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.
2023 Projects
MEMBERS: Marha Jean, Emily Caswell, Jett Mat, Clarissa Rincon, Jose Desantiago
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
The purpose of lifescale is to provide scale attachments for COTs to accurately obtain the weight of patients in the prehospital emergency setting for the purpose of eliminating dosing errors. Multiple dosing errors occur every day within EMS that lead to adverse effects experienced by patients. Up to 60% of medication administration errors are due to these dosing errors that occur because of visual assessments and the broselow tape method. Multiple unestablished methods have been designed and built to provide an accurate weight determination system for EMS, but none have been proven to work. LifeScale strives to create a scale attachment that can be implemented into multiple vertically movable stretchers with ease without altering the current design. This can be done through the same concept that scales use to weigh individuals on a scale via force transducers applied to the four corners of any vertically movable stretcher. Using Arduino code one can calibrate the force transducers as well as calculate a total weight through the force that is transmitted to each force transducer. Through an understanding on where all the force of a patient on a COT is transmitted the force transducer will be placed accordingly to obtain the total weight of the patient.
MEMBERS: Treavor McLeland, Jennifer Hoefler, Vindya Kumari, Abdulaziz Alsaihati, Angelina Tilson
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
A child’s health is an important matter to parents as they want their child to be as safe as possible. One harmful activity that a child does is sticking foreign objects into any orifices and one of those being their nasal cavity. When this happens, the child can inhale the object making it a choking hazard or it can cause an infection. Our device will use a vacuum suction to safely remove the foreign object from the nasal cavity of the child. This device could also save time and money as it can remove the need for parents to go to the hospital.
MEMBERS: Sarah Schmitt, Gabriel Hubener, Lea Prinsloo, Thien Huynh
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
Diaphragmatic atrophy is a side effect of being placed on a ventilator for a prolonged period of time. The current method of treatment for this atrophy is to go through weaning of the ventilator and that is not a guaranteed return to baseline breathing capability quickly. This device generates a magnetic field using electromagnets placed by the phrenic nerve on either side of the neck. The magnetic field creates an electric potential which drives ion flow in the nerve fibers, causing the nerve to fire, which contracts the diaphragm. COMSOL is used to model the electromagnetic properties of the proposed parameters and the electromagnets used. An Arduino Uno is used to control the pulse generation of electrical signals. It is set to emit a square waveform to cause a sudden change in the current and result in the activation of two electromagnets to produce a magnetic field. A neck brace is implemented to place the electromagnets at an appropriate distance from the phrenic nerve on either side of the neck. Previous research suggests this method is safe and effective, but thorough testing would be needed. A scaled down model will be used for modeling and prototyping for safety reasons due to lack of experience in electrical engineering.
MEMBERS: Olivia Gallegos, Faizan Ahmed, Chase Anderson, Peter Herrmann, Devin McConico, Zach Vanfossan
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
Psychiatric restraining straps are found in virtually every ambulance in circulation today. However, many EMS agencies describe the restraints as “outdated,” “difficult to clean,” and “difficult to apply.” Oftentimes, EMS workers have no choice but to dispose of the straps when soiled badly enough. The majority of EMS agencies are taxpayer-funded and when coupled with rising medical costs and expensive pricing of restraints, the agency is left to make difficult sacrifices on medical supplies and devices. During ride-alongs with Sedgwick County EMS, it was observed that the three-point, velcro restraint straps are difficult to administer and extremely difficult to clean because of the velcro. With this in mind, the following needs statement was established: to create a psychiatric restraint system that reduces the time spent applying them and saves the client money by increasing the longevity of the restraints. The developed prototype features quick-release buckles as a means of attachment instead of velcro providing durability and better sanitation options. This attachment style also allows for adjustability to fit a wide array of patients, as well as no distinction between a wrist or ankle cuff. The two-point system allows the restraint cuff to be more easily applied to the patient before being attached to the corresponding strap that can be left attached to the stretcher cot at all times. The cuff also features waterproof, neoprene padding that is easy to clean and provides comfort to the patient.
MEMBERS: Ashley Bland, Anna Tri, Dennis Howard, Cindy Mai, Shay Weigel, Alex Zachgo, Parker Tims
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
Hand injuries are a common and serious event that leads to fingertip amputations with incidence rates of about 7.5/100,000. In the US, there are about 45,000 finger amputation surgeries performed annually. Work related injuries that involve hand tools with blades lead to many hand injuries. Treatment will vary depending on the severity of the injury. Current treatments include partial or complete amputations of the fingertip followed by a prosthetic finger and physical therapy. Individuals who opt to work with a prosthetist may find that there are limited and expensive options for single prosthetic fingers. In addition, these fingers may lack full range of motion and function. Currently, available prosthetic fingers are solely mechanical and rely on the movements of the rest of the hand. This process keeps the prosthetic from mimicking the independent movements of a real finger. The purpose of this project is to give that independence back to the amputated finger(s). This will be accomplished by making prosthetic fingers capable of their own movement through the use of internal motors. These internal motors will be controlled using a sleeve on the forearm and elbow area that reads the EMG signals of the flexor digitorum profundus. These signals will be communicated from the sleeve to the internal motors through a Bluetooth connection provided via a microcontroller. Our goal in creating a single finger prosthetic is to allow patients to regain grasping ability as well as bringing back their full hand dexterity.
MEMBERS: Rhund Khaldi, Dylen Trecek, Jaydn Richardson, Aubrie Thomison, Hannah Phillips
ADVISOR: Tom McGuire
SPONSOR: Envision (Wichita, KS)
Members of the visually impaired community express frustration of the lack of free hands due to the regular usage of white canes. This team has developed On-the-Go, which is a device that is compatible with a typical white cane (as it is an add-on), and will offer those who are visually impaired connectivity to their smart phones. People with varying levels of visual impairments will implement the On-the-Go cane add-on device because it will allow them to have more independence and confidence in their daily lives. This product offers tactile integration with the user’s phone from a device attached to the handle of the cane. Iterations of this device have been tested by potential users, and the feedback received has been used to determine the most optimal design. The final product consists of a battery, a charger, 3 buttons, and an ESP32C all confined in a slim housing that attaches to the handle of the cane. The iPhone sees the ESP32C as an external keyboard. Buttons on the device have assigned commands like Siri, Activate, Next Element, and Previous Element. The device is rechargeable, with an anticipated battery life of 7 days. This product will be available to the market for all cane users.
MEMBERS: Amogh Gokhale, Alana Cahill, Louie Tipton, Devin McConico, Alex Valdovinos
ADVISOR: Tom McGuire
SPONSOR: Parkinson's Connect (Wichita, KS)
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, an estimated 500,000 Americans are currently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease: a chronic and progressive disease that affects the central nervous system. It can cause a variety of mobility issues such as tremors, bradykinesia, stiffness, and imbalance. These symptoms take a serious physical toll on the patient, and cause them to lose the ability to do everyday tasks that were once simple before. A substantial issue our group has identified with the help of our sponsor, Parkinson’s Connect, is the inability of Parkinson’s patients to move from the middle to the edge of their bed. This issue largely affects later stage patients who live at home, and may only have one other person, or no other caregivers available. To combat this issue, Rise Mobility Devices has come up with a mechanical device to help facilitate this movement. This device consists of a durable yet comfortable specialized fleece and nylon blanket connected to a rotating pipe installed in the bed frame, and will move back and forth via hand crank. This product will be primarily for individual Parkinson’s patients and those who want to cut back costs of caregiving facilities. Furthermore, this device has the potential to help people suffering from other neurodegenerative diseases or disabilities.
MEMBERS: Julie Gonzalez-Morales, Ticie Dumas, Kami Bartholomew, Romi Fretes
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
SPONSOR: Hanger Clinic: Prosthetics & Orthotics
There are an estimated 1.9 million individuals in the United States that are living with limb loss. Many people with limb loss are prescribed a prosthetic limb to try to regain some function. About half of people who use prosthetics report discomfort and/or pain with the use of their prosthetics. A poorly fitting prosthesis causes pain, discomfort, and skin issues such as pressure sores, cysts, and even infections. When these types of issues start the existing solutions are to add temporary padding or completely replace the prosthesis. Our innovative solution to this problem is a pressure sensing self-adjusting socket. This socket will be able to adjust the pressure on the amputated limb automatically to prevent or help reduce the discomfort that arises with a new fitting and the effects of pressure sores. By having the socket self-adjust the pressure, our solution allows for maximization of comfort during different activities that apply different pressure on the amputated limb.
MEMBERS: Jessica Gorton, Angelica Perez, Karen Duong, Rahmah Alsukayr
ADVISOR: Dr. Kim Cluff
Pregnant people often experience musculoskeletal pain throughout their pregnancy due to several factors. Weight gain along with the loosening of the joints can apply pressure on the round ligaments and the lower back. This project focuses on the development of a device that meets the needs of pregnant people suffering from musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy. Current market maternity bands provide support to the abdomen and lower back improving posture and reducing the curvature of the spine. Through interviews and further studies, key features missing in current maternity bands were identified to meet the needs of pregnant people. Triple B Support is designed to provide an improved form of maternity band that provides support for 3 main areas including the breasts, belly, and back. The adjustable nature of the product makes it available for all shapes and sizes. Triple B Support is made up of a combination of spandex, nylon, cotton, polyester, and memory foam to custom-fit every wearer. This support system is designed to remain discrete under clothing and can be worn daily. While keeping in mind the benefits of cooling/heating therapy used for muscle discomfort, a pocket in the lower back area of the support is included to allow the wearer to choose when and if they would like the extra feature.