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- Creators: Harrington Bioengineering Program
Description
Pelvic Circumferential Compression Devices (PCCDs), an important medical device when caring for patients with pelvic fractures, play a crucial role in the stabilization and reduction of the fracture. During pelvic fracture cases, control of internal bleeding through access to the femoral artery is of utmost importance. Current designs of PCCDs do not allow vital access to this artery and in attempts to gain access, medical professionals and emergency care providers choose to cut into the PCCDs or place them in suboptimal positions with unknown downstream effects. We researched the effects on surface pressure and the overall pressure distribution created by the PCCDs when they are modified or placed incorrectly on the patient. In addition, we investigated the effects of those misuses on pelvic fracture reduction, a key parameter in stabilizing the patient during critical care. We hypothesized that incorrectly placing or modifying the PCCD will result in increased surface pressure and decreased fracture reduction. Our mannequin studies show that for SAM Sling and T-POD, surface pressure increases if a PCCD is incorrectly placed or modified, in support of our hypothesis. However, opposite results occurred for the Pelvic Binder, where the correctly placed PCCD had higher surface pressure when compared to the incorrectly placed or modified PCCD. Additionally, pressure distribution was significantly affected by the modification of the PCCDs. The cadaver lab measurements show that modifying or incorrectly placing the PCCDs significantly limits their ability to reduce the pelvic fracture. These results suggest that while modifying or incorrectly placing PCCDs allows access to the femoral artery, there are potentially dangerous effects to the patient including increased surface pressures and limited fracture reduction.
ContributorsConley, Ian Patrick (Co-author) / Ryder, Madison (Co-author) / Vernon, Brent (Thesis director) / Bogert, James (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
To supplement lectures, various resources are available to students; however, little research has been done to look systematically at which resources studies find most useful and the frequency at which they are used. We have conducted a preliminary study looking at various resources available in an introductory material science course over four semesters using a custom survey called the Student Resource Value Survey (SRVS). More specifically, the SRVS was administered before each test to determine which resources students use to do well on exams. Additionally, over the course of the semester, which resources students used changed. For instance, study resources for exams including the use of homework problems decreased from 81% to 50%, the utilization of teaching assistant for exam studying increased from 25% to 80%, the use of in class Muddiest Points for exam study increased form 28% to 70%, old exams and quizzes only slightly increased for exam study ranging from 78% to 87%, and the use of drop-in tutoring services provided to students at no charge decreased from 25% to 17%. The data suggest that students thought highly of peer interactions by using those resources more than tutoring centers. To date, no research has been completed looking at courses at the department level or a different discipline. To this end, we adapted the SRVS administered in material science to investigate resource use in thirteen biomedical engineering (BME) courses. Here, we assess the following research question: "From a variety of resources, which do biomedical engineering students feel addresses difficult concept areas, prepares them for examinations, and helps in computer-aided design (CAD) and programming the most and with what frequency?" The resources considered include teaching assistants, classroom notes, prior exams, homework problems, Muddiest Points, office hours, tutoring centers, group study, and the course textbook. Results varied across the four topical areas: exam study, difficult concept areas, CAD software, and math-based programming. When preparing for exams and struggling with a learning concept, the most used and useful resources were: 1) homework problems, 2) class notes and 3) group studying. When working on math-based programming (Matlab and Mathcad) as well as computer-aided design, the most used and useful resources were: 1) group studying, 2) engineering tutoring center, and 3) undergraduate teaching assistants. Concerning learning concepts and exams in the BME department, homework problems and class notes were considered some of the highest-ranking resources for both frequency and usefulness. When comparing to the pilot study in MSE, both BME and MSE students tend to highly favor peer mentors and old exams as a means of studying for exams at the end of the semester1. Because the MSE course only considered exams, we cannot make any comparisons to BME data concerning programming and CAD. This analysis has highlighted potential resources that are universally beneficial, such as the use of peer work, i.e. group studying, engineering tutoring center, and teaching assistants; however, we see differences by both discipline and topical area thereby highlighting the need to determine important resources on a class-by-class basis as well.
ContributorsMalkoc, Aldin (Author) / Ankeny, Casey (Thesis director) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer with a median survival time of about a year with treatment. Due to the aggressive nature of these tumors and the tendency of gliomas to follow white matter tracks in the brain, each tumor mass has a unique growth pattern. Consequently it is difficult for neurosurgeons to anticipate where the tumor will spread in the brain, making treatment planning difficult. Archival patient data including MRI scans depicting the progress of tumors have been helpful in developing a model to predict Glioblastoma proliferation, but limited scans per patient make the tumor growth rate difficult to determine. Furthermore, patient treatment between scan points can significantly compound the challenge of accurately predicting the tumor growth. A partnership with Barrow Neurological Institute has allowed murine studies to be conducted in order to closely observe tumor growth and potentially improve the current model to more closely resemble intermittent stages of GBM growth without treatment effects.
ContributorsSnyder, Lena Haley (Author) / Kostelich, Eric (Thesis director) / Frakes, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Breast and other solid tumors exhibit high and varying degrees of intra-tumor heterogeneity resulting in targeted therapy resistance and other challenges that make the management and treatment of these diseases rather difficult. Due to the presence of admixtures of non-neoplastic cells with polyclonal cell populations, it is difficult to define cancer genomes in patient samples. By isolating tumor cells from normal cells, and enriching distinct clonal populations, clinically relevant genomic aberrations that drive disease can be identified in patients in vivo. An in-depth analysis of clonal architecture and tumor heterogeneity was performed in a stage II chemoradiation-naïve breast cancer from a sixty-five year old patient. DAPI-based DNA content measurements and DNA content-based flow sorting was used to to isolate nuclei from distinct clonal populations of diploid and aneuploid tumor cells in surgical tumor samples. We combined DNA content-based flow cytometry and ploidy analysis with high-definition array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and next-generation sequencing technologies to interrogate the genomes of multiple biopsies from the breast cancer. The detailed profiles of ploidy, copy number aberrations and mutations were used to recreate and map the lineages present within the tumor. The clonal analysis revealed driver events for tumor progression (a heterozygous germline BRCA2 mutation converted to homozygosity within the tumor by a copy number event and the constitutive activation of Notch and Akt signaling pathways. The highlighted approach has broad implications in the study of tumor heterogeneity by providing a unique ultra-high resolution of polyclonal tumors that can advance effective therapies and clinical management of patients with this disease.
ContributorsLaughlin, Brady Scott (Author) / Ankeny, Casey (Thesis director) / Barrett, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this project was to examine the viability of protein biomarkers in pre-symptomatic detection of lung cancer. Regular screening has been shown to vastly improve patient survival outcome. Lung cancer currently has the highest occurrence and mortality of all cancers and so a means of screening would be highly beneficial. In this research, the biomarker neuron-specific enolase (Enolase-2, eno2), a marker of small-cell lung cancer, was detected at varying concentrations using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in order to develop a mathematical model of predicting protein expression based on a measured impedance value at a determined optimum frequency. The extent of protein expression would indicate the possibility of the patient having small-cell lung cancer. The optimum frequency was found to be 459 Hz, and the mathematical model to determine eno2 concentration based on impedance was found to be y = 40.246x + 719.5 with an R2 value of 0.82237. These results suggest that this approach could provide an option for the development of small-cell lung cancer screening utilizing electrochemical technology.
ContributorsEvans, William Ian (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Spano, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The action/adventure game Grad School: HGH is the final, extended version of a BME Prototyping class project in which the goal was to produce a zombie-themed game that teaches biomedical engineering concepts. The gameplay provides fast paced, exciting, and mildly addicting rooms that the player must battle and survive through, followed by an engineering puzzle that must be solved in order to advance to the next room. The objective of this project was to introduce the core concepts of BME to prospective students, rather than attempt to teach an entire BME curriculum. Based on user testing at various phases in the project, we concluded that the gameplay was engaging enough to keep most users' interest through the educational puzzles, and the potential for expanding this project to reach an even greater audience is vast.
ContributorsNitescu, George (Co-author) / Medawar, Alexandre (Co-author) / Spano, Mark (Thesis director) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Guiang, Kristoffer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Volume depletion can lead to migraines, dizziness, and significant decreases in a subject's ability to physically perform. A major cause of volume depletion is dehydration, or loss in fluids due to an imbalance in fluid intake to fluid excretion. Because proper levels of hydration are necessary in order to maintain both short and long term health, the ability to monitor hydration levels is growing in clinical demand. Although devices capable of monitoring hydration level exist, these devices are expensive, invasive, or inaccurate and do not offer a continuous mode of measurement. The ideal hydration monitor for consumer use needs to be characterized by its portability, affordability, and accuracy. Also, this device would need to be noninvasive and offer continuous hydration monitoring in order to accurately assess fluctuations in hydration data throughout a specified time period. One particular method for hydration monitoring that fits the majority of these criteria is known as bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). Although current devices using BIA do not provide acceptable levels of accuracy, portability, or continuity in data collection, BIA could potentially be modified to fit many, if not all, desired customer specifications. The analysis presented here assesses the viability of using BIA as a new standard in hydration level measurement. The analysis uses data collected from 22 subjects using an existing device that employs BIA. A regression derived for estimating TBW based on the parameters of age, weight, height, sex, and impedance is presented. Using impedance data collected for each subject, a regression was also derived for estimating impedance based on the factors of age, weight, height, and sex. The derived regression was then used to calculate a new impedance value for each subject, and these new impedance values were used to estimate TBW. Through a paired-t test between the TBW values derived by using the direct measurements versus the calculated measurements of impedance, the two samples were found to be comparable. Considerations for BIA as a noninvasive measurement of hydration are discussed.
ContributorsTenorio, Jorge Antonio (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Pizziconi, Vincent (Committee member) / Spano, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Pelvic Circumferential Compression Devices (PCCDs), an important medical device when caring for patients with pelvic fractures, play a crucial role in the stabilization and reduction of the fracture. During pelvic fracture cases, control of internal bleeding through access to the femoral artery is of utmost importance. Current designs of PCCDs do not allow vital access to this artery and in attempts to gain access, medical professionals and emergency care providers choose to cut into the PCCDs or place them in suboptimal positions with unknown downstream effects. We researched the effects on surface pressure and the overall pressure distribution created by the PCCDs when they are modified or placed incorrectly on the patient. In addition, we investigated the effects of those misuses on pelvic fracture reduction, a key parameter in stabilizing the patient during critical care. We hypothesized that incorrectly placing or modifying the PCCD will result in increased surface pressure and decreased fracture reduction. Our mannequin studies show that for SAM Sling and T-POD, surface pressure increases if a PCCD is incorrectly placed or modified, in support of our hypothesis. However, opposite results occurred for the Pelvic Binder, where the correctly placed PCCD had higher surface pressure when compared to the incorrectly placed or modified PCCD. Additionally, pressure distribution was significantly affected by the modification of the PCCDs. The cadaver lab measurements show that modifying or incorrectly placing the PCCDs significantly limits their ability to reduce the pelvic fracture. These results suggest that while modifying or incorrectly placing PCCDs allows access to the femoral artery, there are potentially dangerous effects to the patient including increased surface pressures and limited fracture reduction.
ContributorsRyder, Madison Taylor (Co-author) / Conley, Ian (Co-author) / Vernon, Brent (Thesis director) / Bogert, James (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
A major challenge with tissue samples used for biopsies is the inability to monitor their molecular quality before diagnostic testing. When tissue is resected from a patient, the cells are removed from their blood supply and normal temperature-controlled environment, which causes significant biological stress. As a result, the molecular composition and integrity undergo significant change. Currently, there is no method to track the effects of these artefactual stresses on the sample tissue to determine any deviations from the actual patient physiology. Without a way to track these changes, pathologists have to blindly trust that the tissue samples they are given are of high quality and fit for molecular analysis; physicians use the analysis to make diagnoses and treatment plans based on the assumption that the samples are valid. A possible way to track the quality of the tissue is by measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the samples. VOCs are carbon-based chemicals with high vapor pressure at room temperature. There are over 1,800 known VOCs within humans and a number of these exist in every tissue sample. They are individualized and often indicative of a person’s metabolic condition. For this reason, VOCs are often used for diagnostic purposes. Their usefulness in diagnostics, reflectiveness of a person’s metabolic state, and accessibility lends them to being beneficial for tracking degradation. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the change in concentration of the volatile organic compounds of a sample, and the molecular quality of a sample. This relationship is what would indicate the accuracy of the tissue quality used for a biopsy in relation to the tissue within the body.
ContributorsSharma, Nandini (Co-author) / Fragoso, Claudia (Co-author) / Grenier, Tyler (Co-author) / Hanson, Abigail (Co-author) / Compton, Carolyn (Thesis director) / Tao, Nongjian (Committee member) / Moakley, George (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The Honors Creative Project evolved drastically from start to finish, despite its origin remaining the same. My core goal in this project was to connect two seemingly mutually exclusive aspects of my life, engineering and dance. After conducting an IRB study and using data from my own personal experiences, I was able to see how dance had in fact made me a better engineer. There were skills that I gained and learned in dance that were directly applicable to engineering, and I believe will be critical to my success as an engineer. As the focal point of the project angled towards myself, I had to look deeply into who I am and how I reached this point. I conducted self-reflections on various aspects of my current life and also on the struggles and hardships I overcame during my years at ASU. From these reflections, I learned a lot about myself and how my personal identity has evolved. This identity evolution became the backbone behind my thesis defense. I took my research and self-reflections and designed a series of artwork that I personally designed and painted myself. I my engineering side to conduct the research and collect the data, and then used my artistic side to present my findings to the public in a way that attracted and audience and caused others to reflect upon their own identities.
ContributorsArizmendi, Romann Fuentes (Author) / Olarte, David (Thesis director) / Welz, Matt (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05