Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Patterned Magnetic And Plasmonic Nanostructures In Microfluidics For Extracellular Vesicle Screening And Drug Loading, John H. Molinski

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), once dismissed as shuttles for cellular waste, have emerged as vital nanoscale biomolecules, facilitating intercellular communication through transfer of host-cell specific molecular cargo. Tumor-derived EVs, released by cancer cells, hold potential as diagnostic biomolecules due to their links to cancer cells, abundance within biofluids, and potential for direct extraction and detection. More broadly, EVs from a wide array of cellular origins have been explored as therapeutic carriers, stemming from their innate function as cargo carriers, high biocompatibility, and their ability to evade immune detection. However, harnessing EVs for diagnostic or therapeutic applications necessitates efficient isolation, purification, and …

Manufacturing Silicone In-House For The Creation Of Customized Neurovascular Blood Vessel Mimics, Jacob Wilbert Perisho

Master's Theses

The Tissue Engineering Lab at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo focuses on creating tissue-engineered Blood Vessel Mimics (BVMs) designed for the preclinical testing of neurovascular devices. These BVMs are composed of silicone models, representing anatomically accurate neurovasculatures, that are sodded with vascular cell types and then cultivated in bioreactors (which maintain physiologic conditions). These silicone models are currently sourced externally from industry partners, so the primary goal of this thesis was to develop the means and methods for the Tissue Engineering Lab to manufacture silicone models in-house.

The first aim of this thesis was to develop and explore …

Rockin’ Rehab: Novel Rocking Chair For Children With Spinal Cord Injury To Enable Trunk Muscle Activation And Detect Muscle Activation Patterns., Johnathan Jay George

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Activity-based locomotor training improves trunk control in children with spinal cord injury (SCI), and there is need for additional activities to allow these children to activate trunk muscles. The purpose of this research was to design, fabricate, and evaluate a rocking chair for children with SCI, and to investigate the activation of muscles during use. Sensorization of the chair to confirm muscle activation is also explored. Methods: Quality Function Deployment (QFD) design methodologies identified and ranked needs and features for the rocking chair. A design was developed and evaluated via finite element analysis. The chair was fabricated and tested …

Real-Time Measurements From Wearable Sensors To Enhance Stability On Uneven Terrain, Sophie Copelin

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The presented thesis is a study of sensation associated with inversion/eversion movement about the anterior/posterior axis. The long-term goal is to create a system that provides feedback to a prosthesis user, so their chances of falling is decreased. This feedback system would use wearable sensors to detect certain angles, so that sensory feedback could be provided. The study aimed to determine if Xsens Movella DOT sensors could be used in a system like this, so the accuracy of the Xsens Movella DOT sensors was assessed and the difference in angles that could be determined by them when compared to that …

Database And Machine Learning Model For Classifying Autism Spectrum Disorder From Smartphone Based Electroretinography, Rory Harris

Honors Scholar Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that negatively affects a patient’s cognitive and communication aptitude and, therefore, can severely impact that patient’s quality of life. Because of this, early diagnosis is paramount. In recent studies, electroretinography (ERG), which is a measure of the retina’s electrical response to a brief flash of light into the eye, has shown promise in detecting ASD. Access to these scans can provide early diagnosis, improving well-being. Current ERG devices are very expensive due to their on board processing capabilities. This paper aims to create an ERG device using a smartphone as the main …

Characterizing The Molecular And Cellular Changes Of Senescent Cells Induced By Diverse Stressors In 2d And 3d Microenvironments, Apoorva Chauhan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Aging is a risk factor for myriad diseases and is often associated with the accumulation of senescent cells. Cellular senescence, a process of irreversible cell cycle arrest, is associated with various changes in cellular morphology and function. While senescence will occur naturally in a time-dependent manner, it can be prematurely induced by various extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Most senescence studies model cell behavior in two-dimensional (2D) microenvironments; however, these models are not physiologically relevant. In this study, the effects of naturally occurring reactive oxygen species (ROS) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and commonly used chemotherapy drugs, doxorubicin and palbociclib, on cellular senescence …

Advancements Of A Breast Tissue Marker And Localization System, Azrin Jamison

All Theses

Breast cancer has become the most prominent cancer worldwide in women. Annual mammograms are encouraged for women of high risk to increase early detection allowing for lumpectomies rather than mastectomies to occur. Prior to a lumpectomy, a biopsy must be taken to determine if the tissue is cancerous, and a breast cancer biopsy marker (BBM) is left in the region of possible cancerous tissue. Wire localization has been the gold standard for localizing these BBMs. However, due to the reported patient discomfort and logistical inefficiencies faced by healthcare providers (HCP), non-wire localization solutions have been recently developed. This study aims …

Hand Movement Analysis For Surgical Suturing Skill Assessment, Amir Mehdi Shayan

All Theses

To enhance patient safety, surgical education is increasingly incorporating simulation for formative skills assessment and training. However, many standardized assessment tools rely on human raters for performance assessment, which is resource-intensive and subjective. Simulators that provide automated and objective metrics from sensor data can address this limitation. This thesis presents an instrumented bench suturing simulator, patterned after the Clock Face (CF) radial suturing model from the Fundamentals of Vascular Surgery (FVS), for automated and objective assessment of open suturing skills by particularly focusing on biomechanical analysis of hand movements. For this research, 97 participants (35 attending surgeons and fellows, 32 …

Microwave Imaging Technique For Breast Cancer Detection, Nure Alam Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a global problem, and it is inevitable to detect cancerous cells at early stages. In recent years, microwave imaging technology has been widely applied in biomedical applications for its non-ionizing radiation. In this study, we design a micro-strip patch antenna with an inverted T-type notch in the partial ground to detect tumor cells inside the human breast. The size of the current antenna is small enough (18 mm × 21 mm × 1.6 mm) to distribute around the breast phantom. The operating frequency has been observed from 6–14 GHz with a minimum return loss of −61.18 dB …

Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Monitoring, Genesis V. Garay, Arath Sanchez

ATU Scholars Symposium

•Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world's leading cause of death, especially prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Up to 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable. •Current ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitors, while effective in diagnosing heart rhythm issues, are often cost-prohibitive and have limitations like short monitoring periods, user-initiated recording, and offline data analysis. •This poster summarizes the foundation of the creation of a monitoring system that attempts to address these issues.

Redesign Of Robotic Walking Training Device To Involve Zero Gravity Capabilities And Daily Activities, Chad Ballard

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Many patients struggle with disabilities that hinder their ability to walk. This project aimed to create a leg assembly capable of variable gravity so that it could be combined with a Robotic Walking Training Device, and lead to better rehabilitation options for patients. This was accomplished by deriving equations of joint torque, creating circuit diagrams for Arduino systems, modeling leg assemblies in CAD, and finally combining it to create a working small-scale prototype. The result of the prototype testing showed accurate movement on each joint, especially the ankle and knee segments, to create virtual zero gravity. In addition to this, …

Finger Contracture Relief Sensorized Splint, Katia Campos, Alfonso Gonzalez, Olivia Rojas

Posters - 2024

Hand traumas may result from an accident, a burn, or even something far more common like a jammed finger. Due to the pain, the hand is immobilized and this lack of movement, in addition to the healing processes, can lead to a deformity. The specific deformity addressed in this project is a Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Flexion Contracture, which is when the middle knuckles of the fingers are stuck in a flexed position. Contractions can occur after trauma or certain illnesses. It is the shortening of muscles, tendons, skin, and nearby soft tissues that causes the joints to become very stiff. …

Towards A Wearable Device For Measuring Impedance Plethysmography Of The Radial Artery, Pritom Chowdhury

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Recent advancements in bioimpedance technology have demonstrated significant promise in the application of cardiac health monitoring. This research explores the design and development of a forearm-based wearable bioimpedance device for non-invasive measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate at an accuracy level comparable to medical-grade monitors. It utilizes a tetrapolar electrode configuration to analyze bioimpedance changes in the radial artery due to blood flow.

An ongoing aspect of this work involves the preliminary development of an embedded framework intended to integrate signal generation, acquisition, and processing within the device to achieve compact and efficient system design, anticipated to contribute to …

Surgical Navigation In Image-Guided Transoral Robotic Surgery, Yuan Shi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a minimally invasive approach in treating head and neck cancers and has demonstrated improved surgical outcomes with reduced morbidity when compared to traditional open surgery. However, the lack of haptic feedback makes it more difficult to assess the tumor extent and locate critical structures (e.g., artery and nerves). In standard-of-care TORS, preoperative imaging is used as guidance; however, it becomes inaccurate intraoperatively: the patient’s neck is hyper-extended, surgical instruments are introduced, and soft tissues deform significantly. As a result, the surgeon is required to mentally predict intraoperative deformation, which can lead to bleeding complications and …

Toward Electrical Impedance Sensing Surgical Drill For Tissue Boundary Detection, Harshavardhan Devaraj

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dental implantation is an increasingly common procedure used to treat missing teeth. However, surgical drilling to place the implant poses a high risk of injury to critical anatomy, such as inferior alveolar nerve injury or maxillary sinus perforation. A real-time surgical feedback system sensing proximity of these critical anatomy could reduce injury risks. This dissertation investigates the development of such a system that incorporates an electrical impedance sensor into the tip of a surgical drill.

A simulation framework based on finite element method (FEM) was developed to optimize the sensor as it approached a high impedance boundary. The accuracy of …

The Effect Of A Constitutive Formulation On Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses In The Human Femoropopliteal Artery: A Patient-Specific Study, Ali Ahmadi, Anastasia Desyatova

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Effect of a Constitutive Formulation on Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses in the Human Femoropopliteal Artery: a Patient-Specific Study

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves the development of atherosclerotic lesions that restrict the flow of blood to tissues downstream. The femoropopliteal artery (FPA) experiences complex mechanical deformations during daily activities, potentially contributing to the prevalence of PAD and unfavorable treatment outcomes. These deformations generate significant intramural stresses and strains, resulting in arterial injury, disease progression, and restenosis following treatment. Computational modeling offers a way to improve the repair of the FPA; however, the accuracy of these simulations relies on the selection of …

Engineering Nanofibers: Laboratory Characterization, Microstructural Analysis, And Image Processing Insights, Sayed Ahmadreza Razian, Mohammad Arjomandi, Kaspars Maleckis

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Polymer nanofibers have attracted high interest in a wide array of applications, including biomaterial scaffolding, textiles, sensors, reinforcement in composites, and filtration systems. Many of these applications combine nanofibers into non-woven fabrics for better properties and easier manipulation. The properties and performance of nanofiber-based fabrics are affected by various microstructure parameters, including fiber alignment, diameter, and gap sizes between the nanofibers. These structural parameters can be controlled by adjusting various process parameters during manufacturing process, but the exact process parameter-microstructure relationships vary depending on the polymer system and need to be studied individually. The goal of this study is to …

Development Of An In Vitro 3-Dimensional Co-Culture Human Colorectal Cancer Model In Microfluidic Devices, Abby Jens

Master's Theses

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with the relative 5-year survival rate for distant stage cancer being only 14%. The most common treatment for colorectal cancer is with chemotherapeutic drugs; however, the discovery of these drugs is costly, time-consuming, and often requires the use of animal models that do not yield results that translate to clinical trials. Due to these shortcomings, researchers seek to develop physiologically relevant in vitro tumor models that more accurately mimic the tumor microenvironment for cheaper and faster high-throughput drug screening. The aim of this research was …

Development Of A Cell Culture Incubator Capable Of Providing A Hypoxic Environment, Grant Austin Coe

Master's Theses

In order to perform more robust and physiologically relevant research, the Microphysiological Systems laboratory required a method of culturing cells where the level of oxygen could be adjusted. To fulfill this need, I designed and manufactured a hypoxic cell culture incubator. I employed a Quality Function Deployment to understand the customer requirements and convert them into engineering specifications. Based on these specifications, I created various conceptual designs. I evaluated the conceptual designs as compared to existing products and decided to move forward with the control system separated from a small, standard chamber. I developed the circuitry schematics for the temperature …

Tourniquet Pressure Gradient Measurement Apparatus, Luis Enrique Perez, Elsa Elizabeth Bates

Biomedical Engineering

The goal of this project was to design a device that would measure pressure gradient data across the width of an elastic and inelastic tourniquet cuff using a human limb model. The main customer requirements that were focused on were to accurately measure the pressure from a tourniquet, keep the cost down, and be easy to use. The targeted design specifications were to read pressure values ranging from 0-400 mmHg, keep the test length under 5 minutes, and to keep the cost of materials under $400. The design of the device ended up consisting of 5 IV pouches that were …

Finite Element Analysis Of The Bearing Component Of Total Ankle Replacement Implants During The Stance Phase Of Gait, Timothy S. Jain

Master's Theses

Total ankle replacement (TAR) implants are an effective option to restore the range of motion of the ankle joint for arthritic patients. An effective tool for analyzing these implants’ mechanical performance and longevity in-silico is finite element analysis (FEA). ABAQUS FEA was used to statically analyze the von Mises stress and contact pressure on the articulating surface of the bearing component in two newly installed fixed-bearing total ankle replacement implants (the Wright Medical INBONE II and the Exactech Vantage). This bearing component rotates on the talar component to induce primary ankle joint motion of plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. The stress response …

Assisted Delivery Device, Rachel Rowe, Madeliene Mumford, Jenna Eissmann, Brittany Trinh

Biomedical Engineering

Current devices used to assist in complicated births present serious risks to both the mother and the fetus, which has caused a decline in the use of these devices over the last decade. This senior project team has proposed an alternative device that interfaces with the infant’s shoulders that would decrease these risks and contribute to the decrease of unnecessary c-sections due to device inadequacy. This Statement of Work includes research on the downfalls of current devices, existing patents, customer requirements, engineering specifications, and a design plan through December of this year. The next phase of this project will include …

Neonatal Respiratory Therapy Interface, Kennedy Austin, Evan Manley, Parker Murray, Harrison Oen

Biomedical Engineering

This Final Report reviews and outlines the scope, objectives, and deliverables for the BCPAP Interface Redesign project, aimed at enhancing the functionality, usability, and patient experience of the existing BCPAP interface. It also includes detailed testing results and manufacturing plans for the device prototype. The current system has challenges in universal usability, time constraints, and patient comfort, which this project intends to address effectively. The goal of this project is to reevaluate and redesign the interface of the bubble continuous positive air pressure (BCPAP) machine’s attachment site with the infant. Due to the millions of premature neonates and thousands of …

Modified Zero-Gravity Chair In The Management Of Pain And Anxiety With Emphasis On Pre And Post Anesthesia For Surgical Procedures, Alexander Tisdale, Kinsley Batson, Zachary Jamous, Isabella Termini, Kyle Mooday, Matt Cohn, Jackson Justice

Annual Research Symposium

The purpose of this research is the integration of a zero-gravity chair with planar vibration as a non-pharmaceutical approach to preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain management. The treatment plan involves preoperative familiarization with the chair's vibrational patterns and postoperative use for pain relief. Integration of this approach holds promise in reshaping postoperative care paradigms, advocating for personalized, holistic interventions to enhance patient well-being and mitigate opioid-related risks.

Multimode Point Spectroscopy For Food Authentication, Sayed Asaduzzaman, Nicholas Mackinnon, Hossein Kashani Zadeh

SDSU Data Science Symposium

Enhancing food quality measurement is a necessity to guarantee food safety and adherence to health regulations. Current methods involve lab testing which are time-consuming, costly, destructive and require skilled workers. Spectroscopy has the potential to overcome these challenges. This study employs a multi-mode point spectroscopy method to distinguish food products according to their spectral characteristics,. The system records fluorescence, excited at 365 and 405 nm, visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectra. The three main subjects of the study are olive oil, milk, and honey. Samples were kept in a transparent cell culture pot, and Gray and White Spectralon …

Mobilise-D Insights To Estimate Real-World Walking Speed In Multiple Conditions With A Wearable Device, Cameron Kirk, Arne Küderle, M Encarna Micó-Amigo, Tecla Bonci, Anisoara Paraschiv-Ionescu, Martin Ullrich, Abolfazl Soltani, Eran Gazit, Francesca Salis, Lisa Alcock, Kamiar Aminian, Clemens Becker, Stefano Bertuletti, Philip Brown, Ellen Buckley, Alma Cantu, Anne-Elie Carsin, Marco Caruso, Brian Caulfield, Andrea Cereatti, Lorenzo Chiari, Ilaria D'Ascanio, Judith Garcia-Aymerich, Clint Hansen, Jeffrey M Hausdorff, Hugo Hiden, Emily Hume, Alison Keogh, Felix Kluge, Sarah Koch, Walter Maetzler, Dimitrios Megaritis, Arne Mueller, Martijn Niessen, Luca Palmerini, Lars Schwickert, Kirsty Scott, Basil Sharrack, Henrik Sillén, David Singleton, Beatrix Vereijken, Ioannis Vogiatzis, Alison J Yarnall, Lynn Rochester, Claudia Mazzà, Bjoern M Eskofier, Silvia Del Din

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to validate a wearable device's walking speed estimation pipeline, considering complexity, speed, and walking bout duration. The goal was to provide recommendations on the use of wearable devices for real-world mobility analysis. Participants with Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Proximal Femoral Fracture, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, and healthy older adults (n = 97) were monitored in the laboratory and the real-world (2.5 h), using a lower back wearable device. Two walking speed estimation pipelines were validated across 4408/1298 (2.5 h/laboratory) detected walking bouts, compared to 4620/1365 bouts detected by a multi-sensor reference system. In the …

Computational And Experimental Analysis Of Silica Nanoparticles Under Dc And Ac Electric Fields Using A Self-Induced Back Action Actuated Nanopore Electrophoresis (Sane) Sensor, Homayoun Asadzadeh, Scott Renkes, George Alexandrakis, Minjun Kim, Scott Turpin

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation I have studied a novel single-molecule nanosensor that integrates a Solid-State Nanopore (SSNP), milled in silicon nitride with a Double Nanohole (DNH) nanoaperture, milled in gold. This device leverages Self-Induced Back-Action (SIBA) for optical trapping with ssNP electrical sensing and is called the SIBA-Actuated Nanopore Electrophoresis (SANE) sensor. My lab has previously shown that simultaneous acquisition of bimodal optical and direct current (DC) electrical signatures enables more detailed characterization of nanoscopic analytes compared to using electrical data alone, which are typically collected by ssNP sensors. In this work I have first studied by COMSOL Multiphysics simulations the …

Development And Application Of Guided Mode Resonance Biosensor Platforms For Highly Sensitive And Real-Time Cell Killing Assays, Seyedmohsen Vaziri

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In this work, we developed and investigated the cancer cell killing efficacy of different instances using real-time high-sensitivity measurements facilitated by Guided-Mode Resonance (GMR) sensors. The GMR biosensor technology detects shifts in the spectral peak caused by changes in the refractive index of the surrounding medium, offering a label-free method for monitoring cellular events.

A549 cell line wild type and HER2 knockout (lung cancer cells) were exposed to different concentrations of Triton X-100 and ADC (Herceptin with αHFc-CL-DMDM). The GMR-based cell killing assay demonstrated exceptional sensitivity and specificity, with shifts in wavelength exhibiting a robust correlation with cell viability and …

Guardians Of The Catheters, Interprofessional Collaboration Reduced Cauti Rates At Phfh, Dawn Doud, Angela Shemwell, Stephanie Brown, Tobi Bryan, Georgia Gauron, Tasha Anisimov, Peter Weitzman, Emma Peterson, Tiffanie Rampley

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Abstract Title: A Quality Improvement Project to Reduce CAUTIs on Inpatient Units

Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to understand how interprofessional collaboration contributed to CAUTI reduction on inpatient acute care units.
2. Participants will be able to understand education nurses completed to reduce CAUTI rates on inpatient acute care units.

Purpose/Aims:

To reduce CAUTI rates for adult inpatients admitted to the acute care units: Progressive Care Unit (PCU), Surgical/Orthopedics, Medical/Oncology, and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Background

An increase in CAUTI rates for adults admitted to inpatient units was identified in January of 2024. The CAUTI rate at that time was …

An In-Vitro Model For Visualizing Intraocular Lens And Lens Capsule Interaction In Posterior Capsule Opacification, Amjad Chatila

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) is a common complication post cataract surgery. It is believed that Intraocular Lens (IOL) physical and chemical properties would affect their PCO potential. The tight binding between IOL and posterior lens capsule (PLC) is believed to have a negative impact on PCO formation, as suggested in the “No space, no cell, no PCO” hypothesis. To test the hypothesis, we have recently developed an in vitro 3D system to simulate IOL and PLC physical interaction. To expand the function and capability of this system, one objective of my work was to develop the next generation adhesion force …