Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Effect Of Occlusion, Directionality And Age On Horizontal Localization, Lynzee Nicole Alworth

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Localization acuity of a given listener is dependent upon the ability discriminate between interaural time and level disparities. Interaural time differences are encoded by low frequency information whereas interaural level differences are encoded by high frequency information. Much research has examined effects of hearing aid microphone technologies and occlusion separately and prior studies have not evaluated age as a factor in localization acuity. Open-fit hearing instruments provide new earmold technologies and varying microphone capabilities; however, these instruments have yet to be evaluated with regard to horizontal localization acuity.

Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of …

Use Of A Spine Robot Employing A Real Time Force Control Algorithm To Develop, Simulate, And Compare Spinal Biomechanical Testing Protocols: Eccentric Loading, Pure Moment, And A Novel Head Weight Protocol, Daniel Mark Wido

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

In vitro testing provides a critical tool for understanding the biomechanics of the subaxial cervical spine. Previous common testing protocols used to evaluate the subaxial cervical spine include Pure Moment (PM), follower load, and eccentric lever arm (EL) loading methods. Although these methods are widely accepted, there is always a goal to try to better simulate physiologic loading conditions. While the follower load attempts to simulate compression due to muscle activation, no previous protocol has taken into account the constant vertical force vector applied to C2 produced by the weight of the human head. Furthermore, we are unaware of previous …

Biomechanical Comparison Of Traditional Laminectomy And Minimally‑Invasive Facetectomies, Karen Sedacki

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The facet joints of the lumbar spine are one of the sources of low‑back pain that affects a great portion of the population. Minimally‑invasive (MI) procedures have been becoming more popular in the surgical decompression of the spine because they offer shorter recovery time and involve removal of smaller amounts of important structures. With these features, it is believed that MI procedures lead to less clinical instability, and the functionality of the segment is maintained. Another important factor is how the facet angle in the lumbar segments affects the biomechanical instability. In spite of all this interest in MI procedures, …

Use Of A Multi-Axis Robotic Testing Platform To Investigate The Sagittal Mechanics Of The Multi-Body Lumbar Spine, Jessica Rose Stubbs

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

A biomechanical study was performed to compare range of motion of the multi-body lumbar spine using three different protocols: pure moment, eccentric loading, and a new method called combined loading moment. The objectives of the study were to introduce a new protocol that overcomes the limitations of previous methods by applying more realistic loading conditions and to compare the range of motion of this new protocol to those of eccentric loading and pure moment protocols within the same specimen pool. The second objective of this study was to compare the data sets of these three protocols to both in vivo …

Application Of A High‑Resolution Computed Radiography System In Detecting An Iodinated X‑Ray Contrast Agent: Small Animal Phantom Study, Anobel Maghsoodpour

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tumor angiogenesis, the creation of new blood vessels, is the characteristic of solid tumors and crucial for their development. Iodinated contrast agents are used to increase the X‑ray detectability of zone of angiogenesis, and thus providing a means for tracking tumor growth.

The overall objective of this project was to evaluate the performance of Kodak CR 7400, a high‑resolution compact computed radiography (CR) system in detection of Omnipaque‑240, an iodinated contrast agent, in a phantom mimicking small animal tumor model.

The first phase of the project was dedicated to a comprehensive assessment of CR image quality by measuring presampled Modulation …