Biomechanical Engineering Commons^™

Low-Cost Prosthetic Transfemoral Socket, Emelie Deans, Joshua Ledgerwood, Leah Moore, Shaina Jung, Kristen Temnyk

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this senior project was to design and fabricate a low-cost adjustable prosthetic socket for above the knee amputees. This low-cost consideration was incorporated with the original intent to be used in Fiji, however, this changed to the Dominican Republic. It became clear that the need for an adjustable socket was more as a transitional socket. This transitional socket would be used for the first 6 -12 months upon amputation because this when the most amount of volume fluctuation occurs. The project sponsor, LIM Innovations, has already designed the Infinite Socket which contains four main functioning parts: baseplate, …

Prosthetic Socket Cooling System, Benjamin K. Kraw, Kathy Ha, Derek Piastrelli, Cuong Lai

Mechanical Engineering

A team of four senior-level undergraduate students in the Interdisciplinary Senior Project Design course in the Engineering Department of California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo have worked to develop a prosthetic socket cooling system, namely for veteran Taylor Morris and exclusively for a transfemoral prosthetic socket, under the Quality of Life+ Laboratory. This cooling system will utilize the thermoelectric effect known as the Peltier effect to transmit heat generated from the residual limb to the surrounding environment by means of forced convection over small aluminum heat sinks. Two measurement devices have also been developed to, one, measure the heat …

The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …

Numerical Modeling Of Fluid-Porous Structure Interaction In Arteries, Rana Zakerzadeh, Paolo Zunino

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Walking Simulator Mechanism, Titus Lungu, Igor Tachynskyy, Omri Tayyara

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper presents the design, simulation, and kinematic evaluation of a mechanism aimed at simulating both the motion and ground reaction forces produced by a human foot while walking. Such a mechanism can be used to test the durability of shoes through life cycle analysis. In attempting to mimic the physical motion of the human foot as closely as possible, the forces experienced by the human foot were also accurately replicated through the incorporation of a non-stationary testing platform. As is shown in the paper, this testing environment allows for simple adjustments to be made in order to simulate different …

Atomic Force Microscopy Based Dna Analysis, Drew Creighton

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This report explores dry and wet scanning of a surface and DNA pickup using an AFM, as well as fluorescent staining of DNA. Dry and wet scans of DNA were obtained using a cantilever AFM tip in tapping mode. Dry scans were found to be clearer than wet scans; however, the drying process was found to decrease the thickness of DNA 2–4 times less than its original thickness. Alternately, wet scans were found to be less clear than dry scans and introduced more noise into the images obtained. Additionally, DNA kept its initial thickness during wet scanning. DNA was capable …

Portable High Throughput Digital Microfluidics And On-Chip Bacteria Cultures, Yiyan Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An intelligent, portable, and high throughput digital microfluidic (DMF) system is developed. Chapter 1 introduces microfluidics and DMF systems. In Chapter 2, a low-cost and high resolution capacitive-to-digital converter integrated circuit is used for droplet position detection. A field-programmable gate array FPGA is used as the integrated logic hub of the system for highly reliable and efficient control of the circuit. In this chapter a fast-fabricating PCB (printed circuit board) substrate microfluidic system is proposed. Smaller actuation threshold voltages than those previously reported are obtained. Droplets (3 µL) are actuated using 200 V, 500 Hz DC pulses. Droplet positions can …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Combined In Silico And In Vitro Studies, Yi Hua

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

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health concern worldwide and has attracted significant attention due to high-impact sport as well as improvised explosive devices used in military conflicts. The earliest sign of mild TBI is associated with cognitive, behavioral and physical/somatic changes, which are commonly invisible to existing medical techniques. Thus it is essential to target mechanisms of mild TBI and its associated damage measures for earlier diagnosis/treatment and enhanced protection strategies.

In this work, the mechanism of blast-induced mild TBI was inspected through integrated in silico and in vitro models. A three-dimensional (3D) human head model …

Design And Testing Of Robotic Capsule Biosensors In The Small Intestine, Zachary Bram

Robotics and Mechanical Systems Design

Biosensors are a tool that is growing in usage and is sought out by doctors and patients alike for being a non-invasive method to monitor health. The data that can be collected from these sensors can be analyzed by doctors that are away from patients, or even by patients that do not have the ability to see a doctor. The purpose of this work is to design and test a biosensor capsule that can attach itself to the inner wall of the small intestine for a short period of time before exiting the body. This research project was a continuation …

A Retrospective Study Of Amusement Ride Restraint And Containment Systems: Identifying Design Challenges For Statistically Rare Anthropometric Cases, Paula M. Stenzler

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this project was to conduct a retrospective study of amusement ride restraint and containment systems’ failures to identify the challenges associated with existing design criteria to safely accommodate statistically rare groups that fall outside amusement industry standards. Innovations in ride technology provide an opportunity for injuries to occur if restraint and containment systems cannot properly accommodate unique patron anthropometry. It is paramount to understand how anthropometric features contribute to the patron’s ability to defeat ride restraint and containment systems. A systemic perspective was used based on industry accident data to frame the problem associated with restraint and …

Design And Analysis Of A Lift Assist Walker, Deep P. Shah

Master's Theses

Walkers provided stability to the elderly but cannot assist a person from sitting to standing. The objective of this project is to present the design and analysis of a lift assist walker. This report discusses the design and analysis of a collapsible lift assist walker capable of lifting a patient up to 250 lbs. from seated to standing in under 10 seconds. The designed walker utilized a two stage scissor mechanism with a gas spring assisted embedded linear actuator.

Assessment Of Force Coordination And Neuromuscular Quickness In Healthy Adults, Karen L. Haberland

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout daily life, it is necessary to handle and control innumerable objects. To do so, one’s hands must be precisely regulated. To ensure that an object is effectively manipulated, an individual must apply a grip force (GF) perpendicular to the object’s surface to overcome load force (LF), which acts tangential to the surface to counteract the object’s weight and inertia. Previous studies have shown an elaborate coordination between GF and LF in a variety of object manipulation tasks in healthy populations. This kinetic analysis is clinically important because the GF-LF coordination is shown to deteriorate in aging and neurologically impaired …

Characterization Of Piezoelectric Device For Implanted Pacemaker Energy Harvesting, Sunny Jay, Manuel Caballero, William Quinn, John Barrett, Martin Hill

Conference Papers

Novel implanted cardiac pacemakers that are powered by energy harvesters driven by the cardiac motion and have a 40 year lifetime are currently under development. To satisfy space constraints and energy requirements of the device, silicon-based MEMS energy harvesters are being developed in the EU project (MANpower). Such MEMS harvesters for vibration frequencies below 50 Hz have not been widely reported. In this paper, an analytical model and a 3D finite element model (FEM) to predict displacement and open circuit voltage, validated through experimental analysis using an off-the-shelf low frequency energy harvester, are presented. The harvester was excited through constant …

Efficiency Evaluation Of A Magnetically Driven Multiple Disk Centrifugal Blood Pump, Kayla H. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure is expected to ail over 8 million people in America by 2030 leaving many in need of cardiac replacement. To accommodate this large volume of people, ventricular assist devices (VADs) are necessary to provide mechanical circulatory support. Current VADs exhibit issues such as thrombosis and hemolysis caused by large local pressure drops and turbulent flow within the pump. Multiple disk centrifugal pumps (MDCPs) use shearing and centrifugal forces to produce laminar flow patterns and eliminate large pressure drops within the pump which greatly reduce risks that are in current VADs. The MDCP has a shaft drive system (SDS) …

Computational Assessment Of Neural Probe And Brain Tissue Interface Under Transient Motion, Michael Polanco, Sebastian Bawab, Hangsoon Yoon

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The functional longevity of a neural probe is dependent upon its ability to minimize injury risk during the insertion and recording period in vivo, which could be related to motion-related strain between the probe and surrounding tissue. A series of finite element analyses was conducted to study the extent of the strain induced within the brain in an area around a neural probe. This study focuses on the transient behavior of neural probe and brain tissue interface with a viscoelastic model. Different stages of the interface from initial insertion of neural probe to full bonding of the probe by astro-glial …

Biventricular Finite Element Modeling And Quantification Of 3d Langragian Strains And Torsion Using Dense Mri, Zhanqiu Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Statistical data suggests that increased use of evidence-based medical therapies has largely contributed to the decrease in American death rate caused by heart disease. And my studies are about two applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive approach in evidence-based health care research. In my first study, the achievement of a pulmonary valve replacement surgery was assessed on a patient with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). In order to evaluate the remodeling of right ventricle, two biventricular finite element models were built up for pre-surgical images and post-surgical images. In my second study, 3D Lagrangian strains and torsion in …

A Nocsae Drop Test/ 3d-Fem Study On The Relationship Between Kinematic Response Of The Head, Head Impact Contact Pressure (Hicp) And Kinetic Response Of The Brain To Delineate The Risk Of Traumatic Brain Injuries (Tbi)., Raghavendra Krishna Tej Bhamidipati

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

How many times have you seen a person slip and fall down and had a good laugh about it? How many times we slip and fall down on the floor and got up and walked away thinking everything is normal? Probably we might wonder “Are drops which occur at a small height dangerous?” Yes, they can be. Brain injuries are main reason for the fatality in youth [1], and low level falls are one of the most neglected and understated injuries.

The main objective of this study is to study the response of the brain for low level falls from …

Finite Element And Probabilistic Analysis Of Soft Tissue Structures Of The Human Lumbar Spine, Dana Joseph Coombs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human lumbar spine mechanics are influenced by soft tissue structures. Understanding and properly modeling these structures can help determine pathology, treatment, and implant design and performance. Finite element models of the L4-L5 level of the lumbar spine are often used, which include a representation of the intervertebral disc and spinal ligaments. Validation of these models are typically based on torque rotation data from a single subject or the models use average properties reported in literature. However, experimental testing reports variation up to 40% in ligament stiffness and even greater variability for annulus fibrosis properties. Probabilistic approaches enable consideration of the …

Statistical Modeling To Investigate Anatomy And Function Of The Knee, Lowell Matthew Smoger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The natural knee is a hinge joint with significant functional requirements during activities of daily living; as a result, acute and chronic injuries can occur. Pathologies are influenced by joint anatomy and may include patellar maltracking, cartilage degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis), or acute injuries such as meniscal or ligamentous tears. Population variability makes broadly applicable conclusions about etiology of these conditions from small-scale investigations challenging. The work presented in this dissertation is a demonstration of statistical modeling approaches to evaluate population variability in anatomy of the knee and function of its tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints. Three-dimensional (3D) computational models …

In-Shoe Plantar Pressure System To Investigate Ground Reaction Force Using Android Platform, Ahmed A. Mostfa

Theses and Dissertations

Human footwear is not yet designed to optimally relieve pressure on the heel of the foot. Proper foot pressure assessment requires personal training and measurements by specialized machinery. This research aims to investigate and hypothesize about Preferred Transition Speed (PTS) and to classify the gait phase of explicit variances in walking patterns between different subjects. An in-shoe wearable pressure system using Android application was developed to investigate walking patterns and collect data on Activities of Daily Living (ADL). In-shoe circuitry used Flexi-Force A201 sensors placed at three major areas: heel contact, 1st metatarsal, and 5th metatarsal with a PIC16F688 microcontroller …