Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

X-Ray Beam Characteristics And Radiation Dose Deposition To Soft Tissue From Fluoroscopic X-Ray Beams Incorporating Copper Filtration, Kevin Arthur Wunderle

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: This work investigated several topics related to dosimetry in soft tissue from fluoroscopic X-ray beams; first, it investigated the X-ray beam spectra and air kerma rates available for clinical use on state-of-the-art fluoroscopes using spectral (copper [Cu]) filtration; second, it investigated the fluoroscopic X-ray beam characteristics of first half-value layer (HVL), second HVL, homogeneity coefficients (HCs), and backscatter factors (BSFs) across the full range of available beam qualities; and third, it investigated the energy dependence of kerma-area-product (KAP)-meters measuring the radiation output of the fluoroscope. Materials and Methods: A state-of-the-art Siemens Artis Zee fluoroscope was operated in the service …

Quantitative Assessment Of Brain Iron Content As A Function Of Age Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Kiarash Ghassaban

Wayne State University Theses

As the most abundant transition metal in the brain, iron is known to play a key role in a variety of functional and cellular processes. Recent in vivo and post-mortem studies have shown that the levels of iron deposition in the brain, particularly in deep gray matter nuclei, vary as a function of age. On the other hand, elevated iron has also been associated with some neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) among others.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a widely used non-invasive and non-ionizing imaging modality which is sensitive to magnetic properties of materials …

Enhancement Of Cancer Vaccine Efficacy Via Nanoparticle Or Molecular-Based Adjuvants, Myunggi An

Wayne State University Theses

Adjuvants are immunomodulators which enhance immune responses to vaccines. However, parenteral administration of unformulated adjuvants fails to reach lymph nodes (LNs), the anatomic organ where the primary functions of immune cells are orchestrated. The LN-targeting delivery plays the key roles in promoting immune activation and has the great potential to transform disease treatment. The main goal of this thesis is to develop efficient vaccine delivery systems to target therapeutics into draining lymph nodes (dLNs) for ensuring their immunostimulatory activity. We introduced therapeutic applications of activating TLR9 with synthetic CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) agonists in nanoparticle or molecular form to activate immune …

Toward Magnetic Resonance Only Treatment Planning: Distortion Mitigation And Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Validation, Ryan Glen Price

Wayne State University Dissertations

While MR-only treatment planning has shown promise, there are still several well-known challenges that are currently limiting widespread clinical implementation.

Firstly, MR images are affected by both patient-induced and system-level geometric distortions that can significantly degrade treatment planning accuracy. . In addition, the availability of comprehensive distortion analysis software is currently limited. Also while many groups have been working toward a synthetic CT solution, further study is needed on the implementation of synCTs as the reference datasets for linac-based image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to help determine their robustness in an MR-only workflow.

A 36×43×2 cm3 phantom with 255 known landmarks …

Development Of Carbon Based Neural Interface For Neural Stimulation/Recording And Neurotransmitter Detection, Wenwen Yi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Electrical stimulation and recording of neural cells have been widely used in basic neuroscience studies, neural prostheses, and clinical therapies. Stable neural interfaces that effectively communicate with the nervous system via electrodes are of great significance. Recently, flexible neural interfaces that combine carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and soft polymer substrates have generated tremendous interests. CNT based microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have shown enhanced electrochemical properties compared to commonly used electrode materials such as tungsten, platinum or titanium nitride. On the other hand, the soft polymer substrate can overcome the mechanical mismatch between the traditional rigid electrodes (or silicon shank) and the soft …

Oxygen Transport, Shear Stress, And Metabolism In Perfused Hepatocyte-Seeded Scaffolds With Radial Pore Architecture: Experimental And Computational Analyses, Chijioke Mbanu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Several modalities have been proposed as treatments or temporary stop-gap for patients suffering from liver failure until a suitable organ is available. However there is still an urgent need for an off-the-shelf device that can accommodate clinically relevant cell numbers, be cultured at physiological oxygen tensions and, can be fully integrated into and heal the injured hepatic space. In this study we investigated the effects that convective and direct oxygenation had on hepatocyte functionality, morphology and viability while cultured in bulk 3D chitosan scaffolds and perfusion bioreactor systems. Cylindrical chitosan scaffolds with radial directed pore structures were fabricated by a …

Frequency Domain Ultrasound Waveform Tomography Breast Imaging, Gursharan Singh Sandhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ultrasound tomography is an emerging modality for imaging breast tissue for the detection of disease. Using the principles of full waveform inversion, high-resolution quantitative sound speed and attenuation maps of the breast can be created. In this thesis, we introduce some basic principles of imaging breast disease and the formalism of sound wave propagation. We present numerical methods to model acoustic wave propagation as well methods to solve the corresponding inverse problem. Numerical simulations of sound speed and attenuation reconstructions are used to assess the efficacy of the algorithm. A careful review of the preprocessing techniques needed for the successful …

Development Of Scaffold Architectures And Heterotypic Cell Systems For Hepatocyte Transplantation, Dalia Alzebdeh

Wayne State University Dissertations

In vitro assembly of functional liver tissue is needed to enable the transplantation of tissue-engineered livers. In addition, there is an increasing demand for in vitro models that replicate complex events occurring in the liver. However, tissue engineering of sizable implantable liver systems is currently limited by the difficulty of assembling three dimensional hepatocyte cultures of a useful size, while maintaining full cell viability, an issue which is closely related to the high metabolic rate of hepatocytes. In this study, we first compared two designs of highly porous chitosan-heparin scaffolds seeded with hepatocytes in dynamic perfusion bioreactor systems. The aim …

A Biomechanical Assessment Of Canine Body Armor, Sarah Stojsih

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to establish a biomechanical assessment of canine body armor with a primary focus on civilian law enforcement canines. The specific aims included: 1) the compilation of canine casualty data to determine commonly reported causes of death/euthanasia while in service for civilian law enforcement canines, 2) the evaluation of the biomechanical response of the canine related to a behind armor blunt impact, 3) the identification of an injury criterion that will best predict canine thoracic injury as a result of behind armor blunt trauma, 4) correlation of the behind armor blunt trauma response to the …

Novel Incorportation Of Biomedical Engineering Algorithms (Bispectral Index Guided Or Anesthetic Concentration Guided) In Real-Time Decision Support To Prevent Intraoperative Awareness Using An Electronic Anesthesia Information Mananagement System, Amy Melanie Shanks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall (AWR) is a feared complication of surgery that can lead to significant psychological distress. Several large prospective trials have been completed comparing two methods of monitoring anesthetic depth [minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) or electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring using the bispectral index (BIS)] for the prevention of AWR. However, these trials were conducted in high risk populations, limiting generalizability.

Research Hypothesis: Real-time decision support with Anesthesia Information Management System alerts based on a novel anesthetic concentration algorithm (incorporating the use of intravenous anesthetics) or an EEG-guided algorithm will reduce the known incidence of AWR.

Methods: First, …

Quantifying Magnetic Moments And Susceptibilities Of Small Cylindrical And Spherical Objects In Mri, Ching-Yi Hsieh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this PhD work is to develop a method for accurately quantifying effective magnetic moments and susceptibility of either cylindrical or spherical-like small objects from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A standard 3D gradient echo sequence with only one echo time is intended for our approach to measure the effective magnetic moment of a given object of interest. For the quantification of the susceptibility in the cylindrical objects at different orientations, a standard 3D gradient echo sequence with only one or two echo times is needed.

Methods: Our method is to sum over complex MR signals around the …

Novel Pulsatile Cardiac Assist Pump, Lakshmi Mohanadas

Wayne State University Theses

The project involve the research and development of a pulsatile, complex or continuous flow in biological and non-biological systems implantable heart assist pump. Specifically as a 20% cardiac assist for persons from congestive heart failure and other cardiac abnormalities. The pulsatile cardiac assist pump would provide upto 20% of the blood pumping process from the venous supply to the arterial supply. Current pumps are largely complete bypass pumps or large volume pumps that produce significant long term blood cell damage resulting in thrombosis. Most are not pulsatile which offers a significant physiological advantage. The pump under development is designed to …

Fabrication And Characterization Of A Robust, Field- Deployable, Optical Sensor Designed To Detect Particles In Oils., Navya Pandreka

Wayne State University Theses

Some types of bacteria and fungus can use iron or non-ferrous metals for their metabolic process. Sulfate-reducing bacteria can corrode pipes in the oil industry and high-end machinery. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria often degrade fuel quality and cause fuel system corrosion or alter the chemical properties of the fluid. This causes significant economic damage and safety concerns. Therefore, there is a need for a system to continuously monitor fuel or lubricant oil for the presence of bacteria and fungus.

The main goal of this project was to develop a sensor that can detect bacteria and other ferrous and non-ferrous …

Quantitative Brain Electrical Activity In The Initial Screening Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries After Blast, Chengpeng Zhou

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

QUANTITATIVE BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN THE INITIAL SCREENING OF MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AFTER BLAST

by

CHENGPENG ZHOU

August 2015

Advisor: Dr. John Michael Cavanaugh, Dr. Chaoyang Chen

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Degree: Master of Science

Objective: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) has been reported to be sensitive in the diagnosis and measurement of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in civilian setting and thus may be a promising tool in individuals who have been exposed to blast forces. Using a swine model, this study investigated EEG changes early after blast exposure. The purpose was to determine if QEEG can detect brain activity …

Evaluation Of Mems Fabricated Fractal Based Free Standing Scaffolds For The Purposes Of Developing A Brain Bioreactor, Brandy Broadbent

Wayne State University Theses

The brain is the most complex organ in the body due to the multiple cell types,

billions of tightly packed synapses, extracellular matrix, and intricate topography. Microelectrical-mechanical

fabrication techniques exhibit promise in the field of neuronal

tissue engineering because the shape is highly controllable and a variety of materials can

be used in creation of bioreactors. This work evaluates the ability of a free standing TiO2

coated fractal scaffold to support healthy neuronal growth. Also evaluated is the

propensity for the neurons to take advantage of the 3D growing surface without the use of

complex extracellular matrix factors over the …

Programmable Dna Delivery To Cells Using Bioreducible Layer-By-Layer (Lbl) Polyelectrolyte Thin Films, Maria Muniz

Wayne State University Theses

Bioreducible, layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte films show great promise for use in biomedical implant and gene-delivery applications. These nanometer-scale thin films can easily be coated onto a variety of implantable surfaces or devices. To achieve proof of concept, HEK-293, NIH/3T3, RAW, and MC3T3 cells were transfected using plasmid DNA with the green fluorescent protein reporter gene (GFP-DNA). In order to optimize transfection, a number of polyelectrolytes and biological components were systematically incorporated into the two similar basic LbL structures. Based on our previous degradation assays, it is shown that cellular interactions in vitro can break down the layers of the thin …

Assessment Of Temporal And Spatial Alterations In Spinal Glial Reactivityand The Extent Of Cervical Spinal Axonal Injury In The Rat After Blast Overpressure, Heena S. Purkait

Wayne State University Theses

Blast induced neurotrauma (BINT) is the signature wound of veterans returning from various military operations. A substantial percentage of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans have reported to experience ongoing or new pain following their military service. Head (58%) and back (55%) have been the high prevailing locations of pain in these returning OIF and OEF veterans and the underlying pathomechanism of these conditions is yet to be understood. In the context of blast overpressure induced pathological changes, the fundamental question that still needs to be addressed is whether there are any underlying cellular injury changes the …

Biomechanical And Biological Evaluation Of A Model Of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Following Noninvasive, Traumatic Rupture Of The Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Tristan Maerz

Wayne State University Dissertations

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a prevalent condition following rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). While numerous animal models of PTOA exist, most are based on surgical disruption of a stabilizing structure. In the rat, surgical ACL transection is the most commonly employed model, but it may introduce confounding biological factors due to surgery. The purpose of this dissertation was to utilize the tibial compression model of ACL injury to induce a noninvasive ACL rupture in the rat. First, a biomechanical characterization of four different loading protocols was undertaken, and a high-speed, high-displacement protocol was deemed optimal for inducing a …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Axonal Injury, Biomarker Expression And Mechanical Response In A Rodent Head Impact Acceleration Model, Yan Li

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the United States 1.4 million people sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, resulting in 235,000 hospitalizations and 50,000 fatalities annually. Traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is a serious outcome of TBI that accounts for 40-50% of hospitalizations due to head injury and one third of the mortality due to TBI, and it is difficult to diagnose and evaluate. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine mechanical injury predictors for TAI and identify potential biomarkers to evaluate TAI.

In this dissertation, a modified Marmarou impact acceleration injury model was developed to allow the monitoring of velocity of the impactor …

A Glycosaminoglycan Based, Modular Tissue Scaffold System For Rapid Assembly Of Perfusable, High Cell Density, Engineered Tissues, Ramkumar Tiruvannamalai-Annamalai, David Randall Armant, Howard W. T Matthew

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research Publications

The limited ability to vascularize and perfuse thick, cell-laden tissue constructs has hindered efforts to engineer complex tissues and organs, including liver, heart and kidney. The emerging field of modular tissue engineering aims to address this limitation by fabricating constructs from the bottom up, with the objective of recreating native tissue architecture and promoting extensive vascularization. In this paper, we report the elements of a simple yet efficient method for fabricating vascularized tissue constructs by fusing biodegradable microcapsules with tunable interior environments. Parenchymal cells of various types, (i.e. trophoblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, hepatocytes) were suspended in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) solutions …

Development And Application Of Biomimetic Electrospun Nanofibers In Total Joint Replacement, Wei Song

Wayne State University Dissertations

Failure of osseointegration (direct anchorage of an implant by bone formation at the bone-implant surface) and implant infection (such as that caused by Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus) are the two main causes of implant failure and loosening. There is a critical need for orthopedic implants that promote rapid osseointegration and prevent bacterial colonization, particularly when placed in bone compromised by disease or physiology of the patients. A better understanding of the key factors that influence cell fate decisions at the bone-implant interface is required. Our study is to develop a class of "bone-like" nanofibers (NFs) that promote osseointegration while preventing …

Computational Investigation On The Structural Properties Of Neurofilaments And Their Sidearms, Lakshmi Jayanthi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Neurofilaments (NFs) are class IV intermediate filaments, abundantly found in the large myelinated axons. They are the key determinants of axonal diameter and consequently the nerve conduction properties. On the other hand, abnormal NF accumulation has been the hallmark of debilitating neurodegenerative disorders. NF compaction is also one of the pathological manifestations of traumatic axonal Injury. However, the exact relation between the disorganized NFs and the etiology of the neurodegenerative disorders is yet to be fully understood. NFs are assembled from three subunits: Low (NFL), Medium (NFM) and Heavy (NFH). These subunits are characterized by a common alpha helical rod …

Dendrimer Based Nanotherapeutics For Ocular Drug Delivery, Siva Pramodh Kambhampati

Wayne State University Dissertations

PAMAM dendrimers are a class of well-defined, hyperbranched polymeric nanocarriers that are being investigated for ocular drug and gene delivery. Their favorable properties such as small size, multivalency and water solubility can provide significant opportunities for many biologically unstable drugs and allows potentially favorable ocular biodistribution. This work exploits hydroxyl terminated dendrimers (G4-OH) as drug/gene delivery vehicles that can target retinal microglia and pigment epithelium via systemic delivery with improved efficacy at much lower concentrations without any side effects.

Two different drugs Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) conjugated to G4-OH dendrimers showed tailorable sustained release in physiological relevant …

A Bottom-Up Assembly Of Vascularized Bioartificial Constructs Using Ecm Based Microscale Modules, Ramkumar Tiruvannamalai Annamalai

Wayne State University Dissertations

Tissue engineering aims to create functional biological tissues to treat diseases and damaged organs. A primary goal is to fabricate a 3D construct that can promote cell-cell interaction, extra cellular matrix (ECM) deposition and tissue level organization. Accomplishing these prerequisites with the currently available conventional scaffolds and fabrication techniques still remains a challenge. To reproduce the full functionality there is a need to engineer tissue constructs that mimic the innate architecture and complexity of natural tissues. The limited ability to vascularize and perfuse thick, cell-laden tissue constructs has hindered efforts to engineer complex tissues and organs, including liver, heart and …

Measuring Brain Iron In Healthy Controls And Accessing Venous Abnormalities In Parkinson's Disease Using Mri, Manju Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Iron plays a key role in a number of brain cellular processes. However, abnormal brain iron regulation correlates with a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and so forth. To further elucidate the involvement of iron in neurodegenerative disorders, a robust in vivo quantitative non-invasive assessment of normal brain iron deposition over time is essential. A variety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have been used to quantify iron both in vivo and in vitro non-invasively. We first created the baseline of phase value and ∆R2^* as a function of age in seven gray matter nuclei. …

Information Literacy Skills As A Critical Thinking Framework In The Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum, James E. Van Loon, Heather L. Lai

Library Scholarly Publications

Information Literacy (IL) instruction embedded into the engineering design curriculum can provide a framework for the development of critical thinking skills which are essential for students to master to solve open-ended engineering problems. At Wayne State University, a lecturer in biomedical engineering (BME) and a science librarian are collaborating in an ongoing effort to integrate IL instruction into the BME undergraduate design curriculum. The paper will provide a vision and rationale for integrating IL instruction into the engineering design curriculum, and discuss aspects of the Wayne State effort to effect this integration. A review of the place of critical thinking …

Neuroimage Analysis Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Human Patients, Hardik Doshi

Wayne State University Theses

CEREBRAL HEMODYNAMIC CHANGES IN MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AT THE ACUTE STAGE

by

Hardik J. Doshi

May 2014

Advisor: Dr. Zhifeng Kou

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Degree: Master of Science

There are more than 1.7 million reported traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases every year in the United States alone. Out of all these, more than 85% are mild TBI (mTBI) and it has significant socio-economic impacts. The motivation towards this study is to measure changes in the arterial cerebral blood flow (CBF) and venous oxygen saturation by combining Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging and Mapping (SWIM) techniques and …

The Application Of Graphene Films In Biosensing And Electrowetting, Xuebin Tan

Wayne State University Dissertations

In recent years, graphene has been found to possess extraordinary electronic, optical, mechanical and electrochemical properties. Graphene is optically transparent and mechanically flexible, and has high electron mobility and conductivity. In this thesis, we propose to investigate graphene's properties in the detection of biomolecules as well as the manipulation of biological samples. Graphene without defects has high charge carrier mobility and surface areas, which is ideal for biosensors. However, literature shows a lot of variations in the measurements using graphene biosensors. In addition, the surface functionalization of graphene in order to enhance the specificity has not been fully investigated yet. …

High-Performance Accelerometer Based On Asymmetric Gapped Cantilevers For Physiological Acoustic Sensing, Yating Hu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Continuous or mobile monitoring of physiological sounds is expected to play important role in the emerging mobile healthcare field. Because of the miniature size, low cost, and easy installation, accelerometer is an excellent choice for continuous physiological acoustic signal monitoring. However, in order to capture the detailed information in the physiological signals for clinical diagnostic purpose, there are more demanding requirements on the sensitivity/noise performance of accelerometers. In this thesis, a unique piezoelectric accelerometer based on the asymmetric gapped cantilever which exhibits significantly improved sensitivity is extensively studied. A meso-scale prototype is developed for capturing the high quality cardio and …

Towards A More Robust Lower Neck Compressive Injury Tolerance - An Approach Combining Multiple Test Methodologies, Daniel Toomey, King H. Yang, N Yoganadan, F A. Pintar, C A. Van Ee

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research Publications

Objective.The compressive tolerance of the cervical spine has traditionally been reported in terms of axial force at failure. Previous studies suggest that axial compressive force at failure is particularly sensitive to the alignment of the cervical vertebra and the end conditions of the test methodology used. The present study was designed to develop a methodology to combine the data of previous experiments into a diverse dataset utilizing multiple test methods to allow for the evaluation of the robustness of current and proposed eccentricity based injury criteria.

Methods. Data was combined from two studies composed of dynamic experiments including whole …