Dual-Axial Blood Pump Mechanical Circulatory Support for Fontan Patients

The current treatment paradigm for patients with dysfunctional or failing single ventricle physiology involves pharmacologic therapy, surgical reconstruction of the Fontan physiology, and heart transplantation. The limited number of donor hearts and complication of a Fontan surgical takedown require alternative treatment strategies for these patients. Existing mechanical circulatory support systems are inadequate for these patients since these devices were designed for the systemic circulation in patients with a biventricular circulation, not a Fontan physiology. Therefore, researchers have been developing new blood pumps for single ventricle patients. As a new therapeutic approach, this thesis considers a newly combined configuration of dual-axial flow blood pumps located in the pulmonary arteries to mechanically support the Fontan physiology. The initial design geometries were constructed using computer-aided design software. Pump design equations and empirical data were utilized to create the differing design configurations based on pump placement, diameter, protective cage filaments, stagger angle, blade number, and operational states. The pump performance of these configurations was assessed using robust ANSYS CFX turbomachinery software. Over 150 simulations were performed over a range of blood flow rates and rotational speeds. Pressure rise, energy augmentation, and blood damage indices were determined for the pump geometries considered. All simulations showed pressure and energy augmentations within and above the needed range for improved cavopulmonary conditions. Additionally, all simulations examined for blood trauma showed mean blood damage indices below 1%. Overall, the current research was successful and demonstrated significant proof-of-concept support in the development of a dual-support approach for patients having dysfunctional or failing Fontan physiology.M.S., Biomedical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201

Generative Design for Construction Site Layout Planning

The construction industry contributes significantly to the GDP of the United States, attributing to its growth at an unprecedented rate. Efficient planning on all stages of construction is the only way to combat dynamic obstructions and deliver projects on time. The first element involved in the planning phase deals with the layout of the Construction Site. It significantly regulates the pace at which construction operations function and directly affects the time, cost, and safety linked to the successful delivery of the target project. Hence, it is paramount to ensure that every component of the construction site maneuvers with the utmost productivity. One such equipment that occupies significant attention while carrying out the CSLP process is Tower Crane. Tower crane optimization is pivotal to ensure proper lifting and handling of materials, and warrant conflict-free work zones. This research, therefore, aims to optimize its position by maximizing the lift ability. To achieve the goals, Generative Design- a paradigm that integrates the constructive features of mathematical and visual optimization techniques, is used to develop a relatively comprehensible prototype. The first part of the research, thus, utilized Generative Design on two construction sitesone from the United States and one from India. After implementing the visual programming algorithm, an improvement of 40% was warranted in the lift score. A pool of potential alternatives was explored and supplemented by the trade-off illustrations. The concept of trade-off was substantiated by allowing a framework for prioritization of lift cycles, and facilitating a holistic decision-making process. To evaluate the usability, 12 participants were chosen based on their previous experience with tower crane operations. The participants witnessed a live demonstration of the algorithm, answered a Likert scale questionnaire, and appeared for an open-ended interview to provide feedback about the proposed Generative Design technique. After carrying out narrative analysis for the usability aspect- it has been unanimously observed that the technique has extreme efficiency of usage and can evidently prevent the occurrence of errors. The study concludes by providing recommendations to augment the significance and usability of Generative Design for tower crane position optimization

Image Authentication by Analyzing and Classifying Texture with Linear Regression model based on Wavelet Transform

Abstract Wavelet based preprocessing is a very successful method which is gaining importance in day to day life. It is becoming popular because of its easy acquisition and reliability. This paper proposes an image Authentication system by texture analysis with linear regression model based on Wavelet transform. Texture is an important feature used extremely in various image processing problems.This paper has been motivated fro m the fact that there exists a distinctive correlation between texture. The linear regression model has been used for analyzing the correlation. In contrast, PSWT (pyramid structure wavelet transform), TSWT (tree structure wavelet Transform) and Gabor Transform do not provide such kind of correlation. Images have been analyzed by calculating their energy up to the least possible value. Experimental results shows the value of images which has been used for the authentication purpose