Glycocalyx Modifications On The Electrophysical Properties Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rominna E. Valentine Ico

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have gained popularity in clinical trials due to their multipotent differentiation characteristics, ability to secrete bioactive molecules, migrate into diseased or damaged tissues, and their immunosuppressive properties. HMSC cultures are heterogeneous, containing stem cells, partially differentiated progenitor cells, and fully differentiated cells. One of the major challenges with hMSCs therapeutic potential is the inability to select specific cell subpopulations due to an insufficient number of biomarkers. Often the biomarkers used, like those for fluorescence-activated cell sorting, are not sufficient to define hMSCs because they overlap with other cell types. Consequently, there is a need to …