Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Commons^™

The Effect Of Neurostimulation On Ischemic Pain And Methods Of Assessing Pain, Kaylee Keck

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) impacts approximately eight million people in the United States [1]. Disease progression leads to chronic ischemic pain, hindering quality of life. Pharmaceuticals are a typical treatment for pain associated with PAD; but as few as 30% of patients have a significant reduction of pain (≥50%) [2].

Neurostimulation is commonly used as a treatment for various diseases and injuries, including Parkinson’s disease and sports-related back and knee injuries [2]. The objective of the study was to explore neurostimulation and its effect on pain and paresthesia for a model of acute peripheral ischemia in young college students.

Pain …

Image Processing And Visualization Of Terahertz Pulsed Imaging Of Breast Cancer Tumors, Yuhao Wu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terahertz imaging technology has grown substantially in recent years. With new advances made in the generation, manipulation, and detection of terahertz radiation, terahertz imaging has found its application as inspection tools in a wide range of areas including biomedicine, materials science, and aerospace industries. In the field of medical imaging, terahertz (THz) has emerged as a new imaging modality due to some fundamental physical properties of the THz wave. THz imaging has been used to examine various biological structures, and THz tomography has been developed to probe the 3D structures of those samples.

THz pulsed imaging (TPI) is one of …

Prediction Of Rupture In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Qusay Alfaori

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) through quantification of its growth kinetics and rupture criteria is important to decrease the risk of this life-threatening event. Uniaxial and biaxial testing of healthy and time-dependent Type-I collagen degraded aortic specimens from pigs was performed. Stress-strain suitable mathematical models describing the behavior of abdominal aortic tissue were utilized to derive specific tissue properties and parameters. Reduction in Type-I collagen fraction was observed using picrosirius red staining method, bright field microscopy, and MATLAB. Finite Element Modeling (FEM) of healthy and time-dependent Type-I collagen degraded abdominal aortas were performed using ABAQUS finite element …

Feasibility Of Using Raman-Based Techniques For Breast Cancer Detection, Sara Mollamohammada

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Breast cancer is one of the common types of cancer among women all over the world. Early diagnosis is an effective way that improve the treatment process and gives the patients a better chance of survival. Many of the patients infected by breast cancer choose breast conservation surgery (BCS). However, some of those will be subjected to mastectomy, and many will have tumor recurrence as there is no precise technique to show the tumor margins. Raman-based methods are powerful techniques with potential to rapidly differentiate normal from tumor tissues and provides a solution to detect tumor margin. This is because …

Design And Development Of A Wearable Wireless Health Monitoring System: A Smart Watch Approach, Keerthi Paranikumar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to Statistics, every year, about 610,000 people die because of heart disease in United States of America. (i.e. 1 in every 4 deaths.*) Heart disease is common for both men and women. Annually, about 370,000 people die because of coronary heart disease, which is the most common type of heart disease [1]. About 735,000 Americans have heart attack every year. In this, 210,000 people gets heart attack who already has heart problems and 525,000 people get heart attack for the first time [2]. Not many people know that they have heart problems. Around 47% of the people in United …

Wireless Monitoring Of Driver's Pulse Rate And Temperature Using Hand Gloves Approach, Rohith Reddy Narala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is growing concern about dangers correlated with driving, for people with known cardiovascular diseases. However, the association between having a chronic cardiovascular disease and being involved in a motor vehicle crash remains controversial. This study aims to monitor people with known medical emergencies or other medical conditions while driving [1]. It also helps the co-passengers to be cautious while the person is driving with an abnormal health condition. Designed it to be convenient and also can be easily adaptable by the end user.

The proposed project focuses on a wearable sensor glove that equipped with a pulse rate sensor, …

Biomechanical Characerization And Evaluation Of Conservative Clubfoot Correction, Tamara Loren Cohen

Dissertations (1934 -)

Congential talipes equinovarus, or clubfoot, affects approximately 200,000 newborns worldwide each year and presents with equinovarus of the hindfoot, as well as cavus and adduction of the midfoot. In addition to bone malformation and displacement, soft tissue contractures encapsulate the medial and posterior aspects of the affected foot. The Ponseti method is a conservative treatment that progressively repositions the clubfoot through weekly casting, followed by bracing. Concerns exist regarding the variability in outcomes, resistance to treatment, and risk of relapse, which occur in approximately 10% of the population. Potential factors contributing to variability and resistant clubfoot include cast material performance, …

Quantification Of Blood Flow Velocity Using Color Sensing, Aditya Deepak Sanghani

Master's Theses

Blood flow velocity is an important parameter that can give information on several pathologies including atherosclerosis, glaucoma, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and ischemic stroke [2,5,6,10]. Present techniques of measuring blood flow velocity involve expensive procedures such as Doppler echocardiography, Doppler ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging [11,12]. They cost from $8500-$20000. It is desired to find a low-cost yet equally effective solution for measuring blood flow velocity. This thesis has a goal of creating a proof of concept device for measuring blood flow velocity.

Finger blood flow velocity is investigated in this project. The close proximity to the skin of the finger’s arteries …

Noninvasive Assessment Of Photoreceptor Structure And Function In The Human Retina, Robert Francis Cooper

Dissertations (1934 -)

The human photoreceptor mosaic underlies the first steps of vision; thus, even subtle defects in the mosaic can result in severe vision loss. The retina can be examined directly using clinical tools; however these devices lack the resolution necessary to visualize the photoreceptor mosaic. The primary limiting factor of these devices is the optical aberrations of the human eye. These aberrations are surmountable with the incorporation of adaptive optics (AO) to ophthalmoscopes, enabling imaging of the photoreceptor mosaic with cellular resolution. Despite the potential of AO imaging, much work remains before this technology can be translated to the clinic. Metrics …

Lpcoms: Towards A Low Power Wireless Smart-Shoe System For Gait Analysis In People With Disabilities, Ishmat Zerin

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Gait analysis using smart sensor technology is an important medical diagnostic process and has many applications in rehabilitation, therapy and exercise training. In this thesis, we present a low power wireless smart-shoe system (LPcomS) to analyze different functional postures and characteristics of gait while walking. We have designed and implemented a smart-shoe with a Bluetooth communication module to unobtrusively collect data using smartphone in any environment. With the design of a shoe insole equipped with four pressure sensors, the foot pressure is been collected, and those data are used to obtain accurate gait pattern of a patient. With our proposed …

Hockey Skating Kinematics And The Effect Of Skate Design And Technique Training, Rebecca Mae Tidman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of technique training and hockey skate design on hockey skating performance. Fourteen male subjects, aged 12-16 years, with no recent skate treadmill experience completed ten training sessions on a skating treadmill. Instruction emphasized maximizing stride width by pushing laterally with the skate pointed anteriorly. Subjects were randomly placed into one of two experimental groups based on initial skate type: traditional or Easton Mako. After completion of five sessions, skate type was switched so that skate design effects could be assessed. In contrast to a traditional hockey skate design, the Easton …

Mechanical Characterization Of Carbon Fiber And Thermoplastic Ankle Foot Orthoses, Amanda Wach

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The needs of an increasingly young and active orthotic patient population has led to advancements in ankle foot orthosis (AFO) design and materials to enable higher function. The Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO) is a custom energy-storing carbon fiber AFO that has demonstrated improved clinical function, allowing patients to return to high-intensity activities such as sports and military service. An improved understanding of AFO mechanical function will aid prescription and fitting, as well as assist in design modifications for different patient populations. This study investigated the mechanical properties of AFOs, specifically structural stiffness, rotational motion, and strut deflection, to discern …

Integrating Meal And Exercise Into Personalized Glucoregulation Models: Metabolic Dynamics And Diabetic Athletes, Sofie Schunk

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association, with as many as three million Americans who have Type 1 Diabetes (ADA, 2015). Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is autoimmune and characterized by little to no insulin production whereas Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) concerns insulin resistance and inability to use produced insulin. Factors contributing to current diabetes management and regulation include exercise type, daily movement activities, and distinct tissue compartment metabolism, each challenging to model in a robust and comprehensive manner. Past models are highly limited in regard to exercise and varying glucose fluctuations dependent on type, intensity, …

Computational Approaches For Remote Monitoring Of Symptoms And Activities, Ferdaus Kawsar

Dissertations (1934 -)

We now have a unique phenomenon where significant computational power, storage, connectivity, and built-in sensors are carried by many people willingly as part of their life style; two billion people now use smart phones. Unique and innovative solutions using smart phones are motivated by rising health care cost in both the developed and developing worlds. In this work, development of a methodology for building a remote symptom monitoring system for rural people in developing countries has been explored. Design, development, deployment, and evaluation of e-ESAS is described. The system’s performance was studied by analyzing feedback from users. A smart phone …

The Role Of Biological Fluid And Dynamic Flow In The Behavior And Cellular Interactions Of Gold Nanoparticles, Emily K. Breitner, Saber M. Hussain, Kristen K. Comfort

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Due to their distinctive physicochemical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) have proven to be extremely advantageous for product and application development, but are also capable of inducing detrimental outcomes in biological systems. Standard in vitro methodologies are currently the primary means for evaluating NP safety, as vast quantities of particles exist that require appraisal. However, cell-based models are plagued by the fact that they are not representative of complex physiological systems. The need for a more accurate exposure model is highlighted by the fact that NP behavior and subsequent bioresponses are highly dependent upon their surroundings. Therefore, standard in vitro models …

Raman Spectroscopy Applied To The Noninvasive Detection Of Monosodium Urate Crystal Deposits, Declan J. Curran, Laurence Rubin, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An off-the-shelf Raman Spectrometer (RS) was used to noninvasively determine the presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals on the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of a single gout sufferer. The spectrum sourced from the clinically diagnosed gout sufferer was compared to that sourced from an age-matched healthy subject scanned using the same protocol. Minimal signal processing was conducted on both spectra. Peaks characteristic of MSU crystals were evident on the spectrum sourced from the gout sufferer and not on the spectrum from the healthy control.

An Implantable Device To Regulate Urination Through Deep Brain Stimulation, Jesse E. Bucksot, Muhammad A. Arafat, Pedro Irazoqui

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a disease in which patients lose control of their bladder. It is particularly common in elderly women having a prevalence of as much as 30% to 50% [1]. Many of these patients are left without successful treatment. A recent study has shown a new option for treatment that consists of deep brain stimulation (DBS) at a site known as the periaqueductal gray (PAG) [2, 3]. To test the effectiveness of this treatment, chronic stimulation of the PAG should be used in animals to see if it can reliably prevent micturition in the long term. A device …

Simulating Low-Frequency Sonic Pulsations To Achieve Thrombolysis, Joseph C. Muskat, Matthew C. Pharris, Charles F. Babbs

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Cardiovascular thrombosis may result in critical ischemia to a range of anatomical regions, constituting a leading cause of death in the United States. Current invasive treatments for such arterial blockages often yield blood clot recurrence, resulting in repeated hospitalization of patients. This research aims to show how internally introduced pressure oscillations may be used to initiate thrombolysis. We present a novel computational model for determining the resonant frequency and corresponding deformation of an idealized thrombus. Sinusoidal pressure differences across the thrombus induce axial displacements of frequency dependent amplitude. The maximum peak displacement occurs at a resonant frequency of 73 Hz …

An Investigation Of The Applicability Of Sugar And Wax Valves For Rapid Molecular Diagnostics, Rui Shen, Jacqueline C. Linnes

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Paper-based Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) of nucleic acids is a low-cost molecular diagnostic method to detect biological pathogens and has been successfully combined with lateral flow devices. This invention is a low-cost visual detection technique of various disease. However, existing assays require multiple user-activated steps and are relatively complicated to use at the point of care due to steps like the heating process. This project aimed to investigate an ideal valve for integrating LAMP onto the lateral flow assay. An ideal valve needs to be able to stop the fluid flow for 20-60 minutes under 65 degree to complete the …

Implantable Device For Wireless Regulation Of The Bladder Through Pelvic Nerve Stimulation, Kelsey C. Bayer, Chris Quinkert, Pedro Irazoqui

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntarily urination that usually effects older people or is the result of an injury. UI affects more than eleven million people and the cost of incontinence management in the United States in 2000 was $19.5 billion. Where conventional physical therapies have failed, pelvic nerve stimulation is a promising form of regulating the bladder long term. Piezoresistive pressure sensors consist of two variable resistance values and two known resistance values that are represented on a daughterboard. This unknown resistance represents the change in pressure. The filling and voiding of the bladder was characterized through acute surgeries. …

A Non-Invasive Method Of Measuring Respiration While Providing Wireless Power For Rodents With Implantable Devices, Jynx O. Boyne, Daniel J. Pederson, Zhi Wang, Pedro Irazoqui Dr.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Respiratory measurements can be used as diagnostic and research tools. Spirometry is the gold standard for gaining these measurements, but is difficult to use in rodents as it requires an invasive procedure. Total Body Plethysmograpy (TBP) is a non-invasive way to measure respiration rates that does not cause stress to the rodent. In this system, the subject is encased in a solid, constant volume chamber with measurements determining the subject’s respiration. When using TBP in medical or research settings, challenges occur in powering devices within the TBP chamber as wires and other recording equipment compromise the airtightness of the chamber. …

Quantification Of Analyte Concentration From A Paper-Based Lateral Flow Assay Device Using Reflective Sensors, Megan Z. Chiu, Jacqueline Linnes

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Paper-based point-of-care (POC) diagnostics is a growing field in global health due to the extreme portability, accuracy, affordability, and ease of use of these tests. Advancements in recent years have led to more accurate detection and improved functionality using multistep molecular diagnostics. Many such assays utilize lateral flow detection strips for visualization of diagnostic results by eye, which limits the results to qualitative Yes/No readouts. This project focused on combining recent developments in paper-based POC diagnostics to develop and optimize an in-house built quantitative paper-based diagnostic reader for lateral flow detection in low-resource settings. Initially different sensors, including photocell sensors, …

Direct Analysis Of Pharmaceutical Drugs In Biofluids Using Miniature Mass Spectrometry System, Spencer Chiang, Yue Ren, Zheng Ouyang

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Miniature mass spectrometry (MS) system is key for establishing MS as a point-of-care chemical and biological analysis within clinical settings. In order to provide point-of-care diagnostics, ionization methods for direct analysis of biofluids are required. We have previously introduced paper spray and developed the cartridges for direct MS ionization and sampling. Our goal of this research is to identify a viable way to improve the spray efficacy of paper spray for its coupling with miniature MS. As a result, paper capillary spray (PCS) was developed. PCS utilizes ET31 paper with a fused-silica capillary fixated to the tip. The design was …

Breast Cancer/Stromal Cells Coculture On Polyelectrolyte Films Emulates Tumor Stages And Mirna Profiles Of Clinical Samples, Amita Daverey, Karleen M. Brown, Srivatsan Kidambi

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, we demonstrate a method for controlling breast cancer cells adhesion on polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films without the aid of adhesive proteins/ ligands to study the role of tumor and stromal cell interaction on cancer biology. Numerous studies have explored engineering coculture of tumor and stromal cells predominantly using transwell coculture of stromal cells cultured onto coverslips that were subsequently added to tumor cell cultures. However, these systems imposed an artificial boundary that precluded cell−cell interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of patterned coculture of tumor cells and stromal cells that captures the temporal changes …

Silver Nanoparticle Coated Bioactive Glasses - Composites With Dex/Cmc Hydrogels: Characterization, Solubility, And In Vitro Biological Studies, Anthony W. Wren, Pegah Hassanzadeh, Lana M. Placek, Timothy J. Keenan, Aisling Coughlan, Lydia R. Boutelle, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silver (Ag) coated bioactive glass particles (Ag-BG) were formulated and compared to uncoated controls (BG) in relation to glass characterization, solubility and microbiology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a crystalline AgNP surface coating while ion release studies determined low Ag release (/L). Cell culture studies presented increased cell viability (127 and 102%) with lower liquid extract (50 and 100 ml/ml) concentrations. Antibacterial testing of Ag-BG in E. coli, S. epidermidis and S. aureus significantly reduced bacterial cell viability by 60-90%. Composites of Ag-BG/CMC-Dex Hydrogels were formulated and characterized. Agar diffusion testing was conducted where Ag-BG/hydrogel composites produced the largest inhibition zones …

Bioactive Glass Reinforced Elastomer Composites For Skeletal Regeneration: A Review, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Ivan Djordjevic, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biodegradable elastomers have clinical applicability due to their biocompatibility, tunable degradation and elasticity. The addition of bioactive glasses to these elastomers can impart mechanical properties sufficient for hard tissue replacement. Hence, a composite with a biodegradable polymer matrix and a bio glass filler can offer a method of augmenting existing tissue. This article reviews the applications of such composites for skeletal augmentation.

Biplanar Fluoroscopic Analysis Of In Vivo Hindfoot Kinematics During Ambulation, Janelle Ann Cross

Dissertations (1934 -)

The overall goal of this project was to develop and validate a biplanar fluoroscopic system and integrated software to assess hindfoot kinematics. Understanding the motion of the foot and ankle joints may lead to improved treatment methods in persons with foot and ankle pathologies. During gait analysis, skin markers are placed on the lower extremities, which are defined as four rigid-body segments with three joints representing the hip, knee and ankle. This method introduces gross assumptions on the foot and severely limits the analysis of in depth foot mechanics. Multi-segmental models have been developed, but are susceptible to skin motion …

The Effect Of Posterior Foot Positions On Electromyography, Joint Kinetics And Energetics During A Sit-To-Stand In Young And Older Adults, Eric A. Pitman

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The sit-to-stand (STS) movement, defined as standing up from a chair to an upright posture, is a common task performed daily. The inability to accomplish this task may lead to dependence, institutionalization and even death in older adults. A common strategy change for the STS is positioning the feet posteriorly by increasing flexion at the knee joint. This reduces the displacement of the center of mass to the base of support while increasing the joint moment of force at the knee while decreasing it at the hip. The aims of this study were to: 1) examine the joint kinetics, joint …

Compression Transmission Collar For Fastening, Patrick Atkinson, David Lecronier

Mechanical Engineering Patents

A compression transmission collar apparatus (20) for implantation into a bone (22) with a hole (28) having a hole wall (32) comprising an intramedullary nail (34) defining a bore (40) and a threaded fastener (42) and a compression transmission collar (58) including an exterior face (64) and a top edge (60) and a bottom edge (62) and a first end (70) intersecting the top edge (60) at an acute angle and the bottom edge …

Effects Of Strontium Substitution On Bioactivity Of Hydroxyapatite, Chokchai Yatongchai, Lana M. Placek, Mark R. Towler, Anthony W. Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Effect of strontium (Sr) substitution on bioactivity of hydroxyapatite (HA) was investigated. The substitution of Sr²⁺ for Ca²⁺ in the HA lattice increases biodegradability of Sr-substituted HA (Sr-HA) and accelerates the formation of apatite crystals on the Sr-HA surface. Moreover, the dissolution products from HA and Sr-HA samples are not cyto-toxic.