Undergraduate Senior Design Projects

2023 Senior Design Projects (inaugural year)

Team ACCESS

Team Members: Devin Davidson, Viri Varela, Kayla Pacheco and Jack Kaiser

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description: The ACE Device

Team ACCESS is working with Medtronic to create new technology for circumferentially sealing blood vessels of diameters between 7 and 10mm. To do this we created an ‘iris’ design to circumferentially compress tissue, and given more time we would plan to use RF energy technology passed between 3 sets of diagonal teeth in our iris configuration to cauterize tissues in the body, followed by an extending blade to cut the tissue. This device is physically based on the traditional Maryland device manufactured by Medtronic, with the functional aspects inspired by the iris of a camera lens.

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Team Hemoglobin

Team Members: Kathleen Stewart, Mia Fox, Nick Vaver, Liana Kerr-Layton and Catalina Bastias

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description - Adhesive Pressure Source (APS) Cushioned Sensor

Team Hemoglobin partnered with Medtronic to redesign and prototype a new solution for the Nellcor Forehead SpO2 Pulse Oximeter. We created the Adhesive Pressure Source (APS) Cushioned Pulse Oximeter to optimize the human interface by improving patient comfort and usability.

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Team SyNTACQ

Team Members:ÌýÌýQuinn Beato, Caitlin Mascio, Nicole Gunderson, Sydnei Lewis, Avril Cruz and Tony Salcido-Alcantar

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description -ÌýBuilding and Characterizing a Ferromagnetic Electrosurgical Pencil​

Monopolar electrosurgical pencils release harmful smoke, cause thermal injury, and require cords. This research explores using ferromagnetism as a new energy modality. A prototype was designed to optimize power transfer and impedance. Ferromagnetic devices show promise in reducing smoke, thermal injury, and compatibility with electromagnetic-sensitive devices.

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2023 BME Senior Design Winner

2024 Senior Design Projects

Team GVA

Team Members: Kendall Lee, Argudit Chauhan, Chris Orear, Maddie Bender, Meaghan McGarvey

Project Sponsor - UCB Chatterjee Lab

Project Description: Expanding the Geometric Viability Assay (GVA)

The GVA-team worked with Dr. Christian Meyer of the ÌÇÐÄVlogÆƽâ°æ to expand theÌýaccessibility of the Geometric Viability Assay (GVA), a novel method for quantifying the number ofÌýviable microbes in a sample. To make GVA more accessible and improve antibiotic sensitivity testing inÌýlow-resource health care settings, we developed an affordable, easy-to-use GVA kit that determinesÌýwhether bacteria sampled from a patient are resistant to an antibiotic. To complement our kit, we designedÌýan iPhone-based system to rapidly quantify the output of the GVA assay for up to 12 samples at once.Ìý

Team OxyMetrix

Team Members: Julian Conrad, Ethan Barber, Ushmi Akruwala, Neely Quirk, Cain O'Sullivan

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description - Temperature-Pulse Oximeter Sensor

Pulse oximetry is a quick, non-invasive monitoring technique that measures the oxygen saturation in the blood by shining red and infrared light through tissue. Team Oxymetrix collaborated with Medtronic to redesign and improve their existing Nellcor Forehead SpO2 sensor to measure an additional parameter: temperature. The sensor aims to increase the convenience of vital sign monitoring for healthcare workers by compiling multiple relevant measurements into a single device while ensuring both sensors maintain optimal performance standards and patient comfort

Team Tre

Team Members: Alex Mizzi, Maxim Kokoshinskiy, Luke Seifert, Alyssa Dixon, Madeline Todd

Project Sponsor - Tolmar

Project Description - Injectable Packaging Optimization

Team Tre is partnering with Tolmar to optimize the packaging for their Eligard injectableÌýproduct. Eligard is a hormone therapy medication that uses a subcutaneous leuprolide acetateÌýinjection to lower testosterone, treating advanced prostate cancer and precocious puberty. KeyÌýdesign considerations in our prototype are a reduced packaging footprint, lower storage/transitÌýcost, maintained sterile barrier, and adequate device protection.

Team 4

Team Members: Nikki Sims, Brandon Sullivan, Sarthak Samal

Project Sponsor - Steadman Philippon Research InstituteÌý

Project Description - Improving Image Quality in Dynamic Stereo X-ray Analysis

We are partnered with the Steadman Philippon Research Institute to improve the efficiency of the Dynamic Stereo X-ray (DSX) system. In pursuit of this goal, we developed a neural network designed to extract the bone from each X-ray frame taken by the DSX. This process enables a more efficient alignment of the bones with the 3D joint projection, thereby enhancing the overall accuracy of the 3D reconstructed joint. This method minimizes manual intervention and optimizes analyzing patient joint kinematics pre and post-surgery.

Team CAR-T Cartel

Team Members: Celeste Busch, Jordan Roos, Sonia Amin, Nidhi Ramachandra

Project Sponsor - Dark Horse Consulting Group

Project Description - Hydrogel Design Formulation for CAR T-Cell Delivery to Solid Tumors

Team CAR-T Cartel is working with Dark Horse Consulting to design & develop anÌýinnovative approach for the treatment of residual solid tumor after breast cancerÌýtumor resection. Recognizing the limitations of current CAR-T cell therapyÌýapproved only for blood cancers, our team has designed, fabricated, and tested aÌýhydrogel scaffold that enhances the therapy's application to solid tumors. ThisÌýapproach with its unique properties for maintaining cell life, aims to address theÌýchallenge of residual solid tumor treatment, offering new possibilities forÌýimproved patient outcomes.

Team Hydration Detection

Team Members: Sam Slatcher, Jake McIntyre, Paige Caley, Keri Spitler, Ellie Goldman, Josh Jenkins

Project Sponsor - Denver Life Sciences

Project Description - Detection of Systemic Hydration

Team Hydration Detection partnered with Denver Life Sciences to develop a device that can accuratelyÌýdetect systemic hydration using Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors. The device operates similarly to aÌýpulse oximeter, where hematocrit concentration is estimated by measuring the amount of light that isÌýpassed through the finger and absorbed by the sensor. Hydration is ultimately determined from changesÌýin hematocrit from the user’s baseline measurements.Ìý

Team ShockWave

Team Members: Abby Pettigrew, Michael Shockley, Ahmed Aldhamen, Violeta Salazar, Anastasia Crews

Project Sponsor - Full Body Sound

Project Description - Electrotherapy Device

Team ShockWave partnered with Full Body Sound, a start-up company that created an electrotherapy device, the FBR-01. The FBS-01 converts audio input into electric stimulation therapy allowing users to feel music. The team's goal was to design, build, and test a lower back apparatus that integrates the FBR-01 to increase user compliance of devices, therefore mitigating chronic back pain.

Team 8

Team Members: Morgan Linger, Ella Erich, Ricardo Ramirez Bunsow, Sophie Ramsey, Emily Stamos

Project Sponsor -Terumo BCT

Project Description -Ìý

Coming soon

Team TET

Team Members: Audrey Petersen, Jim Kelly, Sacha Ramirez, Tony House, Alexis Lee, Ethan Davis

Project Sponsor - Cardiost Inc.

Project Description – Developing Transcutaneous Energy Transfer to Power Left Atrium UnloadingÌýDeviceÌý


Currently, many patients experiencing heart failure have heart pumps that require drivelines;Ìýfurthermore, these drivelines causeabout 1/3 of patients to develop life-threatening infections, andÌýthey limit patient freedom, mobility, and quality of life. Team TET partnered with Cardiost Inc. toÌýeliminate drivelines and introduce a prototype of transcutaneous (wireless) energy transfer (TET) toÌýpower an internal pump, left atrium unloading device (LAUD – Cardiost Inc.). By eliminating the drivelineÌýin current heart pump models, Team TET plans to increase patient quality of life and revolutionize theÌýmedical device market with a safe way to power implantable mechanical circulatory support devices

Team D-BEST

Team Members: Delaney Huetson, Sydney Talbot, Tehran Law, Evie Clarke, Bridget LindersÌý

Project Sponsor - Hinds Lab Oregon Health Science University

Project Description – Biomaterial Benchtop Flow Testing System


Team D-BEST is working with the Hinds Lab at Oregon Health and Science University to createÌýa benchtop system to test biomaterials under flow conditions. The Hinds Lab studiesÌýbiomaterials and aims to create new materials to reduce the risk of medical device inducedÌýthrombosis. Our system consists of modular flow chambers designed to test cardiovascularÌýdevice materials, endothelial cell interactions, and whole-blood clotting phenomena to furtherÌýthe Hinds lab efforts in cardiac health.Ìý

Team Read Write

Team Members: Rasce Engelhardt, Tayloe Boeyink, Ashlyn Whitefield, Brooklyn Reddy, Marcus Vess

Project Sponsor - Input Output Global

Project Description – Device for Combatting Diminishing Attention Spans

Project Read Write partnered with Input Output Global to create a novel device for combatting diminishing attention spans and reinforcing healthy learning habits. They created a brain-computer interface which utilized EEG sensors to monitor brain activity for states of attention, alerting the user via variable haptic feedback when attention lapses. The device was made to be hidden within any headwear, adopting a discrete, flexible insert design.

Team 12

Team Members: ÌýLuke Hill, Ryann Fife, Rachel Gasser

Project Sponsor - Medtronic PLC

Project Description – Sensor Assembly Automation

The goal of this project is to create a proof of concept for the automated assembly of Medtronic’s pulse oximetry sensor. These sensors are very widely used in the medical industry and are currently manually assembled. The team aims to automate a portion of the assembly process to show that the application of automation is possible for this sensor.

Team 13

Team Members: Danielle Dresdner, Chrisanna Bertuccio, Lily Pelster, Jessica Navarro and Kelly‬ ‭Cao‬

‭Project Sponsor: AlloSource‬

‭Project Description: Flowable Bone Putty Dosing and Dispensing System‬

We have partnered with AlloSource to create a custom dosing and dispensing system for their‬ ‭AlloFuse® demineralized bone matrix product. This device was created for AlloSource’s lab‬ ‭technicians to use in their facility to dose various volumes of AlloFuse® Putty. Our objective was‬ ‭to optimize efficiency, ease of use, and accuracy of the device.‬