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Biomedical Engineering Department Senior Design Projects

The Ohio State University 2013 - 2014

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Student affiliations:

Biomedical Engineering (BME) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)

Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Occupational Therapy (OT)

Physical Therapy (PT)

Primary Faculty & Mentors: BME: Mark Ruegsegger, PhD, PE

Tanya Nocera, PhD MAE: Sandra Metzler, PhD CSE: Rajiv Ramnath, PhD OT: Theresa Berner, MOT, OTR/L, ATP PT: Jane Case-Smith, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA Jill Heathcock, PhD Heather Loge, MPT Adam Spitznagle, MPT John DeWitt Alex Borstad, PhD Resp. Ther: Jim Bott Rehab Eng: Carmen DiGiovine, PhD, ATP, RET Med Center: Arun Kolipaka, PhD NASA Glenn: DeVon Griffin, PhD; Terri McKay Speech: Michelle Bourgeois, PhD

Community Groups: The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition (TAASC)

United States Power Soccer Association

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Table of Contents

1. Project Heart Phantom ................................................................................ 4

2. EZGAS AccuPuncture ............................................................................... 5

3. Center of Gravity ....................................................................................... 6

4. Crew Boat Modifications: The Adaptive Rower ...................................... 7

5. Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing Rehabilitation ...................................... 7

6. Hemiwalker ................................................................................................ 9

7. Device to Detect Footstrike .................................................................... 10

8. Extendable Patient Lift ............................................................................ 10

9. Frequency Tuner ...................................................................................... 11

10. Kayak Transfer Lift Bench ..................................................................... 13

11. Surrogate Arm for Ultrasound-Guided Cannulations ............................ 14

12. Cerebral Rehabilitation Game ............................................................... 15

13. A Harness for the NeuroRecovery Network .......................................... 16

14. SMART: Smart Material Pressure Sensor Garment .............................. 17

15. Oxygen Supplement Unit (OSU) ............................................................ 18

16. NASA Exercise Harness Interface .......................................................... 19

17. Asymmetrical Kayaking: Poseidon’s Arm ............................................ 20

18. Oncofilter ................................................................................................ 20

19. Power Soccer Guards .............................................................................. 22

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1. Project Heart Phantom

GOAL: The goal of this project is to develop a device that can aid in the progress of MRI Cardiac

Elastography research. Specifically, a physical model that could simulate the contractile motion of a

human heart was constructed that could help test various parameters, such as RF pulse patterns, to

ultimately obtain more information about the heart in a noninvasive manner.

ABSTRACT: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an extremely useful tool for clinicians to see

within patients for diagnostic purposes. The technology is quite complex and not even fully

understood for imaging moving anatomy in real-time. For this reason, much experimental research

must be conducted in order to improve upon this technology. This is especially true for cardiac

imaging. Extra complications arise because of the movement from the lungs and heart which need to

be taken into account in order for useful images.

Currently, research is conducted on volunteer patients in order to improve upon the parameters used

to obtain the MRI images. This is limiting on several levels. The first is that each volunteer can only

be imaged for a short period of time, dictated by the level of the external magnetic field being used.

This means the researchers have to go through the monotony of getting the numbers of volunteers

signed up and prepared for the MRI to get just a few data points. The second major downfall is that

the volunteers must hold their breath during the imaging process, which limits the duration of the

imaging acquisition.

We are setting out to build a cardiac phantom to eliminate the limiting factors currently held on MRI

research. Using a phantom will allow researchers to acquire data at a much faster rate and permit the

use of more extreme parameters. The phantom will be able to simulate the physical properties of a

human left ventricle in terms of frequency, pressure, and compliance. Its use in MRI research

necessitates that it be made from nonferrous magnetic material.

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2. EZGAS AccuPuncture

GOAL: The goal of this project was to design, build, and test a prototype for a new medical device

that would eliminate the inefficiencies of the current clinical procedures used in Arterial Blood Gas

(ABG) sampling.

ABSTRACT: The EZGAS AccuPuncture device is an ultrasound imaging device that will

revolutionize the clinical procedures for ABG sampling. Unlike current pocket-sized ultrasound

device, the EZGAS AccuPuncture combines a high frequency ultrasound probe and monitoring

screen into a single, compact, easy to use device. This device will allow therapists to immediately

locate a patient’s radial artery, as well as allow them to visualize and guide the needle tip directly

into vessel. Old efforts of palpation and second guessing will be eliminated along with the high

needle stick exposure associated with current clinical procedures. The transportability of the device

extends the applications for this device to military as well as emergency responder scenarios.

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3. Center of Gravity GOAL: The goal of this project is to design a device to efficiently and accurately locate the Center

of Gravity of a wheelchair.

ABSTRACT: The COG is critical to improving a wheelchairs user’s quality of life and safety. This

is because the COG directly influences factors such as rolling resistance, stability, and

maneuverability. Therefore, properly positioning the COG is needed for providing the best balance

of safety and comfort for the patient. The current device that the clinicians use can only output

weight. This caused their process of performing calculations and measurements to measure weight

distribution to be inconvenient and inefficient. Our device provides the added function of

determining the COG without having any additional steps for clinicians or any time consuming

calculations performed during wheelchair evaluations. Overall, this device is a significant

improvement over the current device used at MMMP.

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4. Crew Boat Modifications- The Adaptive Rower GOAL: The goal of this project was to create a device that supports individuals with neurological

and orthopedic impairments during adaptive rowing by allowing fixed and freely rotating positions.

Front View of the Adaptive Rower Back View of the Adaptive Rower

ABSTRACT: TAASC and the GCRA have partnered with the Wexner Medical Center and The

Ohio State College of Engineering to create an adaptive rowing seat to be used in an adaptive crew

boat and an ergometer. The seat currently used by TAASC is unsuitable for the adaptive crew boat at

their facility and does not meet functional requirements desired by the rowers with varying

impairments. It is the objective of our design team to develop a seat that both overcomes these

problems and that will incorporate a new mechanism to accommodate for individuals with varying

levels of trunk control. The mechanism incorporated into our device uses a hinged seat back with

linear bearings to allow for flexion and extension of the back. The range of motion is adjustable to

accommodate different injury severities in prospective users. The adjustability in range of motion

can be an important feature used in rehabilitation of individuals with spinal injuries. As the

individual begins to gain more control of their trunk, the range of motion can be increased from what

they started at.

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5. Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing

Rehabilitation Device

GOAL: The goal of this project is to provide a safe and effective

way to translate lower extremity gait therapy to the upper

extremities.

ABSTRACT: Stroke and spinal cord injury leave thousands of individuals with impaired upper

extremity motor function every year, leading to a decrease in quality of life for this affected

population. To restore quality of life to these individuals, improved methods must be developed to

help restore upper extremity motor function. While constraint induced movement therapy

rehabilitation methods currently exist, these methods do not address patients who fail to meet the

motor control standards for shoulder, elbow, and digit flexion. Using gathered information on this

subpopulation and the afflictions of focus, our team developed a list of objectives for the treatment

strategy including: accommodation of a wide range of patients, easy integration into the existing

Biodex weight-bearing therapy equipment currently in use at the development location

(Neurorecovery Network, Dodd Hall, Columbus, OH), safety protection of the face, forearms, and

hands during use, easy adjustment during use by a small team of physical therapists, and limited

patient discomfort after extended periods of use. Our team then selected the functional requirements

for the treatment strategy to include the following: accommodation of a target weight range of 118-

256 pounds and target height range 60-73 inches, safe and smooth transition between treatment

positions during use, no constriction of the glenohumeral joint, and protection of the patient from

device- or treadmill-induced injury. Our final design seeks to fulfill a need for a target population

with limited alternatives with a novel upper extremity rehabilitation strategy unlike any currently

available clinically or commercially.

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6. Hemiwalker

GOAL: The goal of this project is to design a modified hemiwalker that decreases patient

recovery time by providing patient stability and confidence, restoring a natural walking gait, making

the device intuitive to use, maintaining five points of contact at all times, and eliminating the need to

lift the hemiwalker off the ground to advance it.

ABSTRACT: Twenty million Americans face some kind of daily

mobility issues. Nine million of these Americans require the use of

mobility assistive device. Many of these people could benefit from the

use of a walker but have an issue that prevents the use of a typical

walker. This is caused by a physical strength imbalance due to a trauma

or most likely a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) also known as a

stroke. Current assistive devices have the required support but lack

mobility and often are difficult for stroke victims to use. They require

learning a new unnatural gait pattern because current assistive devices

designed for this user group must be picked up and lifted in order to advance. Current canes and four

pronged canes do not offer enough support and hemiwalkers currently on the market are

cumbersome to use.

An ideal assistive device would combine the support of current hemiwalkers and the ease of

use of a cane. The intention of this report was to describe the problems potential hemiwalker users

face and how the design of a new device could potentially be beneficial. This paper described details

of what problems users face and how current products match these needs and also how they fail to

match these needs. The device in Figure 16 corrects the problems of previous hemiwalker designs.

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7. Device to Detect Footstrike

GOAL: The goal of this project was to develop a device for use in a clinical setting to detect

foot strike and provide instantaneous feedback to the user in order to retrain the patient’s running

form.

ABSTRACT: In summary, the group developed a device which is capable of detecting foot

strike during running. The device consists of two force sensing resistors, one electronics cable, and

an electronics box. The sensors are applied to the underside of the patient’s heel with leukotape by a

physical therapist. The electronics box houses both the RFduino microcontroller and battery and is

able to clip onto the laces of the patient’s shoe without inhibiting the patient’s running gait. The team

developed an outline of a program meant to calibrate the device for individual use. The device

wirelessly connects via Bluetooth to an iPad application, techBASIC, and the user is prompted to

perform a trial run in order to determine a threshold cutoff to define a heel strike. The user can then

run with the device and the iPad will print the subsequent number of detected heel strikes. The

components of the final device can be found below.

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8. Extendable Patient Lift GOAL: The goal of this project was to explore ideas and design a device that would be capable of

transferring a patient over the bathtub.

ABSTRACT: While there are a great number of patients who require additional help in order to

maneuver from one place to another, there are few devices that have the capability to handle a range

of scenarios. For example, the most common transfer device, the Hoyer lift, is currently unable to

transfer a patient over a bathtub. Other solutions require extraneous physical effort from patients and

caregivers or cost more than most are able to pay.. After studying the problem and existing solutions,

a new lift devised and built as a hybrid between Hoyer lifts and overhead systems.

Although the Extendable Patient Lift is mobile and can be operated throughout different

points in the household, the arm can be extended and secured to allow a patient to be in a tub. The

base of the device is similar to that of current Hoyer lifts in order to properly distribute the weight of

the patient. The mast is designed to fit through standard doorways, but also have enough clearance to

lower patients onto wheelchairs and tubs alike. The boom has an extendable track with two locking

positions: one for securing a patient in the home position so they can be safely moved around the

home, and a second one for attaching the track to a bracket on the wall so the device cannot be

moved while the patient is extended.

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9. Frequency Tuner GOAL: The goal of this project was to provide persons suffering from sensorineural hearing loss a

way to sense various auditory cues including horns and beepers on household appliances. The loss

of high-frequency sensitivity in these persons can have deleterious effects on their day-to-day lives.

A cheap alternative to hearing aids was the determined solution to this problem.

ABSTRACT: Although hearing aids with frequency-lowering capabilities are produced by

numerous companies, no auxiliary devices outside of the hearing aid market are currently available

to perform this task. This device enables users to hear and respond to high-frequency sounds that

would otherwise be inaudible. The current device utilizes a microprocessor to receive audio inputs

from household alarms and alerts the user by flashing an LED. With additional development, the

device would then transmit a radio frequency signal to a belt-mounted device (i.e. pager device) to

wirelessly alert the user. With additional development, our device would enables SNHL users to

regain some of their former capability to respond to auditory cues, improving the quality of life of

these users. Currently, the hardware and software for this device have been produced using TiVa C

Microcontrollers (TEXAS INSTRUNMENTS Inc.). If the device was manufactured on a large-scale,

it’s use would be simplified and the final product would look like the image shown in Figure 8.

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10. Kayak Transfer Lift Bench

GOAL: The goal of this project is to allow for a simpler means of transfer both into and out of a

kayak from a wheelchair. On a larger scale, the goal is to produce a product that will enhance the

ability of paraplegic individuals with moderate upper body strength to engage in adventure sports

with greater independence.

ABSTRACT: This device now reduces the amount of volunteers required to get a person with

limited upper body strength into and out of a kayak. A person approaches the side of the device

opposite the winch and slides over the edge. Once situated, the person then slides over on top of the

seat and swings their legs into the kayak. The volunteer then operates the winch so that the seat

lowers to a level equal to the kayak seat. The person then scoots forward slightly so that the seat can

be removed. The process is repeated in the reverse order in order to get back up to their wheelchair.

Thus, the device promotes a greater amount of independence since it requires fewer people to

successfully transfer into a kayak. In addition, this product is relatively cheap compared to products

currently on the market. Moreover, the device is light enough so that only one person is required to

transport this device.

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11. Surrogate Arm for the Use of Ultrasound-Guided Cannulations GOAL: The goal of this project is to create an arm that is an effective training system for nursing

and medical students; this arm is ultrasoundable and anatomically accurate, containing material that

mimics blood-filled vessels, bones, and tissue in the human arm.

ABSTRACT: Patients often require immediate vascular cannulations to draw blood or initiate IV

lines, and many have to endure multiple painful sticks. To increase accuracy of this, ultrasound-

guided cannulations offer clinicians visual feedback that allows for real-time adjustments for needle

placement. Current clinical training methods for ultrasound-guided cannulations involve a simple

ultrasoundable gel containing tubes to simulate vasculature, while more anatomically accurate

models lack the acoustic properties necessary to implement ultrasound guidance. Additionally, these

devices are often expensive despite their limited longevity.

This project develops a device to fill the current voids in training apparatuses for ultrasound-

guided cannulations of the human forearm. A more complete training apparatus and larger success

rate will result in more efficient and effective treatment, while reducing patient discomfort. This

device was produced at a fraction of the cost of current training systems, and successfully

incorporates ultrasoundable gel, relevant fluid-filled vasculature, and bone to present an

anatomically accurate and ultrasoundable model to the clinician

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12. Cerebral Rehabilitation Game

GOAL: The goal of this project is to develop an in-home therapy solution for children of all

age groups to exercise and practice fine motor skills through an interactive and enjoyable medium.

In children with cerebral palsy, fine motor skills lag in development and prevent the child from

achieving independence. Traditional therapy for the development of fine motor skills involves the

child performing repeated exercises with the hands, which can become monotonous for the children.

A more interactive therapy in the form of a game using touchscreen technology would give children

more incentive to complete fine motor therapy at home. Current, there are no existing technologies

that provide levels of difficulty for all ages of children, track a child’s progress, and fall within a

reasonable price range.

ABSTRACT: The team decided to create games geared toward difficulty levels instead of

age groups. The easy game is a simple puppy playing fetch game where the user must press the ball.

The two games designed for the clinical mentor to actively use for therapy are the target game and

the baby training game. All these games will be played on an app on an iPad, which will have a

therapist button. The therapist button allows for the app to send the doctor the time and position logs

of each touch, which will help the monitor patient progress.

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13. A Harness for the NeuroRecovery Network

GOAL: The goal of this project is to provide the physical therapists at the NeuroRecovery Network

a better method of controlling the pelvis of patients with lower spinal cord injuries by designing

ergonomically effective handle leverage that are attachable and removable from the patients’

harness.

ABSTRACT: Locomotor training, a treatment method used to re-teach the pattern of walking to

patients with lower spinal cord injuries, places a lot of strain on the wrists and arms of the physical

therapist that controls the pelvis of the patients during the treatment process. Our design to lessen the

strain to the wrists and hands of the therapists consists of longer handles with a more solid

attachment to the harness, which provide more leverage and a variety of grip configurations for the

therapists. This design can be seen in the figure above.

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14. SMART: Smart Material Pressure Sensor Garment GOAL: The goal of this project is to design an inexpensive device that helps bring awareness to

pressure alleviation and lowers the risk of developing pressure ulcers.

ABSTRACT: Pressure ulcers are localized wounds characterized by the breakdown of skin and

underlying tissue. On average, annual treatments cost upwards of $55 billion. In particular, there is

an increased susceptibility to pressure ulcer development among individuals with spinal cord injuries

(SCI) due to muscle atrophy and loss of sensation in their lower body. Current pressure mapping

devices lack portability, typically cost $5000-$6000, and are generally only utilized within clinics,

making pressure mapping usage limited and very expensive. Our project’s objective was to address

these needs by developing an affordable, portable take-home device that can provide a continuous

pressure map of the individual’s seat-buttocks interface and also aid in developing healthy pressure

relieving habits. Our solution to this objective was designing a device made of inexpensive smart

materials that can provide real-time pressure feedback. This invention would help prevent the risk of

pressure ulcer development by providing an easy way for the user to interpret simple data and make

the proper pressure-relieving adjustments. After completion of this project, we can say with

confidence that we have a product ready to aid its first clients in developing healthy pressure

alleviating habits and that we can begin our long-term goal of reducing the prevalence of pressure

ulcers and their subsequent treatments. Treating pressure ulcers is financially cumbersome and

temporal. Developing habits with our device is inexpensive, and the impacts can last for a lifetime.

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15. Oxygen Supplement Unit (OSU) GOAL: The goal of this project is to provide an oxygen unit for astronauts who will go through pre-

EVA training or who require respiratory therapy.

ABSTRACT: The oxygen supplement unit is for astronauts on the ISS; it allows

multitasking while astronauts continue the pre-EVA training or provides a quick access to oxygen

for incapacitated crew members. The current device, Oxygen Supplement Unit, consists of a

DeVilbiss oxygen concentrator that has an oxygen flow adjuster. A pulse oximeter is attached, which

reads an individual’s blood oxygen content. An Arduino processes inputs from the pulse oximeter

and adjusts the oxygen flow rate by turning the knob of the flow meter with a gear system. An

exhaust tube that reroutes the nitrogen exhaust near the oxygen is also attached to eliminate oxygen

pockets near an individual’s face.

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16. NASA Exercise Harness Interface GOAL: The goal of this project is to design, build, and test a prototype harness interface to be used

in concert with the HULK exercise device currently being developed for future Mars Missions by

ZIN technologies.

ABSTRACT: The constraints on this interface include limitations to the overall mass, volume, and

power requirements due to a Mars exploration vehicles small size. In order to best meet these

requirements, a light-weight combination belt and chest harness was designed and prototype was

built. This harness was optimized for squat exercises and was tested to 135 lbs of loading. Although

the sample size was low, preliminary clinical tests revealed no statistically significant differences in

EMG activity when subjects used the harness as compared to a free weight at the same load.

Furthermore, Users reported more comfort with the harness as compared to the free weight. Based

on this preliminary data, we recommend that this prototype interface continue to be developed for

use in a microgravity spaceflight condition.

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17. Asymmetrical Kayaking: Poseidon’s Arm GOAL: The goal of our project was to create assistive device for people with asymmetrical arm

strength to paddle more easily and effectively. To address this clinical need our device that we have

created is called “Poseidon’s arm”

ABSTRACT: The device eases paddling by supporting the weight of and stabilizing the paddle.

The paddle is attached to a low friction universal joint that allows for easy maneuvering while

paddling. The final device is adjustable to different users, transportable, and universal to recreational

kayaks. Testing of the device confirmed that users with asymmetric strength can paddle with less

effort and maneuver more easily Overall, the device supports the full weight of the paddle and offers

paddling assistances by allowing full range of paddling motion. With the use of the resistant band

system we are able to aid those with asymmetrical strength. The final device allows people to kayak

who were previously unable to do so

All in all, there are many challenges that hinder those with disabilities. Often their own body

confines them and many tasks they are faced with are unaccommodating. Such enjoying the wonders

of kayaking is out of the question for these people. All in all, the device puts the power of Poseidon

in you, thus allowing users that were once confined to experience a whole new world of adventure.

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18. Oncofilter GOAL: to design and test a microfluidic device capable of sensing multiple analytes quantitatively.

The device could handle flow rates of 5 ml/hr though the optimal flow rate for detection was 1ml/hr.

Using a membrane based system to nonconstrictively trap the sensor bead, the OncoFilter chip’s

design was guided by numerical simulations that highlighted the benefit of non-restrictive bead

trapping. The trapped bead can be seen in the device assembly below.

ABSTRACT: In order to achieve a high sensitivity and maintain low-cost as well as clinical ease-of

use a microfluidic platform was chosen to encase the sensing system. Testing was also performed

with another marker EpCAM and a different fluor FITC to ensure the multivariate capability of the

device. To ensure that the OncoFilter retains a long shelf life, stability tests were conducted and

found to affirm the benefit of the microfluidic architecture. We believe that the use of microfluidics

slows degradation kinetics of antibodies and preserves functionality of the OncoFilter for an

extended duration. While clinical feedback could not be garnered within the current timescale due to

the lack of a blackbox, existing microfluidic platforms such as Luminex and Fluidigm have

established clear pathways in OEM manufacturing to interface with microfluidic components.

Further research in this project will focus on developing a microfluidic architecture where the

membrane in placed directly in a straight, non-curved flow path. Also, the use of clinically relevant

serum samples would promote the clinical utility of this device.

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19. Power Soccer Guards GOAL: The goal of this project was build a device that easily attached to a power wheelchair and

remained durable during a game of power wheelchair soccer.

ABSTRACT: Power wheelchair soccer is a sport that allows those with neuromuscular

impairments and paralysis to play soccer by hitting a ball with guard that is attached to their power

wheelchairs. The current guards have issues with installment time, durability, and causing

discomfort for the players. These observations led our group to come up with objectives and

functions to guide the design process that addressed these limitations. The objectives and functions

served as guidelines for creating and evaluating design concepts. The group proceeded to design

sketches, mockups, and ultimately computer models to create the design. The group then selected

materials for a prototype along with the design that satisfied the user needs. The device was

fabricated and testing was conducted on it to assess the adherence to the objectives created at the

beginning of the project. In particular, the test revolved around user satisfaction, time of assembly,

durability, and performance during game play.