Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Structured Light Radial-View Endoscope Imaging Development For Evaluation Of Human Tissue, Xiyan Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we improved an existing structured light methodology to more accurately estimate tissue optical properties imaged in a single snapshot. The developed approach is a major enhancement of the traditional three-phase spatial frequency domain imaging system: It greatly simplifies the operational procedure while also maintaining high accuracy in optical property measurements .

Leveraging this improved approach, we have developed a low-cost, compact, and radial-view endoscope prototype. This prototype combines affordability with high functionality and a user-friendly design. To assess the performance and reliability of our endoscope, we conducted comprehensive evaluations involving tissue-mimicking phantoms, as well as ex vivo …

Evaluating Neuroimaging Modalities In The A/T/N Framework: Single And Combined Fdg-Pet And T1-Weighted Mri For Alzheimer’S Diagnosis, Peiwang Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

With the escalating prevalence of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the need for early and precise diagnostic techniques is rising. This study delves into the comparative efficacy of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) and T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in diagnosing AD, where the integration of multimodal models is becoming a trend. Leveraging data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we employed linear Support Vector Machines (SVM) to assess the diagnostic potential of these modalities, both individually and in combination, within the AD continuum. Our analysis, under the A/T/N framework's 'N' category, reveals that FDG-PET consistently outperforms T1w-MRI across …

Integrating Implantable Bci Devices Within Bci2000 Using A Unified Framework And Toolchain For In-Vivo Research, Dhruva Mehta

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The field of neurotechnology research has a bright and promising future as more devices are created. However, there are still many gaps in the field as the potential for neuromodulation grows. Devices such as the Micro-Leads StimZ system and the Ripple Grapevine/Summit system help bridge that gap by allowing for a broader variety of closed-loop neuromodulation experiments to be implemented thanks to their portability and versatility. Despite these devices being on the market, however, there needs to be a method to collaborate and interact with them across multiple research institutions. BCI2000 helps to address that by creating a standardized working …

Nodes For Modes: Nodal Honeycomb Metamaterial Enables A Soft Robot With Multimodal Locomotion, Yusuf Dikici, Kathryn Daltorio, Ozan Akkus

Faculty Scholarship

Soft-bodied animals, such as worms and snakes, use many muscles in different ways to traverse unstructured environments and inspire tools for accessing confined spaces. They demonstrate versatility of locomotion which is essential for adaptation to changing terrain conditions. However, replicating such versatility in untethered soft-bodied robots with multimodal locomotion capabilities have been challenging due to complex fabrication processes and limitations of soft body structures to accommodate hardware such as actuators, batteries and circuit boards. Here, we present MetaCrawler, a 3D printed metamaterial soft robot designed for multimodal and omnidirectional locomotion. Our design approach facilitated an easy fabrication process through a …

Design And Application Of Phase-Separating Peptides In Cytosolic Drug Delivery, Huihao Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This research investigates the design and application of phase-separating peptides for direct cytosolic drug delivery. Novel peptides (GHGXY)4, with variable amino acids, were synthesized using microwave-assisted chemistry to enhance phase separation and membrane fusion. In vitro experiments utilizing advanced imaging techniques demonstrated the peptides' capability to form coacervates and facilitate direct cargo, DNA, mRNA, and protein, delivery into the cytosol, bypassing traditional cellular barriers. The study also explores the role of inhibitor Bafilomycin and NH4Cl in phase-separating peptides functionality, offering significant insights into their delivery mechanisms. This research underscores the potential of phase-separating peptides in improving therapeutic delivery strategies.

Studying The Production Of Nanocelluloses, Shohzodbek Abduvahobovich Rashidov, Elmurod Abduqodirovich Egamberdiev, Sadritdin Maxamatdinovich Turabdjanov

Technical science and innovation

Nanoscience is a broad field that includes nanophysics and nanochemistry. Nanotechnologies are aimed at obtaining nanoparticles with new properties and creating materials and devices based on them. This is one of the modern trends in the development of science in the 21st century.

Based on the study of information about nano-sized materials, the mechanisms of their production and changes in their properties, we will consider the technology for producing nanocellulose from organic substances, i.e. from cellulose. The article describes a technology that examines devices for producing nanocellulose and the principles of their operation, as well as a combined method of …

Presence Of Atheromatous Plaques And Theirs Effects On The Blood Flow, Belhocine Mostefa Bm, Amrani Hichem Ah, Fedaoui Kamel Dr, Mazouz Hammoudi Mh

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The paper utilizes a finite element method to study both the blood flow and atheromatous plaques. Specifically, the COMSOL finite element package is employed to achieve a fluid model. COMSOL is a powerful finite element tool commonly used in various research and industrial domains to study multiphysics problems. The focus of the investigation is on the geometric aspects of the atheromatous plaques. The study considers different forms and arrangements of stenosis, taking into account the irregularities formed by various shapes of the plaques and the resulting flow patterns. The key findings of the research suggest that the pressure and velocity …

Analyzing Heat Generated From Electro-Osmotic Flow Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jordan Elizabeth Grothe

Honors Thesis

Without extensive vascularization, the transfer of fluid and nutrients through human tissue is limited to diffusion and weak interstitial flow. Electroosmosis, or the flow of fluid driven by an electrical field, has become a promising solution. Scientists have begun applying electricity to human tissue to promote stronger interstitial flow; however, optimization of this process has proven to be a challenge due to ohmic heating. Cells function within a small range of temperatures and exposure to voltages exceeding the threshold will cause cells to degrade and die prematurely. This research seeks to better understand and quantify the range of voltage where …

Analysis And Evaluation Of Different Transformer Architectures For The Protein Sequence Representation And The Corresponding Hypothetical Applications, Mary Mao

Theses and Dissertations

This project is to investigate and assess several Transformer topologies for the modeling of protein sequences and their corresponding uses. Each major model for the protein sequence representations is inspected with its mathematical theory and analyzed for the different performance of the models with various validation repositories.

Comparative Analysis Of Cutting Forces In Axial-Compliant And Rigid Chamfering Tools, Sultonmurod Bekpulatovich Normatov, Oybek Tuyboyov, Azimjon Axror O'G'Li Pardayev, Alisher G‘Ayratjon Ogli Boratov, Shohjahon Tuxtasin Ogli Abdullayev

Technical science and innovation

This study delves into the analysis of cutting forces in axial-compliant systems, focusing specifically on the comparison between axially spring-compensated 90° conical tools and rigid chamfering tools. The research incorporates a predictive model for chamfer size calculation in the axially spring-compensated tools, verified through experimental tests on representative parts. The study aims to control chamfer size within tolerances by adjusting process conditions and optimizing processing efficiency. By exploring the fundamentals of the chamfering process, this research offers insights into breaking sharp edges on components with positional errors and shape deformations, with a particular emphasis on aero-engine casings. The integration of …

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 …

Evaluating Tissue Morphology In The Context Of Varied Initial Fabrication Conditions, Cassidy Caffin

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular diseases have been the leading cause of death for years. This includes myocardial infarctions (MI) where blood flow to the myocardium is restricted. This causes damage to cardiac muscle due to insufficient oxygen. There are multiple ways to treat patients following an MI with the most common involving assorted medication. However, there are limited medications that can be used for treating patients following MIs, and the FDA’s decreasing approval rate for new cardiac drugs will not dramatically improve the range of options. The lead-up to drug candidate rejection by the FDA can involve drugs exhibiting promising preliminary research that …

Data-Driven And Cell-Specific Determination Of Nuclei-Associated Actin Structure, Nina Nikitina, Nurbanu Bursa, Matthew Goelzer, Madison Goldfeldt, Chase Crandall, Sean Howard, Janet Rubin, Anamaria Zavala, Aykut Satici, Gunes Uzer

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Quantitative volumetric assessment of filamentous actin (F-actin) fibers remains challenging due to their interconnected nature, leading researchers to utilize threshold-based or qualitative measurement methods with poor reproducibility. Herein, a novel machine learning-based methodology is introduced for accurate quantification and reconstruction of nuclei-associated F-actin. Utilizing a convolutional neural network (CNN), actin filaments and nuclei from 3D confocal microscopy images are segmented and then each fiber is reconstructed by connecting intersecting contours on cross-sectional slices. This allows measurement of the total number of actin filaments and individual actin filament length and volume in a reproducible fashion. Focusing on the role of F-actin …

Investigating The Presence Of Patented In Vitro Models For Cancer-Nerve Crosstalk Methods, Christoff Hauptmann

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research project is to investigate the presence of patented in vitro models for perineural invasion (PNI) and tumor innervation, the two most prominent modes of cancer-nerve crosstalk that play an active role in cancer initiation and progression. PNI occurs through a positive feedback loop in which cancer cells invade passive nerves to metastasize. Tumor innervation is the process where tumor cells attract nearby nerves to the tumor microenvironment (TME) for tumor growth and metastasis. These crosstalk paths have been established for many types of cancer and result in poor patient prognosis. Recently, in vitro models have …

Evaluation Of The Efficiency Of Muscle-Specific Promoters To Express Non-Endogenous Proteins In Skeletal Muscle, Gabrielle Bulliard, Made Harumi Padmaswari, Christopher E. Nelson

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Gene therapies are emerging as powerful tools for treating genetic diseases and cancers, offering the potential for a permanent cure. Hemophilia B, affecting approximately 6,000 men in the U.S., results from a deficiency in coagulation factor IX protein (FIX), which is crucial for blood clotting. A substantial portion of patients, over 40%, suffer from severe hemophilia B, experiencing spontaneous, prolonged bleeding. Current prophylactic treatments involve frequent coagulation factor infusions, yet a curative approach would alleviate this burden. Gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas systems show promise for correcting genetic mutations, but the diverse nature of factor IX gene (F9) …

What Is Biological Engineering? – A Magazine, Morgan Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Biological Engineering is one of the less commonly known fields of engineering and can be challenging to describe to someone outside the discipline. The most common question I've been asked during my undergraduate career is "What is biological engineering?". My answer has changed throughout my time at Utah State University as I've had more experiences within the discipline. This project focuses on answering this question in the format of a magazine to help bridge the gap between those in the discipline and a general audience. By using a magazine as the format, the content must be organized and written in …

Testing Resilience Of Microalgae Biofilms When Exposed To Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Phase, Davis Riley Haag

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

There are a multitude of experimental and processing techniques in the bioenergy field that produce sustainable and carbon negative to carbon neutral methods of converting renewable resources into biologically based hydrocarbons. One example of a process is hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) which specializes in converting wet biomass into biocrude oil. One reason that these processes are not used outside experimental testing is due to the high cost of performing these processes. There is potential to move these processes to larger scale testing and eventually industrial adaptation if breakthroughs are made to offset the process expenses. There is a waste product produced …

Acoustofluidic Delivery Of Biomolecules To Cells: A Novel Approach For Preparing Car-T Cells., Madison C. Colebank

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The continuous pursuit of effective methods for gene transfection in primary human T cells is crucial for advancing cell-based therapies. Viral vectors, currently used in cell-based therapies, involve a lengthy and costly process. This thesis explores the efficacy of coupling acoustofluidic and sonoporation techniques as an alternative non-viral gene transfection approach with primary T cells. Sonoporation, in conjunction with microbubbles, has been demonstrated to induce cavitation, resulting in the formation of pores in the cell membrane through which molecules can enter. Using flow cytometry, we compared the loading efficiency of primary T cells with that of Jurkat T cells to …

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 …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Engineered Human Gene Integration In The Mouse Genome Following In Vitro Gene Editing, Ethan Potts, Made Harumi Padmaswari, Christopher Nelson

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Gene replacement is a promising method of therapy for genetic diseases. However, safety and efficacy are areas that need more research. This experiment aims to use RNA sequencing and bioinformatic techniques to provide answers to these questions and provide direction to future studies to develop a gene replacement therapeutic. C2C12 mouse myoblast cells were transfected with a vector containing a CRISPR-Cas9 system and the Human Factor IX (hF9) gene in order to hijack target genes and integrate the hF9 gene. The two target genes, myoglobin (Mb) and creatine kinase (Ckm), were chosen for their high rate of expression and low …

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 …

Detection Of Hypoxia Via Rgb Imaging, Nathania Nischal

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Colorectal cancer is a common form of cancer, and is heavily researched in murine models. Colonoscopies are often performed in clinical settings to assess the health of the colon, as well as locate and assess the severity of tumors in a non-invasive way. As the quality of the images is dependent on the colonic environment and the light available, it is important to ensure the accuracy of the images via a normalization algorithm. The RGB images procured from these colonoscopies have great potential as a diagnostic tool for physicians, as varying scales of discoloration is common in hypoxic tissue. While …

Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurite Outgrowth Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Repair: A Review, Adrienne Vaughan

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) can cause partial sensorimotor deficiency or total dysfunction, rendering patients unable to perform necessary tasks and dramatically decreasing their quality of life. tSCI is a very prevalent issue. In the United States alone, there are approximately 54 new cases of SCI per one million people each year, or 18,000 new cases annually. tSCI creates a lesion gap filled with axon-inhibiting fibrotic scar tissue. Comprehensive functional recovery following traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) requires axonal regeneration across wound site lesions. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurite outgrowth is often evaluated in PNI therapeutic research since it can …

Suppressing Reactive Oxygen Species Via Application Of Antioxidant Supramolecular Polymers, Zacchaeus Wallace

Honors Theses

Cardiovascular diseases along with various other disease conditions are characterized by an upregulation in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can overwhelm homeostatic processes in the body, resulting in cellular apoptosis and severe oxidative damage. The lack of clinically approved treatments to regulate or alleviate this elevated ROS presence underscores the need for novel therapeutic strategies. While antioxidants promote cell rescue through ROS scavenging, their clinical translation is impeded by insufficient bioavailable concentrations at the source of injury. The opportunity to apply antioxidant supramolecular polymers of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) is an exciting prospect of research to combat corresponding issues. For this …

Computational Predictions Of Heart Failure Drug Effects On Cardiac Fibrosis, Aaron Gardner

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The extracellular matrix is a complex system surrounding cells that is crucial to all of the cardiovascular system’s functions. Fibrosis is an excessive accumulation (scarring) of the extracellular matrix. Fibrosis is typically a negative event, and the scarring must be reduced in the heart in order to maintain its functionality. Due to this, simulations are run using the software “Netflux” in order to determine the effects of different heart failure drugs on cardiac fibrosis. The drugs that were simulated were an ACE Inhibitor, BAR Beta Blocker, ARB Blocker, and Entresto. These drugs were simulated over 50 hours at three different …

Quantifying Image Quality In Aoslo Images Of Photoreceptors, Brea D. Brennan, Heather Heitkotter, Joseph Carroll, Sergey Tarima, Robert F. Cooper

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The use of “quality” to describe the usefulness of an image is ubiquitous but is often subject to domain specific constraints. Despite its continued use as an imaging modality, adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) lacks a dedicated metric for quantifying the quality of an image of photoreceptors. Here, we present an approach to evaluating image quality that extracts an estimate of the signal to noise ratio. We evaluated its performance in 528 images of photoreceptors from two AOSLOs, two modalities, and healthy or diseased retinas. The algorithm was compared to expert graders’ ratings of the images and previously published …

Evaluation And Development Of Tourniquet Test Methods, Catherine Pitts

All Theses

Since the beginning of the 21^st century the general perspective on tourniquets has changed to a more positive outlook on their life saving abilities. The US has seen a greater number of mass casualty events, and conflicts across the globe have led to an increased use of tourniquets. The increased demand has also led to faulty counterfeit tourniquets and improvised tourniquets that don not properly occlude blood flow or cause significant nerve damage to the injured limb.

ASTM started designing a tourniquet testing standard with experts in the tourniquet community to cut down on the dangers of tourniquet use. …

The Effect Of Central Screw And Post Vault Containment On Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (Rsta) Baseplate Stability, Mickaela J. Gunnison

All Theses

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) is a procedure that aims to fix irreversible rotator cuff damage and degenerative glenohumeral joint diseases that hinder arm abduction. One major complication of RTSA is glenoid baseplate failure resulting from increased movement at the bone-baseplate interface. This study examined 36, 12 PCF composite Sawbones® scapulae. The specimens were split equally into 6 study groups, each having different implant configurations with varying baseplate lateralization and central screws or posts. Each specimen was subjected to cyclic shear loading and failure testing on an Instron to determine implant micromotion and load values.

After testing, ANOVA tests were …

Light-Induced Phase Separation Purification For Monoclonal Antibodies, Xuyang Chen

All Theses

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