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Biomaterials Redesign of Microvascular Anastomotic Coupler
Get PDFThe key factors in the redesign of this part include the use of biomaterials, the redesign of the part geometry to include these biomaterials, and the proposition of production scale manufacturing methods suitable for these redesigns. The choice of biodegradable material was guided by previous literature, during which we found the PLGA polymer used in similar predicate devices with a biodegradability timeline similar to our goals. The model of coupler serving as the inspiration for the redesign utilizes two very strong but bioinert materials, polyethylene, and stainless steel. These high strength materials can withstand much greater forces than the biodegradable bulk material chosen for the redesign, so features of the old design were modified for robustness. This included to realize this new design on a production scale, the two most promising possibilities include injection molding with the PLGA polymer or additive manufacturing using stereo lithography printers and biodegradable resins. The commonality of these two processes is the ability to make complex shapes while retaining isotropic materials in the final part, which is essential for the strength of small features such as the pins.
Key customer requirements for anastomotic procedures include successful attachments of vessels and low rates of dehiscence. These requirements are related to our coupler by successful attachment rate, max force withstood by coupler before assembly separates, max forces withstood by vessels before ripping.
Different models of the coupler device were tested in assembled orientation with one blood vessel surrogate engaged. In both models, tensions upwards of 100N were experienced without a signal failure of the pins. This demonstrates that the pins are exceptionally stronger when assembled into the opposite coupler than when unengaged.
Another factor in the improvement of the device is the time taken to film an implementation of the device using dissected cow arteries. The first round of prototypes required several people to affix the coupler and blood vessels and required additional processing of the cow arteries in the form of puncturing pilot holes for the spikes. Overall, the procedure took about an hour to perform. The latest model of prototypes was operated on in only a half hour and required only one person to perform the procedure. The improved placement and orientation of the spikes allow for much easier puncturing of the arterial wall for smoother attachments
The High Tide Inn Rebrand
Get PDFFor my Senior Project, I found a small Inn in Maine that was just purchased by a new owner. The previous owner of The High Tide Inn was very old and had owned the Inn for a long time, running on word of mouth and the quaint charm of the location. Their website was not a priority and had not been updated in decades. It was not mobile friendly, up to date, or easy to navigate. The logo reflects a charming sign on the property, but does not translate well digitally. In addition to this, there is no vector file of the logo but just an incredibly pixelated logo in JPEG format. The new owners know their brand needs some updates but do not know where to start. It is important for their brand to reflect the rich history of the Inn to cater to the families who had made a tradition of coming every summer for years, but the new owners know there are changes that need to be made. Some of the on-site facilities are very outdated and they would like to increase bookings and increase rates to improve profitability to fund updates to the Inn
Calculating M\u3csub\u3eBH\u3c/sub\u3e Scaling Relations for AGNs using 2D Galaxy Decomposition Software to Analyse HST Images
Get PDFThis study uses the 2D galaxy decomposition software GALFIT developed by Dr. Chien Peng to analyse Hubble Space Telescope images of 14 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and obtain their M_BH-spheroid luminosity scaling relations for comparison with previous studies
Blending Reproductive Justice into General Education Courses
Get PDFDespite the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is still work to be done by reproductive justice advocates. As educators, we can integrate reproductive justice topics into our existing courses or we can create new courses. In this paper we briefly define reproductive justice and provide some learning resources for educators. The bulk of our paper describes our special topics Introduction to Sociology: Sociology of Reproduction course as an example and potential model for educators as we urge them to think about how they might integrate reproductive justice into their existing courses and texts, such that students have multiple exposures to these important and pertinent topics
Precious Plastics - Plastic Brick Machine Fabrication
Get PDFThe goal of this research is to determine the structural parameters of the recycled plastic polypropylene when molded into bricks resembling CMU blocks. To accomplish this, three mechanisms had to be assembled: the shredder, the injector, and the 1x1 mold. A tensile and compression test were to be performed on the plastic brick, and the values would be used to compare the tensile and compressive strength of PP plastic bricks, as well as their modulus of elasticity and stress vs. Strain performance. These values would be analyzed to determine whether it would be feasible to build an entire plastic wall. Unfortunately, the injector machine’s rod, which is used to eject molten plastic into the mold in high pressure levels, bent, and the team was unable to construct a brick in time. The team, however, did complete each mechanism and performed troubleshooting to account for any unaccounted obstacles. A few design changes must be implemented on the injector machine to ensure the project’s success, and the mold must be tested, however before the injector broke, it ejected a few samples of melted plastic, which demonstrate the amount of progress that has been accomplished throughout the quarter
Waving at You, from the Inside of your House
No full text“Waving at you, from the inside of your house” is a collection of songs and a snapshot of my musical and artistic ability as a college student. Each song is a short story. It is not a concept album, as the individual stories are not connected in any way. The only thematic connection across all of the songs is their existence as short stories. The production is an exercise in trial and error. Rather than planning out intentional arrangements, we elected to throw things at the wall and then refine the mess that we’d made, hoping that it adds to the emotion of the lyrics
Rotator Cuff Injury Diagnostic Sensor
No full textDr. Michael Whitt is in the preliminary idea stage with a new concept for creating a diagnostic testing device for people that suffer from a rotator cuff injury. There are limited solutions on the market varying in cost, accuracy, and time convenience. Existing patents and standards must be considered when designing this new device. Dr. Whitt has expressed the requirements that he would like the device to have; those requirements have been translated into engineering requirements. Such requirements include comfortability, cost, accuracy, accessibility, and time convenience. Target values were set for those engineering requirements based on existing solutions and other information. A custom-made sixteen-millimeter probe was created. The use of a Vector Network Analyzer was used along with the probe to find S-Parameters that are to be used to find the dielectric constants of materials through a network of equations that can be found in the Test Data Analysis section. The prototype device showed promise and future animal and human testing is recommended, which will be able to provide more accurate results
GoodReads App Redesign
Get PDFThis project will be working on a redesign of the app, GoodReads. This app is used for readers to rate and comment on the books that they are currently reading or have finished. It allows for a community for readers to interact with one another, which essentially acts as a social media. All the users contribute to the rating of each book, which helps others decide if they would like to read it or not. There is also a filter function that allows readers to find new popular books, as well as search for them based on the genres they are interested in
Analog Circuits for Computing
Get PDFThis project entails designing, simulating, and verifying analog circuits that can perform essential computing functions for power systems applications. The project aims to remedy critical challenges associated with handling calculations digitally, namely, time and power. This project\u27s scope includes creating a library of circuits in SPICE that can be used to model and simulate complex mathematical equations. From these SPICE models, the circuit can be constructed physically, where the solution can be generated in less time using less power than doing the computation digitally. The performance and efficiency of analog computing will be measured and compared to conventional digital methods