1. health and fitness

biomedical engineering
symposium
spring 2015
table of contents
page
3Welcome
4Acknowledgements
[A] cardiac
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5
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5
6
6
A1: Transit Time Blood Pressure Monitor
A2: iPad-Based 12-Lead Electrocardiogram for Emergency Medical Services
A3: Utilizing Modern Simulative Techniques And 3d Printing to Diagnose Congenital Heart Defects
A4: Infrared-Guided Endovascular Catheter Guidewire System
A5: Superficial Femoral Artery Mock Vessel For W.L Gore & Associates
A6: Portable Pneumatic Compression Device
[B] dental
6
7
B1: Actively Adjusting Low-Strain Dental Loupes
B2: Electric Flossing and Brushing Device
[C] devices
7
C1: Portable Canine ECG Monitor for Small Dogs
7
C2: Truck Driver Monitoring System
7
C3: UV Light-Emitting Probe to Reduce Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
8
C4: Clear Endoscope™: A Device for the Sterile Application of Long Lasting Anti-Fog Coatings Such as Vitreox™ On Surgical Scopes and Medical Lenses
8
C6: Surgical Headlamp Camera System
[D] diagnostics
8
D1: Navajo Neurohepatopathy (NNH) Medical Diagnostic Device
9
D2: Diagnostic Kit For Disease Detection Using Antibody Conjugated Gold Nanoparticle Microspheres
9
D3: The Development Of Laminin Degradation Product Specific Single-Chain Vairable Fragments for
Targeting and Locating Traumatic Brain Injury
9
D4: Chikungunya Transdermal Drug Delivery Device
[E]
assistive technologies
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10
10
[F]
drug delivery
E1: VisiBraille
E2: Wearable Ultrasonic Navigation Tool for the Visually Impaired
E3: Low Cost Programmable Gain Hearing Aid With Hearing Loss Diagnostic and Gain Calibration Software
10
F1: Optimization of Convection-Enhanced Drug Delivery Catheter Device for Treatment of Glioblastoma
Multiforme in Terminal Patients
11
F2: Wireless Smart Pill Bottle
[G] health and wellness
11
G1: Programmable Fitness and Nutrition Tracker Integrated in a Mobile Application to Promote
Health and Wellness
11
G2: TearTOUCH: Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring Using Tear Fluid
12
G3: Design of a Breath Collection Apparatus For Invoy Breath Acetone Monitor
12
G4: Endotracheal Tube with CO2 Sensor and iPad Integration
[H] rehabilitation
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13
13
13
14
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[J]
tissue engineering
15
15
H1: Lightweight Orthopedic Cast
H2: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Device and Electrode Cap
H3: Sustainable, Durable & Integrative Redesign of the Lower Limb Prosthetic
H4: The R.H.O. Project: A Novel Approach To A Myoelectric, Robotic Hand Orthotic
H5: Infrared Vasodilation Device
H6: Variable Frequency Mechanical Indenter for Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
H7: Controllable, 3-Pronged, Transradial Prosthetic Device
H8: Thermo-Physician Knee Brace
H9: Biomimetic 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand
H10: Neuro Muscular Stimulation of Anterior Tibialis for Foot Drop
J1: Integrated Bioreactor System for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
J2: Universal Bioreactor for Tissue Engineering of Large Hollow 3D Tissue Systems
page
[K] masters applied projects
16
K1: IOS Painting for Artists with Disabilities
16
K2: Evaluating the Influence of Cerebral Aneurysm Packing Density in Stent Assisted Coiling Treatments on Clinical Outcomes
16
K3: Quantifying the Effects Of Endovascular Stenting on Parent-Vessel Geometry and Cerebral Aneurysm Hemodynamics
16
K4: Towards Actuating a Prosthetic Hand via a Flexible, Multichannel Electromyography Array
17
K5: A Continuous Lactate Sensor For Critical Care Applications
17
K6: Best Practices for a Cortical Vision Prosthesis: Electrode Size and Epicortical Versus Intracortical Placement of Electrodes
17
K7: Development and Implementation of Computer Game-Based E-Learning Modules For Medical and Dental Education Curricula
17
K8: A Minimal Divergence Interpolator for Fluid-Flow Velocity Images
18
K9: Real-Time Animation for Visuomotor Learning: A 3-Dimensional Motion Capture System Adapted for an Immersive Virtual Reality Environment via Oculus Rift
18
K10: A Study on the Migration of Prostate Cancer Cells From 3dtms on an Antibiotic Based Hydrogel and the Effect of Inhibitory Drug on Their Migration
18
K11: Image Analysis of Ultrasound Images for Elastography
18
K12: Isolation of CDNA to Express Activator Proteins that Reduce Silencing of Synthetic Genes
19
K13: Measuring Postural Stability Comparison Between a Force Plate and an Imu While Loaded With a Backpack
19
K14: Electrochemical Diagnostic Array
19
K15: Testing Gait Speed in Young Adults Using Smartphone Inertial Measurement Unit
19
K16: Identification of Volatile Organic Compounds for Early Cancer Detection
20
K17: Non-Contact Type Pulse Oximeter
20
K18: Modelling and Simulation of Dynamics of Gene Delivery Using Electroporation
20
K19: Biomanufacturing Platform and Practices for Personalized Medicine Products
20
K20: Investigating Neuronal Noise
21
K21: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: Auspicious Non-Invasive Modulation or Overhyped
Curiosity? A Literature Review
21
K22: Three Dimensional Particle Tracking of Neutrally Buoyant Particles Through Patient-Specific Aortic Coarctation Models
21
K23: Adaptable 3D Linear Rail System For Pneumatic Stimulator
21
K24: Guidewire with Controllable Stiffness
22
K25: Fatigue and Non-Compliance Detection in Stroke Rehab Therapy Exercise
22
K26: Biomimetic Biomuscle Gripper Based on Crustacean Physiology
22
K27: Classification of Spoken Words Using Micro- Electrocorticography Recordings From Face Motor Cortex and Wernicke’s Area
22
K28: Human-Human Joint Action: Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over Posterior
Parietal Cortex on Physical Cooperation
23
K29: Lockhart Monitor: an Evaluation of Using a Smartphone Application for Postural Stability
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K30: Development of a Patient-Centric Point-of-Care Tacrolimus Sensor for Transplant Patients
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K31: Smart Helmet For The Detection And Prevention Of Concussive M.T.B.I.’S
23
K32: Tailored Carbon Based Materials and Their Application to Biomedical Device Design and Functionality
24
K33: Flexible Circuitry for Temperature Sensing
24
K34: Energy Imbalance Consuming High Fat Foods
24
K35: Using PPG and ECG Signal for Continuous Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement
24
K36: Wavelet Analysis of Laser Doppler Flow and Photoplethysmography Signals for Osteopathic
Manipulative Therapy
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K37: Low-Cost, At-Home Eye Fixation Tracking Device to Aid in Further Research and Eventual Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders
25
K38: Modifying the Padova Type II Diabetes Simulator by Incorporating Glucagon
25
K39: A Micromechanical Test Platform for Assessing Stiffness of Electrospun Scaffolds for Tissue
Regeneration
25
K40: Different Hydrogels for Bupivacaine Delivery
26
K41: Computational Fluid Dynamics Comparison n Cerebral Aneurysms Treated with Varied Coiling Methods
26
K42: A Matlab GUI for Diffusion-Weighted and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Image Data Acquisition with Automatic Organ Segmentation and 3D Registration
welcome
On behalf of the students, staff, faculty
and affiliated colleagues of the School of
Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one
of the six schools in the Ira A. Fulton Schools
of Engineering at Arizona State University and
the Harrington Bioengineering Program along
with our clinical and industrial partners, it is our
pleasure to once again welcome you to our annual
design symposium. Proudly displayed before
you in this annual symposium are the collective
creative outcomes developed by our biomedical
engineering senior capstone designers and
masters applied project candidates that exemplify
this culminating event. It is a testament to the
wide range of expertise provided by our dedicated
mentors and professional staff who, year in
and year out, support the next generation of
biomedical engineering scientists and designers
who are expected to solve the pressing global
grand challenges in health care. In addition, with
an intensifying culture of innovation continuing
to emerge at ASU and within the greater Arizona
community, the growing entrepreneurial spirit will
continue to provide unprecedented opportunities
to our biomedical engineering students who
will have acquired the skill sets to become
the next generation of health care technology
leaders in the 21st Century. Our ability to build
our entrepreneurial capacity and engage in new
global partnerships is better than ever. Please
come join us in this exciting and rewarding
journey!
Marco Santello, PhD
Director, SBHSE
Harrington Endowed Chair
& Professor
Vincent Pizziconi, PhD
Founder & Director
SBHSE Design Studio
design studio staff (l-r) Colin Barry, Kris Phataraphruk, Justin Tanner
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acknowledgments
SBHSE faculty and mentors
James Abbas, associate professor
Casey Ankeny, lecturer
David Brafman, assistant professor
Chris Buneo, associate professor
Michael Caplan, associate professor
Jerry Coursen, lecturer
David Frakes, associate professor
Emma Frow, assistant professor
Antonio Garcia, professor
Bradley Greger, associate professor
Leland Hartwell, nobel laureate and professor
Karmella Haynes, assistant professor
Jiping He, professor
Steve Helms Tillery, associate professor,
graduate program chair
Jeff Kleim, associate professor,
undergraduate program chair
Vikram Kodibagkar, assistant professor
Jeff LaBelle, assistant professor
James Levine, professor
Steve Massia, associate professor
Troy McDaniel, research assistant professor
Robert Mittman, professor of practice
Jit Muthuswamy, associate professor
Mehdi Nikkhah, assistant professor
Scott Parazynski, university explorer &
professor of practice
Vin Pizziconi, associate professor
Rosalind Sadleir, assistant professor
Marco Santello, director, professor
Barbara Smith, assistant professor
Mark Spano, research professor
Sarah Stabenfeldt, assistant professor
Bruce Towe, professor
Jamie Tyler, associate professor
Michael Van Auker, lecturer
Brent Vernon, associate professor
biomedical engineering capstone
design & masters applied project
Vikram Kodibagkar, assistant professor
Vincent Pizziconi, associate professor
biomedical engineering faculty
advisory design group
Michael Caplan, associate professor
David Frakes, assistant professor
Jeffrey LaBelle, assistant professor
Vincent Pizziconi, associate professor
capstone teaching assistants
Kris Phataraphruk, doctoral candidate
Justin Tanner, doctoral candidate
laboratory coordinator
Colin Barry, BSE candidate
SBHSE advising staff
Keli Palmer, academic advising manager
Laura Hawes, graduate
academic success specialist
Jessica Kentgen, undergraduate
academic success specialist
Nancy Mapes, undergraduate
academic success specialist
Robbie Runk, student services coordinator
SBHSE Staff
Tammie Cameron, business operations specialist
Debbi Howard, project coordinator, internships
Alana LaBelle, laboratory manager
Solo Pyon, systems support analyst
Tomi St John, business operations manager
Wendy Van Duyn, assistant to director
Nellie Voise, research advancement administrator
thank you
On behalf of the SBHSE Design Studio we would like to thank BME alumni, industry
partners and mentors. We hope to continue our partnership and collaborations, as
well as stay connected to our seniors to be part of what future may hold for them!
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[A] cardiac
A1: TRANSIT TIME BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR
Kara Karaniuk, Tanner Libsack, Lina Villa
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and is becoming a growing problem abroad. Monitoring blood pressure is one
important way to keep track of one’s heart health. Currently, top of the line blood pressure monitors are obstructive and costly. In order to combat
these downfalls we designed a continuous, non-invasive blood pressure monitor that can communicate with an outside application and provide
up to date information to a user. The device is based on previous research of pulse transit time and relation to blood pressure. This device
uses two pulse sensors that are embedded within a synthetic fabric sleeve. The sensors measure pulse at two points on the arm and the time
difference between the signals serves to perform this measurement. An RFduino processes the data and communicates via Bluetooth to an
iPhone app. The iPhone app can store and flag blood pressures, all while having a simple display and being easy to use. It is highly innovative
in the aspects of the user interface, comfort, and affordability. The alpha prototype is similar to the end concept of the product with a sleeve
that is easy to apply and remove for any user. The FDA application is for a Class II device as a wearable fitness monitor. The estimated cost
to manufacture is only $63 and the cost to the user will be less than $100. The product is adaptable and can be used as a fitness monitor for
those who like to be aware of multiple fitness parameters. Other sensors can be easily applied to the sleeve or monitor. In the end, this device
gives better monitoring capability for users of all ages and fitness levels with easily accessible data for physicians that can detect blood pressure
problems earlier and easier.
A2: IPAD-BASED 12-LEAD ELECTROCARDIOGRAM FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
Jeanete Barillas, Katherine Hemzacek, Zijie Yuan
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and is becoming a growing problem abroad. Monitoring blood pressure is one
important way to keep track of one’s heart health. Currently, top of the line blood pressure monitors are obstructive and costly. In order to combat
these downfalls we designed a continuous, non-invasive blood pressure monitor that can communicate with an outside application and provide
up to date information to a user. The device is based on previous research of pulse transit time and relation to blood pressure. This device
uses two pulse sensors that are embedded within a synthetic fabric sleeve. The sensors measure pulse at two points on the arm and the time
difference between the signals serves to perform this measurement. An RFduino processes the data and communicates via Bluetooth to an
iPhone app. The iPhone app can store and flag blood pressures, all while having a simple display and being easy to use. It is highly innovative
in the aspects of the user interface, comfort, and affordability. The alpha prototype is similar to the end concept of the product with a sleeve
that is easy to apply and remove for any user. The FDA application is for a Class II device as a wearable fitness monitor. The estimated cost
to manufacture is only $63 and the cost to the user will be less than $100. The product is adaptable and can be used as a fitness monitor for
those who like to be aware of multiple fitness parameters. Other sensors can be easily applied to the sleeve or monitor. In the end, this device
gives better monitoring capability for users of all ages and fitness levels with easily accessible data for physicians that can detect blood pressure
problems earlier and easier.
A3: UTILIZING MODERN SIMULATIVE TECHNIQUES AND 3D PRINTING TO DIAGNOSE CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS
Girish Pathangey, Chris Matheny, Kevin Winarta
mentors: Dr. David Frakes | Dr. Stephen Pophal — Phoenix Children’s Hospital
A pre-surgical methodology has been developed to analyze a congenital heart disease known as the coarctation of the aorta. This
defect is characterized by a narrowing of the aorta. As of now there are no standard guidelines for diagnosing such defects, which poses a
challenge for surgeons to provide an optimal form of care. Anonymized medical data sets were segmented into virtual 3D models, and ran
through computer flow simulations to look at varying pressure drops across the coarctation segment. If the pressure drop is manageable,
endovascular angioplasty and stents can effectively treat the coarctation without having to unnecessarily risk the complications of a traumatic
invasive surgery. The simulations will provide medical professionals with a means to use personalized medicine to help categorize the severity
of a stenosis and suggest for an effective treatment. Therefore, a holistic representation of pressure simulations and 3D printed models deliver
adequate information for selected treatments. This method is non-invasive, inexpensive, and more accurate compared to modern evaluative
procedures. Costs range from $ 200-300 in addition to an MRI scan, and would be covered under Medicare and Medicaid. By understanding
the hemodynamics of the heart through simulative technologies and 3D printing, this device delivers a novel way of spatially understanding
complicated cases in cardiology and it can ultimately reduce the rate of misdiagnoses.
A4: INFRARED-GUIDED ENDOVASCULAR CATHETER GUIDEWIRE SYSTEM
Emily Murphy, Jessica Smith, Gregory Wohlleb
mentor: Dr. Rosalind Sadleir — SBHSE
There is an inherent danger and difficulty in performing endovascular catheter procedures due to the difficulty of guiding and placing
the catheter, which is exacerbated by the lack of visibility provided by current imaging techniques. Modern imaging techniques typically rely on
fluoroscopy that can expose patients to high radiation levels and only provides a two dimensional image of vasculature. The proposed product
consists of an infrared-guided catheter guidewire system that aims to display a real-time distance contour plot of blood vessel topography. The
key features of this system will be a fiber optic bundle enclosed in an inert polymer sheath, a soft hydrogel tip unit, an external infrared emitter
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and sensor array for signal detection, and a microprocessor for signal processing and image output. Such a guidewire could be deployed through
conventional endovascular catheters with minimal effect on established surgical procedures, providing a display of blood vessel contours based
on guidewire position and allowing for better visualization of the location of vascular defects and desired surgical sites. The benefits of such a
system would include increased imaging visibility, increased accuracy of catheter deployment, reduced exposure to radiation, decreased cost
over similar technologies, improved surgical feedback in real-time, and lower risk of treatment-related incidents. For prototyping purposes, the
key features of this system will be a fiber optic bundle enclosed in vinyl tubing, four focusing lenses, an external infrared emitter and sensor array
for signal detection, and a microprocessor for signal processing and image output. The casing will be 3D printed and the function will be tested
using a visible wavelength laser diode. The sensor system will be tested for intensity sensitivity, image processing efficiency, and distance image
accuracy. The product will market below competitor products at $950.00 with a projected four year NPV of $1.916 million.
A5: SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL ARTERY MOCK VESSEL FOR W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES
Michael Dennison, Sandy Seto, Brandon Simmons, Tiffany Pifher, Emerson Tucker
mentor: Dr. David Frakes, Dr. Vincent Pizziconi — SBHSE
The VIABAHN Endoprosthesis stent, manufactured by W.L Gore, is used to treat peripheral vascular disease in the iliac and femoral
arteries. Peripheral vascular disease is the narrowing of the artery and can cause many health issues. Before a stent can be certified for use in
surgical procedures, the device needs to be evaluated in-vitro. The ideal test method includes the use of a mock vessel system. Some limitations
of current mock vessels include limited physiological resemblance or are used solely to model blood flow through the vessel, lacking anatomical
relevant properties. Our solution is based off of actual patient data from which a 3D model was created using Mimics. From this model, a
mold and casting method was implemented to provide an accurate and cost effective solution. The material chosen was a combination of two
different silicones producing tensile strength of 750 kPa, which is similar to the media and adventitia. This material was extensively tested to
mimic physiological parameters that were found through literature research. ASTM standards were followed in order to verify: burst strength,
radial strength, tensile strength, stretch, and compliance of the vessel. The standards were used to find a compliance value of 3-4% and a burst
strength of 450 kPa, which are close to the research values found. The final vessel is a transparent, low cost, anatomically accurate version of
the superficial femoral artery that will be used for testing the quality of the VIABAHN Endoprosthesis.
A6: PORTABLE PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION DEVICE
Natalie Bowers, Joshua Morris
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE | Dr. Jon Morris, DC
Several people throughout the world have issues with chronic venous disorders that can potentially cause a build-up of fluid in the
limbs due to congestive heart failure. Products that address this issue are known as dynamic compression devices, however, the devices that
are currently on the market have been said to be uncomfortable, inconvenient to use, and are not portable. The product we are developing is
a Portable Pneumatic Compression Device that assists in increasing circulation by inducing cycles of approximately 90 mmHg of pressure
around the leg. The purpose of this device is to assist those suffering from chronic venous disorders by creating a more effective, affordable,
comfortable, and easy-to-use device. This will be done by applying compression in a sequential fashion up the leg, and thus will decrease
swelling by increasing circulation. The device will be able to be used on the go so that the patient can go about their daily activities. It uses
a simple design consisting of an air compressor that is connected to solenoid valves that provide an inlet for air to flow through air bladders
surrounding the leg in a 5-way, 3-position system. Pressure tests have been conducted to test the amount of pressure that will be applied and
results are consistent with the clinical value of 70-100 mmHg. Per device, the estimated production cost of one unit is $300 and the estimated
initial retail cost is $500 per unit. The target customers will be cardiologists who will in turn prescribe this as compression therapy for their
patients who suffer from congestive heart failure. In terms of FDA regulation, this device is considered a Class II device and would require a
510(k) submission in order to move toward premarket approval. This device improves the quality of life for patients by providing a safe, effective,
and portable way to treat those suffering from chronic venous disorders.
[B] dental
B1: ACTIVELY ADJUSTING LOW-STRAIN DENTAL LOUPES
Tim Peterson, Omar Karaboulad, Mohamad Immam, Parminder Chanda
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
When a dentist is performing a root canal or a filling, the amount of focus and hand accuracy when working in a small space forces
them to remain in a strenuous position for long increments of time, possibly developing neck problems and back issues. This issue will be
addressed by building dental loupes that will allow a controlled focus point even if the user moves his or her head or adjust the body as well as
reduce body strain. The current products available in the market only allow the user to be able to magnify the focus point without the freedom
of movement. Our device, in addition to current designs, will include a gyroscope that detects any head movement after a certain orientation is
set and sends the change in position to the microcontroller to process. After processing the gyroscopic data, the device allows the magnification
loupes to move vertically at an angle range of 45°. This process is immediate in order for the user to have a continuous view of the main focus
point. These dental loupes will easily compete with others on the market because of its new innovative functionality as well as the comparable
cost to a normal pair of quality loupes, approximately $500. With these improved capabilities, the user can work more efficiently for longer
periods of time without experiencing neck and back strain.
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B2: ELECTRIC FLOSSING AND BRUSHING DEVICE
Raj Ahir, Shayan Azimi, Gevorg Khandanyan, Tuan Phan, Shemal Shukla
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
51% of Americans avoid daily flossing due to the difficulty and time consumption that current flossing devices cause1. Floss removes
particles and plaque between teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing prevents buildup of tartar and cavities, which leads to gum
diseases. To reduce the difficulty and time consumption, our team has come up with electric two-in-one device that accomplishes the task of
flossing and brushing. The device will incorporate two DC motors at two ends of the device. The brush head vibrates at a high frequency while
the floss head moves side-to-side at 180 strokes/min. The speed of the floss head closely resembles the speed of traditional flossing which
is efficient enough to remove plaque and debris. A BLE Shield was used to transfer brushing and flossing time via Bluetooth to an iPhone
app. This application helps ensure consumers get adequate oral care by tracking their daily oral health activities. What sets this device apart is
its ability to satisfy the functions of a brushing and flossing in one unit. It is a FDA Class I device and requires 510(K) exempt submission. The
manufacturing cost of the device is $64.82 and the team is planning to sell this device at $95.00, which will yield $30.18 profit per unit. The
current prototype was constructed with 3D printed parts. To reduce the manufacturing cost in the future, molding and casting techniques can be
used. The electric flossing and brushing device is a two in one unit that is cost effective, time efficient, consumer friendly, and has the ability to
connect to a mobile tracking app.
[C] devices
C1: PORTABLE CANINE ECG MONITOR FOR SMALL DOGS
Morgan Godley, Clayton Hemann
mentor: Dr. Rosalind Sadleir — SBHSE
The objective of this Portable Canine ECG Monitor for Small Dogs is to provide quick and reliable data to the owner and the
veterinarian about their canine’s heart health. Over 25% of small dogs older than the age of 7 develop chronic heart failure, and just like with any
illness, early detection is key. Canine ECGs already exist, but there is nothing available commercially for pet owners that would like to monitor
their dog’s heart health at home. Our prototype would be a Class II medical device consisting of a harness securing the 5-Lead ECG with four
leads along the carotid artery and the fifth on the vertebra. To improve sensitivity, carbon coated electrodes were chosen because they can
receive signals through thick fur. The other components include an RF Arduino, which processes the data and sends it to a phone application
that plots the final ECG signal. The entire device will be encased in an external hard casing for durability. This product will be sold for $125, which
is a competitive price because dog activity trackers with phone apps sell for $100, but our product has the bonus feature of analyzed data that
can be taken to the veterinarian. Dog owners who purchase this product have the opportunity to evaluate their dog’s health, can have daily data
for the veterinarian to evaluate, and make sure their dog’s well-being is maintained. A Portable Canine ECG Monitor for Small Dogs helps both
the dog and the pet owner make the best decisions for the dog’s health.
C2: TRUCK DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM
Salvador Casillas, Nicolas Paredes
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
Many factors create a distracting environment for truck drivers, which increases the probability of accidents. Providing companies with
an option in knowing the condition of their drivers will result in the reduction of cost of insurance, which will save companies money and increase
the safety of the 8.7million commercial drivers on the road. Our project is to develop a device that would analyze the warning signs of fatigue,
intoxication, and abnormalities of the driver’s vital signs to ultimately increase overall safety for drivers. The device will be attached to the seat belt
and steering wheel without compromising driver comfort. Sensors attached to the device include an alcohol gas sensor for alcohol detection, a
flex sensor for breathing pattern analysis, and pulse sensors for heart rate detection. Using linear discriminant analysis based on data collected
for heart rate variance and respiratory rate, we’ll determine whether the driver is in optimal conditions to drive or not. Our design team currently
has functioning heart rate and respiratory rate monitors, providing an analysis and a single output response of the drivers adequacy to drive. The
Truck Driver Monitoring System is classified as a class 1 device, having no risk to consumers, the device may only require a 510(k) approval to
suffice the FDA and allow it to enter the market. The current cost of the prototype has been estimated at $160, being able to sale the product
at a cost of $250 will be a reusable price considering the cost of current devices that are sold in the thousands. Being able to analyze the
physiological conditions of a driver and providing real time data to insurance companies and employers can reduce the cost of insurance and
collisions. Our future goal is to implement this to everyday drivers and integrate our system into all vehicles.
C3: UV LIGHT-EMITTING PROBE TO REDUCE VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA (VAP)
Christina Zamorano, Derek Biah, Shadi Smoudi
mentor: Dr. Casey Ankeny — SBHSE
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common hospital acquired infection that arises in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.
The proposed device uses a 254 nm shortwave ultraviolet radiant energy at optimal intensity and exposure time to inactivate bacteria and inhibit
the growth of biofilm in endotracheal tubes to prevent VAP. The design of the probe of the device implements fiber optic bundles to create
fiber optic rings, allowing overlapping beams of light to be emitted to walls of the endotracheal tube. Product validation included the design of
experiment testing of the laser light source and the side-emitting optical fiber. Application of Hermite-Gaussian fit of intensity profiles of the
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laser and fiber optic cables allowed the beam diameter and divergence of the beam to be analyzed while the Knife-edge technique allowed the
distance between positions pertaining to select percentages of the maximal intensity value to be specified. Target market includes hospitals with
approximately 21% to 29% of patients admitted into the ICU receiving mechanical ventilation. The device will be manufactured with the light
probe and laser light source for an estimated unit cost of approximately $1370. However, the laser probe itself will be designed for multiple uses
to fit numerous sizes of endotracheal tubes with unit cost of $230. Retail costs will start to increase due to hospitals continuing to buy probes for
the laser light system. The regulatory pathway includes a Premarket Approval due to the lack of a predicate device and the classification of the
device as Class III, due to the potential risk of the ultraviolet light source.
C4: CLEAR ENDOSCOPE™: A DEVICE FOR THE STERILE APPLICATION OF LONG LASTING ANTI-FOG COATINGS SUCH AS VITREOX™ ON SURGICAL SCOPES AND M EDICAL LENSES
Mayuri Gupta, Nehal Gupta
mentors: Dr. Nicole Herbots — ASU Physics Department | Clarizza Watson — SiO2 Nanotech LLC
The ClearEndoscope™ device is a delivery system for an anti-fog coating such as VitreOxTM to be applied on endoscopes for use in
closed body cavity surgeries. Its goals are: to greatly improve viewing through endoscopes in surgeries and deliver coatings on scopes lenses
via an easy to use, simple device. The market is hospitals, outpatient centers, surgeons and surgical nurses. This device is compatible with the
SiO2 Nanotech’s patented product- VitreOx™ and serves to meet three main functions: to apply the anti-fog coating, to fit in the standard syringe,
and have a fool-proof drying tube for the anti-fog coating. This device also caters to a variety of scope sizes through its rings for adjustability.
When applied with the delivery device it provides 100% transparency for longer than the standard surgery time, which is about 90 minutes. It
serves surgeons and doctors who need VitreOxTM as direct customers, it serves patients who will benefit from combined reductions by 10-40%
in surgery duration, complications, rate of infection, scarring, rehabilitation and suffering. It is economical and serves the society by reducing
medical costs while improving outcomes. It is a cost-efficient, easily applicable, high quality & long lasting solution for fogging on endoscopes.
[1] PCT/US2014/041191 Herbots N, Watson C.F., Int. Patent Filed 6/6/2014, priority date 6/6/2013 [2] US Pat. App. 62081975, Herbots, N.,
Watson C.F, Culbertson, E.J., Thilmany, P.E., Gupta M., Sinha, S, Krishnan, A., Martins, I, Gupta, N., McLeod, K, Patent filed 11/19/2014
[3] WO
2011057275 A3, PCT/US2010/056049, 2013/0071590,N. Herbots, J.Bradley,M. Hart, D. Sell, S.D. Whaley, Q. Xing, International Patent Filed
11/9/2009 [4] WO2013066759 A1, PCT/US2012/062196, N. Herbots, A. Murphy, D. Sell,R.J. Culbertson, A.S. Benitez, T.T. Kutz, R.B. BennettKennett, M. T. Bade,B. P. Hudzeitz, Int Patent filed, 11/3/2011)
C6: SURGICAL HEADLAMP CAMERA SYSTEM
Adam Helland, John Jakoubek
mentors: Dr. Charles Stewart, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Salt Lake City, Utah | Dr. Vincent
Pizziconi — SBHSE
In many operational settings, especially when the area being operated on is small, the surgical assistants have difficulty assisting the
surgeon when they can’t see what is currently happening. The Surgical Headlamp Camera System is a device that helps surgical teams work
together by allowing all of the team members to see what the surgeon is seeing. The system records the operation in progress and relays a
live feed to any device that can connect to Wi-Fi, allowing the assistants to see what the surgeon is doing. This system also has applications
for observational or teaching purposes in the same setting. These other devices, like the Google Glass, can view this live feed through a simple
web browser. The device sets up the video feed as a MJPEG, and hosts it on a local HTTP server. Our device can transmit a video feed at 30
FPS, 140 ms of latency in its current stage of development. The current market does not offer a device with this functionality, although devices
that are both headlamps and cameras cost around 25,000 dollars. Since there are similar surgical headlamp products on the market, a 510k
application will need to be submitted to the FDA, and the product will be subject to general controls. We expect that a final version of this product
will sell competitively with other surgical headlamp systems on the market, in the range of 5,000-15,000 dollars for the system, while the final
manufacturing costs would be around 500 dollars per unit.
[D] diagnostics
D1: NAVAJO NEUROHEPATOPATHY (NNH) DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE
Scott Johnson, Logan Taysom
mentor: Dr. Michael Caplan — SBHSE
Navajo Neurohepatopathy (NNH) is an autosomal recessive disease prevalent among full-blooded Navajo infants and children that
affects multiple systems. NNH results in degradation of neural pathways, failure to thrive and, in many cases, liver failure. It is caused by a
mutation in the MPV17 gene which results in depletion of mitochondrial DNA. The current diagnostic gold standard for NNH is gene sequencing.
Because this is costly and takes several weeks, tests for other diseases with similar symptoms are tried first. Such a time delay results in poor
prognosis for children with NNH. Little effort has been made to develop a better diagnostic because only Navajo are affected. The prevalence
of other mutations in the MPV17 gene complicates the diagnostic situation when not sequencing the whole gene. In order to overcome this
we used a cooperative molecular beacon technology in conjunction with real-time PCR to identify the presence of the NNH-causing mutation.
Specifically, we designed the DNA sequence of the molecular beacon so that it binds only to the mutation associated with NNH. Cooperative
molecular beacons have both a capture and detection region to enhance the probability of binding to the desired DNA sequence. This increased
specificity reduces the occurrence of false positives and negatives – a key issue with NNH due to the presence of other nearby mutations.
We have shown that we can diagnose NNH with 100% sensitivity and 86% specificity. Molecular beacons present a viable alternative to gene
sequencing due to high specificity and reduced turnaround time at a tenth of the cost.
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D2: DIAGNOSTIC KIT FOR DISEASE DETECTION USING ANTIBODY CONJUGATED GOLD NANOPARTICLE MICROSPHERES
Cameron Gardner, Chiao May, Lee Alyssa Alexander
mentors: Dr. Antonio Garcia, Dr. Karmella Haynes — SBHSE
Current diagnostic measures for wide-scale implementations are costly and time consuming. Countries whose citizens reside in areas
with high propensities for contracting a communicable disease do not have a feasible way to detect infection. We propose a new low-cost
mechanism for diagnosis. By conjugating antibodies to gold nanoparticles within latex nanoparticle rich domains, it is possible to qualitatively
diagnose positive cases and theoretically to rely on collimated light to visualize a distinct result to verify positive detection. The antigen in patient
serum binding to the antibody causes the attached gold nanoparticles to aggregate; this produces a detectable change in the optical properties
of the microsphere. The gold nanoparticles serve to reduce the background “noise” or light which is not absorbed by the latex microspheres;
essentially the gold nanoparticles allow for a more clear view of the optical properties of the microsphere. Per unit, our current estimated
manufacturing cost is $54.70. This value is considered high for a low-cost diagnostic device, however, production cost would likely decrease with
the mass production of components of our device. Also, the reagents required to create the microspheres is about 5uL. The kit will be providing
reagents on the scale of milliliters which will provide enough materials for high throughout testing. Our device falls under Class II medical devices
since this product involves using patient serum and would subject to premarket approval. Optimization of this process should yield a new lowcost diagnostic approach which can be utilized most thoroughly in low-income countries.
D3: THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAMININ DEGRADATION PRODUCT SPECIFIC SINGLE-CHAIN VARIABLE FRAGMENTS FOR TARGETING AND LOCATING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Daniel Arens, Catherine Millar-­Haskell, Amanda Witten
mentor: Dr. Sarah Stabenfeldt — SBHSE
Approximately 1.7 million Americans suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. The severity, mode of injury, and location of
the TBI vary; however, it is estimated that 124,000 people suffer from long-term disabilities. The current methods for diagnosing TBI include
visual cues for neural impairments and medical imaging (e.g. MRI or CT). However, by the time a scan can detect any discernible changes in
the brain anatomy, irreversible damage may have already occurred. Thus, it is prudent to improve imaging diagnostics by increasing the contrast
of the brain injury location against healthy tissue in order to produce key information for treatments. Laminin is an extracellular matrix protein
that is present along the vasculature. During an injury, enzymes, e.g. MMP-9, degrade laminin, thereby remolding the microenvironment and
compromising the blood brain barrier. Therefore, targeting laminin degradation products in the brain injury environment is an optimal method
for improving TBI imaging. Our goal is to design a single chain variable fragment (scFv) that selectively binds to laminin degradation products
in order to produce a targeted delivery system. Future work will involve a nanoparticle-contrast agent complex that can detect acute or chronic
TBI through the use of high affinity scFvs. This will be validated through DNA sequencing and enzyme-linked immunosorbency test. Our product
will eventually need to pass through the class III pathway of the FDA for commercialization, and hospitals and doctors will find the cost to be
between 100 and 300 dollars per device.
D4: CHIKUNGUNYA TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE
Alexis Valencia,Alex Gale, Sudarshan Iyer
mentors: Dr. Antonio Garcia, Dr. Vincent Pizziconi — SBHSE
Our proposed product is an anti-TNF agent transdermal drug delivery device that will look to target patients suffering from the
Chikungunya virus primarily in tropical, third-world countries. A unique aspect of this virus is that it causes arthritic symptoms primarily in joints
of the lower extremities. It is believed that a buildup of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and other inflammatory-related cytokines contribute to
the chronic arthritis observed. There is a need for a more localized treatment of the symptoms as they are limited to specific joints, something
not currently in practice. This product will be wearable in order to specifically treat arthritic symptoms in the leg joints, and the drug delivery
component will be able to deliver anti-TNF transdermally to the affected joint area. The device will ultimately be able to deliver relief to the user
at their desire while not causing any unreasonable discomfort. Our team has found through literature research that low-frequency ultrasound will
increase local skin permeability which will aid in the transdermal delivery of the anti-TNF. The pursuit of commercialization would acquire barriers
due to the main market being third world countries; therefore, the minimizing of cost would be set by bulking products and constructing our own
instead of professionally manufacturing. The product will be labeled as a Class III device by FDA standards since it is a fairly new combination of
technology. The intended location on the body that the device will be applied, as well as, the use of low-frequency ultrasound is ultimately what
set our transdermal drug delivery system apart from those currently on the market.
[E] assistive technologies
E1: VISIBRAILLE
Alyssa Oberman, Markey Olson, Robert Valenza
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
A 2009 study by the National Federation of the Blind found that only 10% of visually impaired children in America achieve literacy.
Over 80% of employed visually impaired adults are literate in Braille, which is why achieving literacy is imperative to increasing overall quality
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of life and independence. To help address the problem of illiteracy, our team is developing an interactive print letter and braille display that will
allow parents and teachers of children with visual impairments to instruct them in braille, regardless of their level of familiarity with the language
using several keyboard-controlled visual and tactile displays. The system will allow parents to control and see the letters that their children are
feeling at each moment and use this knowledge to teach braille letters as they were taught to read. There are currently no tactile displays on the
market that incorporates both visual print and braille displays for an instructor. This device will be incredibly helpful for improving the literacy rates
of visually impaired students. It is estimated that there are around 73,510-147,020 severely visually impaired children under the age of 19 in the
United States alone. Our device can be manufactured for approximately $75, and we hope to sell the product for under $300, significantly lower
than current tactile displays. We have created a minimum viable prototype of all of our functional components. Our device will not require FDA
approval, which will help to keep cost low. Our device will help to greatly improve the quality of life for visually impaired individuals by promoting
greater literacy rates and employment rates.
E2: WEARABLE ULTRASONIC NAVIGATION TOOL FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Bharathiraja Nagappan, Payton Herrera
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
Current devices on the market that aid the visually impaired are expensive and inconvenient. White canes and guide dogs are most
commonly used, but give up the use of a hand. The design consists of a microcontroller, four ultrasonic sensors, four mini vibrating motors, and
an accelerometer that are sewn onto a belt. Sensors relay environmental information to users through vibrations. Motors are placed in sync with
the sensors so that they vibrate on the respective side of the obstacle. Vibration intensity increases as the user approaches the obstacle in order
to warn the user with enough time to react. It also warns the user earlier as the speed traveling increases. Sensors are able to detect obstacles
up to 5 meters away, but begin to warn the user when he or she is within 2 meters of the obstacle when walking at a rate slower than 2 m/s. As
walking speed increases to above 2 m/s, the device begins to warn the user when the obstacle is within 4 meters away. The team’s design is
based on the user specifications which emphasize safety, reliability, and the application of understandable feedback. With a market of 6.7 million
individuals in the U.S. the team plans to capture 20% of the Arizona market within five years. The cost for manufacturing is $70 and will be
sold for $150, compared to similar devices which cost thousands. This device will be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid making it consumer
friendly. Overall our device is discrete, hands-free, wearable, and affordable setting it apart from current devices in the market.
E3: LOW COST PROGRAMMABLE GAIN HEARING AID WITH HEARING LOSS DIAGNOSTIC AND GAIN CALIBRATION SOFTWARE
Rohan Kumar, Frank Petty, Sebern Sloan, Cody Lane mentor: Dr. James Abbas — SBHSE
The social stigma, inconvenience, and the outlandish cost of hearing aids proves to hamper the popularity of treatment for hearing
loss. The World Health Organization estimates 360 million people worldwide currently have disabling hearing loss, yet current production of
hearing aids meets only 10% of global demand. The prevalence of hearing loss is greatest in countries of low and middle income including,
south Asia, Asia Pacific, and Sub Saharan Africa. The average cost of a single hearing aid cost an estimated $4,200 per ear by UCLA’s
Audiology Clinic, with an average product life expectancy of just 5 years. The primary factor behind the cost associated of hearing aids may be
attributed to the requirements of consultation with an audiologist and the research conducted to design the hearing aid. Our design team has
successfully produced a low cost hearing as well as a customizable user interface through our software program. The hearing aid circuit consists
of a microphone, pre-amp, filters, and digital potentiometers. Signals are filtered into frequency bands of 250-1800, 1800-3350, 3350-4900,
4900-6450, 6450-8000 hz. Each filtered signal is then passed to the digital potentiometers where the gain is adjusted according to patient
needs determined by our software program. The program associated with our device tests hearing loss and automatically provides hearing aid
gain specifications, therefore simulating the role of an audiologist. The simulation of the audiologist and low cost of the hearing aid allows for
our device to be more convenient, affordable and practical for the average user. With some support and awareness, we believe our project will
revolutionize the hearing aid industry at the global scale.
[F] drug delivery
F1: OPTIMIZATION OF CONVECTION-ENHANCED DRUG DELIVERY CATHETER DEVICE FOR TREATMENT OF BLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME IN TERMINAL PATIENTS
Hannah Horeczko, Bryce Munter
mentor: Dr. Michael Caplan — SBHSE
Glioblastoma Multiforme, a primary grade IV astrocytoma, is one of the most common and most aggressive forms of brain tumor.
Diagnosis leads to a maximum life expectancy of two years even after gross tumor resection due to the cancerous cells that have migrated up
to 3 cm away from the initial tumor site. A cure seems unlikely, so treatments focus on improving quality of life by relieving cortical pressure and
using chemotherapy to extend life expectancy. Our design project focused on optimizing current treatment mechanisms to kill all of the migrated
cancerous cells after tumor resection and thus effectively prevent tumor recurrence. We did this by utilizing a multiple-catheter convectionenhanced delivery system that would be used to transport drug to a larger cortical volume surrounding the tumor cavity. This treatment system
will be a Class III device considering its new and invasive design. Although the sales volume will be low, the unit price will yield a large profit
considering its nature as a neurosurgical treatment method. However, consumers will only pay one fee as one device would be used for multiple
patients. To validate this design, the catheter system was modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics software to determine the optimal infusion rate,
number of catheters, size of catheter entry ports, length of infusion time, and spacing of catheters. It was then modeled in a 3D brain gel made
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with similar diffusive properties to cerebral cortex. Both models confirmed the objective of completely “killing” migrated cancerous cells and are
intended to be presented to neurosurgeons to show them that, via mass transport engineering, the potential benefit to cure glioblastoma far
surpasses the increased surgical risk of a multiple-catheter treatment mechanism.
F2: WIRELESS SMART PILL BOTTLE
Tyler Kunce, Chad Hyslop, Timothy Seelig, Timothy Chakkaw,
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
The objective of our product aims to help people who forget to take their medications on time. Currently, it is estimated that 125,000
people die every year from failing to comply with their medications indirectly costing the United States health-care industry between $100
billion to $289 billion annually. Our goal was to create an intuitive device that would notify users when to take their medication incorporating a
smartphone application and Bluetooth connectivity. The ComplyBottle currently works by dispensing pills one at a time in combination with a
strategically placed photo-interrupter. By utilizing Bluetooth functionality of an RFduino, the product is able to transmit medication compliance
data wirelessly in real-time. This medication disbursement system is patentable due to the current lack of a personalized medication compliance
tracking iOS application. This FDA regulated Class I medical compliance device (product code KYW) has been tested to ensure robustness (drop
testing analysis) and sensing accuracy. The manufacturing of 10,000 units annually expects to produce $40,000 in resulting profit within 3 years
based on competitor sales and market analysis. The current market size for the ComplyBottle is approximately 3 million people suffering from
chronic medical complications requiring consistent medication regimens along with their families and others who often forget their medications.
Family members of these users will be able to track the medication usage of their loved ones through the smartphone application. Prevention of
drug abuse, avoidance of hospitalization, and minimization of non-compliance based complications will improve efficacy of patient recovery and
efficiency medication distribution.
[G] health and wellness
G1: PROGRAMMABLE FITNESS AND NUTRITION TRACKER INTEGRATED IN A MOBILE APPLICATION TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Chase Fauer, John Templeton
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
At Arizona State University, there are over 55,000 undergraduates on the Tempe campus, and more than 3,000 students utilize the
Sun Devil Fitness Complex daily. Presently, there is not a device that can measure energy consumption during exercise and relate dietary needs
to the user that are readily available on a college campus. Our product involves utilizing on-person sensors to determine energy expenditure and
respiratory quotient that communicates with a mobile application, which will then incorporate food options available at ASU. The device contains
a validated tri-axial accelerometer that measures the user’s acceleration, which is built into a mobile device, specifically the iPhone. Then, based
on the person’s age, gender, weight, and height, the data is used to estimate the energy consumption. A carbon dioxide sensor will be imbedded
into a mouthpiece to provide information on the respiratory quotient. This determines the type of energy being consumed, such as carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins. The mobile application is programmed to integrate food options at the Tempe campus that compliments the user’s personal
energy expenditure and their dietary restrictions. The mobile application will be available for all ASU students to download online and the carbon
dioxide sensor will cost $160 to produce and sell at an initial price of $210. The market will expand to restaurants near the ASU campus,
where the owners can pay a premium to have their menus displayed on our mobile application. Due to the safety and efficacy of using the
accelerometer and external CO2 sensor to detect energy expenditure, and that the products are already on market, our device will be considered
a class I 510(k) medical device.
G2: TEAR TOUCH: NON-INVASIVE GLUCOSE MONITORING USING TEAR FLUID
Anngela Adams, Cael Muggeridge
mentors: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle, Dr. Leland Hartwell — SBHSE
According to the World Health Organization, there are over 347 million diabetics worldwide. This number is expected to increase
drastically over the next few decades. These patients lack a pain-free, cost-effective method of monitoring blood glucose levels. The TearTOUCH
device is non-invasive and utilizes ocular fluid instead of blood. A reagent mixture consisting of a glucose metabolizing enzyme and redox probe
has been developed. This mixture reacts with glucose in tear fluid and produces a consistent, measurable current. This technology is patented by
our mentor (Dr. LaBelle) and the complete device is intellectually unique. The final design consists of an electrode that is screen-printed on filter
paper and coated with the reagent mixture. In order to verify functionality, the group performed experiments that measured the current output
in relation to various glucose concentrations. This was used to develop a calibration curve, which can be used to determine a patient’s glucose
levels. This non-invasive, Class II medical device requires a 510(k) application to reach the market. The primary focus of the FDA review will be
to prove that the device is as accurate as other available devices. Due to the rising cost of diabetes expenditures worldwide, the device would
be highly profitable even with limited market penetration. Numerous companies and organizations have already shown interest in acquiring this
technology, which indicates excellent potential for commercialization. Overall, the goal of the TearTOUCH project is to improve patient outcomes
in order to make diabetes care more effective and less expensive for all people.
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G3: DESIGN OF A BREATH COLLECTION APPARATUS FOR INVOY BREATH ACETONE MONITOR
Aman Aberra
mentor: Lubna Ahmad — Invoy Technologies, L.L.C.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that more than 60% of Americans are overweight, and over 35% are obese, numbers
signifying an epidemic. Strict diet control is the most successful strategy for weight management; however current weight loss patients face
difficulties determining whether their diet is actually working. Measuring acetone’s physiological concentration provides a powerful tool in
assessing the success of a diet program in inducing fat loss, so there is a need for a non-invasive and convenient acetone sensor. To achieve
this, Invoy Technologies has developed various breath acetone monitors, which require a method of breath collection. I designed a single-use,
breath bag based on a proprietary material connected to a mouthpiece and one-way valve that emphasizes portability and material stability with
acetone to enable precise, accurate measurements with one of the sensor systems. The bag’s ability to ensure stable measurements was verified
through gas chromatography. For purposes of this Capstone project, this bag was considered an accessory to a Class I device and therefore did
not require FDA clearance for the class. The manufacturing cost per unit is projected to be $0.69. The market for this bag will be a portion of the
approximately 109 million obese adults and 215 million overweight adults who are potential customers for clinical weight loss plans.
G4: ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE WITH CO2 SENSOR AND IPAD INTEGRATION
Daniel Fishman, Johnathan Cornella
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
The endotracheal tubes on the market have experienced issues that result in inaccurate carbon dioxide readings, as well as not being
able to wirelessly store and transmit data. Our mission for this project is to create a device that will ensure correct CO2 readings and wireless
data transfer, from the mobile CO2 monitoring device to an iPad. The carbon dioxide sensor monitors the patient in order to ensure the patient
is properly exhaling end-tidal carbon dioxide levels between 0-5000ppm (0-5%). It will be able to identify any outliers in the CO2 readings and
alert the healthcare provider, before the patient experiences adverse health issues. The main goal is to achieve an accurate and precise device
with flawless Bluetooth connection, while maintaining the smallest possible size. The transmission of the data will occur in a RFduino/iPad
interface, and store the data on the iPad this data can later be referenced to solve any malpractice lawsuits. This innovative device will cost is
roughly $350, much less than the current leaders, which cost upwards of $1000. This device is a class III medical device as identified by the
FDA, and is reimbursed by Medicare and Medicade and private insurance companies. The carbon dioxide sensor we decided to use for the final
product was the SenseAir S8 (possible K30/MiniIR). We chose this because it was small, accurate and minimally invasive. The carbon dioxide
sensor will interface with an RFduino microcontroller in order to output Bluetooth data to an iPad. The iPad will provide a medical professional
with diagnostic information regarding carbon dioxide levels in order to help the healthcare professional actively monitor the patient’s health.
[H] rehabilitation
H1: LIGHTWEIGHT ORTHOPEDIC CAST
Brady Laughlin, Amanda Moore, Mounica Rao
mentor: Dr. Michael Caplan — SBHSE
Every year, there are over 6,000,000 orthopedic fractures in the United States. Most commonly, plaster and fiberglass casts are used
to treat these injuries by providing protection and support to injured bones until they are adequately healed. Despite their ease of application,
fiberglass/plaster casts have multiple design flaws that result in discomfort for the patient during the recovery process. Casts must remain dry
and clean or else damp padding next to the skin will lead to a foul smell and skin irritation. Additionally, if a cast is too tight, issues like nerve
compression and skin breakdown can occur. Finally, there is the lack of a completely side-effect free pain treatment to couple with the cast
treatment. The goal of this project was to develop a lightweight, durable cast made of a thermoplastic outer shell and an inner air cast lining that
will provide comfort and allow for effective pain management with the ability to incorporate transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy.
TENS therapy has been demonstrated to be more effective in reducing pain caused by bone injury than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
which actually counterproductively increase bone injury healing time. The completed prototype serves as a proof of concept and consists of a
molded thermoplastic sheet for the outer hard cast layer and polyvinyl chloride inner air cast. Prototype experiments have been completed to
test the mechanical properties of the cast, along with the functionality of the TENS pain relief unit. This product is a Class 1 medical device and
therefore exempt from premarket notification procedures. Due to the simple regulatory pathway and large market size, this device is a great
candidate for commercialization. Overall, this lightweight orthopedic cast provides customers with a comfortable, effective recovery process for
bone fractures compatible with a completely safe pain relief system.
H2: TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION DEVICE AND ELECTRODE CAP
Jakob Khazanovich, NATI Gibly
mentors: Dr. Rosalind Sadleir, Dr. Jeffrey Kleim — SBHSE
Recent reports by the CDC state that 1 in 10 American adults suffer from depression, one American suffers from a stroke every 4
minutes, and over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Our team created a product that would help treat many patients suffering from
these diseases. Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) has been shown to help treat depression and chronic pain and rehabilitate stroke
patients through various electrode motifs. While there is no consensus on how TDCS works physiologically, TDCS is a method of passing a low
12
current between 0.5mA and 2mA through the brain using 2 or more electrodes. Our device has two components: a cap, modeled after an EEG
cap, to hold electrodes in place and a safe current delivery device. We could not conduct efficacy testing, but were able to confirm that target
specifications were met. Our group will pursue a class II clearance for the cap, however TDCS is still in the process of gaining FDA approval. The
manufacturing cost of our device is $20 and it will be sold for $180. Our device will be marketed to patients with the ailments stated above, as
well as, to healthy adults who would like to experiment with TDCS’s ability to increase brain functions, such as focus, memory, and motor skills.
Ultimately, we believe our device has both the ability to improve human health in sick patients and the potential to improve quality of life for
patients looking to enhance their cognitive ability
H3: SUSTAINABLE, DURABLE, AND INTEGRATIVE REDESIGN OF THE LOWER LIMB PROSTHETIC
Laina Moussallem, Sophia Kim, Shannon Brown
mentors: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle — SBHSE | David Vowels, Hamilton Prosthetics and Orthotics
The redesign of the lower limb prosthetic aims to address the need for an inexpensive, sustainable redesign of the prosthetic socket
with proper guards for failure as well as a cover to reshape the absent lower limb. The device is composed of three components, a bilayer
prosthetic cover to provide shape and protection for the electrical components, a 2 millisecond vibrotactile feedback mechanism to ensure proper
use and act as a guard for failure, and a sustainable socket to support the force detection sensors. The alpha prototype, displayed by component,
will represent models of each compartment of the prosthetic, for proof of customization. The final device will consist of a force sensitive resistor
arrangement for the force sensing in the socket with power supply and vibrotactile feedback electrical components integrated into the bilayer
of the prosthetic cover. The cover will have a simple user interface of a zipper for placing and removing the device and the socket will allow for
connection to the pin lock system linking the socket to an existing prosthetic foot. The force sensing within the socket addresses the clinical
need to alert the patient of insufficient and excess force in the socket due to improper application of both the liner on the residual limb and the
residual limb on the socket throughout gait. Proper use of liners and proper force compensation in the prosthetic replaces loss of proprioception,
prevents skin degradation and infection at the residual limb as well as orthopedic conditions from long-term use, and encourages proper gait.
The global orthotics and prosthetics market is 3 billion US dollars and is expected to reach 4.5 billion in 2017. The system we have designed is
projected to cost $500.00, with a net profit of $150.00 for each device sold.
H4: THE R.H.O. PROJECT: A NOVEL APPROACH TO A MYOELECTRIC, ROBOTIC HAND ORTHOTIC
Dalton Moore, Jessica Schiltz, Lisa Irimata
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
Many stroke and Parkinson’s patients suffer from spasticity in the hand, a debilitating condition that prevents the patient from using
the hand in daily life. Many of the current orthoses marketed to rehabilitate hand functionality cannot help patients with severe spasticity or are
difficult to use independently. The device proposed here is designed for personal and clinical use and will provide active rather than passive
aid to the patient. It includes a finger band and an arm piece designed to be easily put on, a linear actuator to provide assistance in extending
the hand and digits, and electromyography (EMG) electrodes to sense patient effort and adjust the level of assistance provided. The active
assistance provided by the actuator will allow patients to achieve the full range of motion (0-35°) in the wrist and proximal phalanges, while
the use of EMG signals to control the actuator promotes the neural connection between effort and movement execution. The simple design
of the physical components ensures ease of use, allowing patients to put on and begin using the device within five minutes. The product is
economically feasible as well, with unit manufacturing cost, unit price, and five-year NPV estimated at $125, $850, and $1,493,000, respectively.
Furthermore, that price is competitive with currently available products that provide only passive aid, and will likely be cheaper to the patient due
to Medicare/Medicaid coverage. Our device will improve patient outcomes in spasticity rehabilitation through its ease of use, innovative method
for providing aid, and affordability.
H5: INFRARED VASODILATATION DEVICE
Cole Brown, Nathan Deacon, Michael Juby
mentor: Dr. Bruce Towe — SBHSE
Diabetic neuropathy is primarily caused by decreased Nitric Oxide (NO) availability secondary to many pathophysiological pathways
related to Diabetes Mellitus. The disease creates an environment in which the endothelial cells do not produce but rather degrade NO that leads
to necrosis of neural tissue. Phototherapy with infrared light has been shown to increase the bioavailability of NO in major and minor blood
vessels. One of the major causes of chronic, untreatable, diabetic wounds is the propensity of diabetic neuropathy in patients’ lower extremities.
Therefore, our team has created a device that consists of infrared technology in conjunction with a medical wrap and microcontroller technology
in a portable and light design. Arduino technology will be directly connected to a specifically designed array of infrared light­emitting diodes
(LEDs) in order to effectively create three variations of cycling technology to maximize increase in circulation. The wrapping material will consist
of bamboo fiber for its high ability to absorb and evaporate moisture as well as its proven anti­bacterial properties. The goal of our device is to
provide an increase in comfortability and an increase of blood flow within the femoral artery. Blood flow varies patient by patient depending on
the severity of atherosclerosis in major vessels such as the superficial femoral artery. Our goal is to increase the blood flow to normal patient
values ­normal blood flow has been found within the superficial femoral artery to be approximately 72 mL/min. Our device will be cost efficient
and easily used each day at home or on
the go.
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H6: VARIABLE FREQUENCY MECHANICAL INDENTER FOR PERIPHERAL NERVE STIMULATION
Gabrielle Maestas, Kyle Eyster mentor: Dr. Stephen Helms Tillery — SBHSE
There remains a need for a device that offers researchers the ability to produce a varying stimulus in a surgical setting while
simultaneously obtaining neurological data with little noise interference. As a solution, the variable frequency mechanical indenter for
peripheral nerve stimulation is a pneumatic motor-driven stimulator intended for use in preclinical and clinical settings. The device provides
the operator the ability to test the nerve output resulting from repeated stimulus to a region deemed significant to the investigator. This is
achieved by varying the intensity and frequency of the indenter tip. The portable nature of the device (and its conjunction with an adjustable
holding system) allows for the movement of stimulation throughout its use, not limiting the patient to one area for diagnosis and/or testing.
Past studies have shown significance in the mechanoreceptor responses to varying frequencies. To address this, the design consists of a
rotational motor ran similarly to a turbine, turned by pressurized air that can be changed to reflect the desired frequency. The compressed air
will be located in a different room, eliminating the noise that is often associated with electrical or gas-powered motors. This reduces possible
interference of electrical medical diagnostic equipment that is regularly encountered in the preclinical or clinical settings, which is ideal for
pairing with electrodes to help better understand the connection between nerve stimulation and the brain. Connected to the pneumatic motor
is a crankshaft that converts rotational energy to vertical motion, creating a stimulus from the movement of the device. 3D-printing and steel
machining minimizes the cost of the parts, which appeals to a research budget. Ultimately, the combination of the motor and the stimulator will
allow us to better see results in neurostimulation for treatment of neurodegenerative disease and application of neuroprosthetic devices.
H7: CONTROLLABLE, 3-PRONGED, TRANSRADIAL PROSTHETIC DEVICE
Colin Barry, Christopher Zeigler, Hiram Rivera­-Passapera
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle — SBHSE
Now, more than ever, there is a need to create a universally designed, rapidly manufactured transradial prosthetic device with an
intuitively simple operating method. The intentionally designed complexity of currently available biomimetic devices contributes to their high
prices and steep learning curves. Although these prosthetics allow users to perform complex tasks with sophisticated technology, the difficulty
of learning how to operate these devices and their high prices eliminate these biomimetic devices as options for a large amount of patients
suffering from transradial amputations. In response to these problems, we have decided to develop a simple, myoelectric, 3-pronged prosthetic
gripper that is intuitive to use while distributing the weight of essential components in order to minimize the uncomfortable pendulum effect felt
by amputee patients. The prosthetic is primarily manufactured using laser cutting, which reduces the cost and time when compared to other
methods, such as 3D printing. The material selection also significantly decreases the weight and cost of the structure, allowing the device to
be more readily available to a larger audience. The proposed design can perform two grips (precision and power), with the user being able to
switch between them by changing the position of the grounded thumb digit. Finally, the hand will be controllable by the user in a simple “openor-close” fashion by using EMG signals collected from the user’s muscles with a tested 95% accuracy. This conscious and simple control
method presents an inviting and intuitive experience for the user.
H8: THERMO-PHYSICIAN KNEE BRACE
Robert Chittum
mentor: Dr. Michael Caplan — SBHSE
The goal of the Thermo­-Physician knee brace is to create a cutting-edge thermotherapy device that improves injury recovery
experiences and reduces arthritis-caused joint pain with increased temperature dispersion/stability, comfort, ease of use, and mobility, while
supporting the knee with stable brace structures. Knee injury recoveries can be painful and irritating due to uncomfortable braces, heating
pad/ice pack issues (undesirable temperatures, not maintaining constant temperatures, static position on the knee difficulty, etc.), and a
resultant lack of mobility. Arthritis patients can also benefit from this technology since they suffer from stiff, tense, sore muscles and joints that
require heat therapy and/or burning, inflamed muscles and joints that require cold therapy. The device consists of a hinged brace structure
and a control panel that controls electric heating pads and thermo-electric coolers, which will heat or cool the water in the internal nylon pouch
within the comfortable temperature range of 10°C-40°C. The water pouch is designed to be user-filled to allow for a better fit and improved
surface area contact on the knee. The knee brace structures not only support and protect these components but can also can keep the
user’s knee stabilized in a fixed position in the case of knee injuries. The overall cost of materials for this device in mass-production should
be around $100, which means that the selling price of this device would be around $900, which would be affordable with Medicare/Medicaid
support. With a potential market of 55 million people in the United States alone each year, this device has the potential to help a lot of people
and generate a large profit. The Thermo­-Physician knee brace can further be expanded to a thermotherapy shoulder brace or a thermotherapy
vest to help prevent hyperthermia and/or hypothermia.
H9: BIOMIMETIC 3D PRINTED PROSTHETIC HAND
Ashley Guerrero, Katelyn Conrad, Andrew Singer, Tyler Rynes
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle — SBHSE
Every year 185,000 people undergo an upper or lower limb amputation in the US alone. For the Biomimetic 3D Printed Prosthetic
Hand project, we are focusing on the design of a mechanical and electrical system that allows for more dexterity than that of current
prosthetics. This system will involve the integration of nitinol actuators into a prosthetic hand. To do so, the force and displacement generated
by two different actuator prototypes, spring and staggered muscle array, were compared with the force and displacement necessary to move
a 3D printed prototype for a prosthetic hand, which utilizes a string system for articulation. While both the spring actuator design, generating
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0.8 N of force, and the staggered muscle array design, generating 2.2 N of force and 4.2 cm of displacement, were nearly sufficient to move
the prosthetic, requiring 0.75 to 4.21 N of force and 1.96 to 3.33 cm of displacement, these measurements are inadequate for interaction with
objects. Therefore, we are investigating combining the staggered and spring actuator designs to generate more force. We are also modifying
the articulation system to reduce the force and displacement necessary. To do so, a more biomimetic approach, involving a CT scan and Mimics
software, will be used to attain necessary dexterity, improve goniometry, and minimize the magnitude of necessary forces. A prosthetic with close
to the same degree of dexterity as a human hand could improve many functions for amputees including typing, playing the piano, writing, using
silverware or chopsticks, and even rock climbing.
H10:
NEURO MUSCULAR STIMULATION OF ANTERIOR TIBIALIS FOR FOOT DROP
Tanner Wright, Chris Baroldy, Dante Sadeghpour, Ben Sears
mentors: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy, Dr. James Abbas — SBHSE
The goal of our project is to address the problem of foot drop in the disabled and restore function of the lower limbs to improve muscle
re­education and walking. Foot drop is a gait disorder that affects patients who have had a stroke or are experiencing symptoms from muscle
dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. The issue related to foot drop, is the inability to dorsiflex the foot, which
causes the foot or toes to drag along the ground. Current treatment involving functional electrical stimulation (FES), aimed at improving the
gait and walking function, can be very expensive. During this capstone course; our goal is to create a portable, user friendly, and cost efficient
model that will enable our team to address foot drop. The device will utilize an integrated system of inputs and outputs, including a pressure
sensor, potentiometer and electrical stimulator to generate the desire response at our custom electrodes. These signals will allow the device to
determine the patient’s gait cycle. Foot drop is most prevalent during the heel contact and swing phase of the gait cycle. Once a new gait cycle is
detected, a signal will be sent from our input devices to our electrodes placed just below the knee. This will stimulate the peroneal nerve causing
contraction in the anterior tibialis, the muscle responsible for dorsiflexion of the foot. Providing a universal model with an adjustable resistor and
capacitor will allow for easy customizability interface for the patient’s needs.
[J] tissue engineering
J1: INTEGRATED BIOREACTOR SYSTEM FOR CARDIAC TISSUE ENGINEERING
Meerna Muradvich, Kristen Mittal
mentor: Dr. Mehdi Nikkhah — SBHSE
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortalities in the United States. The limited availability of organ donors coupled with
the biological complications associated with heart transplantation has led to initiatives to develop novel therapeutic strategies for myocardial
regeneration. Tissue engineering offers a solution by allowing the development of functional tissues in vitro [1]. However, many engineered
tissue constructs fail when exposed to the physiological conditions in vivo due to the lack of proper in vitro conditioning [2]. Previous studies
conclude that dynamic conditioning of tissue constructs in vitro produces a result that is structurally and functionally more biomimetic [3].
Therefore, our group has a developed a unique integrated bioreactor system that provides a suitable dynamic microenvironment to support the
functionality of engineered tissue and expose it to mass transfer and bio-physical stimuli. The concept for the design of the bioreactor builds on
prior art and features a circular tissue chamber fabricated from Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) [3]. Perfusion is applied by constant unidirectional
medium flow across the top to mimic growth conditions within native myocardial tissue and to produce a thick and architecturally improved
tissue construct. In addition, to improve the tissue’s contractile properties, coupled electrical and mechanical stimulation are applied by inducing
pulsatile electrical pulses in addition to unidirectional cyclic stretch by pneumatically stretching the PDMS construct [4].Therefore, the system is
able to provide sufficient in vitro conditioning through these components producing cardiac muscle tissue suitable for repair and regeneration of
injured myocardium.
J2: UNIVERSAL BIOREACTOR FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING OF LARGE HOLLOW 3D TISSUE SYSTEMS
Heather Borgard, Zonash Zainab, Adri Shelton
mentors: Dr. Vincent Pizziconi, Dr. Christine Pauken — SBHSE | Dr. David Lott, Dr. Yourka Tchoukalova — Mayo Clinic Arizona
Over 750,000 tissue transplants are performed in the U.S. each year. With the advent of regenerative medicine, tissue-engineered
systems are now envisioned to be produced with advanced biomanufacturing platforms. A revolutionary bioreactor capable of biofabricating
3D tissue and solid organs is key in this decentralized manufacturing paradigm. The bioreactor is based upon a universal design adaptable to
tissue-specific needs. This capstone focuses on biomanufacturing of trachealaryngeal tissue replacement alternatives to allografts, autografts,
and bio/synthetic prostheses for use by ENT surgeons at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Key features of the bioreactor include continuous monitoring
and control of biophysicochemical parameters and dynamic loading for regeneration of tracheal and vocal fold tissue systems on net shaped
conformal cellular microenvironments. The initial features developed include continuous monitoring and PID control of pH and temperature via an
Arduino-based platform by activating thermal energy systems and solenoid valving of CO2 gas flow. PID control of desired temperature and pH
setpoint ranges will yield optimal tissue regeneration and maintenance conditions. Dynamic tissue loading will utilize an Arduino microcontroller
that will drive a linear actuator to biomechanically stimulate cell and tissue growth at adjustable frequencies. The bioreactor will accept net
shape conformable tissue growth platforms from a thermally-derived shaping process of thin polyethylene sheets. The bioreactor is designed
to meet cGMP standards for production of personalized ENT tissue. The development consists of a completely decentralized platform under
development by ASU-Mayo transdisciplinary regenerative medicine teams in anticipation of the emerging global market estimated to reach $67
billion by 2020.
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[K] masters applied projects
K1: IOS PAINTING FOR ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES
Sean Allen
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
It is estimated that approximately 250,000 people in the U.S. suffer from spinal cord injury, and of that number roughly half suffer from
quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is the total or partial lose of sensory and motor functions in the limbs., caused by injury or illness. The most prevalent
causes are motor vehicle accidents and falling, with violence and sports also contributing to the number of injuries. Losing the ability to control
the arms and legs leads to huge lack of independence from others, and while wheelchairs can restore some mobility and computers can help
with communication, one area that hasn’t been addressed is the ability for those suffering from quadriplegia to express themselves in a creative
and independent way. For quadriplegics who currently seek to express themselves through art, the approach is to dictate to another artist what
they would like to see and then that artist attempts to recreate it. The problem with this is that it leads to works of art that are a mixture of both
the disabled artist’s original concept and the intermediary artist’s interpretation. The goal of this project was to remove the middleman and to
create an iOS application to allow artists with disabilities to express themselves creatively and directly. The result is an iOS application that
allows for the creation of works of art through the simple use of sipping and puffing.
K2: EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF CEREBRAL ANEURYSM PACKING DENSITY IN STENT ASSISTED COILING TREATMENTS ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES
Saurabh Satish Bagalkar
mentor: Dr. David Frakes — SBHSE
This project primarily focuses on calculating the packing density of cerebral aneurysms pre and post treatment. Segmentation of the
aneurysms will be done using the Mimics software and Geomagics software. After calculating the volume of the segmented aneurysm, device
deployment will be done using pre-defined stents. Blood flow measurement and simulations in the vessels will be performed. 10 cases of
packing density will be studied in anatomical stent assisted coiling treatments. Anatomical geometries will be provided by Hospital Beneficia
Portuguesa in Brazil. The goal is to try and determine if coil packing density in stent assisted coiling treatments is as indicative of success as it is
in coiling treatments alone.
K3: QUANTIFYING THE EFFECTS OF ENDOVASCULAR STENTING ON PARENT-VESSEL GEOMETRY AND CEREBRAL ANEURYSM HEMODYNAMICS
Ravi Teja Bhavirisetty
mentor: Dr. David Frakes — SBHSE
Cerebral aneurysms are sac-like lesions in blood vessels of the brain. Untreated cerebral aneurysms could potentially grow and rupture
leading to a dangerous condition known as subarachnoid hemorrhage, often associated with irreversible brain damage and/or death. The treatment goal is to isolate the aneurysm from circulation, thereby preventing growth and/or rupture. Endovascular coiling (filling the aneurysm sac
with multiple platinum coils) and flow diversion (with low-porosity stents) are some commonly used endovascular treatment techniques. In certain
cases, a high-porosity stent is used in conjunction with coils (stent-assisted coiling technique) to improve treatment effectiveness. The goal of
this study is to compare and quantify the effects of stent deployment on parent-vessel geometry and aneurysmal hemodynamics. Patient-specific 3D cerebral aneurysm geometries (pre- and post-treatment) were segmented and reconstructed using CT datasets. Two cerebral aneurysm
cases were examined. Changes in parent-vessel geometries were observed before and after treatment with the stent. A high-porosity stent
(Neuroform) was then deployed in each of the reconstructed posttreatment computational geometries using finite element (FE) modeling techniques. Hemodynamics was simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques in the pre- and post-treatment geometries. Blood
was assumed to be non-Newtonian and incompressible. The vessel walls were assumed to be rigid, with a no-slip boundary condition. Flow rates
of 2 and 3 mL/s were investigated. We hypothesize that treatment with the Neuroform will alter intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics.
K4: TOWARDS ACTUATING A PROSTHETIC HAND VIA A FLEXIBLE, MULTICHANNEL ELECTROMYOGRAPHY ARRAY
Jeremy Blazer
mentor: Dr. Jeff LaBelle — SBHSE
An estimated 158,000 patients undergo amputation every year in the United States, with those numbers only projected to rise over
the next several years [1]. Use of a prosthetic device provides an opportunity for an increase in quality of life for amputees, however, many
patients choose not to wear a prosthetic or do not wear the prosthetic that they own. Often, overcomplicated calibration procedures and incorrect
prosthetic operation can lead patients to grow frustrated and discontinue use of their myoelectric device. As such, there is clinical need for an
easy to use prosthetic hand with a rapid, effortless calibration process yielding accurate results. To combat the problems of time consuming
calibration procedures and inaccurate decoding, a multi-channel electromyography (EMG) approach has been employed. The use of multiple
electrode sites simplifies patient use by eliminating variability in electrode placement. High electrode density ensures that electrodes will be on
an active site for any given hand movement, independent of electrode patch orientation. Calibration procedures can determine which channels
are providing useful information in any given session, and can base decoding decisions off of the correct channels. Additionally, it allows for the
acquisition of much more data over the same timescale, providing more information for the decode algorithm, leading to more accurate results.
This project will focus on the design of a decoding algorithm from a multichannel electromyography array, with considerations given to optimizing
spatial configuration of electrodes, determining the ideal number of channels, signal processing, multiplexing, and feasibility for implementation in
a microcontroller environment.
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K5: A CONTINUOUS LACTATE SENSOR FOR CRITICAL CARE APPLICATIONS
Jacqueline Buchak
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano, Dr. Jeff LaBelle — SBHSE
Lactic acid is a marker of tissue hypoperfusion, sepsis, adrenergic shock, and other critical illnesses. The measurement of lactic acid
during critical care allows clinicians to determine the trend of the illness, which is important for determining the plan of care. Continuous lactic
acid sensors are currently unavailable in the United States due to a lack of FDA approval for these devices, and current lactic acid measurements
in hospitals can require waiting periods of 30 minutes to hours. We have created a microdialysis-driven, continuous lactic acid sensor. The
development started with the construction of a circuit containing instrumentation amplifiers to acquire a current signal using amperometry. A
program was written in Igor Pro to output a steady-state DC voltage, measure the resistance of the lactic acid sample, and output the current
response. The current response was correlated with lactic acid concentration. In order to allow the sensor to take continuous measurements, it
was incorporated with a microdialysis probe to allow for a steady flow. The microdialysis probe will be inserted into the vein of the patient and the
perfusate will consist of a blank saline solution, which will equilibrate with the contents of the blood. The resulting dialysate will contain the same
concentration of lactate in the blood, which can be measured using the aforementioned amperometric detection method.
K6: BEST PRACTICES FOR A CORTICAL VISION PROSTHESIS: ELECTRODE SIZE AND EPICORTICAL VERSUS INTRACORTICAL PLACEMENT OF ELECTRODES
Breanne Christie
mentor: Dr. Bradley Greger — SBHSE
In order to move forward with the development of a cortical vision prosthesis, the critical issues in the field must be identified. To begin
this process, we performed a brief review of several different cortical and retinal stimulation techniques that can be used to restore vision. We
concluded that an important knowledge gap necessitates an experimental in vivo performance evaluation of epicortical microelectrodes placed
on the surface of the visual cortex. Intracortical microelectrodes and epicortical macroelectrodes have been extensively evaluated as the basis of
a vision prosthesis. A direct comparison of the level of vision restored by intracortical and epicortical stimulation via microelectrodes would link
epicortical microstimulation to the extensive studies on intracortical microstimulation. Because foveal representation in the primary visual cortex
involves more cortical columns per degree of visual field than peripheral vision does, restoration of foveal vision will likely require a large number
of closely spaced microelectrodes and very low stimulation currents. Based on previous studies of epicortical macrostimulation, it is possible that
stimulation via surface microelectrodes could produce a lower spatial resolution, making them better suited for restoring peripheral vision. The
validation of epicortical microstimulation in addition to the comparison of epicortical and intracortical approaches for vision restoration will fill an
important knowledge gap and may have important implications for surgical strategies and device longevity. It is possible that the best approach
to vision restoration will utilize both epicortical and intracortical approaches, applying them appropriately to different visual representations in the
primary visual cortex.
K7: DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTER GAME-BASED E-LEARNING MODULES FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION CURRICULA
Hanseung Chung
mentors: Dr. Inder Makin — AT Still University | Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy, Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
As more than 20,000 students matriculate into medical schools each year, training future physicians became a critical problem. In
order to meet this large demand for training and educating health care providers, new methods of teaching should be looked into. Computer
games are increasingly being used in higher education, whereby teaching modules enhance the instructional experience of students to learning
in a self-paced, interactive, or group-learning, environment. It is still to be determined if these learning approaches truly enhance student critical
thinking. Several games have been developed at AT Still University, and incorporated in the medical and dental student education curriculums.
Off-the-shelf software such as Bravo, DecisionSim, Turning Point, etc. are used to develop computer game-based instruction material. This
project specifically utilized DecisionSim to create a virtual psychiatric case. This project will be utilized in ATSU curricula to educate medical
students. Resulting feedback data will be analyzed for future development.
K8: A MINIMAL DIVERGENCE INTERPOLATOR FOR FLUID-FLOW VELOCITY IMAGES
Dhritiman Das
mentor: Dr. David Frakes — SBHSE
Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is being widely used for visualization of fluid flow in the case of aneurysms though one of the major
constraints is the limited resolution of the images. Optical flow is the pattern of apparent motion of objects, surfaces and edges in a visual scene.
This technique allows for the motion estimation of particles by measuring the particle displacement and velocity between 2 or more images. The
resulting flow vectors can be used for interpolating two successive images to generate an intermediate image leading to an improvement in
the resolution of the data. This project involves extending this concept to interpolate the images in a manner which would reduce the fluid-flow
divergence of the new interpolated image and thereby give a lower interpolation error as compared to linear interpolation. For this project, this
approach was validated on CFD data. Point-cloud CFD data was generated using Tecplot 360 and then interpolated in MATLAB. The experiment
included studying the spacing between the successive slices which would give better results than linear interpolation and also involved spatially
shifting slices to generate additional divergence to test the robustness of the optical flow algorithm. Gaussian pre-smoothing of the images and
using a suitable iterative scheme significantly improved the results which were compared against a ground-truth intermediate image. As a result
of our experimental approach, the interpolated CFD velocity magnitude image - generated using this optical flow approach- gives a substantially
lower divergence and also a lower mean square error (against the ground-truth image) as compared to linear interpolation.
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K9: REAL-TIME ANIMATION FOR VISUOMOTOR LEARNING: A 3-DIMENSIONAL MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEM ADAPTED FOR AN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT VIA OCULUS RIFT
Ammer Dbeis
mentor: Dr. Christopher Buneo — SBHSE
Visuomotor experimentation and rehabilitation are both subject to great strides being made in human-machine interfaces and
technologies. In the Visuomotor Learning Laboratory at Arizona State University, these strides are being taken into account in order to optimize
understanding of neuroplasticity and neuromuscular control systems as they apply to learned behaviors. Specifically, we are interested in using
a 3-dimensional, immersive virtual reality environment that accurately represents spatial location and orientation of the upper extremities in
order to understand the mechanisms through which the body is able to transduce, maintain, and adapt neural signals for planning and execution
of movement tasks. In order to achieve this goal, a sophisticated understanding of LED motion tracking, patient/test-subject model building,
animation streaming, python coding, virtual environment creating, and communication with the novel virtual reality device, the Oculus Rift,
has been established and is being developed. This system creates a dynamic and fully customizable experimentation atmosphere for animal
and human models to better understand the physiological control phenomena behind reaching tasks. In addition, it has profound application
potential in fields of neurorehabilitaiton where salience, timing, intensity, repetitions, specificity, and difficulty are of utmost importance and can
quickly be altered to personalize care for those who suffer from conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury.
K10: A STUDY ON THE MIGRATION OF PROSTATE CANCER CELLS FROM 3DTMS ON AN ANTIBIOTIC BASED HYDROGEL AND THE EFFECT OF INHIBITORY DRUG ON THEIR MIGRATION
Indrani Deshpande
mentor: Dr. Kaushal Rege — SEMTE
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 7 men. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for
prostate cancer in the United States for 2015 are: about 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer and about 27,540 deaths from prostate cancer.
Most prostate cancer–related deaths are due to advanced disease, which results from any combination of lymphatic, blood, or contiguous
local spread. The main sites for metastasis include Adrenal gland, bone, liver, lung. The Rege Lab has developed a Antibiotic based Hydrogel
(Amikagel) on which the Prostate cancer cells form 3DTMs ( 3- Dimensional Tumor Microenvironments). This project will focus on the migration
of prostate cancer cells from the mother 3DTM upon their transfer onto another Amikagel which mimics the soft bone tissue environment
favoring the migration. The project also deals with studying the effects of an anti-migration drug, Rock Kinase inhibitor on the migration of
these cells from the 3DTMs. The conclusions drawn can be useful in providing a deeper insight into possible mechanisms of prostate cancer
metastasis into the bone micro-environment, as well as the effectiveness of the Rock Kinase inhibitors for treating prostate cancer metastatis.
K11: IMAGE ANALYSIS OF ULTRASOUND IMAGES FOR ELASTOGRAPHY
Brittany Duong
mentor: Dr. Inder Makin — AT Still University
Elastography is an ultrasound-based imaging technique that can be used to visualize and evaluate skeletal muscle stiffness
parameters. These parameters can then be used to assist in patient management decisions, increase diagnostic confidence, and lead to fewer
invasive procedures. Specific to this project, ultrasound elastography images were obtained from “phantom” test objects using a GE LOGIQ
P6 ultrasound system. Image data sets were analyzed for different stiffness inclusions that are present in the stiffness phantom model using
MATLAB.
K12: ISOLATION OF CDNA TO EXPRESS ACTIVATOR PROTEINS THAT REDUCE SILENCING OF
SYNTHETIC GENES
Alexander Ellingson
mentor: Dr. Karmella Haynes — SBHSE
A great issue of modern molecular genetics, the epigenetic silencing of a gene is one of the primary tools of a cancerous cell in
preventing apoptotic cell death. Additionally, the result of any gene may be rendered pointless on a cellular level should the histone protein
nearest the locus condense it, greatly decreasing the product output. Synthetic genes are particularly vulnerable to this, as they are often
recognized as foreign, and lack any of a natural gene’s inbuilt crucial activation sequences which would allow the overcoming of condensation.
This particular project within the Haynes laboratory involves the testing of 14 novel genes whose primary purpose is inspiring the production
of GAL4 protein, a transcription activation sequence found within yeast. This protein targets a specific site, called a UAS (Upstream Activating
Site), and constitutively activates it, forcing the gene to remain open to transcription while GAL4 is bound to the site. The primary goals of the
experiment are the testing of the validity of a cell line for producing an activator domain, the insurance of accuracy within the resultant genes,
and the sequencing of their exact coding to ensure future accuracy in this and other endeavors. To this end, the primers were tested for validity
through PCR replication with U2OS, SKNSH, K562, and iPS cell lines. There has been no result from this other than dimerization and an odd,
half-formed CARM1 reaction. From this, it can be seen that the templates thus far do not contain any of the 14 activation domains; alternative
templates are being ordered to continue the assay. A great facility has been gained on the part of the researcher for the PCR process, a greater
knowledge of Micropipetting techniques, and a wider comprehension of the tools made available through such sites as Benchling and Open
Wetware.
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K13: MEASURING POSTURAL STABILITY COMPARISON BETWEEN A FORCE PLATE AND AN IMU WHILE
LOADED WITH A BACKPACK
Amanda Grzybowski
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
The ability to easily assess postural stability in a clinical setting or at home is a major part of being able to study fall prone individuals
as it allows a researcher to be able to monitor the individual out of a laboratory setting. There are many reasons an individual can be fall prone,
however, this study looks at the effects of carrying a heavy load near the torso area. Heavy loads near the torso area are quite common among
individuals for a number of different reasons, including obesity and carrying a heavy backpack. With the ever increasing ease of access to
smart phones which contain accelerometers, it may be possible to assess the changes of postural stability under heavy loads with a device that
everyone carries around in their pocket. The objective of this Applied Project is to see if after a minute of data collection the Lockhart Monitor
smartphone application for the iPhone 5 is able to compare to the force plate in detecting the changes in posture from wearing a backpack. For
this project, each subject went through a series of trials using the Lockhart Monitor and the force plate simultaneously. During each trial the
subjects either had eyes open or closed, and were either with or without a backpack. This project aims to assist in the mobile measurement of
postural stability for clinical and home settings.
K14: ELECTROCHEMICAL DIAGNOSTIC ARRAY
Edgil Hector
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle — SBHSE
Electrochemical biosensors have significantly grown in importance and use as new innovations and advances in technology improve
diagnostics. With the increasing prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and surgeries performed in general (232 million annually
worldwide), continuously monitoring glucose or lactate levels for example could stratify risks for patients. The electrochemical diagnostic array
in question is intended to take measurements of specified molecules (in this case, lactate) via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and
give continuous readings and analysis. An experiment was performed as a proof of concept for this on whether concentrations of lactate can be
measured and how they are affected due to differently comprised electrodes using amperometric i-t curves (amp i-t). This information describes
the differences of implementing/not implementing silver reference electrodes with/without Insulayer around the electrodes, how these
created screen-prints compare to commercially used Zensors, and how this affects amp i-t measurements. Results show the possibilities of
“manually” screen-printed electrodes on PEN, what the array of electrodes could be designed as, and the effectiveness of amp i-t using lactate’s
corresponding enzyme (L-lactic dehydrogenase). Current and time differences were obtained varying over a range of lactate concentrations,
and an AutoCAD model was developed as a possibility of the final microdialysis tube design containing the electrodes. Skill set competencies
achieved include knowledge and application of cyclic voltammetry and amp i-t, ability to screen-print onto a flexible substrate, introduction to
AutoCAD design, and experience in testing and developing a design.
K15: TESTING GAIT SPEED IN YOUNG ADULTS USING SMARTPHONE INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT
Mark Huerta
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart — SBHSE
Postural imbalance and locomotion impairment lead to falls, a prevalent problem in the elderly population. In 2013, 2.5 million nonfatal
falls were treated in emergency departments, and approximately 25,500 died from the sustained injuries, with direct medical costs totaling
$34 billion. This has led to considerable research into gait and postural characteristics that can be used to determine the risk of fall for a given
individual to provide optimal prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Gait speed in particular has tremendous potential as a clinical indicator of
functional status in older adults and it is known to be associated with key health outcomes in the elderly. The Lockhart lab has developed a
simple to use smartphone application that non-invasively measures motion data by utilizing the accelerometer and gyroscope that are already
incorporated in the iPhone. The primary goals of this study were to further validate the reliability of the Lockhart application, to gain insight
to mechanisms underlying gait and postural characteristics, and to provide control data from a young, healthy population for future studies. A
design experiment was conducted involving 23 young adults ranging from 18-25 of age completing a series of 25 meter walking trials. The
activity level of participants was assessed through a questionnaire and all of this data was analyzed.
K16: IDENTIFICATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FOR EARLY CANCER DETECTION
Badrinath Jagannath
mentor: Dr. Barbara Smith — SBHSE
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released through breath, skin, blood, urine, provide information on the metabolic condition of a
person. It has been identified that different types of VOCs are released through different metabolic pathways. The normal classes of VOCs
being released include hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, organic acids, sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds, aromatics, esters.
Many medical imaging techniques such as computed tomography, Magnetic resonance imaging have been developed. However, detection of
cancer using standard tests is expensive and takes longer time. Studies have shown that there is an increase or decrease in concentration of
VOCs released from cancer samples when compared to corresponding healthy sample. Identifying specific chemical signature of VOCs can be
helpful in developing biomarkers for various types of cancer. In this project, VOCs released from Endometrial and Cervical cancer cell lines are
detected by performing GC-MS on the headspace of these cancer cell lines. A correlation of metabolic pathway for the VOCs released by these
cell lines is established by checking at their gene expression. The obtained VOC results are also compared to the VOCs and pathways of Lung
cancer.
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K17: NON-CONTACT TYPE PULSE OXIMETER
Anirudh Nandakumar Joshi
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle — SBHSE
The world of healthcare has been advanced with incremental scientific innovations and high end data analytics. The development
of wearable sensors and increased connectivity between the patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals through adoption of mobile
technologies has been the need of the hour. This project is one such effort to create wearable patch device for homes and hospitals use, to
measures multiple critical parameters, for people affected by chronic diseases or for health-conscious consumers. This also makes it easier
for patients to effectively self-monitor their health condition and lead healthy life. I would be channelizing my efforts to create non-contact type
pulse oximeter that would be an integrative part of this overall sophisticated patch device. The sensor would be miniaturized further to fit it
into easy to use wearable patch and helps in monitoring critical parameters like heart rate, pulse, blood flow pattern with great precision. The
hardware design, prototyping, testing and fabrication would be my key work areas.
K18: MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF DYNAMICS OF GENE DELIVERY USING ELECTROPORATION
Sindhu V V Kolluru
mentor: Dr. Jit Muthuswamy — SBHSE
Electroporation has been a widely researched technique for gene/drug delivery due to its huge advantage of administrating material
directly to the site of injury or disease. This technique is especially useful in localized intracranial drug delivery as it can bypass the blood-brain
barrier and be confined to region of interest. However, a large portion of the mechanism involved in electroporation still remains unknown thus
limiting its usability in real-time drug delivery. The process involved in electroporation involves applying electric fields to move cells to porate
so as to allow transport of injected material and re-seal automatically within a short duration. Few of the factors involved in this procedure are
the electric field intensity at cells, spatial extent of field, local electric field effects, duration and length of electric pulses, optimal time to inject
the drug, temperature, electrode geometry and target accessibility, etc. Electroporation to the brain region also adds the effect of electrical
activity of neurons themselves thus changing the effective electric field at the cells. Since a lower field than threshold might cause the cells
to not electroporate whereas a higher field could result in cell death, an optimum control and specification of the electric field to be applied to
these specific cells has to be investigated. Also, the electroporation and threshold of each type of cell depends on its geometry and cellular
properties, the threshold has to be determined accurately to move the cell into the electroporation zone. This project focuses on FEM modeling
and simulation of a neuron using COMSOL to software to investigate the optimum electric field to electroporate a neuron and understand the
local field effects generated by neuronal activity.
K19: BIOMANUFACTURING PLATFORM AND PRACTICES FOR PERSONALIZED MEDICINE PRODUCTS
Long Duy Le
mentors: Dr. Vincent Pizziconi — SBHSE | Dr. Jeffrey Cornells — Mayo Clinic
Personalized medicine is a new chapter in health care that has the potential to revolutionize the way health care is delivered and
patient outcomes. An emerging field fueling personalized medicine is regenerative medicine and related underlying tissue engineering enabling
technologies that are envisioned to provide more effective therapeutic alternatives for treatment of diverse human pathologies. By their very
nature, tissue engineering processes are capable of engineering patient specific biological ‘product’ specifications into the personalized
3D tissue and solid organ products for that same recipient. Once tissue engineering processes are validated, the development of precision
biomanufacturing platforms that meet current good manufacturing practices will be needed to support the safe and reliable production of
high value but low volume personalized medicine products. Requisite to the development of biomanufacturing platforms will be the design
of key biounit operations that will represent the fully integrated manufacturing process flow from raw materials to finished, complex three
dimensional tissue or organ system ready for implantation. Key biounit operations include non-invasive monitoring and microcontroller-based
processes, passive and active tissue and organ decellularization and regeneration processes on bioderived scaffolds, biofabricated 3D
synthetic scaffolds, as well as, related online quality assurance testing methods to assure patient safety, biopackaging, among others. The
main objective of this applied project is to provide a complete process flow diagram of the key biounit operations envisioned for a regenerative
medicine biomanufacturing platform that is compliant with current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). Once the process flow chart was
defined, a basic cost analysis and a preliminary engineering economic analyses was conducted for each biounit operation, as well as, for a fully
integrated, automated biomanufacturing platform. Preliminary results obtained thus far represent the first step of proof of concept feasibility of
a decentralized biomanufacturing platform for regenerative medicine.
K20: INVESTIGATING NEURONAL NOISE
Aashish Masih
mentor: Dr. Jit Muthuswamy — SBHSE
Electrophysiological recording is an important tool for investigating the electrical properties of a biological system. Noise can
significantly hinder recording the desired biological signal, and is difficult to filter from the output due to its ubiquitous presence in the system.
The noise may not be restricted to thermal noise in the conductors but can be present at the extra- and intra-cellular level due to issues such
as Brownian motion of ions in the tissue, cross-talk from ion channels and intracellular signal-transduction pathways. Additionally, each source
of noise can have various magnitudes, requiring the filter to weigh each source of noise. By utilizing a computational approach to model the
recording system, we present a model that identifies and assesses the contributions to several different sources of noise in single-cell neuronal
recordings. This information is significant to the researcher and allows them to utilize different recordings techniques and hardware to boost
the signal to noise ratio.
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K21: TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION: AUSPICIOUS NON-INVASIVE MODULATION OR
OVERHYPED CURIOSITY? A LITERATURE REVIEW
Garrett McCann
mentor: Dr. Rosalind Sadleir — SBHSE
Since 2000, when interest in the technique exploded, countless pilot studies have appeared, suggesting transcranial DC stimulation
could be effective in contexts as diverse as accelerating learning, influencing drug delivery and encouraging recovery after stroke. In isolation,
positive outcomes are not uncommon in the scientific literature, but, while TDCS has received plenty of attention, convincing evidence for the
technique’s clinical viability remains spread thin. Currently, the sheer diversity of studies involving TDCS makes it extremely difficult to compare
studies from different groups: electrode placement, outcome measures and group differences can make it impossible to argue for overall
efficacy of the technique in any given context. Add to that the dearth of control groups and the inherent difficulties in effective blinding, and
the scientific community is at a loss for any meaningful consensus regarding the technique’s viability. However, foundational knowledge of
the neural mechanisms underlying TDCS has taken several modest but significant steps forward. But while the models which could validate
clinical use of this form of modulation for therapeutic and treatment purposes are still far off, the diversity of applications in initial studies may in
time become a strength. Nonetheless, from an empirical standpoint, TDCS research is in its infancy, and it remains highly likely that it could be
invalidated entirely or supplanted with that of another means of electrical stimulation.
K22: THREE DIMENSIONAL PARTICLE TRACKING OF NEUTRALLY BUOYANT PARTICLES THROUGH
PATIENT-SPECIFIC AORTIC COARCTATION MODELS
Christopher Miranda
mentor: Dr. David Frakes — SBHSE
Coarctation of the aorta accounts for roughly 8%-11% of all congenital heart defects and manifests itself as a narrowing of the aorta.
This narrowing requires the heart to pump harder in order to force blood through the narrowing. These coarcations can range substantially in
terms of severity which causes an equally substantial change in blood flow and make it difficult for medical personnel to optimally treat cases.
To better understand patient specific outcomes, investigating the fluid dynamics of congenital heart defects can assist physicians in applying a
successful treatment. Modern in vitro studies analyze the parameters of hemodynamics by utilizing Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques
to capture real-time velocity profiles inside patient-specific aortic coarctation models. However, current methods of PIV are meticulously
planned and take a long portion of time to acquire data. This project entails a more efficient method of determining velocity parameters and fluid
dynamics for patient specific aortic in vitro models by tracking neutrally buoyant particles with high speed camcorders.
K23: ADAPTABLE 3D LINEAR RAIL SYSTEM FOR PNEUMATIC STIMULATOR
Daniel Moreno
mentor: Dr. Stephen Helms Tillery — SBHSE
The sensory motor research group (SMORG), headed by Dr. Stephen Helms Tillery, sought to conduct an acute experiment on nonhuman primates in April 2015. Various projects, including this one, were developed to perform the experiment. One was a pneumatic stimulator
powered by an air compressor that would vary in frequency according to an adjustable valve. These stimulations would then be observed
at the cortex by an implanted electrode array. Because of the size and unstable nature of this device, there came a need for a mountable
support structure. I was able to design and prototype a 3 dimensional linear rail system onto which this device could be mounted and adjusted
throughout the experiment. It could also be adapted to fit similar experiments that require stability and precision. Some key features of device
were: smooth motion in all three dimensions, an arduino powered stepper motor to move the z-axis (up and down) with push buttons, and a
vernier scale on the beams for precise location.
K24: GUIDEWIRE WITH CONTROLLABLE STIFFNESS
Julio Morera
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle — SBHSE
Guidewires are used to navigate tortuous vessel anatomy and provide a stable guiding structure along which a catheter is advanced to
its target within the body. Guidewires currently on the market come in a variety of fixed stiffnesses, with flexural moduli ranging from 9.5 GPa to
about 160 GPa, with low stiffness wires allowing for easier steering and navigation, and high stiffness wires allowing for stable catheter delivery.
However, this tradeoff between steerability and stability means that a single guidewire cannot fulfill both roles during some catheterization
procedures. Such procedures require an exchange of guidewires of different stiffnesses, which exposes patients to additional trauma while
increasing time and difficulty of the procedure for the physician. This project aims to design and test a guidewire which can change its stiffness
on command while in the body in order to obviate the need for guidewire exchanges. The designs developed and investigated in this study are
composite structures consisting of stiff steel wire elements arranged in a cylindrical bundle and adhered to one another with a low melting point
polymer. Stiffness change is achieved by elevating the temperature of the polymer via joule heating of the wires. The resulting guidewires
exhibit the ability to decrease in stiffness as the polymer melts, as well as the ability to recover in stiffness and retain their deformed shape
when the polymer is allowed to cool and harden. Guidewire designs were first evaluated and characterized using finite element analysis in
COMSOL in order to predict the range of stiffness change associated with each geometry. Physical models were then tested in three point
bending in order to validate predictions and evaluate actual flexural properties.
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K25: FATIGUE AND NON-COMPLIANCE DETECTION IN STROKE REHAB THERAPY EXERCISE
Naisargi Nandedkar
mentors: Dr. Troy McDaniel, Dr. Marco Santello, Dr. Jeffrey La Belle — SBHSE
The condition of fatigue is often one of the primary contributors to non-compliance in a physical movement with a set number of
repetitions. The primary objective of this project is to develop a module which will be capable of detecting conditions of fatigue in training and
rehabilitation exercise routine programs. This project is intended to be a proof of concept within this research domain. The module will serve as
a unit that can be integrated into systems utilized by therapists, game developers and users that work on or design exercise routines that are
repetitive in nature. There is limited work that explores the domain of correlation between onset of fatigue and non-compliance in execution of an
exercise routine. In order to facilitate correct execution of a routine with minimum intervention from a trained expert (such as physical therapist),
it is important to establish this correlation. To address this, a sensor prototype using surface EMG electrodes and signal conditioning has been
developed and tested. The muscle activity signal has been analyzed on MATLAB to determine the behavior in fatigued state. To assess correct
execution of exercise motion, Hidden Markov Model techniques have been applied on accelerometer motion data to determine the extent of noncompliant behavior. The results of this project will be especially beneficial for designing systems having customized exercise programs according
to their specific clients’ needs, monitoring progress and setting goals for each client.
K26: BIOMIMETIC BIOMUSCLE GRIPPER BASED ON CRUSTACEAN PHYSIOLOGY
Cameron Noe
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle — SBHSE
Biomimicry is a science where natural solutions are adapted and augmented to solve a diverse array of human problems. This project
will use a unique bioreplication technique in an attempt to create a systematic method for accurately replicating and then further altering
macroscale biomechanical systems for use in biomimetic prosthetic device design. The purpose of this project is to validate a macro scale
bioreplication technique for faithfully reproducing a real world biomechanical system, in this case a lobster claw, and using this knowledge
for the development of future biomimetic prosthetic devices. By using 3D medical scan data, 3D editing software, 3D printing technologies,
and previously developed biomuscle actuators the project aims to faithfully recreate a basic gripping system found presently in nature. The
ability to faithfully replicate and alter a wide selection of biomechanical systems would be a key tool in many biomimetic research projects.
The ability to replicate a biological system without having to use a model organism, living or dead, each time allows for a greater number of
potential experiments to be run with fewer resources. Various experiments would also benefit from removing biological diversity from the list of
potential variables. By replicating a natural biomechanical system this project aims to validate the bioreplication technique, implement previously
researched biomuscle actuators, and set the groundwork for adapting natural exoskeleton and muscle architecture for use in future prosthetic
devices.
K27: CLASSIFICATION OF SPOKEN WORDS USING MICRO-ELECTROCORTICOGRAPHY RECORDINGS
FROM FACE MOTOR CORTEX AND WERNICKE’S AREA
Denise Oswalt
mentors: Dr. Bradley Greger, Dr. Rosalind Sadleir, Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
Severe motor disorders or brain stem damage can leave individuals severely paralyzed but fully aware and unable to communicate
by most natural means. Some of these patients are able to select individual letters or words using minimal residual movements. This is often
a painstaking and slow process and is not applicable for those unable to enact even limited movements. For these individuals a direct cortical
interface may provide more intuitive functional restoration. Non-penetrating micro-electrode arrays were placed over the primary language areas
on the cortical surface of one patient undergoing clinical monitoring for medically refractory epilepsy. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded
while the patient was instructed to articulate single words with one second intervals. Attempts were made to use LFP features to classify trials
into one out of ten spoken word classes. Previous attempts have been successful in using principle component analysis in selecting single words
from LFP features at levels above chance, serving as a proof of concept. However the previous detection rates achieved were not sufficient
to provide compensatory functionality to patients with communication impairments. This study revisits the original data set in attempts to apply
simple machine learning algorithms to increase word prediction accuracy from LFP features. electric field to be applied to these specific cells
has to be investigated. Also, the electroporation and threshold of each type of cell depends on its geometry and cellular properties, the threshold
has to be determined accurately to move the cell into the electroporation zone. This project focuses on FEM modeling and simulation of a neuron
using COMSOL to software to investigate the optimum electric field to electroporate a neuron and understand the local field effects generated
by neuronal activity.
K28: HUMAN-HUMAN JOINT ACTION: EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION
OVER POSTERIOR PARIETAL CORTEX ON PHYSICAL COOPERATION
Manasa Parthasharathy
mentors: Dr. Marco Santello, Dr. Christopher Buneo, Dr. Jeffrey Kleim — SBHSE
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a neurostimulation technique developed to treat many neurological disorders. A
small direct current is delivered to the targeted cortical region which can increase or decrease cognitive performance depending on the type
and target of stimulation. Cathodal tDCS decreases the neuronal excitability of the stimulated area. Based on previous literature, the Posterior
Parietal Cortex (PPC) is known to mediate anticipatory motor control and motor execution and planning. This project aims to determine the
effects of cathodal tDCS over the PPC on the performance of a motor task that requires physical coordination between two human subjects to
balance an object. Cathodal tDCS should impair the ability of one of the two subjects (dyad), i.e., the “leader” (based on our pilot data, the leader
is defined as the subject who exerts the largest share of total moment) to balance an object and correct errors. In this single-blinded study, two
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human subjects reach, lift and manipulate two T-shaped objects, with auditory cues provided to both. The force and position data are acquired
using LabVIEW and the leader and follower are determined using MATLAB. When cathodal tDCS is provided to the leader over the PPC, his/
her ability to balance the object and correct errors decreases. Consequently, the follower should therefore compensate for the leader’s inability
to exert most of the balancing torque. The hypothesis that cathodal tDCS to posterior parietal cortex will cause a role reversal, such that the
follower will become the leader, and vice versa, helps comprehend the cortical mechanisms contributing to human-human coordination.
K29: LOCKHART MONITOR: AN EVALUATION OF USING A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION FOR POSTURAL
STABILITY
Andrew Quach
mentor: Dr. Thurmon Lockhart ­— SBHSE
Postural stability is a method of assessing fall risks in individuals with neurological and motor dysfunction. According to Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults, and over 30,000 deaths
occurred due to falls in 2013. The means of evaluating stability are usually done in a clinical setting and requires patients to use equipment
not regularly accessible to them. Smartphones are becoming exceedingly prevalent in the healthcare field, with hundreds of apps being
used to monitor and maintain patient health. The convenience of using such apps has greatly improved the efficacy of patient monitoring
and physician-patient relationships by being able to measure parameters within the patient’s home under normal everyday conditions. This
experiment evaluates the use of the Lockhart Monitor in studying subject postural stability by measuring center of pressure (COP) area
and velocity while standing simultaneously on a force plate as a reference. This clinical study offers a better understanding of the validity of
the smartphone app by using statistics to detect differences in stable and unstable standing conditions. The ease of using a smartphone
application offers a wider range of patient monitoring due to its convenience, cost, and availability.
K30: DEVELOPMENT OF A PATIENT-CENTRIC POINT-OF-CARE TACROLIMUS SENSOR FOR
TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
Sneha Saikia
mentors: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle, Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE, Dr. Eric Steidley — Mayo Clinic
Solid organ transplantation is the preferred treatment for end stage organ failure. Over ten thousand organ transplants are
performed every year. Successful post-transplant outcome requires the administration of immunosuppressive drugs with narrow therapeutic
ranges that must be taken for the lifetime of the transplanted organ. This project is concerned with the detection of tacrolimus, a common
immunosuppressant. High whole blood concentrations of tacrolimus can lead to kidney damage whereas low levels pose the risk of organ
rejection. Currently, drug levels are measured at intermittent time intervals varying from days to months with a whole blood draw followed by
analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography paired with mass spectrometry and other clinical pharmacokinetics tests that are
often lengthy and laborious with a long turnaround time that makes the drug’s activity difficult to establish. Present day technology does not
address the need for a quick, reliable measurement of tacrolimus in transplant recipients. This project proposes to revolutionize the process of
measuring this immunosuppressant by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for the rapid detection of tacrolimus. Electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy was performed over a range of 1 Hz - 0.1 M Hz in order to determine the optimal binding frequency of tacrolimus in
purified solution, in addition to analyzing the sensor’s performance in the presence of interferents, non targets and whole blood.
K31: SMART HELMET FOR THE DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIVE M.T.B.I.’S
Edward Sarafin
mentors: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle, Dr. Mark Spano, Dr. Sarah Stabenfeldt — SBHSE
Five to ten percent of athletes in any given sport year will suffer from a concussion. That equivocates to around 1.6 to 3.8 million
concussions a year. In addition, football players have a 75 percent chance of suffering from a concussion and around 47 percent do not report
concussion symptoms. With these statistics in mind, it is imperative for prevention to be the focus when it comes to concussions instead
of treatment. However we need to be better able to anticipate the concussion forces and symptoms. To do this, a state of the art helmet
was proposed that incorporates specialized load cells, accelerometers, and galvanic sensors inside the helmet’s design to detect signs of
concussion. It also must be reproducible and low cost for all levels of athletes, and not just professionals. The load cells were made with low
cost items, and compared to a state of the art. It was found that our load cells were comparative in results as to the state of the art, but with
high deviation. Doubling the thickness of the conductive foam not only reduced the error in the results, but also showed a nearly accurate
logarithmic fit as the state of the art. Also, a GSR sensor was implemented into the helmet that was made from aluminum foil. These were
connected with an accelerometer and an Arduino, which gave real time feedback of the results. A testing apparatus, which delivers consistent
force impacts to the helmet, was made in which to test the helmets structure. A 3D printed model of a helmet was also made to show low
cost, fast and easy, and personalized construction. A follow up also considers more advanced biomarker sensors can be incorporated into the
helmet.
K32: TAILORED CARBON BASED MATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO BIOMEDICAL DEVICE
DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY
Trevor Saxman
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle —­SBHSE
Carbon is the forth most abundant element in the universe, and more then one million carbon compounds have been reported
in chemical literature. Carbon can be found in many forms: gaseous hydrocarbons, polymers, biomaterials, and solid diamond to name a
few. Modern electronics have utilized carbon electrodes in various forms to create everything from batteries to disposable screen-printed
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electrodes. The electronic properties of carbon materials are highly dependent on chemical composition, as well as, the macroscopic and
nanoscopic properties of the material. Recently methods of nano-scale synthesis has enabled to production of highly ordered carbon
compounds that can be tuned to have specific properties that will enable the next generation technology for electrochemical detection
devices. The scope of this project covers several kinds of carbon materials that have been designed and developed for use biosensors.
Tailored carbon compounds are essential to the development of nanotechnology that will drive biomedical device design. Ranging from
pure carbon compounds to synthetic organic polymers, each kind of carbon material has unique electronic and physical properties that will
shape the design of function future elements of biomedical devices and sensors. Specifically this project is focused on: critical physical
characteristics that effect carbon material properties, key nano-scale elements in carbon chemistry, and critical role of functionalized organic
polymers in future sensing and detection technology development.
K33: FLEXIBLE CIRCUITRY FOR TEMPERATURE SENSING
Suraj Sunil Sharma
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey La Belle —­SBHSE
Body temperature is a great tool for measuring the stress levels of an individual. Hypothalamus controls the thermoregulation of
the body, adapting it to temperature changes. Current methods to measure skin temperature use rigid devices placed on skin or flexible ones
which are expensive. The problem with the rigid devices is that they do not conform to the shape of the skin which is why they are not able
to get as much surface area as a flexible device would get, which is why their precision is lesser than flexible devices .Therefore there is a
need for a flexible temperature sensor which is cost effective. This project focusses on developing flexible circuitry using conductive inks
and flexible substrates, which would enable making a flexible temperature measuring device. Flexible circuitry, though only implemented for
temperature sensing as part of this project, could have applications for a variety of different sensors. Additionally flexible circuitry would save
the cost of the PCB (printed circuit board) at the same time it would be lightweight. This is also a more environmentally friendly way of making
circuits as unlike the making of PCBs, it does not involve corrosive chemicals. A flexible temperature sensing circuit was built, tested and
compared against gold standard temperature measuring devices.
K34: ENERGY IMBALANCE CONSUMING HIGH FAT FOODS
John Smith
mentors: Dr. Michael Caplan, Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE, Dr. Richard Herman – SOLS
Mammals are typically effective in confronting the relatively simple concept of matching energy intake to energy expenditure,
essentially an enactment of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. However, when exposed to unrestricted feeding behaviors of high fat foods
(HFDs), there is a strong tendency towards overeating and energy imbalance. A common result is a phenotype including: central (abdominal)
adiposity, impaired insulin action, and accumulation of liver fat with or without overt obesity, linked to the occurrence of cardiometabolic
risk disorders. When maturing non-obese children reach their pubertal period, a similar phenotype is observed featuring central adiposity
and insulin resistance. This leads to the question: are pubertal rats at further metabolic risk when stressed by a HFD? In our study, prepubertal rats were administered a saturated HFD diet (60% kcal derived from fat) 1-2 weeks post-weaning. Hyperphagia (overeating) was
pronounced over days 1-3 and reached a steady-state of energy intake ~ 20% higher than rats administered a low fat (LF) diet (18% kcal
from fat). This was accompanied by a significant increase in weight gain, energy intake, visceral adipose tissue mass and cell size, liver fat,
and a marked disturbance to glucose tolerance with many rats becoming pre-diabetic. When a monounsaturated fat (8 kcal/day) was added
to the saturated HFD, all these parameters associated with a HFD (besides liver fat) were reversed when compared to LF diet values and no
rats were considered pre-diabetic. This project has relevance in the context of pursuing potential interventions to mechanisms underlying the
action of meals comprising different HFD to improve energy homeostasis. It also has importance as a public health message underscoring
the findings that saturated HFDs can seriously perturb energy and metabolic homeostatic mechanisms, threatening Type 2 Diabetes, and that
the consumption of certain fat compositions may be protective of homeostasis during HF feeding.
K35: USING PPG AND ECG SIGNAL FOR CONTINUOUS CUFFLESS BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
Zheng Tan
mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle — SBHSE
The arterial blood pressure (ABP) is one of the important physiological parameters for health monitoring. Most devices for BP
measurement in the market determine the ABP through the inflation and the deflation of a cuff, which is uncomfortable for most of the users
and may even cause anxiety, which in turn can affect the blood pressure (BP) (white coat syndrome). A cuffless nonintrusive approach to
estimate the BP has been studied and showed ABP could be determined continuously and non-invasively without the use of a cuff. My project
focuses on measuring pulse transit time (PTT). It is a time interval between the R-peak of electrocardiogram (ECG) and the following peak
of the finger photoplethysmogragh (PPG) signal. The data from MIMC II database are analyzed and formulas are concluded between blood
pressure (BP) and PTT. The measurement has also been done on myself to verify the feasibility of this method and also for preparation of
future model. Measurement using oscillometric BP meter is performed for reference. Finally, some limitations are demonstrated.
K36: WAVELET ANALYSIS OF LASER DOPPLER FLOW AND PHOTOPLETHYSMOGRAPHY SIGNALS FOR
OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE THERAPY
Keyon Tehrani
mentors: Dr. Inder Makin — AT Still University | Dr. Vikram Kodibagkar, Dr. Bruce Towe — SBHSE
Research for osteopathic medicine is continuing to develop. Signals for Laser Doppler flow and photoplethysmography have
been collected to analyze the effects of osteopathic manipulations on subjects. Recent studies have shown that wavelet analysis is a more
efficient method to analyze these signals than traditional techniques which focus on fourier transforms. The ability to quantify the power of the
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signals through wavelet analysis presents potential to analyze different frequency intervals and correlate the results to the impacts of different
osteopathic manipulations. Based on local minima and time averages of wavelet transforms, previous research has shown that approximate
frequency intervals can be attributed to represent corresponding physiological activity. Using Matlab 2014b, an algorithm and toolkit have been
developed to parse each signal into 15 phases representing the corresponding osteopathic manipulations with a time interval of 100sec for each
phase to be analyzed at the selected frequency interval. Each parsed signal for each upper extremity (Left LDF, Left PPG, Right, LDF, and Right
PPG) is able to be analyzed by the user at the corresponding frequency ranges for the desired physiological activity. Through low-frequency
analysis, metabolic, neurogenic, myogenic, respiratory, and heart data are able to be analyzed to gain a better understanding of the effects of
osteopathic manipulative therapy.
K37: LOW-COST, AT-HOME EYE FIXATION TRACKING DEVICE TO AID IN FURTHER RESEARCH AND
EVENTUAL DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
Alec Thimsen
mentor: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy — SBHSE
One of the first identified diagnostic features of autism was a deficit in eye contact made during social interactions. Eye contact is not
completely lost in those diagnosed with one of the autism spectrum disorders; however, it has been shown in recent studies that eye fixation
in this population, from two months to six months, declines, which is not seen in the normal developing child. There is a belief that these social
deficits could be potentially treated in the timeframe identified, since children who later develop ASDs have “normal” eye fixation levels at the
age of two months. In order to explore this, a vast amount of eye fixation data must be collected from a wide array of children. Currently, to track
eye fixation, a child is brought into a clinic where they watch videos that simulate normal patient-caretaker interactions. A potential issue with this
is that these simulations may not reflect normal social interactions. Also, the time and effort to track in this manner adds up with the data that
is necessary. This project is aimed at addressing both of these issues through the creation of a low-cost, at-home eye fixation tracking device,
based on actual interactions between caretaker and child. The device is a two-part system that uses both electrooculography and an infrared
emitter/detector pair. With the help of a microcontroller, the device can accurately detect when a child is making eye contact with a caretaker
during a planned session that would be repeated on a weekly/monthly basis. The data from these sessions is actively displayed on an intuitive
iOS application that could ultimately be used to store and send results to a chosen provider. The data then has the prospect to be analyzed with
respect to that specific patient, and the ASD population as a whole.
K38: MODIFYING THE PADOVA TYPE II DIABETES SIMULATOR BY INCORPORATING GLUCAGON
Kali Jean Towner
mentor: Dr. Mark Spano — SBHSE
Model simulators of the glucose-insulin system are increasingly utilized for diagnosis and treatment. However, even some of the most
technologically advanced models neglect to directly take into account glucagon. Glucagon acts as the reciprocal hormone to insulin allowing for
the body to maintain physiologically normal plasma glucose levels when fasting. We constructed and incorporated a glucagon subsystem into
the Gold Standard Type 2 Diabetes simulator (Man).
Man, C., Rizza, R., & Cobelli, C. (2007). Meal Simulation Model of the Glucose-Insulin System. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering,
54(10), 1740-1749.
K39: A MICROMECHANICAL TEST PLATFORM FOR ASSESSING STIFFNESS OF ELECTROSPUN
SCAFFOLDS FOR TISSUE REGENERATION
Yujie Wang
mentors: Dr. Vincent Pizziconi, Dr. Stephen Massia, Dr. Christine Pauken — SBHSE | Dr. Jeffrey Cornella — Mayo Clinic
The purpose of this applied project is to develop a custom test system to assess selected mechanical properties of 3D electrospun
scaffolds. It has been shown that stem cell differentiation can be influenced by the local micromechanical environment of 2D nonporous
substrates. In particular, 2D substrate stiffness has been shown to modulate key cellular processes including gene expression, protein
production, morphology, migration and cell differentiation. It remains to be seen, however, as to exactly how the stiffness of a 3D porous
substrate affects the behavior of cells and, in particular, undifferentiated stem cells. As such, the focus of this applied project is to develop a
mechanical test system that is capable of measuring micro and possibly nanomechanical properties of electrospun polymer fibers used to
construct 3D scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications, such as, pelvic organ prolapse. A custom tensile testing platform was developed,
comprised of a miniature S-Beam LSB200 load cell (100 gram capacity), accompanying SENSIT test and measurement software and a TRA12
miniaturized motorized actuator (Newport). Preliminary data obtained from the microtensile test platform using model test fibers verifies its
applicability in assessing the micromechanical properties of electrospun polymer nanofibers to guide the development of tunable 3D scaffolds in
the bioengineering regenerative medicine labs at ASU in conjunction with Mayo Clinic collaborators.
K40: DIFFERENT HYDROGELS FOR BUPIVACAINE DELIVERY
Yuzhu Wang
mentor: Dr. C.P. Pathak — Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
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Bupivacaine is an anesthetic drug used in surgery to help patients release pain. Patients after abdominal surgery still need
bupivacaine for 3 to 5 days until the pain disappears. Current delivery of bupivacaine typically lasts for 1 to 2 days, which means patients need
the administration of bupivacaine hydrochloride injection more than once. This causes pain and it is not convenient. In the present project, we
synthesized three different polymers used for bupivacaine hydrochloride delivery and evaluated the performance of these three drug delivery
systems. The first hydrogel was injected into the bovine pericardial tissue using oscillating needle and the performance of drug delivery was then
evaluated. The other two hydrogels were evaluated in vitro at 37 °C. In this project, I have learned to use needle to inject hydrogels into tissue. In
addition, I have learned to synthesize copolymers by two different approaches. One is achieved by crosslinking different polymers while another
is prepared by free radical reaction under UV light. Spectrophotometer was used in this experiment to determine the drug release profile and I
have learned to use such device to obtain the data. The experiment often lasts for several days and making a plan is necessary for reasonable
arrangement and successful outcome. Making a reasonable plan is another skill I have learned in this project.
K41: COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS COMPARISON IN CEREBRAL ANEURYSMS TREATED WITH
VARIED COILING METHODS
Christopher Workman
mentors: Dr. David Frakes, Dr. Brent Vernon — SBHSE, Dr. Brian Chong — Mayo Clinic
Cerebral aneurysms, also known as intracranial aneurysms, are sac-like lesions in the arteries of the brain that can rupture to cause
subarachnoid hemorrhaging, damaging and killing brain cells (Schievink, 1997; Broderick et al, 1993). In fact, an estimated 80% of subarachnoid
hemorrhaging is caused by the rupture of cerebral aneurysms (Mayberg et al, 1984). Cerebral aneurysms affect about 2% of the world’s
population and cause over 14,000 deaths annually in the United States (Schievink, 1997; Rinkel et al, 1998). Although cerebral aneurysms can
be treated through endovascular coil embolization, recurrence has been observed in 33.6% of treated aneurysms (Raymond et al, 2003). This
study aims to inform endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms by comparing the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results of two cases
segmented from X-ray computed tomography angiograms (CTAs) with the actual patient outcomes in consideration. The CFD data was analyzed
using Tecplot to determine whether patterns in the simulated hemodynamics correlate to the success or failure of the embolic coiling treatments.
After the CTAs were segmented using Materialise Mimics and refined using Geomagic Studio, the same embolic coiling procedures that each
patient received were simulated using three-dimensional beam theory in Dassault Systèmes Abaqus. The resulting geometries were meshed
using a robust octree method in ANSYS ICEM, and CFD was performed on these meshes using a second-order upwind finite difference scheme
in ANSYS Fluent. The results of these in silico studies were then compared to the outcomes of the patients who received these treatments.
Ultimately, this study can be referenced to better inform patient treatment by providing evidence of the hemodynamic explanations for the
success of one treatment over another. Furthermore, it can demonstrate the utility of hemodynamic predictions based on patients’ angiograms
and finite element simulated coil deployment to plan optimal, personalized interventions for each patient.
K42: A MATLAB GUI FOR DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED AND DYNAMIC CONTRAST-ENHANCED MR IMAGE DATA
ACQUISITION WITH AUTOMATIC ORGAN SEGMENTATION AND 3D REGISTRATION
Renjie Xu
mentors: Dr. John Chang — MD Anderson Cancer Center | Dr. Vikram Kodibagkar — SBHSE
Angiogenesis is a significant hallmark of cancer, blood flow to the cancer can reflect viability and its response to therapy. Dynamic
contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI is a popular method for angiogenesis analysis, however unavailable to patients with kidney dysfunction due to
the presence of contrast agent. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model is defined as a diffusion-weighted MR imaging model that takes
the microscopic translational motions that occur in each image voxel in MRI as a factor of signal decay. We hypothesis that one or more
parameters derived from IVIM model are linearly correlated to DCE intensity, based on former research, however data acquisition from DWI for
establishment of IVIM model was done manually. This applied project aims at designing an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) in Matlab
that would automatize data acquisition from DWI and DCE. The GUI is capable to import DWI and DCE sequences, automatically segment
organs from imported image sets, e.g. liver from abdominal cross-sectional images. Then it builds 3D models of segmented organ, and performs
an auto-registration among models, allows user to choose a region of interest (ROI), and then output data of wanted regions from all registered
models simultaneously. Compared to manual measurement, auto-registration facilitates the efficiency and accuracy of IVIM modeling, provides
a direct comparison to aligned DCE data, as well as assists the quantitate analysis for verification of our hypothesis.this procedure are the
electric field intensity at cells, spatial extent of field, local electric field effects, duration and length of electric pulses, optimal time to inject the
drug, temperature, electrode geometry and target accessibility, etc. Electroporation to the brain region also adds the effect of electrical activity
of neurons themselves thus changing the effective electric field at the cells. Since a lower field than threshold might cause the cells to not
electroporate whereas a higher field could result in cell death, an optimum control and specification of the electric field to be applied to these
specific cells has to be investigated. Also, the electroporation and threshold of each type of cell depends on its geometry and cellular properties,
the threshold has to be determined accurately to move the cell into the electroporation zone. This project focuses on FEM modeling and
simulation of a neuron using COMSOL to software to investigate the optimum electric field to electroporate a neuron and understand the local
field effects generated by neuronal activity.
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in memorium
katelyn marie conrad
9.15.93 – 1.17.15
“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy
and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may
find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what
the outcome, he will know he has been alive”.
– Walt Disney