Biomedical Engineering
Students focus on medical devices and biologicals for improving medical care.
The BME Capstone experience is intended to mirror the type of experiences new graduates will face when they begin their careers.
In this context, the student team members learn project management and organization skills, enhance their technical breadth and depth, apply newly-acquired knowledge, and develop their documentation and presentation abilities.
Capstone projects are:
- An educational experience for the students.
- An opportunity for sponsors and partners to interact directly with students, tap their creativity and problem-solving skills and evaluate student talents in a project setting.
- An opportunity for students to learn about specific industries and companies, interacting and working in teams to address a “real-world” problem.
Biomedical Engineering Symposium
Biomedical engineering students proudly display health care technology innovations poised to address the ever pressing and challenging unmet clinical needs that persist throughout the world.
Graduate applied projects
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MicroDose Diagnostics is developing an automatic bench-top verification system designed to check the contents of returned PCA bags in hospital diversion workflows. The device uses a withdrawn micro-sample, UV-Vis absorbance analysis, and reference-based matching to…
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This project focuses on the validation and characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines generated via prime editing to knockout the BIN1 gene, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease. Through genomic…
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This project explores the mechanical characteristics of medium-viscosity alginate hydrogels with CaCO3 and GDL using Rheology. In this context, hydrogels are being used as a scaffold to hold islet cells to treat Type I diabetes.…
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This project, Characterization of Intrinsic Visual Biases in Arm Position Estimation, examines how visual information influences the brain’s estimate of arm position during movement planning under changing visual conditions. Using the KINARM End-Point robotic system,…
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This project develops a smart insole system that uses an array of pressure sensors to capture plantar pressure during walking. A machine learning model is trained to estimate ground reaction forces and center of pressure…
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This project proposes an in vitro macrophage-based model as an alternative to animal testing for evaluating biomaterials. THP-1 monocytes are differentiated into macrophages and used to simulate inflammatory responses through cytokine analysis. This model demonstrates…
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Our applied project focuses on the development of an affordable, portable wearable device that delivers targeted brain cooling as a neuroprotective therapy for conditions such as cardiac arrest and stroke, while minimizing the complications associated…
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This project presents a low-cost system designed to measure task time and motor behavior using an interactive, sensor-based task. The system captures precise timing data during user interactions to assess motor–cognitive performance in a controlled…
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This project investigates how the brain estimates arm position during movement planning when visual and proprioceptive information conflict. Using the KINARM robotic system, participants performed reaching tasks while visual feedback of hand position was systematically…
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The growing obesity epidemic in the United States has led to a cascade of health problems throughout the population. One of the most prominent side effects of obesity is loss of proper adipose tissue (AT)…
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This project investigated the feasibility of fabricating miniaturized implantable duckbill valves for hydrocephalus treatment using cleanroom-free methods and alternative elastomeric materials. A benchtop pressure flow testing system was developed and validated to characterize valve performance.…
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Piezoelectric materials contain massive capability of converting mechanical energy to electrical energy and these materials allow for the development of medical sensors, energy harvesting, drug release and control systems. The project aims to evaluate the…
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FlexiValve is an applied design project developing a portable, flexible valved holding chamber for asthma and COPD patients who use pressurized metered-dose inhalers. Because many existing VHCs are bulky and inconvenient to carry, this project…
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One-way duckbilled valves acting as artificial arachnoid granulations (aAGs) serve as a promising alternative to existing shunt systems utilized in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage for hydrocephalus. Video analysis was utilized to measure the valve opening’s…
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This project develops a smart corrective insole for children with idiopathic toe walking, a gait pattern in which the forefoot contacts the ground instead of a consistent heel strike. The device combines plantar force sensors,…
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This project aims to provide insights into how humans perform dexterous manipulation by simultaneously preventing object slip and control object pose (position and orientation). We pursued this aim by asking subjects to lift an object…
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Due to the unreliable nature of visual identification of deer mice in the field, we aimed to use a species-specific gene (cytochrome b) to characterize Peromyscus species within the Santa Catalina mountains of the Madrean…
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My project consists of an in-vitro model of encapsulated JAR Trophoblast cells cultured with excised NOD mouse splenocytes post-diabetic onset for 72 hours used to mimic pregnancy in mice prone to spontaneous autoimmune diabetes onset.…
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This project looks into the neural and behavioral mechanisms that are present during physical cooperation in human-human interaction using a dual-robot KINARM system. By analyzing the force exchange and the movement coordination between participants, along…
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It has been found that by implanting a diode into the body and applying a high frequency AC field in the area of the diode, precise, batteryless, and leadless peripheral nerve stimulation is possible. There…
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How does mental fatigue impact your reaction time on the court? This project measures how basketball players respond under increasing cognitive load using reaction drills and wearable sensors. The results aim to improve performance insights…
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This project focuses on improving the efficiency of Deuterium Chemical Shift Imaging (CSI) by optimizing k-space undersampling strategies and reconstruction performance. Undersampling mask strategies including pseudorandom, a priori (FLASH, T1W, T2W), and a central weighted…
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This project focused on predicting grasp force (FG) and manipulation force (FM) from high-density EMG signalsrecorded during dexterous object manipulation tasks. A condition-wise CNN-LSTM framework was used to model the relationship between multi-channel EMG input…
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This project presents the development of a wearable sleep mask system designed to enable infrared imaging of pupil dilation and movement through closed eyelids to enhance sleep studies. Currently, typical sleep studies use electrodes applied…
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Pediatric medical devices are often adapted from adult designs, leading to inefficiencies in clinical procedures. This project analyzes workflow challenges in pediatric settings by measuring device changes, manual corrections, and procedure time during clinical immersion…
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My project investigates how tumor cells switch between dormant and actively dividing states (quiescence) using single-cell RNA sequencing data from breast cancer tumors. I analyze the data using computational tools in R to classify cells…
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Epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide, and most seizures happen without warning, leaving patients at risk of serious injury. While researchers have tried to predict seizures using brain wave patterns, existing methods struggle to work…
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This project is a safety simulation based assessment using electromagnetic modeling to investigate how MRI radiofrequency fields interact with conductive deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants. A patient inspired phantom was simulated in a 1.5 T…
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This project simulates magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects in blood and cerebrospinal fluid during high-field MREIT using a tissue-specific human head model in COMSOL. Time-dependent velocity fields generated by Lorentz-force interactions under 1.5–18.8 T were extracted and…
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This project provides hands-on research experience while supporting the development of a skin-on-a-chip device in the Nikkhah Lab. The work involves collaborating with a PhD student to 3D print, assemble, and test prototype designs while…
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Hydrocephalus diodes have a difficult time maintaining current while the human body attacks it. Our lab is testing several different encapsulation materials to ensure the longevity of the diode connection and maintenance of the current…
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Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which CD45 immune cells destroy the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreatic islets, leading to loss of glucose homeostasis. This project investigates whether mated female…
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Wearable Monitoring of Exercise Intensity and Its Impact on Sleep Quality and Heart Rate Variability
This project investigates how short-term variations in exercise intensity influence sleep quality and heart rate variability (HRV) using wearable technology. Participants followed a structured ten-day protocol with alternating-day cardiovascular exercise while continuously wearing a device…
Undergraduate biomedical capstone projects
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Our concept works to prevent image disturbances in pathology scans by automating the Coverslipping process. The design will reproduce the slide preparation process using robotic automation, applying the appropriate PBS solution and a coverslip. CND…
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The Syn-One skin punch biopsy test, developed by CND Life Sciences, provides pathological evidence for Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and related synucleinopathies. However, a 20-month review revealed high rates of unusable samples due…
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Internal hemorrhaging remains a leading cause of preventable death in trauma scenarios, yet the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) protocol requires specialized sonographic expertise that is often unavailable in remote or extreme environments.…
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Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects approximately 30% of women worldwide, with up to 80% of patients experiencing recurrence within one year of treatment. Current therapies, including antibiotics and over-the-counter treatments, often fail to address the underlying…
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Effective clinical communication is central to patient outcomes, yet nearly 50% of medical malpractice claims cite communication failures as a contributing factor. Current training relies on expensive, unscalable actor-based simulations that are cost-prohibitive. There is…
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Each year, millions of patients undergo radiation treatment utilizing medical linear accelerators (linacs) due to their noninvasiveness and submillimeter precision. Although linacs offer innovative and advanced treatment plans, some mechanical QA procedures remain subjective due…
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Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by immune-mediated damage to esophageal tissue. This inflammation leads to symptoms such as dysphagia, food impaction, and structural changes over time. Current treatment strategies for EoE…
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Extremely high temperatures in Phoenix lead to a proportionally larger amount of heatstroke cases. EMS staff must treat patients in mobile ice baths, requiring quick and accurate core temperature readings. Current thermometers lack the accuracy,…
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Despite being the clinical standard and a primary means of intrapartum assessment, current fetal monitoring devices have extremely high false positive rates (up to 99% for fetal distress signs like fetal acidosis). This means clinicians…
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The Caribbean region reports the world’s highest lower-extremity amputation rates, with approximately 80% of Grenadian patients presenting with advanced diabetic foot ulcers requiring enzymatic debridement. Current treatment costs of $50–$150 weekly are financially prohibitive for…
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Injury resulting from high-impact forces, such as those experienced during vehicular collisions or sudden mechanical loading events, remains a significant contributor to morbidity and long-term disability. Existing protective solutions often lack sufficient adaptability or efficiency…
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Endovascular procedures require controlled guidewire manipulation; however, manual torque devices often cause inconsistent rotation, slippage, and operator fatigue [1]. These limitations can lead to procedural delays and complications. Surgeon surveys and stakeholder interviews show clinical…
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Anesthesiologists in busy perioperative settings may supervise several operating rooms at once, while patient data remain confined to individual bedside anesthesia machines. This creates a risk of delayed recognition of physiologic deterioration, increases cognitive load,…
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Hospitalized adult inpatients and clinical staff are poorly served by current overbed table designs, which lack maneuverability, ergonomic adaptability, and adequate storage. Surveys of Mayo Clinic staff confirm this need, with over 96% reporting difficulty…
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Hernia repair is one of the most common surgical procedures with over 20 million performed each year worldwide. Current meshes are supplied in limited sizes, requiring pre-operative trimming and creating unnecessary inventory surplus. These limitations…
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Medical documentation is vital in the healthcare setting; however, completing this documentation is a time-consuming process that prevents medical professionals from focusing on other tasks and assisting patients. ORAI Solutions has developed the operating room…
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There are over 1 million meniscus tears treated each year in the United States. Current interventions include sutures and partial/total menisectomies, which can leave patients with impaired or limited shock absorbance in the knee. This…
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Eye-related complaints are increasingly prevalent in emergency departments, where access to ophthalmologists is often limited. This gap can delay diagnosis and treatment, particularly for conditions requiring timely evaluation. A rapid, accessible method for capturing and…
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Dental caries remain one of the most common chronic oral health conditions worldwide, often progressing to cavities that require restorative treatments such as fillings. Traditional intervention methods typically begin after significant enamel damage has occurred,…
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Affecting approximately 3 million people in the United States, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness that manifests due to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) damaging the optic nerve. Early detection of glaucomatous ocular environments allows…
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Cervical stabilization during gynecological procedures commonly relies on traditional tenacula, which use sharp hooks to grasp tissue. The current tenaculum, modeled after a civil-war era device designed to extract bullets from soldiers’ bodies, is often…
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Silicone transfer solutions currently on the market are expensive, lack the adaptability to work with different batches or kinds of silicone, or require manual labor that ultimately produces waste that drives up the price of…
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Major traumatic injuries to lower limbs require tourniquet intervention in nearly 90% of cases. Overtightening and improper application result in about 23% of patients experiencing long term nerve and tissue damage. These complications significantly lower…
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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) provides valuable metabolic information for diagnosing and monitoring neurological conditions; however, its clinical and research use is limited by fragmented, non-standardized analysis workflows. Differences in scanner vendor formats require users…
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Validation of core needle biopsy (CNB) devices currently relies on the use of fresh porcine tissue (shoulder, kidney, and connective tissue) which presents significant drawbacks for laboratory testing. Biological tissues inherently vary in mechanical properties…
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Calcinosis, a debilitating complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), affects up to 40% of patients and is typically identified only after symptom onset, when tissue damage and pain have already progressed. Current diagnostic workflows rely on…
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Accurate urine output monitoring is essential in hospitals because changes in urine volume, color, and clarity can indicate dehydration, infection, kidney dysfunction, or worsening patient condition. Despite its importance, urine output is still commonly measured…
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Over 400,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States, yet limited intraoperative visualization remains a significant contributor to surgical complications. Surgeons frequently report difficulty visualizing the cervical-vaginal junction during colpotomy, increasing the risk of…
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Jointelligence addresses the growth modulation surgery implant problem in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Dr. Mohan Bethlur, Dr. Subham Badhyal, and Benjamin Fife. Genu Valgum and Genu Varum (known as knock and bowed knees,…
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The increasing prevalence of skin tears among elderly populations presents a significant clinical challenge, particularly in long-term care settings where fragile skin and reduced mobility elevate injury risk. These wounds not only compromise patient comfort…