Detachable force sensor for an ultrasound probe to improve rotator cuff injury diagnosis

Rotator cuff disease, common in elderly persons and athletes, is resultant of repetitive use of shoulder muscles or sudden impact to the area. The spectrum of injury ranges from tendonitis to a complete tear of the rotator cuff tendon which results in a myriad of treatments. Even though ultrasound is one of the most frequently used imaging techniques to diagnose this disease, it lacks contextual information and consistency needed for an accurate treatment plan. We are creating an ultrasound probe attachment using pressure sensing pads to measure force applied during imaging. Using our pads, we measured the change in resistance across the pad which can be used with pre-existing ultrasound imaging data to calculate the Young\u27s Modulus of the tissue. We hope this will provide more consistency in characterizing the rotator cuff. For the clinician, having this additional information may help to determine the extent of the injury and be beneficial in determining the appropriate treatment

Robotics in bioengineering

The robotics in bioengineering group has conducted research on the effects of hands-on demonstrations on students\u27 interest in engineering disciplines. Data has been collected over a two year period utilizing pre- and post-demonstration surveys in order to gauge the change in interest because of demonstrations. Projects that were used in order to test the hypothesis include an eye-controlled PowerPoint, slot cars that are driven by flexing the user\u27s biceps, as well as the mind bot project which uses brain waves in order to drive a Lego car. The demonstrations seem to have an effect on the students\u27 interest in the field that the demonstrations are presented