Universal Driver Gear Train
Second Place Innovation Awards
Team Members
Ryan Connolly, Yolanda Anderson, Ethan O’Driscoll, and Heather Marker, Biomedical
Engineering
Advisor
Smitha Rao, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Stryker
Project Overview
The universal driver is a surgical tool used in orthopedic surgery to drill, ream,
and screw into bones. All of these different functions require different torques and
speeds, otherwise there can be damage to the bone. Currently, there is just one output
speed and torque per input speed. This limits the usage of a single drill, because
surgeons must switch drills to accomplish each of these functions. There is a need
in the market for a universal driver that has the ability to switch between two or
more different outputs of speed and torque. A gear train will be developed such that
it will be able to drive screws, ream, and drill with the ability to switch between
these modes. The gear train that will be developed will operate with a single input
speed, a single input torque, and will offer the ability to switch between two different
output speeds and torques.
Transcatheter Single Ventricle Device
Honorable Mention Senior Design Awards
Third Place Innovation Awards
Team Members
Chad Cannon, Lauren Markham, Lauren Sandy, and Sonja Welch, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Smitha Rao and Jeremy Goldman, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Spectrum Health Innovations—Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Project Overview
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a congenital heart defect where the left
ventricle of the heart is critically underdeveloped or deformed. Current treatment
methods include a series of three open heart surgeries, where the first surgery occurs
within the first few days of life. The transcatheter single ventricle device aims
to replace the first open heart surgery through a stent-based design with a polymer
sheath. The goal for this phase was to find the optimal fenestration size in the polymer
to reduce blood flow to the pulmonary arteries. This was done through various flow
tests and MATLAB simulations.
Rapid Prototyping of Ultrasound Elastography Breast Phantom for Ductile Carcinoma Diagnosis
Team Members
Stephanie Jewell, Claire Langfoss, Madeline Gust, and Travis Altmeyer, Biomedical
Engineering
Advisor
Jingfeng Jiang, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Materialise
Project Overview
Breast phantoms are used to test ultrasound machines to ensure they are getting an
accurate image and able to correctly detect tumors in breasts. Ultrasound elastography
is a means to detect lesions in women with more dense breast tissue, which is considered
both cost-effective and non-invasive. The primary goal of this project is to design
an imaging phantom based on 3D printing technology for a repeatable and rapid prototype
using tissue-mimicking material. Using 3D imaging processing and design software created
by Materialise, Mimics, and 3-Matics, it was possible to create a phantom design using
the average woman’s breast anatomy of adipose and fibroglandular tissue sections.
This project aims to build off previous teams’ work through combining 3D printing
technology and molding techniques to create a single phantom.
Peripheral Tool Simulation for an Ultrasonic Aspirator Console
Team Members
Lauren Fallu, Stephen Berridge, and Sarah Lorenz, Biomedical Engineering; Aaron Ortiz,
Electrical Engineering
Advisor
Orhan Soykan, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Stryker
Project Overview
The Sonopet iQ console is a reusable, non-sterile device that supplies power, aspiration,
suction, and irrigation to connected sterile peripheral tools, used during soft tissue
(brain) and bone surgeries. Testing potential failure modes and peripheral tool system
states can be a challenge, and creating an automated simulator system can allow more
testing to be conducted in a shorter amount of time. The objective of this project
is to create an automated system that will simulate both the normal function and error
states of the peripherals connected to the console for the handpiece, foot switches,
and hand controller. The system allows inputs using a graphical user interface (GUI)
to simulate multiple predetermined errors of the Sonopet iQ peripheral tools.
SERC MARSOC Improved Life Support for Casualties at Point of Injury
Team Members
Jacob Formolo, Zach Drexler, and Sarah Melbow, Biomedical Engineering; Nathan Schlorke,
Electrical Engineering
Advisors
Feng Zhao and Rupak Rajachar, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC)
Project Overview
Our team will develop a lightweight, portable device that can be used to reduce casualties
and increase medical efficacy on the battlefield immediately after injury, preferably
using monitoring or physician assistant technology.
Full Flexion Knee
Team Members
Chelsie Tischer, Jack Hendrick, Emily Weidensee, Nehemiah McIntyre, and Marianne Preston,
Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Jeremy Goldman and Keat Ghee Ong, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project Overview
The normal range of motion for a healthy knee allows the knee to achieve flexion past
120 degrees. Commercially available knee implants do not allow for this degree of
flexion, thus prohibiting the patient from achieving healthy motion of the knee after
total knee replacement surgery. This can cause discomfort in patients due to the inability
to return to activities they previously enjoyed. The goal of this project was for
the team to design a new generation knee implant, with the knee motion controlled
in a manner that allows the full flexion of the knee. Upon creation of this design,
a digital model will be created and through FEA, the geometry of the design will be
validated.
Data Analysis Methods to Improve Treatment of Chronic Pain
Team Members
Jessica Benson, Leigh Schindler, Tristan Fourier, and Sue Kim, Biomedical Engineering
Advisor
Keat Ghee Ong, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Medtronic
Project Overview
For patients with chronic pain, there are no objective ways to measure pain or change
in pain that an individual is experiencing. Due to this, most pain treatments are
done based off the subjective feedback that an individual gives to the physician or
researchers through different scales, such as the SF36, ASK, and ODI scales. The lack
of an objective measurement can cause imprecise treatment methods, such as medication
that is too powerful and has the potential for addiction. The team has analyzed large
data sets from patients with chronic pain and explored possible methods to describe
patient condition in a more objective way. Using data on the patient activity levels,
treatment utilization, and self-reported pain levels, the team attempts to provide
useful insights into a predictive modeling, clinical decision making, medical device
designs, and research activities.
Micro-Pistoning Immobilization
Team Members
Margaret Clay, Megan Donovan, Michael Hernandez, and Ryker Miles, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Bruce Lee and Feng Zhao, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
3M
Project Overview
3M has developed a new hydrogel padded IV dressing, TegadermTM CHG. Catheter related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) studies have shown that TegadermTM significantly reduces infection compared to the non-hydrogel IV dressing Biopatch®. The CRBSI studies did not conclude if the improvements were due to the CHG antimicrobial
properties or to the properties of the hydrogel that could reduce catheter motion.
Our project measures the movement of a catheter relative to the insertion site and
compares the frequency and magnitude of the displacement between the TegadermTM CHG dressing and the Biopatch® dressing, to determine if there is a significant reduction in motion observed using
the TegadermTM dressing.
Temperature Sensing of Implanted Medical Device Shields
Team Members
Ryan Bancroft, Katherine Gingras, and Chance Sherretz-Hayes, Biomedical Engineering;
Evan Torrey, Electrical Engineering
Advisor
Keat Ghee Ong, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Medtronic
Project Overview
Rechargeable implanted medical devices utilize induction charging which results in
device heating. This heating is directly related to charging rate. Patients desire
short recharge times and this results in higher device shield temperatures. This excess
heat can lead to irreversible tissue damage and subsequent patient harm. As such,
there is an essential need for the monitoring of this heat on devices implanted within
patients to ensure the health of the surrounding tissue. This project entailed the
development of a system, which can monitor the temperature on the exterior shields
of implanted devices. This allows for the collection of data to generate a deeper
understanding of the real world surface temperatures of these implanted devices. Ultimately,
this will aid in both current operation and in the development of future devices.
Thermal and Mechanical Effects of Power Modalities on Surrounding Tissue
Team Members
Timothy Kolesar, Marshael Ryan, Trevor Simmons, and Xinlin Zhang, Electrical Engineering
Advisors
Sean Kirkpatrick and Orhan Soykan, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Stryker
Project Overview
The project goal is to explore the thermal and mechanical effects of the Stryker Sonopet
Ultrasonic Aspirator on nearby tissues. When the device is utilized in surgery, ultrasound
propagates past the tissue of focus and diffuses into surrounding brain tissue. By
experimenting with the propagation of the thermal heat generated by the device that
is emitted throughout the brain, the thermal effects on surrounding brain tissue will
be addressed. Other parameters are taken into consideration throughout a surgery,
besides just the direct application of the device, including the effects of the ultrasound
as it emits from the handpiece directly to the surrounding brain tissue, which is
an off-target effect of device use.
Disposable Cranial Perforator System
Team Members
Gabrielle Hummel, Jake Lindsay, and Evan Kostenko, Biomedical Engineering; Krista
Fog, Mechanical Engineering
Advisors
Jingfeng Jiang and Bruce Lee, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Stryker
Project Overview
Our team will develop a market viable, sterile, handheld, disposable, cordless power
tool capable of drilling up to five holes in a human cranium for use in an emergency
room.
Catheter Hydrophilic Lubricious Coating Measurement Challenge
Team Members
Alexander Oliver, John Brinley, and Jalen Adams, Biomedical Engineering; Devin Stowe,
Computer Engineering
Advisor
Sean Kirkpatrick, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Boston Scientific
Project Overview
Hydrophilic lubricious coatings (HPC) are applied to minimally invasive interventional
cardiology and peripheral vascular interventional polymer catheter shafts to aid in
passing the catheter through the arterial system to the surgical treatment site. HPCs
applied to catheters must be adherent and durable, so that they remain on the catheter
to provide lubricity and to avoid liberation of coating particulates into the circulatory
system. The Food and Drug Administration has released guidance to medical device companies
requiring they provide test data in submissions to demonstrate coating integrity.
When applied to a catheter, HPCs are a challenge to visualize (coating coverage) and
measure (coating thickness). In current practice, coating thickness is measured by
mechanically cross-sectioning a coated sample, and examining it in a scanning electron
microscope. The challenge for the technician is to not alter the coating chemically
or mechanically during these coverage and thickness evaluations. Our team was tasked
with designing an objective, robust, and repeatable HPC coverage and mean thickness
methodology for the evaluation of hydrophilic coated catheters.
Development of a Blubber-Only Whale Tag Anchoring System
Team Members
Autumn Good, Emil Johnson, and Matthew Benz-Weeden, Biomedical Engineering; Dirk Deckinga,
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Advisor
Rupak Rajachar, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor
Dr. Alexandre Zerbini
Project Overview
Our team will develop a blubber-only implantable tag to increase retention and minimize
tissue damage for use in whale conservation efforts.