Biomechanical Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Sonically Powered Biodegradable Nanogenerator For Bone Regeneration, Avi S. Patel

University Scholar Projects

Background: Reconstruction of bone fractures and defects remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery. While regenerative engineering has advanced the field greatly using a combination of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells, one matter of difficulty is inducing osteogenesis in these cells. Recent works have shown electricity’s ability to promote osteogenesis in stem cell lines when seeded in bone scaffolds; however, typical electrical stimulators are either (a) externally housed and require overcomplex percutaneous wires be connected to the implanted scaffold or (b) implanted non-degradable devices which contain toxic batteries and require invasive removal surgeries.

Objective: Here, we establish a biodegradable, piezoelectric …

Development Of A Sonically Powered Biodegradable Nanogenerator For Bone Regeneration, Avi Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Reconstruction of bone fractures and defects remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery. While regenerative engineering has advanced the field greatly using a combination of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells, one matter of difficulty is inducing osteogenesis in these cells. Recent works have shown electricity’s ability to promote osteogenesis in stem cell lines when seeded in bone scaffolds; however, typical electrical stimulators are either (a) externally housed and require overcomplex percutaneous wires be connected to the implanted scaffold or (b) implanted non-degradable devices which contain toxic batteries and require invasive removal surgeries.

Objective: Here, we establish a biodegradable, piezoelectric …

How Infant Positioning Impacts Hip Motion And The Associated Implications For Babies With Hip Dysplasia, Lauren Buchele

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) refers to a group of disorders, ranging from slight instability (Grades 1-3) to a severe dislocation (Grade 4) of the femoral head from the acetabulum [1]. In order to treat DDH in infants, a reduction procedure and the use of a lower body harness to secure the hip joint as the bones and ligaments re-form properly is typically prescribed. The Pavlik Harness is currently the “gold-standard” orthopedic device used to place hips in proper positioning. However, little research has been reported on the biomechanical affects during use of these device types.

Although the Pavlik …

Danny’S Recumbent Bike Accessibility Device Final Design Report, Joseph J. Lee, Huy Nguyen, Jack Mcatee, John Kulick

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to fully define our design solution and explain our manufacturing and testing results. Our project’s goal is to find a way to allow Danny Knutson, a retired Navy pilot and incomplete quadriplegic with limited use of his arms and an impaired sense of balance, to enter and exit his recumbent tricycle without any discomfort for him or his aide. We completed multiple interviews with Danny, patent research, existing product research, and other technical literature research in order to fully understand the problem. We synthesized this information to create a concrete list of customer wants …

Factors Affecting Patellar Mechanics And Bone Strain In Patients With Crouch Gait, Erika Ramirez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Crouch gait is a musculoskeletal impairment that results in higher than normal stresses at the patellofemoral (PF) joint that can lead to instances of anterior knee pain and loss of ambulation. The impact of commonly implemented surgical procedures to correct for crouch gait can be quantified by evaluating stresses and underlying patellar bone strain during a gait cycle. The aims of this thesis work were (1) to analyze changes in PF mechanics and patellar bone strain between pre- and postoperative conditions; (2) to quantify the variability of predicted patellar strain due to different kinematic/loading profiles or patellar material properties; and …

The Affective Perceptual Model: Enhancing Communication Quality For Persons With Pimd, Jadin Tredup

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Methods for prolonged compassionate care for persons with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities (PIMD) require a rotating cast of import people in the subjects life in order to facilitate interaction with the external environment. As subjects continue to age, dependency on these people increases with complexity of communications while the quality of communication decreases. It is theorized that a machine learning (ML) system could replicate the attuning process and replace these people to promote independence. This thesis extends this idea to develop a conceptual and formal model and system prototype.

The main contributions of this thesis are: (1) proposal of …

The Effects Of Bone Morphogenic Protein 2 On The Viability And Proliferation Of Dental Pulp Stem Cell Isolates, Joseph Cinelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Growth factor is an umbrella term used to describe a signaling molecule present in organisms that serves the purpose of influencing a stimulatory or inhibitory response from the target cell it acts on. Growth factors are categorized and classified by the types of tissues they act on and the cellular responses they illicit. For example, there are growth factors that act primarily in connective tissue on fibroblasts and they are aptly classified as the fibroblast growth factor family. Similarly, there is another family of growth factors that act on bone forming cells, among others, and they are known as bone …

Mechanical And Tribological Behaviour Of Treated And Untreated Moringa Oleifera Pods Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Composite For Packaging Applications, Prakash Sampath, Senthil Kumar V.S Dr

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Researchers now focus on the use of natural fiber polymer composites materials for packing applications. This attention is due to their low cost and renewable characteristics. Fabrication of composites with the use of renewable resources has many benefits of alternating from an appropriate management and reduction in industrial wastages, ecofriendly behaviour to cost effectiveness. The artificial fibers in packing industries can be replaced by natural fibers in the areas where stiffness and high strength are not the primary requirement. In the last decade the use of Natural fibers in the place of artificial fibers for reinforcements in epoxy resin matrix …

Graduate Keynote. Golf Grip Force Evaluation In Individuals With And Without Hand Arthritis Using A New Wearable Sensor Technology, Sara Frances Holland, Emily Lalone, Louis M. Ferreira, James P. Dickey

Western Research Forum

BACKGROUND

Hand osteoarthritis (H-OA) is the most common type of osteoarthritis largely affecting individuals over 45. H-OA involves pain, loss of grip strength and limiting participation in recreational activities such as golf. Currently, a number of ‘arthritic’ grips are designed using joint protection principles to ‘reduce hand forces and tight gripping’. However, no comprehensive examinations in their effectiveness have been conducted.

HYPOTHESIS

The purpose of this study is to systematically analyse the hand forces produced from various golf grips and arthritis grips at the distal-phalanges of the hand-grip interface in individuals with and without hand arthritis using new wearable sensor …

Efficacy Of Assistive Devices Produced With Additive Manufacturing, James Pierce

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Despite the frequency of musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains, broken bones and torn ligaments¹, treatment options are often costly, time-consuming and ill-fitted.^2,3 Additive manufacturing (“3D-printing) allows for the production of highly-customized and inexpensive assistive devices⁴, which suggests potential efficacy in the prescription of splints and casts for musculoskeletal injury.³ In the present study, a parametric, customizable splint/cast was created using a computer-aided design (CAD) package (Fusion 360, Autodesk, San Rafael, CA, USA) and produced with low-cost, desktop 3D printing (Ultimaker 2+ Extended, Ultimaker, Geldermalsen, Netherlands). Fitting of the devices was performed on five healthy …

The Influence Of Asphalt Ageing On Induction Healing Effect On Porous Asphalt Concrete, Shi Xu, Xueyan Liu, Amir Tabakovic, Erik Schlangen

Articles

Induction healing is a proven technology which is able to improve the self‐healing capacity of asphalt concrete. Healing is achieved via electromagnetic current produced by passing induction machine, where steel asphalt constituents heat up which in turn soften the bitumen in the asphalt layer, allowing it to flow and close cracks, repairing the damage. This paper reports on the study which investigated the influence of ageing on the healing capacity of Porous Asphalt (PA) concrete. Porous Asphalt concrete mix was prepared first, then subjected to an accelerated (laboratory) ageing process using a ventilated oven. In order to further evaluate the …

Design And Analysis Of Novel Actuation Mechanism With Controllable Stiffness, Erivelton Gualter Dos Santos, Hanz Richter

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Actuators intended for human–machine interaction systems are usually designed to be mechanically compliant. Conventional actuators are not suitable for this purpose due to typically high stiffness. Advanced powered prosthetic and orthotic devices can vary their stiffness during a motion cycle and are power-efficient. This paper proposes a novel actuator design that modulates stiffness by means of a flexible beam. A motorized drive system varies the active length of the cantilever beam, thus achieving stiffness modulation. New large deflection formulation for cantilever beams with rolling contact constraints is used to determine the moment produced by the actuator. To validate the proposed …

Engineering A Bacterial Flagella Forest For Sensing And Actuation – A Progress Report, Xihe Liu, Shulin Ye, Isaac Oti, Lauren Metzinger

SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research

Flagella can be used to make magnetically-controlled microfluidic and nanoscale devices for biomedical applications in both vitro and vivo environments. They are capable of operating with high precision on the cellular and subcellular level. So far, scientists and engineers have successfully used monolithic inorganic materials or photoactive polymers [1] to mimic the helical bacterial flagella whose rotary-propulsion mechanism effectively overcomes the dominant viscous forces that prevail in a low Reynolds-number environment. Here, we focus on bacterial flagella and their rotary motion. The bacterial flagellum is an ideal biomaterial for constructing self-propelling nanoswimmers because it can reversibly change its geometry in …

Analyzing Moment Arm Profiles In A Full-Muscle Rat Hindlimb Model, Fletcher Young, Christian Rode, Alexander Hunt, Roger Quinn

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding the kinematics of a hindlimb model is a fundamental aspect of modeling coordinated locomotion. This work describes the development process of a rat hindlimb model that contains a complete muscular system and incorporates physiological walking data to examine realistic muscle movements during a step cycle. Moment arm profiles for selected muscles are analyzed and presented as the first steps to calculating torque generation at hindlimb joints. A technique for calculating muscle moment arms from muscle attachment points in a three-dimensional (3D) space has been established. This model accounts for the configuration of adjacent joints, a critical aspect of biarticular …

Multiphase Cfd Modelling And Piv Validation Of A Uasb Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Jéferson Luis Alba, Gabriel Tomazzoni Mazzarotto, Severino Rodrigues De Farias Neto, Lademir Luiz Beal, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors stand out as a feasible option for treating wastewaters while generating a valuable amount of biogas. It is known that the efficiency of UASB reactors is closely linked to its hydrodynamics. Therefore, understanding the role of each phase (solids, liquid and gas) in the mixing conditions inside the reactor and having validated numerical models for predicting the flow behavior has become fundamental for the design and optimization of UASB reactors. In this context this work aims to develop and validate a three phase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of an UASB reactor. Eulerian-Eulerian laminar …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation Of A Novel Hybrid Comprehensive Stage Ii Operation For Single Ventricle Palliation, Marwan Hameed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a type of heart defect where the left ventricle is underdeveloped or not developed, resulting in only a single functioning right ventricle. Approximately 7.5% of patients with congenital heart disease are born with a single ventricle (SV) which is accompanied by a spectrum of other malformations such as atrophied ascending aorta, atrial septal defects, and ventricular septal defects (VSD). The existing three-hybrid staged surgical approach serving as a palliative treatment for this anomaly entails multiple complications and achieves a survival rate of only 50%. To reduce the trauma associated with the second stage of …

Metabolic Cost Calculations Of Gait Using Musculoskeletal Energy Models, A Comparison Study, Anne D. Koelewijn, Dieter Heinrich, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper compares predictions of metabolic energy expenditure in gait using seven metabolic energy expenditure models to assess their correlation with experimental data. Ground reaction forces, marker data, and pulmonary gas exchange data were recorded for six walking trials at combinations of two speeds, 0.8 m/s and 1.3 m/s, and three inclines, -8% (downhill), level, and 8% (uphill). The metabolic cost, calculated with the metabolic energy models was compared to the metabolic cost from the pulmonary gas exchange rates. A repeated measures correlation showed that all models correlated well with experimental data, with correlations of at least 0.9. The model …

Probing The Influence Of Cx43 And Glucose On Endothelial Biomechanics, Md Mydul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endothelial cells (ECs) form the innermost layer of all vasculature and constantly receive both biochemical and biomechanical signals, yielding a plethora of biomechanical responses. In response to various biochemical or biomechanical cues, ECs have been documented to generate biomechanical responses such as tractions and intercellular stresses between the cell and substrate and between adjacent cells in a confluent monolayer, respectively. Thus far, the ability of endothelial tight junctions and adherens junctions to transmit intercellular stresses has been actively investigated, but the role of gap junctions is currently unknown. In addition, there is no report of the independent influence of hyperglycemia …

3d Printed Bioreactor With Optimized Stimulations For Ex-Vivo Bone Tissue Culture, Anirban Chakraborty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivation: Long term tissue survivability ex-vivo can greatly facilitate research on the influence of external stimulus (loading, radiation, microgravity) on the tissue, including mechanisms of disease transmission and subsequent drug discoveries. Bioreactors (used to culture living tissue ex-vivo) can be a valuable tool to study cell activity during physiological processes by mimicking their in-vivo native 3D environment.
Objective Statement: We have developed a compact, 3D printed bioreactor equipped with both continuous flow-perfusion and dynamic mechanical-loading stimulations, capable of maintaining ex-vivo viability of swine cancellous bone cores over a long period. Qualitative study of the cultured cores (in terms of …

The Influence Of 3d Porous Chitosan-Alginate Biomaterial Scaffold Properties On The Behavior Of Breast Cancer Cells, Minh-Chau N. Le

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in regulating cancer cell behavior. The tumor microenvironment describes the cancer cells, and the surrounding endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells, along with the extracellular matrix (ECM). The tumor microenvironment stiffens as cancer undergoes malignant progression, providing biophysical cues that promote invasive, metastatic cellular behaviors. This project investigated the influence of three dimensional (3D) chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffold stiffness on the morphology, growth, and migration of green fluorescent protein (GFP) – transfected MDA-MB-231 (231-GFP) breast cancer (BCa) cells. The CA scaffolds were produced by the freeze casting method at three concentrations, 2 wt%, …

Quantification Of Myocardial Mechanics In Left Ventricles Under Inotropic Stimulation And In Healthy Right Ventricles Using 3d Dense Cmr, Zhan-Qiu Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Statistical data from clinical studies indicate that the death rate caused by heart disease has decreased due to an increased use of evidence-based medical therapies. This includes the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is one of the most common non-invasive approaches in evidence-based health care research. In the current work, I present 3D Lagrangian strains and torsion in the left ventricle of healthy and isoproterenol-stimulated rats, which were investigated using Displacement ENcoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. With the implementation of the 12-segment model, a detailed profile of regional cardiac mechanics was reconstructed for …

Quantification Of Papillary Muscle Motion And Mitral Regurgitation After Myocardial Infarction, Connor R. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Change in papillary muscle motion as a result of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after posterolateral myocardial infarction is thought to contribute to ischemic mitral regurgitation. A finite element (FE) model of the LV was created from magnetic resonance images acquired immediately before myocardial infarction and 8 weeks later in a cohort of 12 sheep. Severity of mitral regurgitation was rated by two-dimensional echocardiography and regurgitant volume was estimated using MRI. Of the cohort, 6 animals (DC) received hydrogel injection therapy shown to limit ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction while the control group (MI) received a similar pattern of saline injections. …

A Computational Study Of Patch Implantation And Mitral Valve Mechanics, Dara Singh

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Myocardial infarction (i.e., a heart attack) is the most common heart disease in the United States. Mitral valve regurgitation, or the backflow of blood into the atrium from the left ventricle, is one of the complications associated with myocardial infarction. In this dissertation, a validated model of a sheep heart that has suffered myocardial infarction has been employed to study mitral valve regurgitation. The model was rebuilt with the knowledge of geometrical changes captured with MRI technique and is assigned with anisotropic, inhomogeneous, nearly incompressible and highly non-linear material properties. Patch augmentation was performed on its anterior leaflet, using a …

Surf Leg, Samantha Campbell, Oyundari Altansukh, Caroline Swanson, Kurtis Barth

Mechanical Engineering

The Surf Leg Prosthetic project team in conjunction with QL+ and Operation Surf designed a transtibial prosthetic to be used for surfing. The senior project team focused on the missions of QL+ and Operation Surf as they went through the design process during the 2018-2019 academic year. The problem solved was that a standard prosthetic for a transtibial amputee does not provide the flexibility in enough degrees of freedom for a user to squat and balance on a surfboard. The goal of this project was to create a device specifically designed to improve the user’s balance and control while surfing. …

Estimation And Prediction Of The Human Gait Dynamics For The Control Of An Ankle-Foot Prosthesis, Guilherme Aramizo Ribeiro

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

With the growing population of amputees, powered prostheses can be a solution to improve the quality of life for many people. Powered ankle-foot prostheses can be made to behave similar to the lost limb via controllers that emulate the mechanical impedance of the human ankle. Therefore, the understanding of human ankle dynamics is of major significance. First, this work reports the modulation of the mechanical impedance via two mechanisms: the co-contraction of the calf muscles and a change of mean ankle torque and angle. Then, the mechanical impedance of the ankle was determined, for the first time, as a multivariable …

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 …

Exoskeleton Leg Brace, Aaron Indermuhle, Magomed Kasumov, Cevat Bagcioglu, Lucas Battaglia

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report details the design process of a lower limb exoskeleton leg brace for elderly people with walking disabilities or others with disabilities that limit mobility. While there are other similar products on the market, the general design can be improved and these improvements have been implemented into the design presented within. Among these improvements are progress in efficiency, weight, user comfort, and cost. The results of the study are the design of a novel leg brace that improves on existing designs in each of these areas.

Our design solution incorporates the use of a single leg brace with no …

Design And Mechanical Characterization Of 3d Printed Gradient Porosity Poly(Propylene Fumarate) Scaffolds, Andrea Felicelli

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Worldwide incidence of bone disorders and conditions, an already prevalent problem, is expected to double by 2020 from the rate in 2013 due to factors such as higher life expectancies and lower levels of physical activity. Every year in the United States, over half a million patients receive bone defect repairs, with costs greater than $2.5 billion. Current repairs are typically done with bone grafts, which are often costly and can result in added complications in the donor surgical site. Tissue engineering, a growing field that seeks to assist and enhance tissue defect repairs through the use of synthetic materials, …

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 …

Side-To-Side Comparison Of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty And Intact Function In Individuals, Sarah Rose Walden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) is a surgery which replaces the shoulder joint, or the interface between the humerus and the scapula glenoid. To test TSA success, most prior research compares patients with TSA to healthy controls. However, the shoulder anthropometry, motion, and musculature of individuals varies widely across the population making it important to assess TSA performance in individuals. The overall goal of this study is to determine if patients with one of two TSA implant designs on one side achieve the same range of motion as their intact side, and if so to find if they compensate using increased …