Biomedical Engineering

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Browsing Biomedical Engineering by browse.metadata.type "Master's Paper"

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    Aortic Stenosis and the Path to Polymer Valves
    (North Dakota State University, 2023) Van Auken, Kaitlyn
    All available heart valve medical devices on the market are made from biological tissues. The major drawback of using biological tissue is that it is prone to calcification, which is generally why the intervention was needed in the first place. There is also the limitation of lifetime of the device; because it is a biological material it is more prone to degradation, wear, and tear. This leaves room for improvement of the valve device, to move from a tissue valve to a polymer valve. There has been great promise with preliminary materials studies showing resistant to calcification and an almost doubling lifespan for a valve. However, none of this proposed polymer valves have gone through clinical testing and are in general still being bench- top studied. There is ample room for companies or research groups to explore medical device innovation relating to a polymer leaflet material.
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    EVCD, Targeting Beta Sheet Richness of Tumor Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Pancreatic Cancer Screening
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Elamurugan, Santhalingam
    Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease and a relatively uncommon form of cancer. However, it is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US by 2040. The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients is 10 percent. Currently, there are no effective screening methods available. Extracellular vesicles are nanoparticles secreted by all cells and play versatile roles in human health. EVs can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for pancreatic cancer screening since they can be isolated from bodily fluids. Currently, single molecule biomarkers have been proposed for pancreatic cancer screening. They lack sensitivity and specificity. We studied the ‘collective attribute’ of protein secondary structures of EVs from two cancer (MiaPaCa2 and PANC-1) and one healthy cell line (HPNE). Protein secondary structures of EVs were studied using circular dichroism spectroscopy. We found that cancerous EVs contain more beta sheet rich proteins than non-cancerous EVs.
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    Fluorescent Detection of Secondary Structure in Pancreatic Cancer
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Bauer, Aaron
    Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest mortality rates among all cancers largely due to the late-stage onset of symptoms and the lack of early detection methods. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) could serve the potential as the next biomarker for pancreatic cancer detection because they directly reflect the state and composition of their parent cells. This work aimed to generate a high-throughput assay by combining immunoprecipitation of EVs with -sheet staining by Thioflavin T (ThT) in a 96-well plate based off previous findings that ThT could be used to measure the elevated -sheet richness found in tumor-derived EVs. This research tested four different immunoprecipitation methods in a 96-well plate. Although this work was not able to successfully create a high-throughput assay, it offers insight to increase fluorescent sensitivity by using a fluorescent microscope and optimizing immunocapture of EVs by developing an improved mixing method in 96-well plate.
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    Investigation on the antibacterial efficacy of titanium alloy coating compared to the bulk titanium alloy and steel
    (North Dakota State University, 2024) Safah, Jinan
    The advancements in medical operations and sciences have improved patient lives, but device-related infections and bacterial contamination remain significant concerns. Escherichia coli is a prominent bacterium causing various infections. Commonly used antibacterial materials in the health industry for surgical operations include silver, copper, zinc, titanium, and steel exhibit antibacterial properties due to their durability, corrosion resistance, and diverse applications. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial properties of titanium (Ti64), steel, and titanium coating on aluminum to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli. The experiment utilized serial dilution and colony counting techniques to assess bacterial growth on the materials. Results showed that titanium has better antibacterial properties, with Ti64 coating on aluminum also displaying effectiveness but to a less extent. In contrast, steel was the least effective. The study highlights the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms of antibacterial behavior in these materials and their long-term efficacy in surgical operations, ultimately contributing to improved infection control in medical settings.
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    Modal Analysis of Blood Flow in Brain Aneurysms
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Kasperski, Davina Jane
    The evolution of blood flow is vital in understanding the pathogenesis of brain aneurysms. Several past studies have shown evidence for a turbulent inflow jet at the aneurysm neck. Although there is a great need for analyzing inflow jet dynamics in clinical practice, data summarized in noninvasive modalities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Computed Tomography are usually limited by spatial and temporal resolutions, and thus cannot account for the hemodynamics. In this paper, Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) is used to pinpoint the dominant modes of the inflow jet in patient-specific models of sidewall aneurysms. This paper aims to prove that the dynamic modes are inflow jet interaction with the distal wall in addition to the hemodynamics of the parent artery. Our work indicates that DMD is an essential tool for analyzing blood flow patterns of brain aneurysms and is a promising tool to be used in in vivo context.