Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Commons^™

Automated Microscope Stage, Corin Nishimoto, Alison Flesch, Theo Anastos

Biomedical Engineering

This document seeks to describe the background information, customer requirements, design specifications, indications for use, selected materials, proposed budget, prototypes, final design, manufacturing processes, and testing methods regarding the CellOptimizer automated microscope stage product.

Slit Lamp Ophthalmoscope Redesign, Michael Hostetler, Austin Mattmiller, Alexis Brewer

Biomedical Engineering

The slit lamp ophthalmoscope is used by ophthalmologists for diagnosis of pathologies in the eye. The device is used for identifying ocular diseases or indications of other possible systemic diseases to treat them before the diseases progress. Redesign of the ergonomics and adjustment mechanisms of the slit lamp ophthalmoscope will attempt to improve the compatibility of the device across a greater variety of patients. The wider headrest tower of 12.75 inches, the wider table cutout of 12 inches, and the 12 inches of extension of the headrest tower creates a better ergonomic fit for the patient and doctor. The wider …

Development Of A Myoelectric Detection Circuit Platform For Computer Interface Applications, Nickolas Andrew Butler

Master's Theses

Personal computers and portable electronics continue to rapidly advance and integrate into our lives as tools that facilitate efficient communication and interaction with the outside world. Now with a multitude of different devices available, personal computers are accessible to a wider audience than ever before. To continue to expand and reach new users, novel user interface technologies have been developed, such as touch input and gyroscopic motion, in which enhanced control fidelity can be achieved. For users with limited-to-no use of their hands, or for those who seek additional means to intuitively use and command a computer, novel sensory systems …

The Effect Of Calcination Rate On The Structure Of Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses, Saidur Rahman, Andrew Mendonca, Adel Alhalawani, Deanna Polintan, Owen M. Clarkin, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) are designed to have high specific surface area. They are formulated by a sol–gel process to formulate the glass followed by calcination. This study evaluates how calcination heating rate influences the porous architecture, and thereby the specific surface area, of MBGs. MBGs of molar ratio 80:15:5 for SiO₂ :CaO:P₂ O 5 were calcined using both low (1 °C/min) and high (20 °C/min) heating rates, termed as L-MBG and H-MBG, respectively. The results obtained from small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD) confirm that the MBGs possess 2D hexagonal (P6mm) spacing groups and wide-angle XRD confirms the amorphicity …

Raman Spectroscopy As A Predictive Tool For Monitoring Osteoporosis Therapy In A Rat Model Of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis, J. Renwick Beattie, Antonia Sophocleous, M. Clare Caraher, Olive O'Driscoll, Niamh M. Cummins, Steven E.J. Bell, Mark R. Towler, Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdi, Stuart H. Ralston, Aymen I. Idris

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pharmacological therapy of osteoporosis reduces bone loss and risk of fracture in patients. Modulation of bone mineral density cannot explain all effects. Other aspects of bone quality affecting fragility and ways to monitor them need to be better understood. Keratinous tissue acts as surrogate marker for bone protein deterioration caused by oestrogen deficiency in rats. Ovariectomised rats were treated with alendronate (ALN), parathyroid hormone (PTH) or estrogen (E2). MicroCT assessed macro structural changes. Raman spectroscopy assessed biochemical changes. Micro CT confirmed that all treatments prevented ovariectomy-induced macro structural bone loss in rats. PTH induced macro structural changes unrelated to ovariectomy. …

Communication Of Deaf People Based On Myoware Muscle Sensor, Mohamad Ataya

Research Opportunities for Engineering Undergraduates (ROEU) Program 2018-19

The current project aims to create a product that enhances communication of deaf people. The developed product has the following features:

• a muscle sensor that transcribes sign language into actual letters

• a voice detector that translates speech into actual words

• the ability to receive and send emergency alerts.

Well-Ordered Mesoporous Silica And Bioactive Glasses: Promise For Improved Hemostasis, Sara Pourshahrestani, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Ehsan Zeimaran, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Immediate control of uncontrolled bleeding and infection are essential for saving lives in both combat and civilian arenas. Inorganic well-ordered mesoporous silica and bioactive glasses have recently shown great promise for accelerating hemostasis and infection control. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive report assessing their specific mechanism of action in accelerating the hemostasis process and exerting an antibacterial effect. After providing a brief overview of the hemostasis process, this review presents a critical overview of the recently developed inorganic mesoporous silica and bioactive glass-based materials proposed for hemostatic clinical applications and specifically investigates their unique characteristics that render …

Relaxed Mental State Detection Using The Emotiv Epoc And Adaptive Threshold Algorithms, Olin L. Anderson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The electroencephalogram (EEG) has proven to be useful in a wide variety of applications, including: diagnosis of mental disorders, psychological research, neurofeedback, and brain-computer interfacing. Most such applications of the EEG benefit from an ability to automatically detect when the subject is in a relaxed state. Recently, inexpensive and relatively easy to use EEG systems, with multiple electrodes, have become available at prices comparable to cellular phones or game machines. This project’s purpose is to investigate the feasibility of real-time classification of a subject's relaxation state using one such consumer-grade EEG system, the Emotiv Epoc. The subject's state is classified …

A Brain-Computer Interface For Closed-Loop Sensory Stimulation During Motor Training In Patients With Tetraplegia, Sarah Helen Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Normal movement execution requires proper coupling of motor and sensory activation. An increasing body of literature supports the idea that incorporation of sensory stimulation into motor rehabilitation practices increases its effectiveness. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) studies, in which afferent and efferent pathways are activated in tandem, have brought attention to the importance of well-timed stimulation rather than non-associative (i.e., open-loop) activation. In patients with tetraplegia resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI), varying degrees of upper limb function may remain and could be harnessed for rehabilitation. Incorporating associative sensory stimulation coupled with self-paced motor training would be a means for supplementing …

Upright Sleep Device For Patients Required To Sleep Upright Post Surgery/Medical Procedure, Kristin J. Abele, Madeleine H. Hummel, Tayler R. Kastlunger

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Hybrid-Powered Wireless System For Multiple Biopotential Monitoring, Shawn Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Chronic diseases are the top cause of human death in the United States and worldwide. A huge amount of healthcare costs is spent on chronic diseases every year. The high medical cost on these chronic diseases facilitates the transformation from in-hospital to out-of-hospital healthcare. The out-of-hospital scenarios require comfortability and mobility along with quality healthcare. Wearable electronics for well-being management provide good solutions for out-of-hospital healthcare. Long-term health monitoring is a practical and effective way in healthcare to prevent and diagnose chronic diseases. Wearable devices for long-term biopotential monitoring are impressive trends for out-of-hospital health monitoring. The biopotential signals in …

Effect Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment On The Metabolites Of Human Leukemia Cells, Dehui Xu, Ning Ning, Yujing Xu, Bingchuan Wang, Qingjie Cui, Zhijie Liu, Xiaohua Wang, Dingxin Liu, Hailan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a typically fatal malignancy and new drug and treatment need to be developed for a better survival outcome. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel technology, which has been widely applied in biomedicine, especially in various of cancer treatment. However, the changes in cell metabolism after CAP treatment of leukemia cells have been rarely studied.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the metabolite profiling of plasma treatment on leukemia cells based on Gas Chromatography Tandem Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC-TOFMS). Simultaneously, we conducted a series of bioinformatics analysis of metabolites and metabolic pathways with significant …

A Biomimetic Approach To Controlling Restorative Robotics, Matthew T. Boots

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Movement is the only way a person can interact with the world around them. When trauma to the neuromuscular systems disrupts the control of movement, quality of life suffers. To restore limb functionality, active robotic interventions and/or rehabilitation are required. Unfortunately, the primary obstacle in a person’s recovery is the limited robustness of the human-machine interfaces. Current systems rely on control approaches that rely on the person to learn how the system works instead of the system being more intuitive and working with the person naturally. My research goal is to design intuitive control mechanisms based on biological processes termed …

The Impact Of Extreme Virtual Elevation Above Grade On Construction Workers' Physiological Responses, Physical Responses, And Task Performance, Mahmoud Habibnezhad

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

On average, in every two work hours, one person dies from work-related injuries at construction sites. Most incidents are due to falling from elevated surfaces. Slips, trips, and loss of balance are the main causes. Studies suggest that instigating visual mismatch and physiological changes are among the most important reasons behind falling from narrow elevated surfaces. By using advanced virtual reality models, this dissertation aims to highlight some of the possible effects of a destabilizing environment (i.e., elevation above grade) on workers’ physiological responses and task performance. More specifically, this dissertation strives to find potential effects of elevation above grade …

Testing And Validation Framework For Closed-Loop Physiology Management Systems For Critical And Perioperative Care, Farooq M. Gessa

Master’s Theses

The research aims at developing a framework for testing systems such as closed-loop physiology management systems to ensure that they are safe and effective for use with patients. Building medical devices that are both robust and safe is a challenge. There has been a tremendous increase in modernization and innovation of various medical systems but many of these systems either fail trials or are recalled due to safety issues.

Medical operation rooms require care teams responsible for monitoring the patients and other technical surgical devices. The care process requires a balancing administration that takes care of the drugs and fluids …

The Wrist Brace Project, Nathan Nicholas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper outlines the engineering design process of creating a specialized wrist brace for a local child. This project was completed by a team of senior Biomedical Engineering students.

Fabrication And Characterization Of Nanofiber Nylon-6-Mwcnt As An Electrochemical Sensor For Sodium Ions Concentration Detection In Sweat, Kelsey Mills

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Fabrication and characterization nylon-6-MWCNT nanofiber as an electrochemical sensor to detect sodium ion concentrations specifically in sweat. Using contact angle to determine surface morphology and chronoamperometry testing to identify ideal sensor conditions, tests optimized parameters like weight percent of nylon or other polymers, carbon nanotube (CNT) isomer, and solution concentration to determine reproducibility of functional sensors. Utilizing the electric qualities of carbon nanotubes partnered with the sodium ion selectivity of calixarene treatment and polymers unique properties like flexibility and scalability create open an arena for optimizing sodium ion sensors for further development for functional prototypes. Morphology tests showed that the …

The Second Wind, Jacob Heiss, Logan Neidert

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Second Wind device is a set of sensors and a data processing unit capable of recording data necessary to conduct a simplified version of a complex cardiopulmonary stress test (CPET). This data includes VO2, VCO2, ventilation, and pulse oximetry data. VO2 and VCO2 are the percent, by volume, of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the patient's breath, spirometry is the measure of air flow, and the pulse oximetry data includes heart rate (HR) and percent oxygen in the blood (SpO2). In addition, the device was designed to be portable, so this test could be run from patients’ homes or …

Quickcough: An Instrumentational Proximal Airway Clearance Technique (Act) For Select Patients With Neuromuscular Disease (Nmd), Sean X. Sullivan, Russell K. Catania, Madison K. Plaster, Sydney E. Kandray, Mariah Costa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Patients with neuromuscular disease (NMD) requiring tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation secondary to respiratory failure encounter increased difficulty in removing pulmonary secretions from the airways. To combat issues associated with current treatment modalities for insufficient cough efficacy (cost, poor mobility, discomfort, lack of evidence), we have developed an instrumentational proximal airway clearance technique (ACT) which augments a manual proximal ACT developed by a client with NMD. QuickCough is a 3D-printed PLA attachment to the tracheostomy apparatus which has demonstrated its ability to facilitate pressure changes necessary to increase patient’s peak cough flow (PCF) by providing a stronger exsufflation for the patient. …

Easy Adjustable Protective Helmet, Ryan Balash

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Akron Children’s Hospital and The University of Akron’s Biomedical Engineering Design Team Engineering Forward have paired together to improve medical adapted helmets for post-operative and disabled patients. An issue is the helmets are only produced in a couple of sizes. Also, it is a tedious process to constantly adjust the pressure on the patient’s cranium within a trial-and-error process. Engineering Forward plans to improve the effectiveness of this helmet by creating an adjustable helmet that can read the pressure on a patient’s head. The caregiver can then make the necessary adjustments to the helmet to accommodate the patient. Documents of …

Exploring The Role And Impact Of Microscale Phenomena On Electrode, Microdevice, And Cellular Function, Sanaz Habibi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Microfluidic technologies enable the development of portable devices to perform multiple high-resolution unit operations with small sample and reagent volumes, low fabrication cost, facile operation, and quick response times. Microfluidic platforms are expected to effectively interpret both wanted and unwanted phenomena; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the unwanted phenomena has not been appropriately investigated in the literature. This work explored an attenuative evaluation of unwanted phenomena, also called here as secondary phenomena, in a unique approach.

Upon electric field utilization within microfluidic devices, electrode miniaturization improves device sensitivity. However, electrodes in contact with medium solution can yield byproducts that can …

Estimation Of Multi-Directional Ankle Impedance As A Function Of Lower Extremity Muscle Activation, Lauren Knop

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the mechanical impedance of the human ankle and the corresponding lower extremity muscle activity. Three experimental studies were performed to measure the ankle impedance about multiple degrees of freedom (DOF), while the ankle was subjected to different loading conditions and different levels of muscle activity. The first study determined the non-loaded ankle impedance in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse anatomical planes while the ankle was suspended above the ground. The subjects actively co-contracted their agonist and antagonistic muscles to various levels, measured using electromyography (EMG). An Artificial Neural Network …

A Smart Implantable Bone Fixation Plate Providing Actuation And Load Monitoring For Orthopedic Fracture Healing, Brad Nelson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Fracture non-union occurs in roughly 5-10% of all fracture cases, and current interventions are both time-consuming and costly. There is therefore significant incentive to develop new tools to improve fracture healing outcomes. Several studies have shown that low-magnitude, high-frequency (LMHF) mechanical loading can promote faster healing and reduce the risk of refracture in critical-size long bone fractures. This is typically done using whole-body vibration, which may result in undesirable systemic effects on the rest of the body. This work discusses an implantable piezoelectric fixation plate that can both apply LMHF loading directly to the fracture site using flexible scheduling and …

Development Of An Impedance-Controlled Hot Snare Polypectomy Device To Minimize Tissue Damage, Curtislee Thornton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the ability to measure the changing impedance, ex vivo, of a porcine colon sample while undergoing a high-frequency alternating current from an Olympus PSD-30 electrosurgical unit and stop the applied current before excessive tissue damage ensues. The causes of the thermal damage are first examined, followed by the construction and testing of the impedance-controlled feedback device. Perforation was observed to occur when the impedance of the tissue sample increased by 25% or more. Using this information, the device was tested for five power settings ranging from 10W-50W. In each trial, the feedback device stopped the applied current …

Development Of An Eye Movement Based Predictive Model For Discrimination Of Parkinson's Disease From Other Parkinsonisms And Controls, Mary Anisa Kannan

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Due to the neurological aspects of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and the sensitivity of eye movements to neurological issues, eye tracking has the potential to be an objective biomarker with higher accuracy in diagnosis than current clinical standards. Currently when PD is diagnosed clinically, there is an accuracy of 74% when diagnosed by a general practitioner and 82% when diagnosed by a movement disorder specialist. This study was designed to: 1. Assess eye movements as a potential biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease. 2. Determine if eye movements can distinguish between Parkinson’s Disease and commonly confounded movement disorders with parkinsonian symptoms. 3. …

Assessment Of Access Methods For Mobile Maps For Individuals Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired, David Parker

Theses and Dissertations

When people go to a mall, museums, or other such locations they tend to rely on maps to find their way around. However, for people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) maps are not easily accessible and they depend on other means, such as a guide, to get around. Research has only just begun to investigate providing maps for people who are BVI on touch screen devices. Many different types of feedback have been used: audio (sound), tactile (touch), audio-tactile, and multitouch. Some research has been conducted on the benefit of using multiple fingers (multitouch) and has found conflicting …

Multiscale Mathematical Modelling Of Nonlinear Nanowire Resonators For Biological Applications, Rosa Fallahpourghadikolaei

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Nanoscale systems fabricated with low-dimensional nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires, quantum dots, and more recently graphene sheets, have fascinated researchers from different fields due to their extraordinary and unique physical properties. For example, the remarkable mechanical properties of nanoresonators empower them to have a very high resonant frequency up to the order of giga to terahertz. The ultra-high frequency of these systems attracted the attention of researchers in the area of bio-sensing with the idea to implement them for detection of tiny bio-objects. In this thesis, we originally propose and analyze a mathematical model for nonlinear vibrations of nanowire …

Assessing Endothelial Dysfunction Estimating The Differences Between 3 Minute And 5 Minute Reactive Hyperemia, Tamiko K. Saldin

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to define a lower standard cuff occlusion time to induce reactive hyperemia in assessing endothelial dysfunction. In this study, strong evidence was found by a novel technique that used oscillometric methods, which supported that 3 minute reactive hyperemia was sufficient to elicit a significant difference in arterial compliance from baseline. Twenty healthy Cal Poly students were assessed, (n=12 female, n=8 male) aged 22 years old with a standard deviation of 2.04 years. Arterial compliance was estimated by measuring the peak-to-peak oscillations for baseline, 3 minute reactive hyperemia, and 5 minute reactive hyperemia tests, with …

Morphological Features Of Dysplastic Progression In Epithelium: Quantification Of Cytological, Microendoscopic, And Second Harmonic Generation Images, Sandra Patricia Gordon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advances in imaging technology have led to a variety of available clinical and investigational systems. In this collection of studies, we tested the relevance of morphological image feature quantification on several imaging systems and epithelial tissues. Quantification carries the benefit of creating numerical baselines and thresholds of healthy and abnormal tissues, to potentially aid clinicians in determining a diagnosis, as well as providing researchers with standardized, unbiased results for future dissemination and comparison.

Morphological image features in proflavine stained oral cells were compared qualitatively to traditional Giemsa stained cells, and then we quantified the nuclear to cytoplasm ratio. We determined …

Wireless Ekg, James Kerman, Chin Chao, Galen Wu, Eric Burstedt

Mechanical Engineering

In 2016, Dr. Ahmad Nooristani identified a need for a personal EKG that is cheaper and simpler than hospital grade systems, but more accurate than personal devices currently on the market. Two previous teams did significant background research, prototyping, focusing on ease of use, portability, and physical specifications. However, neither team was able to produce a device with electrodes that could successfully collect an EKG signal and transmit it to a phone or tablet, one of the main requirements from the Dr. Nooristani. This team focused on designing a six lead, five electrode EKG device to transmit EKG data from …