2017 Senior Design Projects
AutoCPR 2.0: A Low-Cost Device Alternative to Traditional Manual CPR
An Automated Intraoperative Blood Management System
HealthySole: A Diabetic Foot Ulcer Monitoring Device
Low-Cost Esophageal Stent for End-Stage Cancer Patients in Kenya
DetechShunt: A Novel Way to Monitor Hydrocephalus
IV Securement: Arm Stabilization and Catheter Dislodgement Prevention for Pediatric Patients
Self-Retaining Vaginal Stent for McIndoe Vaginoplasty
A Variable Length Prosthetic Pylon for Pediatric Applications
High-mobility, Transfemoral Knee Prosthesis for Low-cost Distribution
Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes for Athletes Undergoing Tommy John Surgery
Portable Dehydration Sensor for Athletes
AutoCPR 2.0: A Low-Cost Device Alternative to Traditional Manual CPR
Samantha Browne, Marisa Dowling, Anmol Patel, and Robert Tucker
Lack of emergency medical personnel and resources in poverty-stricken countries leave many people without sufficient medical care in crisis. When out-of-hospital, a cardiac arrest is nine times more likely to result in death than survival. A low-cost device is needed in low-resource regions to provide tireless, life-saving compressions and improve chances of survival during potentially long commutes to medical assistance. However, current solutions cost more than $10,000 per unit, making them inaccessible in the low-resource regions with the least emergency personnel. The proposed device consists of electrical and mechanical components. The electrical components include a drill motor to provide torque, a pulse oximeter to obtain feedback on the patient’s state, and a motor control to manage rotation speed and compression force. The mechanical components include a crank-and-piston to convert drill torque into CPR compressions, and a cheap, durable, plastic frame provide device support and weather resistance. Although the team is not cleared to test the device on victims of cardiac arrest, individual components have been tested. Tensile testing of nylon and polyethylene demonstrates that the stock plastics used are mechanically sufficient materials that maintain a relatively affordable price of less than $2,000. An Arduino microcontroller board proves capable of controlling alarms, sounds, and motor speed based off of electronic feedback. A crank-and-piston design is proposed to provide an optimal combination of size and efficiency from the motor to the piston head. The device as a whole is predicted to provide pulse-oximeter-controlled compressions with sufficient power to compress the chest to the standards of the American Heart Association. If manufactured at scale, this device could amplify the life-saving ability of low-resource emergency response personnel by providing automated compressions with more reliability and feedback than manual CPR but at a fraction of the cost of other devices.
An Automated Intraoperative Blood Management System
Binxian Ying, Natalie Berry, Qilin Yu, Quan Gu, and Ryan Budde
High quality fluid management can reduce intraoperative complications and decrease postoperative recovery time - reducing the length of stay, saving money, and improving patient outcomes. Operating room (OR) staff currently do not have accurate measures of patient fluid status, impairing their ability to make decisions, and increasing the likelihood of mistakes. There is a strong need to provide fluid status information to everyone in the OR. Our system collects blood samples and analyzes them using a camera and weight sensors. Based these data, the volume and number of red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood can be measured in real time. The data is transmitted from a Raspberry Pi to a smartphone, and OR staff are able to access the data through an app. Our product outputs volume of fluid loss, rate of fluid loss, RBC loss, and rate of RBC loss. OR staff are able to make better decisions regarding fluid management based on information provided by our system. The product provides useful data that no other solution can provide. Armed with this data, OR staff can make better decisions for their patients, which will result in better patient outcomes and will save hospitals money.
Breastfeeding simulation system for nursing education: an aid for improving patient care and fulfilling the Baby-Friendly Initiative
Alexandria Sacopulos, Jennifer Ray, Daniel Romary, and Neal Patel
Even though breastfeeding has been proven to decrease infant obesity and infectious morbidity, a large fraction of mothers discontinue breastfeeding prior to the recommended end point of six months. This decline in breastfeeding is, in part, caused by the pain and soreness that result from incorrect breastfeeding technique. New mothers are not being educated properly due to the reality that a very small number of hospitals in the United States are able to fully support breastfeeding mothers. In order to improve upon current, insufficient paper and digital education materials, a breastfeeding simulation device was created to train nurses and hospital personnel how to better educate mothers. This two-component system includes a baby mannequin and breast prosthetic that interact to indicate correct baby-breast latching. Specifically, the system uses sensors to illuminate verification lights to indicate accurate execution of crucial steps, such as the location of the nipple relative to the palate. The project will be considered successful if the ratio of user successes to failures obtained during usability testing is greater than 90%, in addition to passing all rigorous verification tests. This simulation system provides a hands-on learning experience that allows professionals to more effectively communicate the breastfeeding process to patients. Since current market products do not incorporate anatomical correctness with an active learning approach, innovation of this device lies within its ability to actively and accurately demonstrate the latching process. Along with established guidelines for lactating mother and baby care, this solution will aid hospitals in fulfilling the internationally acclaimed Baby Friendly Initiative, improve hospital quality of care, and ultimately improve the health of mothers and babies across the country.
HealthySole: A Diabetic Foot Ulcer Monitoring Device
Bradley Barnhart, Dominic Berra, Amy Ham, and Nicholas Shi
One in four of the 29 million diabetic Americans will develop a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in their lifetime. DFUs significantly hinder daily activities and are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation. Offloading devices shorten healing time by reducing pressure on the ulcer. The total contact cast (TCC) is the current gold standard treatment, but the inability to remove the TCC may lead to secondary complications, reduces patient autonomy, and requires expensive bi-weekly re-applications. Alternatively, a Removable cast walker (RCW) can easily be taken off, however, poor patient compliance significantly reduces their efficacy. Therefore, there is a need to increase patient compliance to RCWs. Our application, healthySole, tracks patient compliance to pressure off-loading footwear, and reports the percentage of compliant steps per hour to the user. Our compact wearable device records data from a triple axis accelerometer and uses a peak detection algorithm to count the number of steps taken. The same data is fed forward through a trained Recurrent Neural Network to categorize the walking pattern as compliant or non-compliant. The user and physician finally interact with the processed data via a mobile application. Future clinical trials will be required to optimize patient compliance based on their interaction with the data. Ultimately, healthySole is the first device and application to monitor DFU compliance. Pulling concepts from Fitbit and Apple Watch, we have created a product that tracks DFU healing and aims to alter patient behavior. healthySole will ideally increase compliance to the gold standard treatments on the market. In turn, our device should shorten healing time, reduce the financial burden of treatment, and lower the risk of amputation.
Low-Cost Esophageal Stent for End-Stage Cancer Patients in Kenya
Jieying Mai, Shipeng Xu, Yupeng Zhuo, Jingyi Qin, and John Titus
Kenya has one the highest incident rate of esophageal cancer while having one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world. Due to the low five-year survival rate of esophageal cancer and inadequate screening and medical resources, most patients in Kenya are suffering from end-stage cancer with tumor-occluded esophagus which preventing them from eating or drinking. The most commonly used palliative treatment is to use a stent to restore esophageal patency, allowing patients to eat and drink. However, most current stents can cost thousands of dollars hence patients in Kenya can’t afford them. Therefore, patients in Kenya are in dire need of a low-cost esophageal stent to restore esophageal patency and improve their quality of life at the end of life. The high cost of current stents is determined by several factors including materials, research and innovation cost, manufacturing process cost, and prolonged FDA approval process. To address the high cost problem of current stents, the team focuses on using a durable, low-cost, biocompatible monofilament with enough radial strength compared with expensive shape memory alloy as a substitute while incorporating 3D printing technique to reduce the high manufacturing cost in industry. Our proposed solution is made of a durable, low-cost, biocompatible polymer (PTFE) and the design has two barbell shaped flanges to prevent stent migration. The proposed solution also has a simpler manufacturing process which enables a sustainable local manufacture. Additionally, because the product will be used in Kenya instead of the United States and the project mentors are actively working with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) in Kenya to get an expedited approval, the proposed solution will also avoid the high cost from prolonged FDA approval process.
EsthesioTouch: An Electronic Esthesiometer for Accurate Measurement of Tactile Sensitivity in Neuropathy
Rachael Swenson, Sarah Li, Soo Han Soon, and Pablo Argote
Patients with peripheral neuropathy (PN) – a disease currently affecting over 20 million Americans – experience nerve damage in the extremities, which may result in loss of sensation, phantom pains, and muscle weakness. Loss of sensation can lead to injury and need for limb amputation, resulting in a decreased quality of life and a decreased life expectancy. Esthesiometry serves to clinically assess tactile sensitivity, the minimum pressure a patient can feel, to evaluate neurosensory deficits. Standard esthesiometry tools (e.g. Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments) have issues that include low sensitivity and high variability of data due to the buckling methods used to deliver evaluation pressures. A need exists for an electronic system that performs a repeatable and accurate measurement of tactile sensitivity thresholds. The proposed solution – EsthesioTouch – integrates a motor and a piezoresistive force sensor to apply and record clinically relevant pressure thresholds. The probe actuation subsystem uses a rack and pinion system to displace the probe onto the patient’s skin. The smartphone application controls the device via bluetooth and stores patient data for evaluation. By incorporating wireless control of the probe actuation and pressure monitoring, EsthesioTouch provides a novel and easy-to-use approach to esthesiometry. The device provides a consistent and data-driven method of evaluating tactile sensitivity thresholds. This allows for earlier detection and preventative treatments of neurosensory deficits. At less than half the cost of a full Semmes-Weinstein monofilament kit, EsthesioTouch provides a convenient method of measuring patient tactile sensitivity thresholds. This device enables clinicians to better assess neurosensory deficits, thereby improving their ability to treat patients and enhance their quality of life.
DetechShunt: A Novel Way to Monitor Hydrocephalus
Patrick Carmody, Mandy Chang, Hamna Qureshi, Ben Sather, and Nithya Sridhar
Hydrocephalus is a dangerous condition in which excess accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid can lead to brain damage and subsequent physical and mental complications. Current treatments, which primarily include devices called shunts to redirect excess fluid, are prone to failure. Fifty percent of shunts fail within two years, and physicians have no reliable method to monitor problems within the shunt until complete failure occurs, often due to blockage from biological debris. There is a need for a solution which will enable physicians to detect the progression of shunt tip occlusion and intervene prior to complete failure. The DetechSunt device monitors hydrocephalus shunt tip occlusion using intracranial pressure (ICP) sensing, through means of a piezoresistive pressure sensor incorporated into the external wall of the shunt tip. Leads from this sensor funnel through the shunt tip wall to the subcutaneous space behind the ear, where the shunt valve and internal circuitry housing are positioned. This internal circuitry is powered wirelessly by an inductive coil and includes an infrared transmitter for transmission of the ICP to the external circuitry. The external circuitry includes an inductive coil and infrared receiver, as well as a Bluetooth Low Energy chip to communicate with a phone application. The phone app then displays the pressure for patients and physicians to check that the ICP values are within a safe range. Per industry standards for ICP monitoring devices, the successful solution should track changes in pressure within the range of 0 - 100 mmHg with a ± 2 mmHg accuracy. There was no statistically significant reduction in strength as a result of the modified shunt tip design (𝛼=0.05). With the ability to semi-continuously monitor ICP through the novel incorporation of a pressure sensor into the shunt tip, patients and physicians can preemptively respond to shunt tip occlusion progression and execute the needed action to minimize brain damage. This technology also shows promise for future incorporation into shunts with self-cleaning capabilities to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Project HOPE (Hearing Occupational Protective Earbuds): Attenuating harmful decibel sound through a compact, PPE (personal protective equipment) compatible and vocal passage system
Nicole Kaminsky, Ace Li, Kareem Hussein, and Kelsey Reilly
Acquired hearing loss can affect all aspects of life including communication, recreation, and the ability to work. In the United States, 22 million people are affected by occupational hearing loss due to loud work environments. In particular, manufacturing workers comprise 37% of individuals exposed to harmful decibel (dB) levels. If an individual is exposed to 85 dB sound for 8 hours a day, hair cells in the cochlea die, resulting in hearing damage. Workers with hearing loss suffer from reduced productivity and early retirement. Existing methods for preventing hearing damage include earplugs, hearing bands, and earmuffs. Despite the existence of hearing protection, the solutions lack compatibility with other PPE, the passage of vocal communication and the dampening of harmful dB levels. Project HOPE addresses the current gaps in the market, while also being a compact, inner earbud device. Project HOPE incorporates a passive filter system and dynamic compressor to pass low frequency vocals, reduces high dB sound and stabilizes the compact device in the ear canal. To prove the effectiveness of the device, a testing apparatus simulating the human ear anatomy was created to measure the noise reduction rating (NRR) of manufacturing sounds and detection of human speech. The device has a NRR of 30 dB and an effort of detection of 1 on a 5 point scale, effectively addressing design specifications and market needs. Project HOPE is an innovative solution that increases safety, productivity and prevents the need for hearing aids in the future by attenuating occupational hearing loss.
IV Securement: Arm Stabilization and Catheter Dislodgement Prevention for Pediatric Patients
Ryan McElroy, Ivy Birkhold, Alex Marshall, and Sami Miller
Nurses struggle on an everyday basis when administering IV therapy to pediatric patients. It is common for an IV to fail due to catheter kinking or dislodgement from excessive arm movement, which requires the nurse to administer a new one. This causes both unnecessary physical pain for the patient, as well as unnecessary financial burden for the hospital, with an average reinsertion cost of $50. The current method of IV securement is a vinyl arm board secured with gauze, which is uncomfortable for the patient as the lack of breathability causes skin breakdown and the stiffness completely limits the arm’s range of motion. The method also causes complications for nurses, as the gauze limits site visibility, making it difficult to inspect for infiltration or phlebitis. There is a need for a new elbow stabilization device that will improve patient comfort, breathability, and site visibility, as well as aid in preventing IV failure. Therefore, our team has developed a solution that provides limited range of motion in the arm, IV site protection, and IV tubing securement that maximizes patient comfort. The solution combines stabilizing ribs on either side of the arm with an adjustable locking joint at the elbow integrated into an adjustable breathable sleeve to protect the insertion site and organize the tubing. The solution can achieve an 85° rotation with four different locking positions, while withstanding the force applied by bending the arm, and has an average water vapor transmission of 271.32 g/d, making the sleeve noticeably more breathable. After garnering feedback from both nursing students and practicing nursing faculty, the resulting potential solution impact was positive. This universal design for pediatrics increases patient range of motion, elbow stabilization and comfort, while remaining cost-effective, easy to use and a beneficial tool for nurses in the medical industry.
Detecting Urine-fection: Detection of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria through Urinalysis in Adult Incontinence Pads
Ethan Biggs, Sydney Clark, David Miller, and Erik Navarez
Urinalysis for urinary incontinent patients living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or at home involves invasive catheterization, leaving these patients highly vulnerable to bacterial infections and injury. These infections ultimately lead to pain, and in severe cases, renal failure. With 50% of catheterized patients in the U.S. experiencing urinary tract infections, and the cost of these infections exceeding $3.5 billion annually, there is a need for a noninvasive, simple, and low-cost urinalysis system for incontinent patients that provides early detection of bacterial infections without the need for catheterization. The proposed solution features a bacteria-detecting lateral flow test integrated into an incontinence pad. To remove potential for human error, the assay results are interpreted by a removable sensor that clearly indicates the presence and type of bacterial infection to the patient. Testing was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the assay and sensor. The predicted results of this testing indicate that the integrated system is >90% specific and >85% sensitive with the successful application of both the sample and reading of the results. The successful implementation of this product provides an early detection method for infections in urinary incontinent patients, indicating to them to seek medical attention before their infections become more severe and costly, while removing the need for catheterization and improving patient outcomes.
Self-Retaining Vaginal Stent for McIndoe Vaginoplasty
Aitana Felgueroso, Leena Krishnan, Tyler Loewenkamp, and Haritha Ramadorai
Mullerian agenesis is a congenital malformation of the genital tract which results in the absence of vagina and/or uterus. It occurs in one in every 4,000 - 10,000 female births and is mostly prevalent in developing countries. [1] It is the second most common cause of primary amenorrhea and severely affects the quality of life of patients. McIndoe Vaginoplasty is the most common surgical technique performed for the creation of a vaginal cavity. The completion of the procedure involves wrapping a skin graft over a stent and placing it in the cavity and suturing the labia shut to keep the stent in place for 7-10 days after the surgery. This leaves the patient in a debilitating and bedridden state where they are unable to perform daily activities. In order to provide basic mobility and increase comfort, we propose a self-retaining vaginal stent that eliminates the need for sutures. In this document, we report on a four-component integrated system solution that includes a—stent, fixation base, harness and instruction manual. The stent is fixated in the neovagina and the harness with adjustable straps fits along the waist and around the thighs. The stent and harness are integrated through a fixation base on the outer surface of the vagina. The mechanical tests performed showed that the integrated system can withstand the rigor of basic movement while maintaining the position of the stent in the neovagina. The biocompatibility test for cytotoxicity performed on the components show that the device elicits the proper physiological responses from the body for a device in its class. Patient compliance to the solution manual was determined to be higher for the proposed solution than the current standard. Overall, the integrated system allows for the safe and efficient completion of the procedure while ensuring patient comfort and mobility.
A Variable Length Prosthetic Pylon for Pediatric Applications
Priska Meehan-Numminen, John Nicholas, Juliet Heye, Matthew Albaugh, Jim Cimino, and Kevin McIver
There are currently six million lower limb pediatric amputees residing in developing countries. These patients cannot afford a prosthetic and therefore rely on nonprofits who supply prosthetics through donations. Due to the sheer number of amputees and limited resources, these nonprofits cannot meet the demand for prosthetics. Pediatric patients provide a unique challenge since they must obtain a replacement pylon, which dictates the length of the prosthetic, at least once a year to accommodate their growth. This cost can be attributed to the currently available pylons which are fixed in length and therefore limit the ability of the prosthetic to grow in length. To reduce the volume of prosthetics needed by the nonprofit, we redesigned the pylon to allow for four inches of tibial growth in a child. The solution’s design is comprised of two threaded telescoping cylinders which can be locked through a dual pin and slot design. This solution allows the pylon to be adjusted easily to account for up to four inches of tibial growth in increments of one-tenth of an inch. An emphasis was placed on the use of inexpensive materials and simple manufacturing techniques to reduce costs. To ensure that the pylon would provide limited disruption on current nonprofit operations, the solution will easily integrate with commonly used knee and ankle prosthetics. The solution meets relevant industry and regulatory standards to the degree feasible within the constraints of the senior design semester, including testing of the pylon under different phases of axial compression to simulate the load bearing it would experience during use by a pediatric patient. If implemented, the proposed solution would reduce the costs associated with pediatric pylons by 30% through a combination of reduced annual inventory and reduced costs in customs, duties, insurance, shipping, and handling resulting in a significantly increased number of patients receiving care.
High-mobility, Transfemoral Knee Prosthesis for Low-cost Distribution
Trevor Brickner, Matt Derdak, Brandon Miller, Alex Mitrevski, and Alex Smith
The Range of Motion Project (ROMP) is a U.S.-based philanthropic organization that aids several developing countries by providing prosthetic devices to amputees. A Purdue Biomedical Engineering trip to the ROMP location in Ecuador exposed a logistical problem with the distribution of knee prosthetics. Most low-mobility cases are treated through donated devices, but there is a definite high-mobility treatment deficit needing to be addressed. According to ROMP reporting data from 2005 to 2016, approximately 4,200 above-knee amputee cases were accommodated. Of those cases, 75% of the transfemoral, or above-knee, amputees were assessed as high-mobility patients (i.e. physically capable of jogging, climbing, etc.). However, due to a general lack of availability, only 22% of those patients received the high-mobility designated prostheses they needed. The ultimate intention of the project is to provide ROMP satellite sites with a means of manufacturing high-mobility knee prostheses inexpensively and easily in-house to tackle their supply deficit within low-resource countries. A simplified knee prosthesis design was developed with a built-in spring mechanism to facilitate high-mobility functionality. These robust assemblies can be mass-produced using quick-curing resin in reusable silicone molds. The number of components necessary to build the joints has been consolidated for cost consideration, while the post-processing of the molded parts has been streamlined to only require general equipment already owned by ROMP. The primary aspect that differentiates this solution is high-mobility functionality at low-cost manufacturability. The SHIELD Knee meets these criteria through the inclusion of a dynamic return element to promote full-flexion to full-extension translation within two-tenths of a second and total manufacturing time of under three hours, at a cost of only $35 USD per assembly. Moreover, the SHIELD Knee would provide ROMP the opportunity to address their high-mobility knee distribution concerns without being dependent on external aid.
Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes for Athletes Undergoing Tommy John Surgery
Ann Steele, Andrew Silman, Andrew Gordon, and Mian Ahmed
Elbow injury is a major concern for baseball players, particularly pitchers. Pitching causes excessive stress and damage to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), forcing an athlete to undergo Tommy John’s Surgery (TJS). Nearly 30% of active major league pitchers undergo this surgery and subsequent recovery at some point in their career. The rehabilitation process can take as long as a year and can ruin an athlete’s career. In fact, 57% of major league baseball pitchers who undergo TJS are placed on the disabled list after recovery due to re-injury after applying too much stress on the UCL too early in the recovery period. Current rehabilitation devices provide physical support for patients; however, these devices lack the wear-ability and restrict a pitcher from performing at their true level. Many players tend to remove these devices due to the bulkiness associated with these brace/sleeve structures. There is a need for a device that is capable of tracking pitching kinematics would help define clinical stages for improving the recovery process for patients. This project seeks to create a multi-component system for TJS rehabilitation that can reduce recovery time and improve rehabilitation outcomes. Our solution consists of two minimalistic arm bands with 9DoF IMU sensors embedded within to monitor elbow usage and throwing form. This simple device will send the patient data to a mobile application accessible by both the player and physician, alerting them with information regarding elbow usage and UCL stress. The success of our device is indicated by its ability to reliably track and analyze information about a player’s pitching form coupled with its achievement of a 5.7/7 comfort rating through patient surveys. By making a device that is unobtrusive and provides important analysis, we hope to increase patient adherence and increase the number of players able to return to baseball at peak performance. The intended results are that the device is able to correctly detect a wrong pitch and alert the pitcher in order to avoid any further injury to the elbow. In conclusion, this device could one day revolutionize how pitchers are monitors and extend the careers of many young athlete who get injured too early in their careers and never reach their full potential.
Blood Processing for Malaria Detection: A Microfluidic Adaptation of the PathVis Point-of-Care Platform
David Cardenas, Patrick Giolando, Grant Ingamells, Lance Novak, and Leslie Sanchez-Torres
In 2015, there were 212 million newly reported cases of malaria worldwide. The majority of these cases were caused by the P. falciparum parasite, one of the five malaria strains, occurring mainly in low resource environments. Without laboratory access many malaria cases go undiagnosed or untreated. This environment facilitates the spread of malaria and can result in large outbreaks. While symptomatic cases of malaria are simple to detect by blood smear analysis, asymptomatic cases are often overlooked. If left undetected, these asymptomatic carriers become silent reservoirs that aid in the persistence of the endemic. Current methods for malaria detection in the field are not rapid nor specific enough to detect the low concentrations of parasites present in asymptomatic patients. Therefore, there is a clinical need for a rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic method for proactive detection of asymptomatic cases of P. falciparum malaria. Point-of-care diagnostic devices, like PathVis, have the potential to address this problem. PathVis is a novel diagnostic device that allows for the detection of low concentrations of pathogens via nucleic acid detection in a microfluidic chip. PathVis has been used to detect water-borne pathogens, but its microfluidic chip is currently incompatible with blood samples. This created an engineering need to develop a blood processing system that would enable PathVis to detect malaria in whole blood. To achieve this, we developed a cyclic olefin copolymer microfluidic chip that interfaces with the PathVis system to process blood samples prior to nucleic acid detection. The aim of our final chip design is to concentrate infected red blood cells with 80% efficiency and detect with a specificity of 100 parasites per microliter in under 30 minutes. Our blood processing chip enables the PathVis system to detect asymptomatic cases of P. falciparum and bridges the need for both a reliable and timely diagnostic device that can proactively prevent the spread of malaria.
Portable Dehydration Sensor for Athletes
Vivek Ganesh, Kelly Covert, Corbin Bullock, and Emma Messman
Water comprises about 55% of body weight and is essential to cellular life, homeostasis and the body’s thermoregulatory process. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Federation of State High School Associations, approximately 9 million high school and college athletes participate in organized athletics, out of which 75% of the younger athletes suffer from dehydration, which causes higher risk of injury and hinders performance. Even though athletes normally have adequate access to fluids, voluntary fluid intake post exercise may be inadequate to offset the accrued fluid deficit due to lack of knowledge of current hydration status. There is a need for an inexpensive and portable device that can detect the hydration status of athletes before, during and after competitive games and practices, as no such devices currently exist on the market. The team proposes to use an impedance measurement on the wrists to detect multi-frequency skin impedance using a table-top, rapid reading sensor. This data will then be used to determine total body water as a percentage by weight from a set of equations and will point to a hydration status in a user interface for easy data analysis. Through testing, the device has exhibited the ability to detect the correct hydration status for a user with less than the predetermined goal of 20% error. The status is validated by a urine specific gravity measurement on the same participant, which evaluates the solute concentration in urine. There are promising results based on this approach. With this device athletes will be able to find their hydration status and act accordingly to achieve a target hydration and reach peak physical performance.
Increasing Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Patients: An Integrated Device and Mobile Application
Nicholas Hale, Nilofer Rajpurkar, Anna Searle, Brandon Tran
Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults in America. Despite significant evidence of better medication adherence leading to better health outcomes, nearly 50% of patients discontinue treatment within the first year of their diagnosis and fewer than 25% are considered fully adherent to their medication regimen. This poor medication adherence puts patients at a significantly higher risk for serious negative health outcomes. The negative outcomes and other complications that arise requiring professional medical attention cause $100-$300 billion of avoidable healthcare costs in the United States. There exists a significant need to improve health outcomes for hypertensive patients and decrease avoidable medical costs by addressing poor medication adherence. The proposed solution includes an easy-to-use portable dispenser and integrated mobile application. The mobile application reminds patients of dosage times and records when medication is taken from the dispenser. Patients input blood pressure measurements and the application records and exports this data over time. The mobile application signals lights on specific compartments to turn on. Thus, this integration between the mobile application and portable dispenser provides reminders at time of dosage. Testing methods including mechanical testing of the dispenser, functionality testing of the application, and usability testing of the integrated solution will lead to design validation. Anticipated results would show patient willingness to use this solution and an increase in medication adherence as patients better manage their health. A focus on real-time correlation between medication adherence and blood pressure provides an innovative approach to encouraging good habits for hypertensive patients between physician visits.