Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- Creators: Gunckel, Ryan Patrick
- Creators: Paul, Koushik
Description
Ultrasound has become one of the most popular non-destructive characterization tools for soft materials. Compared to conventional ultrasound imaging, quantitative ultrasound has the potential of analyzing detailed microstructural variation through spectral analysis. Because of having a better axial and lateral resolution, and high attenuation coefficient, quantitative high-frequency ultrasound analysis (HFUA) is a very effective tool for small-scale penetration depth application. One of the QUS parameters, peak density had recently shown a promising response with the variation in the soft material microstructure. Acoustic scattering is arguably the most important factor behind different parametric responses in ultrasound spectra. Therefore, to evaluate peak density, acoustic scattering at different frequency levels was investigated. Analytical, computational, and experimental analysis was conducted to observe both single and multiple scattering in different microstructural setups. It was observed that peak density was an effective tool to express different levels of acoustic scattering that occurred through microstructural variation. The feasibility of the peak density parameter was further evaluated in ultrasound C-scan imaging. The study was also extended to detect the relative position of the imaged structure in the direction of wave propagation. For this purpose, a derivative parameter of peak density named mean peak to valley distance (MPVD) was developed to address the limitations of peak density. The study was then focused on detecting soft tissue malignancy. The histology-based computational study of HFUA was conducted to detect various breast tumor (soft tissue) grades. It was observed that both peak density and MPVD parameters could identify tumor grades at a certain level. Finally, the study was focused on evaluating the feasibility of ultrasound parameters to detect asymptotic breast carcinoma i.e., ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the surgical margin of the breast tumor. In that computational study, breast pathologies were modeled by including all the phases of DCIS. From the similar analysis mentioned above, it was understood that both peak density and MPVD parameters could detect various breast pathologies like ductal hyperplasia, DCIS, and calcification during intraoperative margin analysis. Furthermore, the spectral features of the frequency spectrums from various pathologies also provided significant information to identify them conclusively.
ContributorsPaul, Koushik (Author) / Ladani, Leila (Thesis advisor) / Razmi, Jafar (Committee member) / Holloway, Julianne (Committee member) / Li, Xiangjia (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
While understanding of failure mechanisms for polymeric composites have improved vastly over recent decades, the ability to successfully monitor early failure and subsequent prevention has come of much interest in recent years. One such method to detect these failures involves the use of mechanochemistry, a field of chemistry in which chemical reactions are initiated by deforming highly-strained bonds present in certain moieties. Mechanochemistry is utilized in polymeric composites as a means of stress-sensing, utilizing weak and force-responsive chemical bonds to activate signals when embedded in a composite material. These signals can then be detected to determine the amount of stress applied to a composite and subsequent potential damage that has occurred due to the stress. Among mechanophores, the cinnamoyl moiety is capable of stress response through fluorescent signal under mechanical load. The cinnamoyl group is fluorescent in its initial state and capable of undergoing photocycloaddition in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light, followed by subsequent reversion when under mechanical load. Signal generation before the yield point of the material provides a form of damage precursor detection.This dissertation explores the implementation of mechanophores in novel approaches to overcome some of the many challenges within the mechanochemistry field. First, new methods of mechanophore detection were developed through utilization of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy signals and in-situ stress sensing. Developing an in-situ testing method provided a two-fold advantage of higher resolution and more time efficiency over current methods involving image analysis with a fluorescent microscope. Second, bonding mechanophores covalently into the backbone of an epoxy matrix mitigated property loss due to mechanophore incorporation. This approach was accomplished through functionalizing either the resin or hardener component of the matrix. Finally, surface functionalization of fibers was performed and allowed for unaltered fabrication procedures of composite layups as well as provided increased adhesion at the fiber-matrix interphase. The developed materials could enable a simple, non-invasive, and non-detrimental structural health monitoring approach.
ContributorsGunckel, Ryan Patrick (Author) / Dai, Lenore (Thesis advisor) / Chattopadhyay, Aditi (Thesis advisor) / Lind Thomas, Mary Laura (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Forzani, Erica (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021