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VideoRecent Projects: Engineering in Medicine
Bioresorbable Surgical Sponge
Team: Devon Anderson, Jon Guerrette, Nate Niparko
Sponsor: Dr. Vince Watts, Veterans Affairs Hospital
Advisor: Dr. Mark Laser
The post-operative retention of surgical sponges, or gossypiboma, is a well-documented problem in operating rooms worldwide. Sponges are frequently misplaced during surgery when they lose their visual differentiation from human tissue. Our sponsor proposed that we design a novel material to mitigate the complications involved with sponge retention. We delivered a design for a fibrous mat of bioresorbable oxidized cellulose and oxidized alginate polymers.
This team received the Thayer School of Engineering Corporate Collaboration Council Engineering Design Prize in 2010.
Glenoid Component Design
Team: Charnice Barbour '10, Ross Connor, Chris Zentner '11
Sponsor: Paul Fenton, Orbis LLC
Advisor: Dr. Michael Mayor
The human shoulder is one of the most complex joints in the body, consisting of three bones, two joints, and a large amount of soft tissue. The glenohumeral joint, between the humerus and the scapula, is what is commonly referred to as "the shoulder." Like all joints, it is subject to degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In advanced cases, total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), in which both joint surfaces are replaced with prosthetic implants, has shown significant pain relief and improved range of motion. TSA is not free of complications, however. The most prevalent cause for failure of TSA is loosening of the glenoid component from the scapula. A novel glenoid component is needed that will not loosen over time. The solution we developed incorporates nitinol wire, a shape memory alloy, and a polycarbonate-urethane articulating surface. The wire is shaped to provide initial fixation immediately after insertion, while polycarbonate urethane's elastic properties better handle the rocking motion of the eccentric loads in the shoulder than current fixation methods like cement and screws. Polycarbonate-urethane is a bio-stable polyurethane that provides a level of compliance unmatchable by ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. It more effectively transfers the joint load to the scapula, and is better able to absorb shocks because of its compliance. A biaxial testing rig was developed and used to do initial subluxation and eccentric loading tests on this new design. Deliverables to the sponsor include the implant, testing rig, and all design ideas and prototypes.
Home-Based Wireless Blood Pressure System
Team: Alexander Knapp '10, Adam Strom '10, Jeff Spielberg '10, Nana Amoah '11
Sponsor: Dr. Daniel Carlin
Advisor: Professor Ryan Halter
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart arrhythmia, significantly increases risk for stroke and related cardiac complications. Due to the possibility of asymptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation, there is a need for a simple, long-term personal monitoring solution that can detect the condition and allow for quick intervention. The deliverable for this project was a telemedical AF detection system consisting of a home-use patient device, algorithm library for automated detection of irregularities, and database and web application for healthcare providers to review patient data. The patient device collects pulse pressure waveforms via oscillometric measurement using a pneumatic cuff placed on the upper arm in addition to an electrocardiogram from the patient's fingertips. A library of functions for the processing of the acquired pressure waveforms has been created in MATLAB. The healthcare provider has access to the data through a Ruby on Rails web application that queries an SQLite database. Work is needed in the future to calibrate the algorithm and make a device that can be manufactured on a larger scale.
This team received the Thayer School of Engineering Corporate Collaboration Council Engineering Design Prize in 2011.
Photograph by Joseph Mehling '69
Ensuring the Correct Disc Location in Spine Surgery
Team: Saryah Azmat '11, Patrick Kennedy '11, Sara Le
Sponsor: Dr. Vince Watts, Veteran's Administration Hospital
Advisor: Dr. Jack Hoopes
Surgeons need a rigorous and efficient technique to eliminate errors associated with incorrect location of herniated discs during surgery. Some patients, including the obese, patients with unusual anatomy, and patient with thoracic spine deviations, tend to have hard-to-locate disc abnormalities. We proposed a new method to localize disc abnormalities for surgery utilizing localization wires, commonly used in breast surgery, and computed tomography (CT). The method was reviewed from mechanical, economic, legal, and practical viewpoints. Then it was tested in vitro through a set of imaging procedures. Next, a neurological surgeon from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Spine Center performed a localization incision on a porcine spine using the localization method to find the proper disc. Finally, the method was investigated via a survey to top spine surgeons throughout the country. The results have been promising. The method is able to quickly and accurately localize spinal deformations identified on CT as well as direct surgeons to the imaging plane. The final step for this project, clinical trials, is just beginning. The collaborating neurosurgeon and radiologist from the project are interested in continuing to develop this method.
Integrated Dosage Indicator for the Generic Pill Bottle
Team: Daniel Gomez, Kenny Toro Palma, Steve Pan
Sponsor: Rick Balakier
Advisors: Professor Robert Graves, Kevin Baron
Over 49 million people who are prescribed daily medication in the U.S. have trouble recalling whether or not they have taken their medication for the day. What is needed is a solution that is both automatic and integrated into the standard pill bottle distributed by pharmacies. To address the issue and increase adoption, the group has developed a modified pill bottle cap that contains a window displaying an indicator dial showing the days of the week, indicating when the next dosage is due. The dial is embossed with the days of the week, and rotates incrementally to the next day when the patient closes the pill bottle cap after having taken a pill.
Sterilization Of Intravenous Fluid
Team: Kathryn Boucher, Renee Cottle, Steve Reinitz
Sponsor: Dr. Corey Burchman, Anesthesiologist, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Advisor: Professor Karl Griswold
The increased prevalence of nosocomial infections has adversely impacted the quality and cost of healthcare globally. In the United States alone, approximately 50,000 to 120,000 patients develop infusion-related bacterial infections each year. The team and its sponsor sought to develop an IV sterilization device that would satisfy this societal need, thereby saving lives while also saving hospitals millions of dollars in costs associated with infections. The team has developed a proof of concept demonstrating their ability to disinfect IV fluid using UV-C radiation and has successfully developed a first generation prototype of the device.
This team received the Thayer School of Engineering Corporate Collaboration Council Engineering Design Prize in 2009.
Sterilization of Medical Equipment
Team: Jasmine Le, Mncedisi Sikhondze '11, Christabell Makokha '11
Sponsor: Dr. Vince Watts, Veteran's Administration Hospital
Advisor: Professor Karl Griswold
We developed a proof-of-concept for and built a working prototype of a device that will sterilize common handheld medical equipment, be easily adaptable to current hospital settings and procedures, and accommodate daily practice patterns of healthcare professionals. The final prototype uses ultraviolet radiation to disinfect medical equipment in 15 seconds with a 98-100 percent killing efficacy. It consists of a tray attached to a linear actuator that is controlled by a foot switch. A microprocessor controls the UV lights and the duration of the disinfection process and notifies the user when the process is done. We recommend re-designing aspects of the prototype to get a device with smaller dimensions. In addition, to get higher compliance rates amongst doctors and nurses, future work needs to be done to reduce the disinfecting time to less than 15 seconds.
Photograph by Douglas Fraser