Biomedical engineers design the medical technology to maintain and improve our quality of life. Our graduates work for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and biomedical research institutes.
2026 Projects
A Wearable Urinary Incontinence Monitoring Device
MEMBERS: Sophiya Dahal, Sheida Sharafi, Yara Abdine
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Asha is a wearable device concept designed to continuously and objectively monitor
urinary leakage in women experiencing urinary incontinence. Current tracking methods,
such as pad weighing and bladder diaries, are often inconvenient, inconsistent, and
unable to provide real-time quantitative data. This project addresses that gap by
developing a discreet, comfortable, and patient-centered system that measures both
leakage timing and cumulative volume, giving patients and clinicians more useful information
for treatment decisions.
The proposed design includes a vulva attachment, tubing, a sensing section, and a
collection bag for daytime ambulatory use. The prototype is being developed with attention
to comfort, safety, discretion, and practical wearability. The sensing method uses
a differential pressure flow sensor, which estimates urine flow by measuring the pressure
difference across a restriction in the flow path. This pressure difference is then
converted into flow rate through calibration, and cumulative leakage volume is calculated
over time using a microcontroller. This approach allows real-time tracking of leakage
events in a compact, affordable, and Arduino-compatible system.
Our goal is to improve treatment efficacy, reduce reliance on subjective reporting,
and support future remote monitoring options that improve convenience and quality
of life for patients.
Cellulitis Heat Tracker
MEMBERS: Gabriel Allen, Bryson Murphy, Isaiah Rogge
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Cellulitis has an estimated 14.5 million cases occurring each year in the US, accounting
for a healthcare burden of $3.7 billion, yet there is no gold standard for diagnosis.
Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by certain strains of bacteria entering the
skin, and it mainly consists of swelling, redness, blisters, and inflammation. Due
to the closeness of symptoms to other skin infections, there is a 39% misdiagnosis
rate. However, it has a unique heat component that other skin infections lack. Cellulitis
has an average temperature increase of about 5.4 F compared to an increase of 0.36
F from other lower limb infections. The cellulitis heat tracker is a novel design
that tracks the heat emitted by the lower limb of patients to determine if there is
an excess of temperature that requires medical attention. Our product offers a solution
by tracking temperature changes in associated skin areas over time. This idea is influenced
by the comparable symptoms of cellulitis and other skin infections. The temperature
trends will be outputted to an external display, allowing the user to easily make
an informed decision on the health of their body.
Electronic Sensor-Based Automatic Braking System for Rollator Walkers
MEMBERS: Jordan Smith, Tadiwanashe Nyagope, Maguire Clemmons, Khalil Chahine, Audrey Reida
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Conventional rollator walkers rely on manually actuated cable‑driven brake levers
that require sufficient grip strength, bilateral coordination, and sustained force
to engage and maintain braking. These systems do not default to a locked state and
therefore permit unintended rolling when the user releases or inadequately squeezes
the levers. This presents a significant safety risk for populations with impaired
motor control, reduced hand strength, or delayed reaction time, including post‑stroke
patients, individuals with neuromuscular disorders, and older adults recovering from
surgery or managing age‑related decline.
We propose an electronically controlled, sensor‑integrated braking system designed
to replace or retrofit standard rollator hardware. The system employs a normally‑locked
electromechanical brake actuated through a microcontroller‑based decision algorithm.
Sensor fusion between a handlebar‑embedded optical hand‑presence detector and a multi‑axis
inertial measurement unit (IMU) enables real‑time assessment of user intent and walker
stability. When the system verifies secure hand contact and stable kinematic conditions,
it releases the brakes with minimal required user force. Loss of hand contact, abrupt
acceleration, or instability triggers immediate re‑locking as a fail‑safe response.
This design reduces dependence on grip strength, enhances operational accessibility,
and mitigates fall risk by ensuring braking is automatic, responsive, and robust to
user variability. The system maintains compatibility with existing rollator frames,
supporting broad clinical adoption and improving mobility confidence for users with
limited motor capability.
Fast-Tech Innovations
MEMBERS: Trace Spires, Aron Fraire, Beau Dykes, Neil Mandimika, Tulio Banderia
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Fast-Tech Innovations is designed to provide support and protect groups like EMS that
put themselves at risk when near high traffic areas. The Cone-to-go is a fast-acting
traffic control device that heightens visibility of and protects a specific area.
Navigation Belt for Blind/Visually Impaired Individuals
MEMBERS: Tristen Porter, Yasemin Barut, Eddy Maxine Bertulfo, Marie Meuli, and Kenton Evans
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Visual impairment affects millions of people worldwide and creates significant personal and economic challenges,highlighting the need of a method that increases the blind and visually impaired (BV/I) community's daily independence and safety. There needs to be a way to address environmental navigation in the B/VI community that provides a safe way to develop their natural orientation, mobility, and independence. We created a wearable ultrasonic sensing belt that detects obstacles and communicates their location through waist-based haptic vibrations,providing a comfortable, hands-free way for visually impaired users to navigate with greater confidence and independence.
pH-B: A pH-Sensitive Bandage for Detecting Wound Infection
MEMBERS: Brianna Pfeifer, Abby Otten
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Sirona Innovations is a biomedical engineering senior design team that strives to
create simple and natural solutions to biomedical challenges. With the pH-B, a pH-sensitive
bandage that detects infection at the wound site, Sirona Innovations strives to empower
users to take their health into their own hands.
The pH-B is a polyurethane bandage that utilizes plant-based anthocyanin coating to
indicate an infection to the user. When a wound site becomes infected, its pH changes
from neutral to alkaline. The pH-B responds by changing from purple to blue, clearly
indicating an infection to the user and allowing them to address the infection with
treatment, or in some cases, a clinical visit.
By incorporating pH indicating directly into an adhesive bandage, the pH-B is an easily
accessible, affordable, and straightforward solution to wound infection, allowing
patients to catch an infection in its early stages and address it before complications
arise. The pH-B is ideal for at-home use with clear user instructions, and there is
also potential for clinical applications in wound and port dressings. With this product,
Sirona Innovation aims to create a new standard in wound care.
Third Eye: Computer Vision for the Operating Room
MEMBERS: Taylor Spinelli, Mitchell Steele, Yolanda Gonzalez, Jake Brotherton
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Thousands of surgeries are performed each day with the expectation of safe and successful
outcomes. However, surgical tools can go missing, disrupting procedures, and creating
serious risks. In some cases, time is spent locating misplaced instruments; in worse
cases, tools are mistakenly left inside the patient before closure. Retained surgical
items (RSIs) are instruments unintentionally left in the body, often requiring additional
procedures and, in severe cases, leading to fatal complications. Because some RSIs
remain undetected for years, they are frequently underreported, with estimates suggesting
approximately 1 error in 10,000 surgeries, though the true rate is likely higher.
Current solutions, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and manual
counting, lack the ability to continuously track both the identity and location of
surgical tools throughout a procedure. As a result, a more reliable method is needed
to eliminate RSIs and reduce associated complications, legal risks, and costs.
Our solution, Third Eye, uniquely combines real-time visual identification and location
tracking of surgical instruments using a computer vision platform. The system monitors
tools throughout a procedure, mapping their positions, maintaining a live history
log, and alerting staff if an instrument is missing or misplaced. Designed for adaptability,
Third Eye can be trained to recognize the unique tools used in any surgical environment,
improving workflow efficiency, and enhancing patient safety. Operating entirely on
secure, local hardware, Third Eye integrates seamlessly without disrupting workflows
or requiring cloud connectivity. By combining continuous tracking with automated accountability,
the system provides a reliable safeguard against RSIs.
Vitalysis: A Novel ECG Electrode for Motion Artifact Reduction
MEMBERS: Benjamin Anderson, Kalista Beasley, Jamie Claeys, Thomas Fleischman
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are essential for real-time cardiac monitoring in emergency
and clinical settings, yet their accuracy is frequently compromised by motion artifact—especially
in high-movement environments such as ambulances. These distortions originate primarily
from instability at the skin-electrode interface and mechanical forces transmitted
through the lead wire, which disrupt electrical contact and degrade signal quality.
Current solutions, including signal filtering and AI-based correction, attempt to
address noise after it occurs rather than preventing it at the source.
Vitalysis introduces a redesigned disposable ECG electrode that improves signal integrity
by mechanically decoupling lead wire motion from the conductive interface. Our design
incorporates a pass-through snap connection that isolates external forces from the
hydrogel contact layer, reducing impedance fluctuations during patient movement. The
device integrates seamlessly into existing clinical workflows, requiring no additional
equipment or training for healthcare providers.
Target customers include hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS), where reliable
ECG monitoring is critical and motion artifact is most prevalent. As a single-use
consumable, our product operates within a high-volume, recurring revenue model. By
enhancing signal quality at the point of acquisition, Vitalysis enables more accurate
cardiac assessment, reduces the need for repeat measurements, and improves clinician
confidence in dynamic care environments.
Wearable Concussion Detection Cap
MEMBERS: Emery Squires, Luke Morrow, Jenna Creason
ADVISOR: Kim Cluff
Concussions are a common form of mild traumatic brain injury that are often underdiagnosed
due to reliance on subjective symptom reporting and the lack of real-time monitoring
tools. Delayed detection increases the risk of repeated injury and long-term neurological
complications, highlighting the need for accessible and objective solutions. This
project presents the design and development of a wearable, noninvasive concussion
detection system intended to improve early identification of potentially injurious
head impacts. The proposed device utilizes a low-cost, mechanically based approach
that eliminates the need for electronic sensors by incorporating calibrated structural
elements that visibly respond to high-impact forces.
The design integrates principles of biomechanics, materials engineering, and human-centered
device development to ensure functionality, durability, and user comfort during physical
activity. Several prototype concepts were explored, including microcapsule-based indicators,
pressure-activated fluid release systems, and distributed mechanical sensing structures.
A microcapsule-based cap design was selected due to its ability to provide distributed
impact detection and immediate visual feedback across multiple regions of the head.
This system addresses a critical gap in current concussion detection technologies
by offering an affordable, scalable solution suitable for youth sports and other high-risk
environments. While not intended to replace clinical diagnosis, the device enhances
early recognition of potentially dangerous impacts and supports timely medical evaluation.
Overall, this project demonstrates the feasibility of a mechanical wearable system
to improve concussion awareness and safety.