Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Vibrotactile Sensory Substitution For Post-Stroke Rehabilitation, Carlos X. Rosado

Theses

The aftermath of a stroke leaves people with side effects such as speech and hearing problems, and loss of sensation in one side of their body. Sensory feedback in the hand is used to assess if the individual is using appropriate grip force to hold and use objects; lack of sensory feedback can lead to dropped or damaged objects, and possible hand injury. Existing force biofeedback devices are overly complex and difficult to use in the home. The goal of this project is to provide increased environmental awareness of hand grip force for individuals with reduced hand sensation. Although hand …

In Vitro Feasibility Testing Of Floating Light-Activated Minroelectrical Stimulators, Ammar Riad Abdo

Theses

One of the major challenges of neural stimulation is the mechanical stress and resulting trauma induced on the implanted electrodes by the constant movement of the interconnects. A potential way of eliminating interconnects is to use floating micro-stimulators that can be activated through optical means. As a method of energy transfer to the micro-stimulator, we propose to use a laser beam at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths.

There are two main objectives in this project to test the feasibility of the main approach; investigate the charge injection capacity of titanium nitride (TiN) and iridium oxide (IrOx) as potential contact materials, and …

Adaptable Videogame Platform For Interactive Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Sally M. Jensen

Theses

The primary objective of this work is to design a recreational rehabilitation videogame platform for customizing motivating games that interactively encourage purposeful upper extremity gross motor movements. Virtual reality (VR) technology is a popular application for rehabilitation therapies but there is a constant need for more accessible and affordable systems. We have developed a recreational VR game platform can be used as an independent therapy supplement without laboratory equipment and is inexpensive, motivating, and adaptable. The behaviors and interactive features can be easily modified and customized based on players' limitations or progress.

A real-time method of capturing hand movements using …

Characteristics Of Manure Harvested From Beef Cattle Feedlots, William F. Kissinger, Richard K. Koelsch, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Open lot cattle production systems present unique challenges for nutrient planning processes. Previous estimates of quantities and characteristics of harvested manure from this type of facility are based upon data from the early 1970s. In addition, harvested manure is impacted by weather, feeding program, season, and pen management decisions. The objectives of this study are to characterize under commercial conditions for open lot beef systems: 1) harvested manure quantities and characteristics; 2) impact of factors such as feeding program, season, and management on harvested manure; and 3) mass balance for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Data from six commercial feedlots …

The Differential Effects Of Two Critical Osteoclastogenesis Stimulating Factors On Bone Biomechanics, Yuyu Yuan

All Dissertations

Many skeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis and malignant bone metastases, are generally osteolytic and associated with increased bone resorption and decreased bone strength. Within a complex cytokine environment, the proteins RANKL and M-CSF are critical for osteoclast differentiation and activation, and thus fundamental effectors of osteolytic disorders. Previous studies showed that M-CSF stimulates the proliferation and early differentiation of osteoclast progenitors to osteoclast lineage, while RANKL targets the later stages of fusion and activation, and stimulates the formation of functional active osteoclasts. However, impacts of artificially elevated levels of these proteins on the skeleton system have not been fully characterized. …

Viability, Functionality, And Genetic Assessment Of Cells After Laser Guidance, Tabitha Rosenbalm

All Theses

We systematically vary the controllable laser parameters, namely, wavelength, intensity, and exposure time of the laser on single cells to clearly establish laser parameters that allow negligible cell damage with significant cellular position control. To accomplish this goal, embryonic day 7 (E7) chick forebrains neurons were cultured with control and test cells selected one hour after seeding to allow attachment, at which time test cells were subjected to the laser. Cells were imaged at 4, 12, 24, and 36 hours after laser exposure to evaluate viability and functionality by using the Live/Dead Viability Cytotoxicity Kit (Molecular Probes L3224) and measuring …

Spatial Sensors For Quantitative Assessment Of Retrieved Arthroplasty Bearings, Melinda Harman

All Dissertations

Evaluation of retrieved joint arthroplasty bearings provides unique evidence related to the physiological environment in which bearing materials are expected to perform. This dissertation describes the development of novel spatial sensors and measurement strategies for standardized, quantitative assessments of arthroplasty bearings, including total knee replacements, unicompartmental knee replacements, and total hip replacements. The approach is to assess bearings that endured a finite duration of function in patients, with particular emphasis on expanding our understanding of the biomechanical conditions specific to bearing function and wear in the physiological environment. Several quantifiable parameters are identified that prove comparable to pre-clinical in vitro …

Tissue And Vascular Oxygenation Dynamics Determined By Optical Approaches And Mri, Mengna Xia

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Tumor oxygenation is a crucial factor to determine the efficiency of non-surgery therapy, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, various approaches have been applied to tumor in order to improve the tumor oxygen level. Breathing oxygenrich gas with normobaric or hyperbaric pressure has been demonstrated to overcome hypoxia, but with marginal success. Therefore, the outcome would be improved greatly, if the responsive tumors were identified a priori. Two non-invasive techniques were applied to monitor tumor oxygenation dynamics simultaneously when rats were exposed to hyperoxic gas intervention. 19F MRI provides tumor tissue oxygen tension (pO2) images, while Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) …

Investigation Of Information Processing And Cognitive Performance Capacities With Different Instrumentation Configurations, Saju John Mathew

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The focus of this thesis is the investigation of two new performance capacity tests related to a concept known as "situational awareness": 1) Visual Motor Multitask Performance Capacity (VMMPC) and 2) Visual Auditory Information Processing Dexterity (VAIPD). These represent major components of human information processing and are therefore important in situations ranging from driving and other activities of daily living to occupational and sport tasks. These tests have been recently designed and implemented on a laboratory-based instrument called the BEP I. In the present project, they are implemented on a different, more portable platform that is under development and known …

Loss Of Visual Function In Light-Stressed Mice, Ana Stachowiak

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Because of the highly devastating effects of retinal degenerative diseases, the study of mechanisms of vision loss is imperative. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading causes of blindness in the elderly. In this study I examined how extreme light exposure, which causes light stress in rodents, affects the visual and retinal function of 3 strains of mice. I hypothesized that, three strains of mice, C57BL/6J, ALR/Lj and BALB/c, would all show significant changes in visual and retinal function. I used behavior testing to assess visual acuity and contrast sensitivity as well as electroretinogram (ERG) recordings to assess retinal function. …

Effects Of Ionizing Radiaton On Diaphyseal Cortical Bone, Neil Travis

All Theses

Radiation exposure is experienced in both radiotherapy and exploratory space missions. As cancer treatments improve and astronauts aim to explore beyond low earth, radiation's effects on bone must be clearly understood. Nine-week old female C57BL/6 mice were evaluated for cortical bone changes by mechanical testing, micro-computed tomography, quantitative histomorphometry, percent mineralization and micro-hardness indentation. Study one, Multi-Type study, mice received a 2 Gray (Gy) gamma, proton, iron and carbon whole body radiation dose and sacrificed 110 days post-exposure. Study two, High-Dose study, mice received a 7 Gy gamma radiation whole body dose and sacrificed 14 days post-exposure. Neither study revealed …

Raman Spectroscopy Of The Human Nail: A Potential Tool For Evaluating Bone Health?, Mark R. Towler, A. Wren, N. Rushe, J. Saunders, N. M. Cummins, P. M. Jakeman

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the current gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. However, patients can suffer osteoporotic fractures despite normal bone mineral density, partly because of unmeasured influences of both the protein and mineral phases of bone that are affected in osteoporosis. There is currently no clinically applicable method of evaluating the health of the protein phase. The proteins in human nail (keratin) and bone (collagen) require sulphation and disulphide bond (S-S) formation for structural integrity and disorders of either sulphur metabolism or cystathione beta-synthase can lead to structural abnormalities in these tissues. Raman protein spectra provide a …

The Use Of Hinged External Fixation To Provide Additional Stabilization For Fractures Of The Distal Humerus, Christopher R. Deuel, Philip Wolinsky, Eric Shepherd, Scott Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Objective: To assess improvements in fixation stability when a hinged unilateral external fixator is used to supplement compromised internal fixation for distal humerus fractures.

Methods: Removing a 1-cm section of the distal humerus in cadaveric whole-arm specimens created a comminuted distal humerus fracture model (AO type 13-A3). Fixation was then performed using different constructs representing optimal, compromised, or supplemented internal fixation. Internal fixation consisted of either 2 reconstruction plates with 1, 2, or 3 (optimal) distal attachment screws, or crossing medial and lateral cortical screws. A hinged external fixator was applied in combination with compromised internal fixation. The stability of …

Dynamic Measurements Of Lubrication Film Thickness Of Uhmwpe Contacts For Total Joint Replacements, Andrew Clark

All Dissertations

A new contact sensing technology previously developed in the Biotribology Laboratory at Clemson University was further studied, evaluated, and characterized to extend its use to the measurement of lubricating film thickness. First, the laboratory's force-controlled knee joint simulator was used while dynamic contact pressure measurements under both dry and lubricated conditions were made using the sensor technology employed in two different artificial knee implant geometries. Each implant was machined by the manufacturer from custom blocks of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) containing a grid of discrete sensing regions. The difference between the dry and lubricated contact areas measured at …

Functional Dissociation In Frontal And Striatal Areas For Processing Of Positive And Negative Reward Information, Xun Liu, David K. Powell, Hongbin Wang, Brian T. Gold, Christine R. Corbly, Jane E. Joseph

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Reward-seeking behavior depends critically on processing of positive and negative information at various stages such as reward anticipation, outcome monitoring, and choice evaluation. Behavioral and neuropsychological evidence suggests that processing of positive (e.g., gain) and negative (e.g., loss) reward information may be dissociable and individually disrupted. However, it remains uncertain whether different stages of reward processing share certain neural circuitry in frontal and striatal areas, and whether distinct but interactive systems in these areas are recruited for positive and negative reward processing. To explore these issues, we used a monetary decision-making task to investigate the roles of frontal and striatal …

Image-Guided Diffuse Optical Fluorescence Tomography Implemented With Laplacian-Type Regularization, Scott C. Davis, Hamid Dehghani, Jia Wang, Shudong Jiang, Brian W. Pogue, Keith D. Paulsen

Dartmouth Scholarship

A promising method to incorporate tissue structural information into the reconstruction of diffusion-based fluorescence imaging is introduced. The method regularizes the inversion problem with a Laplacian-type matrix, which inherently smoothes pre-defined tissue, but allows discontinuities between adjacent regions. The technique is most appropriately used when fluorescence tomography is combined with structural imaging systems. Phantom and simulation studies were used to illustrate significant improvements in quantitative imaging and linearity of response with the new algorithm. Images of an inclusion containing the fluorophore Lutetium Texaphyrin (Lutex) embedded in a cylindrical phantom are more accurate than in situations where no structural information is …

Lower Extremity Mechanics During Cutting Tasks In Different Shoe-Turf Combinations, Rafael Garcilazo

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The demands placed on the lower extremity when performing jumping and cutting maneuvers are depending, in part, on the interaction between the playing surface and the athlete's footwear. Higher demands are likely to result in increased incidence of injury, so for safety reasons it is important to quantify how the shoe-turf interface affects joint loads. The purpose of this study is to compare the forces on the lower extremity while landing and side cutting (rapid direction change at approximately 45 degrees) on artificial football turf with different styles of football cleats.

Biomedical Applications Of Polypeptide Multilayer Nanofilms And Microcapsules, Jai Simha S. Rudra

Doctoral Dissertations

The past few years have witnessed considerable growth in synthetic polymer chemistry and physics, biomaterials science, and nano-scale engineering. Research on polypeptide multilayer films, coatings, and microcapsules is located at the intersection of these areas and are promising materials for applications in medicine, biotechnology, environmental science. Most envisioned applications of polypeptide multilayers have a biomedical bent. This dissertation on polypeptide multilayer film applications covers key points of polypeptides as materials, means of polymer production, film preparation, film characterization methods, and key points of current research in basic science. Both commercial and designed peptides have been used to fabricate films for …

Code-Level Modeling Of The Hodgkin -Huxley Neuron Model Using An Open Source Version Of Spice, Anthony Stuart Carver

Doctoral Dissertations

There have been numerous studies presented in the literature demonstrating proof of principle neural-electronic circuitry. Some of these studies involve simulations of neural detection using synthetic electronic circuitry, while others involve simulations of neural excitation using external electronics. A common feature of these studies is the simplicity of the overall circuit topology. Some of these studies implement the circuit equations in conventional numerical ordinary differential equation solvers. This process involves the algebraic manipulation of the circuit equations which is a tedious process for all but the simplest circuit topologies. As the overall complexity of the network topology increases, the numerical …

Growth And Behavior Of Chondrocytes On Nano Engineered Surfaces And Construction Of Micropatterned Co-Culture Platforms Using Layer-By-Layer Platforms Using Layer -By -Layer Assembly Lift-Off Method, Jameel Shaik

Doctoral Dissertations

Several approaches such as self-assembled monolayers and layer-by-layer assembled multilayer films are being used as tools to study the interactions of cells with biomaterials in vitro. In this study, the layer-by-layer assembly approach was used to create monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, five, ten and twenty-bilayer beds of eleven different biomaterials. The various biomaterials used were poly(styrene-sulfonate), fibronectin, poly-L-lysine, poly-D-lysine, laminin, bovine serum albumin, chondroitin sulfate, poly(ethyleneimine), polyethylene glycol amine, collagen and poly(dimethyldiallyl-ammonium chloride) with unmodified tissue-culture polystyrene as standard control. Three different cell lines—primary bovine articular chondrocytes, and two secondary cell lines, human chondrosarcoma cells and canine chondrocytes were used in …

A Bimodular Polyconvex Anisotropic Strain Energy Function For Articular Cartilage, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

A strain energy function for finite deformations is developed that has the capability to describe the nonlinear, anisotropic, and asymmetric mechanical response that is typical of articular cartilage. In particular, the bimodular feature is employed by including strain energy terms that are only mechanically active when the corresponding fiber directions are in tension. Furthermore, the strain energy function is a polyconvex function of the deformation gradient tensor so that it meets material stability criteria. A novel feature of the model is the use of bimodular and polyconvex “strong interaction terms” for the strain invariants of orthotropic materials. Several regression analyses …

Potentiality Of Biogas And The Role Of Substrates In Biogas Formation Potential, Scott Shealy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Biogas infrastructure development, particularly in countries such as Vietnam, has the potential to provide great benefits to people living agrarian lifestyles in rural areas. Decentralized wastewater treatment facilities that utilize anaerobic technologies to digest organic waste for the purpose of collecting methane provide a number of benefits to centralized use as well. In both cases, users benefit from the production of methane gas, wastewater treatment, nutrient recycling, and organic fertilizers. In the case of decentralized use, as is most prevalent in Vietnam, integrated farming methods, such as the VACB model, allow farmers to reap the benefits of a wide array …

Statistical Analysis Of Joint Short-Term And Long-Term Survival In Resuscitation Research, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Objective: To develop statistical tools that utilize combined initial survival data and post-resuscitation survival data to test the null hypothesis that true, population-wide outcomes following experimental CPR interventions are not different from control. Method: A new test statistic, d2, for evaluating Type 1 error is derived from a bivariate, two-dimensional analysis of categorical initial resuscitation and post-resuscitation survival data, which are statistically independent because they are obtained during non-overlapping periods of time. The d2 test statistic, which is distributed as a chi-squared distribution, is derived from first principles and validated using Monte Carlo methods of computer simulation for thousands of …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Probe Effects Of Ultra-Short, Very-High Voltage Pulses On Cells, Viswanadham Sridhara

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The use of very high electric fields (∼ 100kV/cm or higher) with pulse durations in the nanosecond range (Ultra-short) has been a very recent development in bioelectrics. Traditionally, the electric field effects have mostly been confined to: (a) low field, long-duration pulses, and (b) focused mainly on electroporation studies. Thus, aspects such as possible field-induced DNA damage, calcium release, alterations in neuro-transmitters, or voltage-gating have generally been overlooked.

Ultra-short, high-field pulses open the way to targeted and deliberate apoptotic cell killing (e.g., of tumor cells). Though experimental data is very useful, it usually yields information on macroscopic variables that is …

Potential Of Agricultural Residues And Hay For Bioethanol Production, Ye Chen, Ratna R. Sharma-Shivappa, Deepak R. Keshwani, Chengci Chen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Production of bioethanol from agricultural residues and hays (wheat, barley, and triticale straws, and barley, triticale, pearl millet, and sweet sorghum hays) through a series of chemical pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation processes was investigated in this study. Composition analysis suggested that the agricultural straws and hays studied contained approximately 28.62–38.58% glucan, 11.19–20.78% xylan, and 22.01–27.57% lignin, making them good candidates for bioethanol production. Chemical pretreatment with sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% indicated that concentration and treatment agent play a significant role during pretreatment. After 2.0% sulfuric acid pretreatment at 121°C/15 psi for …

Simulations Of Intracellular Calcium Release Dynamics In Response To A High-Intensity, Ultrashort Electric Pulse, R. P. Joshi, A. Nguyen, V. Sridhara, Q. Hu, R. Nuccitelli, Stephen J. Beebe, J. Kolb, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

Numerical simulations for electrically induced, intracellular calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum are reported. A two-step model is used for self-consistency. Distributed electrical circuit representation coupled with the Smoluchowski equation yields the ER membrane nanoporation for calcium outflow based on a numerical simulation. This is combined with the continuum Li-Rinzel model and drift diffusion for calcium dynamics. Our results are shown to be in agreement with reported calcium release data. A modest increase (rough doubling) of the cellular calcium is predicted in the absence of extra-cellular calcium. In particular, the applied field of 15 kV/cm with 60 ns pulse duration …

Simulation And Modeling Of Nerve Impulse Propagation And Its Blockage By External Electrical Stimulation, Nidhi Nahar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The electric nature of biological tissues permits the transmission of signals for information and for control and is, therefore, of vital importance for life. The latest scientific achievements and nanoscale probing techniques now allow scientists to research at the subcellular level by measuring the electric current flows through a single ion channel of the cell membrane with the patch-clamp method. With the latter approach, the effects of electrical stimulation can be quantified, understood, and applied to molecular biology and the development of medical diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

In this thesis, the Hodgkin-Huxley approach for unmyelinated fibers, coupled with a transmission …

Reach Adaptation And Final Position Control Amid Environmental Uncertainty After Stroke, Robert A. Scheidt, Tina M. Stoeckmann

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We characterized how hemiparetic stroke survivors and neurologically intact individuals adapt reaching movements to compensate for unpredictable environmental perturbations. We tested the hypotheses that like unimpaired subjects, hemiparetic stroke survivors adapt using sensory information obtained during only the most recent movements and that the reliability of target acquisition decreases as the degree of sensorimotor impairment increases. Subjects held the handle of a two-joint robotic arm that applied forces to the hand while reaching between targets in a horizontal plane. The robot simulated a dynamic environment that varied randomly in strength from one trial to the next. The trial sequence of …

Assessment Of Blood Vessel Mimics With Optical Coherence Tomography, Garret T. Bonnema, Kristen O'Halloran Cardinal, James B. Mcnally, Stuart K. Williams, Jennifer K. Barton

Biomedical Engineering

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging mo-dality that enables assessment of tissue structural characteristics. Studies have indicated that OCT is a useful method to assess both blood vessel morphology and the response of a vessel to a deployed stent. We evaluated the ability of OCT to visualize the cellular lining of a tissue-engineered blood vessel mimic (BVM) and the response of this lining to a bare metal stent. We develop a side-firing endoscope that obtains intraluminal, longitudinal scans within the sterile bioreactor environment, enabling time-serial assessment. Seventeen BVMs are imaged with the endoscopic OCT system. The BVMs are then …

Comparison Of Stent Designs Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jonathan Murphy, Fergal Boyle

Conference Papers

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world. CAD occurs due to the build up of plaque in the coronary arteries which supply fresh blood to the constantly active heart muscle. Several methods exist to alleviate CAD such as coronary artery bypass grafting, balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting. A coronary stent is a small tubular prosthesis which can improve blood flow by acting as a scaffold to prop the diseased artery open. However, stent restenosis (re-blockage) remains a common problem with different stent designs leading to different restenosis rates. This work investigates …