Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

A Wheelchair-Bed Transfer Device For Patients With Limited Mobility, Malachie Nichols

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the population ages, eldercare becomes more important than ever, yet many caregivers lack the resources they need to safely do their jobs. For those who take care of a disabled loved-one at home or work as home health aides, basic tasks can be frustrating and even dangerous. The high physical demands of moving and lifting patients make injuries common among home health care workers. Musculoskeletal injuries to the back, shoulders, wrists, and hands are especially common. The use of transfer devices such as Hoyer lifts, slide boards, and gait belts help to make moving patients easier and safer, but …

Study Of The Stability Of Heparin/Collagen Layer-By-Layer Coatings, Hector M. Apodaca Reyes

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pairing heparin with collagen-based medical implants has opened a whole new area of research for enhancing the desired effect of current implants. In fact, heparin (HEP) and collagen (COL) layer-by-layer (LbL) coatings have shown impressive results in forming polyelectrolyte multilayers. It has been already seen on skin grafts, nerve guide conduits (NGCs), and drug delivery devices yielding promising results. Due to being a simple, cost-efficient, and versatile option to fabricate thin biomimetic films, this self-assembly technique is one of the most effective methods to immobilize extracellular matrix (collagen and heparin) onto medical devices and implants. Even though previous studies have …

Characterizing And Quantifying Shear-Induced Hemolysis In A Hollow Fiber Membrane System, Siddhi Bhat

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Clinical studies have shown that patients undergoing renal replacement therapy are more susceptible to developing hemolysis, or the rupturing of red blood cells. Rapid hemolysis can cause symptoms such as anorexia, vomiting, and even death in severe cases. The aim of this study is to identify how shear stress within a hollow fiber membrane impacts the level of hemolysis that occurs. This allows for the optimization of the ultrafiltration membranes that are typically used for hemofiltration treatments. The variables being studied are the radii of hollow fibers, number of fibers, and volumetric flow rate of blood being circulated. Here, we …

Comparing Firocoxib And Meloxicam In The Application Of Microneedle Patch For Transdermal Drug Delivery, Ruohan Li

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis compares the performance of meloxicam and firocoxib in the aspects of its physical characteristic, chemical compositions, and in-vitro performances for transdermal pain management microneedle patches on farm animals. The microneedle patches are composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), type I collagen (COL), and chitosan (CHI) as base material that carries NSAIDs to achieve therapeutic purposes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the morphological and physical characteristics of the microneedle patches. Both meloxicam and firocoxib microneedle patches were successfully prepared using the methodology, with organized microneedle distribution and sizing. And Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the chemical …

Interrogating Autism From A Multidimensional Perspective: An Integrative Framework., Mohamed T. Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition characterized by social and behavioral impairments, affecting approximately 1 in every 44 children in the United States. Common symptoms include difficulties in communication, interpersonal interactions, and behavior. While symptoms can manifest as early as infancy, obtaining an accurate diagnosis may require multiple visits to a pediatric specialist due to the subjective nature of the assessment, which may yield varying scores from different specialists. Despite growing evidence of the role of differences in brain development and/or environmental and/or genetic factors in autism development, the exact pathology of this disorder has yet to be fully …

Tumor Targeting Gold Nanoparticles For Delivery Of Rna And Dna Oligonucleotide Therapies For Glioblastoma., Nicholas Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors are highly aggressive gliomas due to genetic and cellular heterogeneity. Current GBM treatment consists of surgical resection of the tumor combined with radio- or chemo-therapies. While these treatments have increased the life expectancy for GBM patients up to 20 months, they have had little effect on the 5-year survival rate. The complex cellular and genetic composition of the tumor makes current treatments less effective long term. One approach to developing more effective GBM treatments is to customize nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems that can directly target the aberrant gene expression patterns within a particular GBM tumor. Delivery …

The Study Of Corrosion On Additive-Manufactured Metals., Braydan Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the corrosion mechanisms between wrought and additive-manufactured (3D-printed) copper and stainless steel. The experimental procedure consisted of measuring the open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, Tafel analysis, surface topology, and scanning electron microscopy for each metal within salt water, tap water, sulfuric acid, and synthetic body fluid (excluding copper in synthetic body fluid).

Overall, printed stainless steel was more corrosion-resistant than wrought stainless steel in tap water and synthetic body fluid based on OCP, LSV, and surface topology results. Additionally, printed copper was more corrosion-resistant than wrought …

Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy is a technology that relies on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy functioning ones. One of the cells used for such advanced therapies are stem cells, owing to their ability to differentiate into specific cells required for repairing damaged or defective tissues or cells. The majority of cell-based products are intended to transiently persist in the patient, secreting factors which then allow the patient’s body to heal; in these products, the cells are subsequently eliminated from the body. Furthermore, unique manufacturing platforms, in addition to novel commercialization strategies, will be required to create a successful, sustainable cell …

Biodegradable Magnesium Materials Regulate Ros-Rns Balance In Pro-Inflammatory Macrophage Environment, Maria Paula Kwesiga, Amani A. Gillette, Seyedehfatemeh Razaviamri, Margaret E. Plank, Alexia L. Canull, Zachary Alesch, Weilue He, Bruce Lee, Roger J. Guillory Ii

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The relationship between reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS-RNS) secretion and the concomitant biocorrosion of degradable magnesium (Mg) materials is poorly understood. We found that Mg foils implanted short term in vivo (24 h) displayed large amounts of proinflammatory F4/80+/iNOS + macrophages at the interface. We sought to investigate the interplay between biodegrading Mg materials (98.6% Mg, AZ31 & AZ61) and macrophages (RAW 264.7) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (RAW 264.7LPS) to induce ROS-RNS secretion. To test how these proinflammatory ROS-RNS secreting cells interact with Mg corrosion in vitro, Mg and AZ61 discs were suspended approximately 2 mm above a monolayer of …

Synthesis, Radiolabeling And Evaluation Of A Suite Of Tracers With 44Sc For Detecting Extracellular Dna, Zhiyao Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Neutrophil extracellular traps involve the rapid translocation of DNA to the outside of the cell under certain stimuli. This structure forms a fibrous network that is able to limit the spread of pathogens and to kill microorganisms. It has also been shown to be present in various pathological processes such as inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer metastasis. Currently, the formation process of NETs in vivo is being extensively studied. However noninvasive detection and quantitation has yet to be achieved. A class of PET tracers are described here that consists of a DNA dye as the backbone that is labeled with …

A Magneto-Rheological Platform To Dynamically Control Afterload In Engineered Micro Heart Muscles, David Schuftan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death is the United States, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths. Many types of cardiovascular disease are linked to the mechanical forces placed on the heart. However, how these mechanical forces exactly affect the cellular biology of the heart is not well defined. In vitro models using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells enable researchers to develop medium throughput systems to study cardiac mechanobiology at the cellular level. Previous models have been developed to enable the study of mechanical forces such as cardiac afterload. However, most of these models require …

Scan2drawing: Use Of Deep Learning For As-Built Model Landscape Architecture, Sisi Han, Yuhan Jiang, Yilei Huang, Mingzhu Wang, Yong Bai, Andrea Spool-White

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper presents an innovative and fully automatic solution of generating as-built computer-aided design (CAD) drawings for landscape architecture (LA) with three dimensional (3D) reality data scanned via drone, camera, and LiDAR. To start with the full pipeline, 2D feature images of ortho-image and elevation-map are converted from the reality data. A deep learning-based light convolutional encoder–decoder was developed, and compared with U-Net (a binary segmentation model), for image pixelwise segmentation to realize automatic site surface classification, object detection, and ground control point identification. Then, the proposed elevation clustering and segmentation algorithms can automatically extract contours for each instance from …

An Integrated Experimental And Modeling Approach To Design Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactors (Rabrs) Via Optimizing Algae Biofilm Productivity, Nutrient Recovery, And Energy Efficiency, Gerald Benjamin Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Microalgae biofilms have been demonstrated to recover nutrients from wastewater and serve as biomass feedstock for bioproducts. However, there is a need to develop a platform to quantitatively describe microalgae biofilm production, which can provide guidance and insights for improving biomass areal productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency. This paper proposes a unified experimental and theoretical framework to investigate algae biofilm growth on a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR). The experimental laboratory setups are used to conduct controlled experiments on testing environmental and operational factors for RABRs. We propose a differential-integral equation-based mathematical model for microalgae biofilm cultivation guided by laboratory …

Blood Flow Regulates Atherosclerosis Progression And Regression, Morgan A. Schake

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

Atherosclerosis is the most prevalent pathology of cardiovascular disease with no known cure. Despite the many systemic risk factors for atherosclerosis, plaques do not form randomly in the vasculature. Instead, they form around bifurcations and the inner curvature of highly curving arterial segments that contain so-called disturbed blood flow that is low in magnitude and multidirectional over the cardiac cycle. Conversely, straight, non-bifurcated arterial segments that contain moderate-to-high and unidirectional (i.e., normal) blood flow are protected from plaque development. Thus, blood flow is a key regulator of atherosclerosis that may be able to be leveraged to develop new therapeutics. Towards …

The Influence Of Pesticides On Us Corn Production Environmental Impact: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Dominant Production Practices, Kyle Marinoni Lawrence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been increasing interest in reducing agricultural environmental footprints in the United States, particularly for commodity crops like corn grain. Pest management is one aspect of agricultural production that is often identified as having potential for improvement with regard to environmental impact, but there is not a robust body of literature to identify the wide-scale influence of pesticides on yield and environmental impact. In this study, we hypothesized that the use of different classifications of pesticides has a significant impact on the overall environmental impact. To test this, agricultural models were created to represent the dominant …

Dpd Guided Insight On The Formation Process Of Polyethersulfone Membranes By Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation And The Effects Of Additives, Eric Ledieu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a coarse grain simulation method, was applied to the membrane formation process of non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to gain further insight on the mechanism of certain variables and how they affect the final morphology. NIPS involves two solutions, an organic polymer dissolved in an organic solvent colloquially called the dope and an aqueous coagulation bath, brought into contact with one another. The solvents then mix, causing the polymer to fall out of solution as an asymmetric membrane with a dense surface layer and a more open subsurface layer in response to the decreasing solubility. Polyethersulfone …

Automation Of Life Cycle Assessment, Jacob Hickman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An automation program, named Jacob LCA, was created to help perform life cycle assessment (LCA). The program uses a template file to perform controlled and consistently ordered actions with the LCA program, SimaPro, and effectively removes the need for manual user input. It can be set to run using data from one or more life cycle inventory (LCI) files, which allows for rapid iteration and testing of data. It also partially addresses some of the limitations of LCA by establishing a procedure through which temporal and spatial variations in data can be integrated into LCI files and then passed to …

Development Of Medical Device For Volume Status Assessment Using Peripheral Venous Pressure, Audra Beneux

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The severe side effects of acute dehydration and blood loss may be prevented if assessed and treated quickly. As amplifier technology has improved, small peripheral venous pressure (PVP) signals collected using a transducer on an intravenous catheter can be analyzed to monitor patient volume status. This thesis details the development of an embedded system prototype that quickly and accurately assesses volume status using PVP analysis. The volume prediction algorithm classified 10 seconds of PVP data as “dehydrated” or “resuscitated”. The hardware design consisted of four primary areas: analog signal conditioning, processing, user interaction, and power. After data collection, the signal …

An In Vivo Biocompatibility Analysis Of A Novel Tissue Regeneration Matrix Using A Pig Model, Shamar Thomas

All Theses

The goal of this project is to develop an injectable bead scaffold to promote tissue regeneration in the void created by lumpectomy and to alleviate post lumpectomy problems by preventing local recurrence and minimizing surgical-related infections. Microbeads were synthesized from collagen type I and crosslinked with tannic acid to form the basis for this injectable therapeutic. Tannic acid acts as a therapeutic anticancer agent. The action mechanisms of tannins in breast cancer cells have been studied with studies showing tannins to be cytotoxic to cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Tannic acid induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells via caspase …

Xeno-Free Biomimetic Ecm Model For Investigation Of Matrix Properties On Astrocyte Cell Response, Bayan Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

Astrocytes are crucial in preserving the structural and functional integrity of the central nervous system (CNS). They participate in several physiological processes, such as the uptake of neurotransmitters, control of extracellular ion concentration, and preservation of the blood-brain barrier. Recent research has raised the possibility that astrocytes are also involved in the onset and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the precise mechanisms underlying the development and progression of AD are not fully understood, recent research has suggested that age-related changes in the brain extracellular matrix (ECM) properties may play a critical role in the progression of the disease. Investigating …