{"title":"An Effortless Noninvasive Respiratory Diagnostic Device","authors":"J. Vossoughi, A. Johnson","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.96","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.96","url":null,"abstract":"During the past decade the mortality and morbidity due to pulmonary diseases ranked number 2 or 3, the current data projection suggests that COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) alone will be the third cause of death worldwide by 2020. Before a respiratory disorder can be treated, it has to be diagnosed. Currently a variety of respiratory diagnostic devices/systems exists. Spirometer is the most common and frequently used respiratory diagnostic device, whereas plethysmograph (Bodybox) and Impulse Oscillometer (IOS) are more sophisticated systems. We have developed a simple, portable, and inexpensive respiratory diagnostic device, Airflow Perturbation Device (APD), that can evaluate the respiratory resistance noninvasively and effortlessly. It is based on normal breathing with no effort from the subject beyond simple breathing into the APD for less than one minute. APD measures the respiratory pressure (in mmHg) and flow (Liter per second), the ratio of the respiratory pressure over respiratory flow is the resistance of the respiratory system (mmHg/L/s). APD has been favorably compared with spirometer, plethysmograph, and IOS. The respiratory resistance value is highly age dependent, it is fairly high for children and infants (60 - 3 mmHg/L/s) and assumes low values in adulthood (2.5-2 mmHg/L/s). We have evaluated the respiratory resistance values for over 3,000 normal subjects and those with a variety of pulmonary disorders such as asthma, COPD, Vocal Fold Dysfunction, etc. Since APD is an effortless and noninvasive pulmonary diagnostic device, it is in particular very attractive for young children and infants unable to do spirometry.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"150 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116348492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Salawi, Ahmed Abu Fayyad, Mohammad M. Kamal, Alsayad Al Arabi Sallam, S. Nazzal
{"title":"Preparation and In-Vitro Dissolution of Ibuprofen: Soluplus Solid Dispersion","authors":"A. Salawi, Ahmed Abu Fayyad, Mohammad M. Kamal, Alsayad Al Arabi Sallam, S. Nazzal","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.32","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Ibuprofen is widely used in treatment of mild to moderated pain and fever. However, according to Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) it is classified as Class II compound having high permeability and low solubility, thus the rate limiting step to avoid delaying in analgesic effect is to be available in soluble state. Objective: To prepares and characterize Ibuprofen:Souplus solid dispersion using co-evaporation technique. Methods: Various ration of Soluplus (0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, and 100 %) was first dissolved in a common solvent followed by adding the complementing ratio of Ibuprofen. The solvent was removed under fume hood overnight. The thin film formed after evaporation was collected, compressed and tested for in-vitro dissolution at phosphate buffer pH 7.2. The physical appearance of the film also was tested. Results:At 40% Soluplus the dissolution of Ibuprofen was around 25 % at 30 min compared with 15% Soluplus showed around 80% resales at the same time interval. 10% soluplus released 100% at 30 min. Interestingly, after 8-10 hr. The release profile was more sustained until 24 hr. Regardless the % of Soluplus. Conclusion: Sustained release profile of Ibuprofen:Soluplus solid dispersion can be achieved at lower % of Soluplus.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124184412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Need for Ethics in a Bioengineer's Life","authors":"S. Saha, P. Saha, H. Kaur","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.104","url":null,"abstract":"Technology has solutions to almost every health problem and if it doesn't have one yet, it will. We are fast approaching the possibility of replacing every part of our body including parts of our brain. Ground breaking technology is helping the blind to see with an interface between artificial vision systems and the retina. We may even be able to alter our personality. We are looking at the possibility of correcting disease states at the genetic level. Eventually, we will not only have the ability to conquer deficits and illness but we will be able to transform ourselves genetically to improve capacity intellectually and physically, thus changing the trajectory of our evolution. We may even be able to extend human life indefinitely. Bioengineers along with society are at a crossroads of possibilities, some of which are exciting and some of which may even be dangerous. How will limits on undesirable technology be imposed in a world that fails to unite around climate change or weapons of mass destruction? As bioengineers get appropriate training in ethics, they will be better prepared to address the ethical challenges that they might face during their professional life. In the end, it's our values, principles, and beliefs that make us human.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126814350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Doping Poly (dimethylsiloxane) for Intentional Leaching of Small Molecules into Microdevices","authors":"S. Stone, B. C. Hollins","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.59","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.59","url":null,"abstract":"The goal of this study is to show that diffusion of a dopant from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) may be applied to deliver small molecules to a microfluidic channel. Native PDMS is hydrophobic and often requires surface modifications for biologically relevant applications. Surface modification is not permanent, as the surface reverts to a hydrophobic state via bulk diffusion of monomers to the surface. Likewise, solid substances can be added into PDMS prepolymer mixture prior to curing and these particles can diffuse from the cured polymer bulk to the surface and surrounding fluid media. This characteristic of PDMS has applications for drug delivery to cell culture, cell and analyte labeling, on chip live/dead assays, flow and diffusion visualization, gradient generation, and transport phenomena in microfluidic systems. We use fluorescein to quantify and model this small molecule diffusion out of PDMS thin films and microchannels into fluid flow. The results from microchannel leaching show steady state leaching into the fluid flow over 90 minutes at concentrations around 150 nM. Results from immersion of doped PDMS shows continued leaching of fluorescein from the polymer over 4 days. The results show promise to use PDMS substrates for administering small amounts of substances to microfluidic cell cultures, as well as developing systems for studying cellular behavior with minimal interference.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"191 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123735113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Confounding in Electrical Signals of Bone as the Fracture Heals","authors":"Kanika Mahajan, G. Singh, Santosh Kumar","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.29","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.29","url":null,"abstract":"Diagnostics and prognosis for fracture healing still remains an unanswered problem leading to increased suffering and costs during treatment especially in cases of delayed and/or non-unions. Healing is a continuous process, therefore should be measured on a continuous quantitative scale. Bone is a biological semi-conductor that displays a combination of many electromagnetic properties generated due to piezoelectric and junctional diode effects. Their measurements as the fracture heals could be beneficial but are confounded by the ionic movement (noise) from soft tissue. Fracture type, cross sectional area, diameter, volume and length of bone are possible confounders in electrical measurements in addition to demographics and generic health related parameters of patients. A pilot observational study was designed to measure electrical signals from bone with reduced noise using a bio-compatible insulated external fixator as probe in adult patients with compound fractures of tibio-fibula. Measurements generated by using direct current were unsatable due to ionic movements. An LCR-q meter providing 2μA alternating current gave stable readings in terms of impedance (capacitance, conductance and inductance). The high variance was observed, which could be due to inability of measuring cross sectional area of bone. Interestingly, even though inductance was not a good predictor of healing, it was found to be unaffected by cross sectional area. However, the findings are not robust due to limited data availability, but can be used as a template for further research. The information gathered from this study will be important for development of an instrument to reliably measure fracture healing from bone's electromagnetic characteristics.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115072255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biomechanical Properties of Osteophytes and Non-Osteophytic Cortical Bone: A Preliminary Study","authors":"F. Xavier, S. Saha","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.107","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Several studies have associated the development of spinal osteophytes with disc degeneration. Others have characterized them as adaptive bone remodeling in response to unusual stress/strain. No recent study examined the microstructure and mechanical properties of osteophytes. Materials and methods: Bone tissues were harvested from eight different human cadavers. Beams (length: 24mm, width: 4mm, thickness: 2mm) from lumbar osteophytes, lumbar anterior cortices (non-osteophytic), and femoral diaphyseal cortices were tested for three-point bending and micro-hardness. The specimens were subsequently divided into two parts for material density, ash density, and histological analyses. Results: Hardness values (HV) decreased by 39% from femoral cortical to spinal osteophytic samples. The maximum load to failure for osteophytic and non-osteophytic vertebral beams was 64 and 4 Newtons (N), respectively. Material density ranged from 1.40 to 2.0g/cm3 and 1.18 to 1.70g/cm3 for cortical bone and osteophyte, respectively. Undecalcified histology showed a disorganized structure of the osteophytic osteons as compared with the regular pattern observed in femoral diaphyseal cortical bones. Conclusion: Vertebral osteophytes have higher load carrying capacity than vertebral cortical bone. However, cortical bone presents a more mature and organized microstructure than osteophytes.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114317486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Matrigel as a Basement Membrane: A Feasibility Study","authors":"Kellie M. Agalsoff, S. Yazdani","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.30","url":null,"abstract":"Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, affects approximately 8 million people in the United States alone. This is a chronic disease that is negatively impacted by damage due to unavoidable treatment, such as balloon angioplasty and atherectomy. The use of drugs combined with these treatments is becoming the gold standard of clinical treatment as they lengthen time between restenosis, or the repeated accumulation of buildup (Fig. 1). To date, very few studies have been performed to create an in vitro model that can be used to assess the effects of damaging treatments on drug delivery and retention following clinical standard of care. Therefore, we propose to take steps in the development and advancement of a benchtop 3-D structure in which cells can be grown to mimic an occluded artery (Fig 1.). This model can then be used to allow for the visualization and quantification of drug adhesion and transport and provide a platform to quantify biological changes. This will allow for the best conditions for optimizing drug delivery to be determined. The goal of this study is to establish a protocol that can be used to prevent the degradation of Matrigel, a basement membrane matrix, by crosslinking it with glutaraldehyde in order to grow smooth muscle cells (SMCs) into a 3-D structure, which can then be built upon with the addition of macrophages, collagen, fibrin, and calcification to form an in vitro model of an occluded artery. The preliminary results indicate the crosslinking of glutaraldehyde with the Matrigel is effective in prolonging the lifespan of Matrigel, with an increased amount of glutaraldehyde resulting in a slower rate of degradation.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122180980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Suppression of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Response by Anti-Inflammatory Peptide Release from Reducible Thermosensitive Nanoparticles","authors":"S. Poh","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.16","url":null,"abstract":"Activated macrophages constitute key players in the development of inflammatory disease such as osteoarthritis. Treatment of inflammatory disorders using peptide drugs may be effective by promoting anti-inflammatory effects. However, poor bioavailability and potential peptide antigenicity may result in unwanted immune responses thus limit its commercial applications. Therefore, in order to improve the efficacy of the peptide drug, alternative delivery approaches must be sought. For this purpose, we designed a reducible thermosensitive biocompatible poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) polymer as a drug carrier to protect the peptide from enzymatic degradation, thus increasing the half-life and efficacy of the peptide. The studies presented suggest pNIPAm nanoparticles can be an effective alternative tool for treatment of osteoarthritis ex-vivo model.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115844180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating Immunostaining with Tissue Clearing Techniques for Whole Brain Mapping in Basal Ganglia and Drug Addiction","authors":"Adam D. Richard, Xinli Tian, X. H. Lu","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.67","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.67","url":null,"abstract":"Summary form only given. Traditional immunostaining techniques utilize antibodies to probe the expression of specific proteins in the brain, but this only allows for two-dimensional mapping that cannot recapitulate the complex circuit and regional interactions that occur in the brain. To achieve a more advanced level of circuitry mapping, we combine classic immunofluorescence staining with a tissue clearing technique, immunolabelling-enabled three-dimensional imaging of solvent-cleared organs (iDISCO), to map neurocircuits in the intact brain. Coupling these technologies permits analysis of neuronal circuits under a variety of conditions, including responses to visual and auditory stimuli, as well as in response to pharmacological agents or drugs of abuse. We apply these technologies to study the neuronal activity changes in the basal ganglia driven by selective dopamine-D1 receptor agonist 2-chloro-APB hydrobromide in wild type and Slc35d3 heterozygous mice and correlated behavioral changes with differences in circuit response. We also map tyrosine hydroxylase positive projection neurons in the whole brains of methamphetamine-injected rats. Based on these studies, we can target specific neuronal populations stimulated in response to these compounds to modulate circuit activation as a potential intervention in basal ganglia function and in drug abuse.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"85 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134222037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Achilles Tendons Measurements in Asymptomatic Saudi Subjects Using High Frequency Ultrasound","authors":"K. Alzimami, M. Mahmoud","doi":"10.1109/SBEC.2016.103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SBEC.2016.103","url":null,"abstract":"Summary form only given. Ultrasound is an excellent modality for initial imaging of suspected Achilles tendon pathology because of patient comfort during the examination, availability, and accuracy of the test in expert hands. This study was designed with an aim to measure Achilles tendons length, thickness, and cross sectional area in asymptomatic Saudi subjects to investigate possible changes of these measurements with different ages. A Hundred asymptomatic male between the ages of 14 and 65 years, mean age of 25±1.7 years were scanned. Ultrasound scans for Achilles tendons was performed using Hitachi HI Vision Avius ultrasound machine. Ultrasound scanning protocols met the standards established by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) to measure Achilles tendons length, thickness, and cross sectional area. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the results. In the 100 Achilles tendons, the length, thickness, and cross sectional area was 109.6 ± 2.1 mm, 4.1 ± 0.7 mm, and 53.9 ± 1.1 mm2 respectively. There is no significant difference between the length and thickness with the cross sectional area of the Achilles tendons among different ages of subjects (P ≥ 0.05). In males less than 45 years, Achilles tendons cross sectional area was significantly smaller than that in males of older age (P ≤ 0.05). Variations of the tendons morphological characteristics should be considered in the clinical diagnosis. Additional study correlates the Achilles tendons length, thickness, and cross sectional area to subject length is suggested.","PeriodicalId":196856,"journal":{"name":"2016 32nd Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC)","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115421387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}