Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

3d Printing In Low Resource Healthcare Settings: Analysis Of Potential Implementations, Alenna Beroza

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

3D printing has gained significant momentum in the past ten years, and its unique advantages make it especially ideal for use in low resource healthcare settings, where many designs have already been successfully implemented. Yet, little has been studied on how 3D printing can be sustainably and functionally implemented in low resource healthcare systems as a manufacturing practice. In this report, three business models are proposed for this implementation: In-House Operator, Independent Operator, and Print Farm. These models were then tested over four months in Kisumu county, Kenya, at two workshops and seven public hospitals. I worked with local medical …

Infection Control In Total Knee Replacement Prosthesis Using Nitric Oxide Releasing Biomaterials, Ashley Widing

Master's Theses

Replacing a weight-bearing joint is accompanied by long procedures, even longer recovery times, and intensive monitoring. This burden increases after infection; a complication requiring revision surgeries and therefore extensive additional recovery time. Infection can present itself at any time during the process, making it hard to predict. Currently, a two-part revision surgery is completed by removing all infected tissue and implanting an antibiotic spacer. The spacer fills the joint gap and is removed prior to the revision total knee replacement. A revision total knee replacement follows the same procedure as the initial surgery. Not only is this detrimental to patient …

Biodegradable And Biocompatible Silk Fibroin For Optical Applications, Corey Bryce Malinowski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study presents nanopatterned silk fibroin films that were fabricated using soft lithography and nanoimprinting to replicate patterns from diffraction gratings. These film’s optics were analyzed based on their light scattering potential as well as their transmittance and transmission haze using a laser light, spectrometer, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. The patterned fibroin films all displayed similar light scattering patterns to their master patterns with some transmission haze. When using the spectrometer to measure samples, those made without any nanostructure displayed transmission of 90% and over, while those with patterns depended on the structure used. The denser a structure, like the …

Hip And Knee Biomechanics For Transtibial Amputees In Gait, Cycling, And Elliptical Training, Greg Orekhov

Master's Theses

Transtibial amputees are at increased risk of contralateral hip and knee joint osteoarthritis, likely due to abnormal biomechanics. Biomechanical challenges exist for transtibial amputees in gait and cycling; particularly, asymmetry in ground/pedal reaction forces and joint kinetics is well documented and state-of-the-art passive and powered prostheses do not fully restore natural biomechanics. Elliptical training has not been studied as a potential exercise for rehabilitation, nor have any studies been published that compare joint kinematics and kinetics and ground/pedal reaction forces for the same group of transtibial amputees in gait, cycling, and elliptical training. The hypothesis was that hip and knee …

Engineering Success On The Field: A Reflection On The Epics Ironman Pediatric Prosthetic Project, Glynn Gallaway

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Glynn Gallaway is a student in the Purdue Mechanical Engineering Class of 2020 with interests in the health care, assistive technology, and medical device industries. Glynn is from Dallas, Texas, and was inspired to pursue this career path through her interactions with youth with special needs. She joined the EPICS Ironman team in the fall of 2016 during her first year at Purdue as a part of the learning community. In this article, she discusses her experiences on the Ironman team creating a pediatric prosthetic for a young local athlete. The goal of the Ironman team is to create a …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Characterizing Single Plasmonic Nanostructure And Single-Cell Analysis, Nishir Sanatkumar Mehta

LSU Master's Theses

Orientation of plasmonic nanostructures is an important feature in many nanoscale applications such as photovoltaics, catalyst, biosensors DNA interactions, protein detections, hotspot of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Silver nanocubes with significant spectral signatures between 400-700 nm are observed in this experimental research. Whereas study of single cells will enable the analysis of cell-to-cell variations within a heterogeneous population. These variations are important for further analysis and understanding of disease propagation, drug development, stem cell differentiation, embryos development, and how cells respond to each other and their environment. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells possess the …

Computational Aerodynamics And Anatomical Characterization Of Laryngotracheal Stenosis In Children, William Poynot

LSU Master's Theses

Laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) is a health condition in which an obstruction in the upper trachea can cause breathing difficulties and increased incidence of infection, among other symptoms. Occurring most commonly due to intubation in infants, LTS often requires corrective surgery. Currently, clinical methods of assessing the blockage region are simplistic and subjective, and it is challenging to determine the most effective surgical strategy for any given patient. In the present work, a comprehensive methodology is proposed for characterizing the stenosis region both in terms of its anatomical parameters and its corresponding aerodynamic properties. The combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) …

Nonprehensile Manipulation Of Deformable Objects: Achievements And Perspectives From The Rodyman Project, Aykut C. Satici

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this work is to disseminate the results achieved so far within the RODYMAN project related to planning and control strategies for robotic nonprehensile manipulation. The project aims at advancing the state of the art of nonprehensile dynamic manipulation of rigid and deformable objects to future enhance the possibility of employing robots in anthropic environments. The final demonstrator of the RODYMAN project will be an autonomous pizza maker. This article is a milestone to highlight the lessons learned so far and pave the way towards future research directions and critical discussions.

Deformation Of A Ferrofluid Droplet In Simple Shear Flows Under Uniform Magnetic Fields, Md Rifat Hassan, Jie Zhang, Cheng Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We numerically investigate the deformation and orientation of a ferrofluid droplet in a simple shear flow under a uniform magnetic field. The numerical simulation is based on the finite element method and couples the magnetic and flow fields. A level set method is used to model the dynamic motion of the droplet interface. Systematic numerical simulations are used to assess the effects of the direction and the strength of the magnetic field. Focusing on low Reynolds number flows (Re ≲ 0.02), the numerical results indicate that at a small capillary number (Ca ≈ 0.02), the magnetic field dominates over the …

Efficacy Of Eluted Antibiotics In 3d Printed Orthopaedic Implants, Mohammed Mehdi Benmassaoud

Theses and Dissertations

Costs associated with musculoskeletal diseases in the United States account for 5.7 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. As such, there is a need to pursue new ideas in orthopaedic implants that can decrease cost and improve patient care. In the recent years, 3D printing using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Stereolithography (SLA) has opened several exciting possibilities to create orthopaedic implants. Such implants can be engineered to release antibiotics in a controlled manner either by infusing the drug into the material during manufacturing or by using built-in design features such as micro-channels and reservoirs [2]. The use …

Bacteria Movement Near Surfaces, Shulin Wang, Adib Ahmadzadegan, Arezoo Ardekani

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Understanding the behaviors of bacteria near surfaces is crucial in many biological and ecological applications. This knowledge can be used to hinder undesired biofilm formation on medical instruments and wounds. On top of that, it could also provide further insights in biodegradation of dispersed oil. In this work, the behavior of Escherichia Coli near a surface was experimentally studied. We utilized an inverted microscope in the phase filed illumination mode and processed acquired images to track the motions of bacteria near surfaces with high accuracy and repeatability. Distribution of the cells when they reached a steady state shows that the …

High-Throughput Nanoliter Dispensing Device For Biological Applications, Cole Reynolds, Euiwon Bae Dr., J Paul Robinson Dr.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Pathogen identification is a field that can contribute largely to the prevention of the spreading of illness and disease. In the past, pathogen identification has been a long and arduous process due to the time-consuming processes and steps that requires technician’s time and effort. With new technologies emerging however, screening of bacteria colonies can be done in a quick and high-throughput way. The problem is that using the current methods, bacteria cannot be transferred to petri dishes fast enough to keep up with the new screening methods. The current study focuses on exploring different methods to create an ergonomic device …

Control Design And Implementation Of An Active Transtibial Prosthesis, Joseph Klein

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Prior work at Marquette University developed the Marquette Prosthesis, an active transtibial prosthesis that utilized a torsional spring and a four-bar mechanism. The controls for the Marquette Prosthesis implemented a finite state control algorithm to determine the state of gait of the amputee along with two lower level controllers, a PI moment controller to control the moment during stance and a PID position controller to control the position during stance. The Marquette Prosthesis was successful in mimicking the gait profile presented by Winter. However, after completing human subject testing, the Marquette Prosthesis was insufficient in trying to match the gait …

Epithelial Sheet Response To External Stimuli, Yashar Bashirzadeh

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Mechanical communication of adherent cells with their micro-environment is mediated by cytoskeletal and adhesion proteins. These mechanical links aid tissues in maintaining their coherence in the context of the surrounding extra cellular matrix (ECM). Epithelial tissues exert force on the ECM through integrin-based junctions and maintain their coherency through E-cadherin-based cell-cell junctions while dynamically undergoing collective migration. Such a complex network of communication involving the cell cytoskeleton and adhesion proteins modulates the tissue's response to external cues. Two distinct forms of such external stimuli are those of electrical and mechanical origin.

Epithelial tissues quickly respond to physiologically relevant electric fields …

A Stepwise Compression-Relaxation Testing Method For Tissue Characterization And Tumor Detection Via A Two-Dimensional Tactile Sensor, Yichao Yang

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a stepwise compression-relaxation (SCR) testing method built upon a two-dimensional (2D) tactile sensor for mechanical characterization of soft tissues and tumor detection. The core of the 2D sensor entails one whole polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure embedded with a 3×3 sensing-plate/transducer array. A soft sample was compressed by the 2D sensor with a step incremental depth at a ramp speed, and then relaxed for certain hold time. When a soft sample was compressed by the 2D sensor, the sensing-plates translated the sample response at different tissue sites to the sensor deflections, which were registered as resistance changes by the …

Compensation For Inertial And Gravity Effects In A Moving Force Platform, Sandra K. Hnat, Ben J.H. Van Basten, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Force plates for human movement analysis provide accurate measurements when mounted rigidly on an inertial reference frame. Large measurement errors occur, however, when the force plate is accelerated, or tilted relative to gravity. This prohibits the use of force plates in human perturbation studies with controlled surface movements, or in conditions where the foundation is moving or not sufficiently rigid. Here we present a linear model to predict the inertial and gravitational artifacts using accelerometer signals. The model is first calibrated with data collected from random movements of the unloaded system and then used to compensate for the errors in …

Design And Testing Of A Passive Prosthetic Ankle Foot Optimized To Mimic An Able-Bodied Gait, Millicent Schlafly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently there are nearly 2 million people living with limb loss in the United States [1]. Many of these individuals are either transtibial (below knee) or transfemoral (above knee) amputees and require an ankle-foot prosthesis for basic mobility. While there are an abundance of options available for individuals who require an ankle-foot prosthesis, these options fail to mimic an intact ankle when it comes to key evaluation criteria such as range of motion, push-off force, and roll over shape. The roll over shape is created by plotting the center of pressure during a step in a shank-based coordinate system. To …

Fixing Vertebral Compression Fractures With Medtronic, Kelly Fitzgerald, Trevor Bingham, Alex Denbaugh, Jordan Tang, Jon Stearns

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

No abstract provided.

Annuloplasty Mti: Improved Tooling For Annuloplasty Ring Manufacturing, Justin David Smith, Spencer Lee Combs, Luke Edward Maly

Mechanical Engineering

The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Powering A Biosensor Using Wearable Thermoelectric Technology, Anneliese Bals, Noah Barnes, Rafael Bravo, Nicolas Garcia, Joseph O'Bryan, Dylan Santana

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps, glucose monitors, hearing aids, and electrocardiograms provide necessary medical aid and monitoring to millions of users worldwide. These battery powered devices require battery replacement and frequent charging that reduces the freedom and peace of mind of users. Additionally, the significant portion of the world without access to electricity is unable to use these medical devices as they have no means to power them constantly. Wearable thermoelectric power generation aims to charge these medical device batteries without a need for grid power.

Our team has developing a wristband prototype that uses body heat, ambient …

Identification System For Heart Valve Manufacturing, Nicholas Robert Jensen, Edgar Davis Nix, Judith Evelyn Gonzalez, Albert Austin Liddicoat

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract withheld due to NDA constraints

Transcatheter Heart Valve Leaflet Assembly Tooling Improvement Final Design Report, James Craig Sherman, Zachary Robert Dicks, Luke Edward Williams

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Confidentiality: The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Dynamic Model For Simulating Motion Of The Right Ventricle, Brian Michael Larsen, Sam Koopman Porter, John Francis D'Ambrosio

Mechanical Engineering

This report documents all the research, ideation, and mockups used to determine right ventricle motion and develop a system capable of reproducing that motion on a tissue sample. The model is intended for evaluating anchoring systems being developed by Edwards Lifesciences for use with tricuspid valve therapies. Several design solutions were considered for the primary functions of recreating motion of the right ventricle and attaching tissue to the device. From these ideas a primary means of producing motion and attaching tissue was selected. These ideas were then developed over the course of a school year to become the final system …

Enhancing Mobility And Independence Of Wheelchair Users, Briar Blake, Paul Nauleau

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Conditions as simple as a leg fracture or more severe impairments such as paralysis and stroke may confine a person to a wheelchair. Wheelchairs help people with limited mobility transport themselves to different locations, but do not help the person leave the wheelchair. Users would need to do this to enter a car, use the restroom, take a shower, and sit at a table comfortably with family. The following design is a wheelchair attachment that serves to provide the user with increased mobility and independence. Wheelchair users struggle to get into and out of their chairs due to the unassisted …

Analysis Of The Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior Of Silicone Rubber For Biomedical Balloons, Chase Cooper

Materials Engineering

The development of a medical drug delivery device that allows for the deployment drugs into the adventitial tissue of blood vessels requires the inflation of a silicone elastomer. The inflated silicone must be able to consistently endure multiple loading cycles without failing so that the device can operate reliably. There are multiple methods of processing the silicone for the device and the goal of this study is to examine the effect of the various processing methods on the characteristics of the silicone. The Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Machine (DMA) is used to model the conditions of the device’s application by performing …

Multi-Purpose Heart Valve Therapy Assembly Fixture, Alec John Foster, John Patrick Hofstetter, Emily Lim

Mechanical Engineering

STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY: The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsors. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Chemotherapeutic Drug Cytotoxicity Measurement With A 3d Biomimetic Microfluidic Device And Computational Fluid Dynamics Model, Maryam Moarefian, Caroline Jones, Luke Achenie, Danesh Tafti

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Kinematic Analysis Of Spinal Cord Injury Animals Treated With A Neurotrophin-Infused Scaffold And Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training, Alexander Herman

Theses and Dissertations

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a condition that affects around 250,000 Americans with no cure. Existing treatments rely on physical therapies such as body weight support treadmill training (BWSTT). Treatments currently being researched include the use of implantable cells and biomaterials. Our study investigated the changes in locomotive gait and range of motion via a combinational treatment using a bioengineered scaffold [poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) polyethylene glycol (PNIPAAm-g-PEG) with BDNF and NT-3] and rehabilitation training using BWSTT in a clinically relevant contusion SCI animal model. Five different groups of animals (Sham, Injury, BWSTT, Implant, and Combinational) were tested on a treadmill …

Soft-Microrobotics: The Manipulation Of Alginate Artificial Cells, Samuel Sheckman

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the approach to the manipulation of alginate artificial cell soft-microrobots, both individually and in swarms is shown. Fabrication of these artificial cells were completed through centrifugation, producing large volumes of artificial cells, encapsulated with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles; these artificial cells can be then externally stimulated by an applied magnetic field. The construction of a Permeant Magnet Stage (PMS) was produced to manipulate the artificial cells individually and in swarms. The stage functionalizes the permanent magnet in the 2D xy-plane. Once the PMS was completed, Parallel self-assembly (Object Particle Computation) using swarms of artificial cells in complex …

Design & Delivery Of Automated Winston-Lutz Test For Isocentric & Off-Axis Delivery Stability Utilizing Truebeam Developer Mode & Electronic Portal Imaging Device, Mahmoud Mohammad Yaqoub

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The uncertainties in treatment delivery cannot be ignored in radiation therapy. Thus, the quality assurance QA tests are very important task of the medical physicist in clinical practice. Assuring the coincidence between the mechanical isocenter of the Linear Accelerator (LINAC) and its radiation beams isocenter is one of the most important qualities need to be tested, and the Winston Lust (WL) test is the

most popular technique to perform this task, especially for the treatment modalities which need high precision in beam delivery such as the stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic body radiotherapy (SRS/SBRT). The linear accelerator-based SRS/SBRT is a well-established method in …