Senior Design Projects v
Personal Ultraviolet Radiation Dosimeter
Team Members
Anne Francois, Caroline D’Ambrosio, Marie
D’Ambrosio, and Kelsey Sherman, Biomedical
Engineering
Advisor
Megan Frost and Sean Kirkpatrick
Sponsor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project Overview
The personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dosimeter is a single-use, disposable device. It indicates when
the user has received the maximum suggested dose of UVR before an erythemal response, a
minimal erythemal dose (MED). The device is a one square cm adhesive patch composed
of polysulfone film over a smiley-face graphic. Polysulfone is a polymer that changes its optical
density when it is exposed to UVR. The shade of the smiley-face graphic corresponds to that of the
polysulfone after it has been exposed to one MED. When the graphic is no longer visible, the user
should get out of the sun.
Improved Walker Design
Team Members
Daniel Muckala, Richard Gridley, Travis Graham, and Matt Kilgas, Biomedical Engineering
Advisor
Bruce Lee and Jinfeng Jiang
Sponsor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project Overview
There are currently 1.5 million walker users in the United States, and this number will rise as
the average age of our population increases. Concerns with the safety of walkers have arisen
with an observed increase in the likelihood of falling, especially at night. Our goal is to develop a new
walker that is both customizable for a particular user and safer and easier to use, compared to
current market walkers..
Portage Health Noise Monitoring Device
Team Members
Christina Jufliak, Ryan Kent, David Carli, Amelia
Seelman, and Jon Parker, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Sponsor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project Overview
This project improves upon a previously designed
hospital sound-level alarm system. The improved
device will be implemented at Portage Health in
Hancock. Clinical trials were conducted on the
newly redesigned sound-level alarm system. The
device will alert hospital staff and visitors when their
noise exceeds a certain level and interferes with
patient rehabilitation. The redesign improves upon
the original external housing of the device, the data
storage, and the wiring design. A wireless system
was added to the device as suggested by the
Portage Health staff..
In Vivo Sensor System to Measure Environmental Conditions on Implantable Medical Devices
Team Members
Margaret Brunette, Mechanical Engineering;
Thadeus Sansom, Teresa Armstead, Christopher
Helmer, and Karl Koivisto, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Sponsor
Boston Scientific
Project Overview
Boston Scientific's Cardiac Rhythm Management Group expressed a desire to have an implantable
device that can measure loading conditions, which affect implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
The goal was to create a force sensor that could be implanted in vivo to satisfy Boston Scientific's
needs.
Bioabsorbable Magnesium Surgical Staples
Team Members
Lisa Shoemaker, Emma Getty, and Megan
Johnson, Biomedical Engineering; Meredith Mulder,
Materials Science and Engineering; Ellesse Bess,
Chemical Engineering
Advisor
Sponsor
Boston Scientific
Project Overview
A bioabsorbable magnesium surgical staple may retain high mechanical strength and harmlessly
disappear after natural wound healing. We will design a magnesium staple that is able to
support the same loads as a titanium staple with a customizable diameter and maintain structural
integrity for the duration of tissue wound healing. This new staple would be a strong, rapidly
deployable closure device that does not require a second procedure to remove, as well as closing
the structural integrity and bioabsorbability gap between polymer sutures and permanent staples.
