Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Engineered Basal Lamina Equivalent - Fabrication And Biomedical Applications, Deepika Tamuly

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

A novel technique based on the principle of solvent casting is developed to create uniform, ultrathin and stackable films of Collagen I/IV and ECMgel for use as Engineered Basal Lamina Equivalent. The mixture of these two proteins provides key molecular elements (laminin, collagen type IV, entactin and perlecan) in a basal lamina with strong mechanical properties (collagen type I). Rat tail derived collagen solution is mixed with ECMgel, and the solution is cast onto PDMS molds and air dried in a custom built air tunnel. The dried membranes are briefly UV cross-linked, peeled off from the PDMS mold to be …

Implementation Of A Pain Generator Controlled By Pressure And Feasability In Its Applications For Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Pamela Agwa Tebebi

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Pain is a sensory and emotional experience as a result of possible or definite tissue damage. The level of pain is subjective to the individual's consciousness of sensory stimuli. Pain stimuli can be noxious (i.e., potentially damaging) or innocuous (i.e., normally not painful). Therefore, pain perception can be based on the degree of the stimuli. Studies have been done using brain imaging modalities to assess pain. Functional Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive imaging tool and has been used to study the hemodynamic variations in the brain induced by a variety of activations. This research was a feasibility study to …

Investigation Of Brain Activity In Prefrontal Cortex Under Noxious Pain Stimuli And During Psychological Test Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Sabin Khadka

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive functional neuroimaging technique, which measures changes in oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) concentrations based on the principle of near infrared spectroscopy. For my thesis, I have utilized fNIRS in the prefrontal regions to study cognitive functions under noxious pain and during a psychological test. The fNIRS signals were acquired from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in order to investigate the hemodynamic response under noxious pain stimuli. The measurement consisted of two different visits separated by seven to ten days with two different levels of pain intensity. From the observations, PFC shows significant deactivation …

Evaluation Of Spatial Resolution And Localization Accuracy Of Absorbing Heterogenity Embedded In Homogenous And Layered Turbid Media Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Niranjana Nandakumar

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive widely used technique for imaging the brain activation patterns in the cerebral cortex of neonates and adults. For the fNIRS imaging of these brain activation patterns, it is common to assume the head geometry as a homogenous medium due to the resulting computational simplicity of the image reconstruction problem. In reality the head is not a simple homogenous medium and prior research has been conducted to show that light propagates differently in a spatially heterogeneous model of the head compared to a homogenous one, which alters the sensitivity of NIR light detection on …

A Multimodality Dlp® Imaging System For Clinical Surgery, Michael Lee Mangum

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

With 1.38 million new cases and 450,000 deaths worldwide due to breast cancer, there is a clear need for safe and complete surgical intervention for the treatment of breast cancer. Imaging solutions have been created and developed to help plastic surgeons during breast reconstructive surgery. However, these solutions were implemented separately depending on their particular modality, which can result in higher costs for hospital and patient use. The digital micromirror device (DMD) developed by Texas Instruments has been shown to exhibit spectral control of light at a digital level, and could theoretically allow for the incorporation of multiple imaging modalities …

Three-Dimensional Multimedium Computational Model For Drug Delivery Using Finite Element Analysis, Eduardo Martinez

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Approximately 2.8% of trauma patients present peripheral nerve injury, which can result in loss of motor function. Current strategies for peripheral nerve repair had focused on the development of synthetic nerve conduits that provide physical guidance. One advantage of the synthetic nerve conduits is that the conduit can be utilize as a delivery system and gain the ability to deliver neurotrophic factors, which have an effect on controlling the survival, migration, proliferation, and differentiation of different neural cell types. Currently there is no method to quantify the concentration of growth factors in the nerve conduit during the implantation time. In …

Direct Forcing And Heating Immersed Boundary- Lattice Boltzmann Method For Arterial Wall Thermography, Oluyinka Olugbenga Bamiro

Dissertations

Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques have high probability of rupture and are characterized by non-homogenous temperature along the arterial wall. The nonhomogeneous temperature is attributed to the accumulation of heat releasing inflammatory cells in the arterial wall. Rupture of the vulnerable plaque can lead to acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death. Arterial wall thermography (AWT) can be applied to detect the presence of temperature hot spots along the arterial wall by using temperature measurement devices and provide an early detection of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. AWT, however, is invasive in nature.

Computational fluid and heat transport models provide a more efficient …

Estimation Of The Centre Of Mass From Motion Capture And Force Plate Recordings: A Study On The Elderly, Sebastien Cotton, Michele Vanoncini, Philippe Fraisse, Nacim Ramdani, Emel Demircan, Andrew P. Murray, Thierry Keller

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The estimation of the centre of mass position in humans is usually based on biomechanical models developed from anthropometric tables. This method can potentially introduce errors in studies involving elderly people, since the ageing process is typically associated with a modification of the distribution of the body mass. In this paper, an alternative technique is proposed, and evaluated with an experimental study on 9 elderly volunteers. The technique is based on a virtual chain, identified from experimental data and locating the subject's centre of mass. Its configuration defines the location of the centre of mass, and is a function of …

Arteriogenesis And Ischemia Impair Functional Vasodilation In Resistance Arteries, Trevor Cardinal, Joseph S. Zhu, Kyle R. Struthers, Thomas J. Kesler, Matthew D. Yocum

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Arterial Tissue Perforation Using Ultrasonically Vibrating Wire Waveguides, Mark Wylie

Doctoral

Chronic Total Occlusions (CTOs) are fibrous and calcified atherosclerotic lesions which completely occlude the artery. They are difficult to treat with standard dilation procedures as they cannot be traversed easily. Their treatment is also associated with a high risk of arterial perforation. Low frequency ultrasonic vibrations delivered via wire waveguides represent a minimally invasive treatment for CTOs and other tissue ablation applications. These devices typically operate at 20–50 kHz delivering wire waveguide distal tip amplitudes of vibration of 0-60 μm. The diseased tissue is ablated or disrupted by repetitive direct mechanical contact and cavitation. This research assesses the susceptibility of …

Guiding Electric Fields For Electroporation Applications, Jose Rey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electroporation is the critical step in an electric field mediated drug or gene delivery protocol. Electroporation based protocols have been successfully demonstrated in cancer clinical trials, however, its impact in other applications is still under investigation. A significant roadblock to long term functioning of implantable biosensors in vivo is the tissue reaction in the form of fibrous encapsulation that results in reduced transport to the sensing element of the biosensor. In vivo gene electroporation has a great potential as a means to modify the transport properties of tissues in the proximity of the sensing element of implantable biosensors.

This dissertation …

Feasibility Of Wearable Sensors To Determine Gait Parameters, Mario Alves Simoes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A wearable system that can be used in different settings to collect gait parameters on subjects with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) would allow clinicians to collect needed data of subjects outside of the laboratory setting. Mild traumatic brain injuries stem from a number of causes such as illnesses, strokes, accidents or battlefield traumas. These injuries can cause issues with everyday tasks, such as gait, and are linked with vestibular dysfunction [1]. Different wearable sensor systems were analyzed prior to starting this study along with relevant gait parameters associated with mild traumatic brain injury. To monitor gait parameters relevant …

A Novel Device For Cell-Cell Electrofusion, Justin T. Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell transplantation therapy is a potentially powerful tool and can be used to replace defective cells with healthy cells. This offers the possibility of alleviating the destructive symptoms for many diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, spinal cord trauma, Type I diabetes and many more. While there are many diseases that could be positively impacted from cell transplantation therapy, the focus of this research is insulin dependent, Type I Diabetes.

The Islets of Langerhans are composed of various types of cells located in the pancreas and are responsible for a variety of biochemical functions. Specifically, the beta Islet …

Surface Functionalization And Analysis Thereof For An Ovarian Cancer Diagnostic Biosensor, Asad Ali Ahmad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in United States and has an alarming 1.4% (1 in 71) lifetime risk. The lack of overt symptoms and the absence of a reliable screening test to detect ovarian cancer result in over 70% of women being diagnosed after the disease has spread beyond the ovary resulting in a poor prognosis. A key characteristic of ovarian cancer is the ability of tumor cells to evade apoptosis, or programmed cell death contributing to the limitless replicative potential, which is a hallmark of all carcinogenesis. There is conclusive evidence that …

Influence Of Design Parameters On Cup-Stem Orientations For Impingement Free Range Of Motion In Hip Implants, Dishita Prakashbhai Patel

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The objective of this investigation is to determine the optimum positions of the prosthesis in total hip arthroplasty that produce least amount of impingement. Theoretical ranges of six basic hip motions were determined under walking, stumbling, internal rotation at 90 flexion and external rotation at 0 extension with 15 abduction, using mathematical models and validated for impingement using finite element analysis. A generalized approach, where impingement does not occur, was developed in this study to understand influence of design parameters such as head-neck ratio, neck-shaft angle, oscillation angle, and stem offset on cup-stem orientations such as cup inclination, cup anteversion, …

A Validation Of A Prototype Dry Electrode System For Electroencephalography, Jason Monnin

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Current physiologically-driven operator cognitive state assessment technology relies primarily on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. Traditionally, gel-based electrodes have been used; however, the application of gel-based electrodes on the scalp requires expertise and a considerable amount of preparation time. Additionally, discomfort can occur from the abrasion of the scalp during preparation, and the electrolyte will also begin to dry out over extended periods of time. These drawbacks have hindered the transition of operator state assessment technology into an operational environment. QUASAR, Inc., (San Diego, CA) has developed a prototype dry electrode system for electroencephalography that requires minimal preparation. A comparison of the …

Monitoring, Diagnosis, And Control For Advanced Anesthesia Management, Zhibin Tan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Modern anesthesia management is a comprehensive and the most critical issue in medical care. During the past dacades, a large amount of research works have been focused on the problems of monitoring anesthesia depth, modeling the dynamics of anesthesia patient for the purpose of control, prediction, and diagnosis.

Monitoring the anesthesia depth is not only for keeping the patient in adquate anesthesia level but also for preventing the patient from overdosing. Several EEG based indexes have been developed such as the BIS, and Entropy etc. for measuring depth. However, reports mentioned that those indexes in some cases fail in detecting …

Processing Random Signals In Neuroscience, Electrical Engineering And Operations Research, Kalyan Raman

Wayne State University Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is the study of noise in electrical engineering, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and operations research through mathematical models that describe, explain, predict and control dynamic phenomena. Noise is modeled through Brownian Motion and the research problems are mathematically addressed by different versions of a generalized Langevin equation. Our mathematical models utilize stochastic differential equations (SDEs) and stochastic optimal control, both of which were born in the soil of electrical engineering. Central to this dissertation is a brain-physics based model of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics, whose structure is fundamentally determined by an electrical circuit analogy. Our general …

Creep Behaviour Of Hand Laminated Glass Reinforced Polymer Composites., Brian Quinn

Theses

The creep behaviour of hand laminated, glass fiber reinforced polyester composites were studied at coupon level, due to the use of similar materials in long term load bearing civil and structural engineering applications. Creep predictions were made by fitting the parameters of several viscoelastic models to experimental creep data as well as two accelerated test methods, time temperature superposition (TTS) and frequency time transformations (FTT). TTS experiments were carried out in a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) in three point bending mode for three types of material systems. Creep compliance master curves representing the linear viscoelastic creep response at reference temperatures …

The Bioactivity And Ion Release Of Titanium-Containing Glass Polyalkenoate Cements For Medical Applications, A. W. Wren, N. M. Cummins, F. R. Laffir, S. P. Hudson, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The ion release profiles and bioactivity of a series of Ti containing glass polyalkenoate cements. Characterization revealed each material to be amorphous with a T_g in the region of 650-660°C. The network connectivity decreased (1.83-1.35) with the addition of TiO₂ which was also evident with analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ion release from cements were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy for zinc (Zn^₂₊), calcium (Ca^₂₊), strontium (Sr^₂₊), Silica (Si^₄₊) and titanium (Ti4+). Ions such as Zn^₂₊ (0.1-2.0 mg/l), Ca²⁺ (2.0-8.3 mg/l,) Sr²⁺ (0.1-3.9 mg/l), and S^{i4+ …}

The Response Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm To The Presence Of A Glass Polyalkenoate Cement Formulated From A Silver Containing Glass, A. Coughlan, M. P. Ryan, N. M. Cummins, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Incidence Of Type-1 Diabetes In Nod Mice Is Modulated By Restricted Flora Not Germ-Free Conditions., Cecile King, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

In the NOD mouse, the incidence of type-1 diabetes is thought to be influenced by the degree of cleanliness of the mouse colony. Studies collectively demonstrate that exposure to bacterial antigen or infection in the neonatal period prevents diabetes [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], supporting the notion that immunostimulation can benefit the maturation of the postnatal immune system [11]. A widely accepted extrapolation from this data has been the notion that NOD mice maintained under germ-free conditions have an increased incidence of diabetes. However, evidence supporting this influential concept is surprisingly limited [12]. In this …

Quantitative Computed-Tomography Based Bone-Strength Indicators For The Identification Of Low Bone-Strength Individuals In A Clinical Environment, Bino Abel Varghese

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The aim of the current study was to develop quantitative computed-tomography (QCT)-based bone-strength indicators that highly correlate with finite-element (FE)-based strength. We perform a combined numerical-experimental study, comparing FE-predicted surface strains with strain gauge measurements, to validate the FE models of 36 long bones (humerus, radius, femur and tibia) under three-point bending and torsion. The FE models were constructed from trans-axial volumetric CT scans, and the segmented bone images were corrected for partial-volume effects. The material properties (Young's modulus for cortex, density-modulus relationship for trabecular bone and Poisson's ratio) were calibrated by minimizing the error between experiments and simulations among …

Aberrant Dna Replication At An Ectopic Chromosomal Site In Human Cells, Xiaomi Chen

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Aberrant DNA replication, including over-replication or under-replication may lead to life-threatening mutation or even cause human diseases. This thesis focused on three issues related to abnormal DNA replication in human chromosomes including: I) to define the function of DNA unwinding element (DUE) and DNA unwinding element-binding protein (DUE-B) to maintain an active c-myc replicator; II) to determine the role of trans-acting factors in defining a replication origin on human chromosomes; III) to investigate the mechanism by which hairpins affect DNA replication and instability of (CTG)n•(CAG)n trinucleotide repeat tracts in human cells.

Our laboratory previously demonstrated that both DUE and DUE-B, …

V1-Derived Renshaw Cells And Ia Inhibitory Interneurons Differentiate Early During Development, Ana Benito González

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Locomotor development is dependent on the maturation of spinal cord circuits controlling motor output, but little is known about the development of the spinal interneurons that control motoneuron activity. This study focused on the development of Renshaw cells (RCs) and Ia inhibitory interneurons (IaINs), which mediate recurrent and reciprocal inhibition, respectively, two basic inhibitory circuits for motorneuron control. Both interneurons originate from the same progenitor pool (p1) giving rise to ventral spinal embryonic interneurons denominated V1. V1-derived interneurons (V1-INs) establish local inhibitory connections with ipsilateral motoneurons and express the transcription factor engrailed-1. This characteristic permitted the generation of transgenic mice …

A Probabilistic Assessment Of Vertebral Cortical Bone Fracture Of Intraosteonal Structures, Isaac Graham Mabe

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Cortical bone is a porous structure. The presence of these pores creates the possibility of a local overstressed area that has the likelihood of premature failure. Some failure modes of the vertebral endplates, for example subsidence which occurs at rates as high as 77 percent, can be better predicted with further understanding of failure mechanisms and the ability to predict those mechanisms. A probabilistic assessment of the pore size and its contribution to the fracture toughness has not been investigated in the cortical shell of the vertebral endplates. This research develops a probabilistic model that has the ability to determine …

Anthropometric Analysis Of The Cervical Spine, Susan Hueston

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An understanding of the dimensional anatomy of the cervical spine is necessary in order to help diagnose disease, deformity, injury, and device development. Previous investigation has been completed utilizing cadavers, X-rays and other imaging techniques. This research utilized computer tomography images from the trauma registry at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio to complete an anthropometric study of the cervical spine. Linear mathematical models were developed to investigate the relationships present in the dimensional anatomy of the cervical spine. New measurements were completed on subjects of both Caucasian and African American descent and of both genders. An approximation of the …

Investigation Of Variability In Cognitive State Assessment Based On Electroencephalogram-Derived Features, Samantha Lokelani Crossen

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To implement adaptive aiding in modern aviation systems there is a need for accurate and reliable classification of cognitive workload. Using electroencephalogram (EEG)-derived features, it has been reported that an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) can achieve 95% or higher classification accuracy on the same day for an individual operator, but only 70% or less on a different day. To gain a further insight into this discrepancy, data from a previous study was utilized to study the classification variability. The EEG-derived features were first calculated by spectral power estimation. The variability was then analyzed by performing cognitive workload classification in which …

Selective Automatic Image Feature Detection, Aijing Wang

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To allow automatic assessment of computed tomography (CT) images of long bones, the identification of the location of regions of interest is important. The distance between the distal and proximal styloids may act as reference points for bone length; however, the locations of the distal and proximal growth plates represent further important reference features. The current methods to locate these feature positions are manual. In this project, we attempt to find these feature positions automatically.

A CT data set was split into two subsets, a development set, and a validation set. We first extracted basic information from the stack and …

Impact Of Insulin Resistance On Behavioral And Neurochemical Deficits In Db/Db Mice, Ajaykumar Narayan Sharma

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There is a high comorbidity of type-2 diabetes and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is paucity of preclinical research to study this phenomenon. The validity of the db/db mouse as an animal model to study type-2 diabetes and related macrovascular and microvascular complications is well established. The first part of this dissertation was designed to investigate comprehensively the db/db mouse behavior as preclinical evidence of type-2 diabetes related major neurobehavioral complications. Juvenile (5-6 weeks) and adult (10-11 weeks) db/db mice were screened for behavioral depression in forced swim test (FST), psychosis-like symptoms using pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) test, anxiety behavior employing elevated …