Our project involved calculating the heating, cooling, and ventilation loads for a 27,000-square-foot laboratory facility in Cairo, Egypt. We sized the HVAC systems for the building and created mechanical floor plans and process flow diagrams. We used theoretical calculations, simulation software, and published standards to reach our final design. Our design complies with ASHRAE standards for energy efficiency and comfort.  

A Solidworks rendering of one half of the symmetrical outer housing unit of our device is shown. It's dimensions are 4 x 5.5 x 1 cm with an inner channel diameter of 6.4 mm. A membrane will be placed between two of these halves to create a duel chamber fl

We created a dynamic in-vitro model of the blood brain barrier to depict in-vivo functioning of this biological membrane. Solidworks was used to create the outer housing unit and simulate flow. Human derived endothelial and astrocyte-related cells were used in a double culture contact system to encourage tight junction formation. Transendothelial electrical resistance was then tested with an anode and cathode to prove barrier functioning. The resulting product of this project can be used to aid in further research on the blood brain barrier and can improve the knowledge of its operations.

Sketch Design of Prosthetic Device

Finger amputations are one of the most common amputations performed, but luckily there are already a fair number of prosthetic devices on the market. However, these devices are mostly for non-thumb digits and struggle to meet the biomechanical challenges of the thumb. In addition to that, most prosthetics are controlled through myoelectric signals, requiring an external power source which makes the prosthetic device not feasible to use in a lot of situations. To address these problems, our team has developed a fully functional body powered thumb prosthetic for thumb amputees above the metacarpal bone that is able to increase hand functionality, while being easy to attach, use, and clean. To test the design, our team has run a number of simulations to examine the structural integrity of our device. These simulations have shown that our thumb prosthetic can endure stresses that can be expected when using the device, as well as unexpected stresses which may result when the hand accidentally bumps into other objects. Our other tests include making sure the device can adhere to a number of grip patterns while fully staying attached to the hand. In addition to that, the functionality of the IP joint designed into our device will be tested, as well as its pinch strength, durability, and washability. 

We were tasked with designing and building a 2-phase immersion cooling system prototype. Our project required technical knowledge of heat and mass transfer, good teamwork and planning skills, as well as proficiency in CFD. We addressed these issues by seeking advice from several instructors on how to best learn/improve these things. As a result, we were able to create a virtual model of the heat transfer within our system to help us set expectations for how well our system should operate. The TRANE TRACE 3D Plus software allows the laboratory facility in Cairo, Egypt to be modeled in 3D. Once the building is modeled the software then calculates the heating and cooling loads for the peak hours. The focus of the project is the comparison between the hand calculations and the TRACE 3D Plus results. The comparison allows the software to be validated and confidence in the software results can be achieved.

This project has tasked us with ideating, prototyping, building, and testing an environmental chamber that can successfully foster the electrospinning process. Electrospinning is a very delicate technique that uses electrostatic forces to stretch a polymer/solvent solution as it solidifies. These different solutions require different conditions in order to be properly spun. The environmental chamber ensures control of important conditions temperature, relative humidity, and electromagnetic interference. For maximal insulation of the environment and reduction of outside electrostatic noise, we have opted to use a double pane system of PVC and acrylic and will be implementing a Faraday's cage. The temperature will be maintained through a thermoelectric system and relative humidity will be maintained using an ultrasonic humidifier and a dry air purge. The interaction of the previously mentioned aspects will allow for an optimized environment to conduct electrospinning experiments for a range of polymer/solvent solutions.

Cirrus SR22 Light Aircraft Cockpit

Solar Decathlon Challenge provides an opportunity to study about energy and heat and cold load calculations in order to use them in practical projects which increase energy efficiency of a structure that makes the future houses more economical such as a residential house or building. This research also helps our planet to become clean without needing  to burn fossil fuels and reduces the greenhouse gasses  and global warming risk. In fact, this is training in the clean energy industry.

Obtaining a pilot's license can be expensive and arduous for some. Logging flight training hours using a flight simulator presents a safer and more sustainable alternative. However, average costs for FAA certified flight simulators cost $150,000 on average. This project aims to design and develop a flight simulator that is both highly functional and affordable. Our team has designed a motion control system with rotary actuators that can achieve six degrees of freedom while supporting 212 Nm of torque for a combined total load of over 1,000 lbs. Currently, the setup is capable of 3 degrees of freedom. The motion controller used for the dynamic system will help cut the cost for this project while also facilitating realistic flight simulation. However, the overall flight simulator setup is valued at over $300,000. Future works will focus on replicating the cockpit and using less expensive components while still working to ensure safety of operation and high functionality. 

Our project goal is to demonstrate the benefits of implementing a system of smart sensing building controls to reduce energy waste from HVAC systems while meeting and maintaining indoor air quality with respect to occupancy according to ASHRAE standards. Our results will validate Temple University's goal for a new approach to energy efficiency by implementing demand-controlled ventilation as an energy conservation measure to reduce the outside air intake. Configuring this smart building technology as Temple continues to grow its building footprint, will enable the university to achieve its mission in efficient energy operations while still meeting its climate commitment. 

This project primarily started out as an equation-driven model based on regression and statistical analysis. Because of the constraints of the operational units provided, our project’s approach changed to a machine-learning analysis in collaboration with a Graduate Student. The neural networks would then analyze the data based on parameters set through graphical and performance analysis by the team. The data was manually filtered in terms of system operation states, variable selection, and sequential data and then integrated into the neural network. Our team’s final project developed to create an automated model to filter out these parameters which decreased the time to filter data while decreasing error.  

RASCAL, the robotic arm for handling archaeological artifacts, delicately grips a fragile ceramic shard with advanced sensing and imaging capabilities.

The problem addressed by the RASCAL team is the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of manual handling of archaeological artifacts, which can be fragile. RASCAL aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of artifact handling by using advanced sensors and a robotic arm to automate the process.
In a quantitative study, the effectiveness of RASCAL was compared to manual artifact handling. The study found that RASCAL was able to handle artifacts with greater efficiency and accuracy than manual handling, with a significantly lower rate of damage to fragile artifacts.
These results are important because they demonstrate the potential of RASCAL to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of archaeological excavations, while also reducing the risk of damage to valuable and fragile artifacts. By automating the handling of artifacts, RASCAL could free up time for archaeologists to focus on other aspects of their work, such as analysis and interpretation of findings.

Chaos Generator Waterwheel Final Design

Chaos theory is a new and developing field in mathematics, with many applications in weather, climate change, economics, and many other areas. Our team was given the task of creating a system that displays chaotic motion that can be verified for educational use. The chosen system of a waterwheel that displays chaotic motion was designed and constructed with simplicity and functionality in mind. When operational, the waterwheel will be capable of switching from periodic and continuous motion to chaotic motion with the alteration of break force, inclination angle, and flow rate parameters. The angular velocity of the wheel will be collected and analyzed to form the Lorenz Map to confirm the chaotic nature of the waterwheel rotation. 

Conceptual Prototype Design

The solid-state Nitinol based heat engine is one of many renewable energy options being explored in recent years. The engine is based on the shape memory effect of Nitinol wire, which, when coupled with a pulley system, can be used to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy. Mechanical energy is then converted to electrical energy with a dynamo. This engine is a small-scale representation of what could be used at a residential or commercial level to harness wasted thermal energy and turn it into useful electrical energy. Nitinol based heat engines are one of many solutions to help combat reliance on nonrenewable energy sources and climate change.

2022 Racecar with Aero Package Configuration Attached

Temple Formula Racing is a club which participates in the yearly FSAE event, which is an competition between student organizations which design, build, and race a formula style car. The goal of this senior design is to develop an aerodynamic understanding of the Temple Formula racecar and to prototype and propose an aerodynamic device. This will allow the vehicle’s performance to increase and more competition points to be earned for future years. To achieve this goal we have designed a front and rear wing aero package to produce downforce. The downforce increases the normal force on the tires and allow the maximum velocity of the vehicle to increase as the tires will have greater grip. The design we have produced creates a total downforce of roughly half the vehicles weight. It is constructed out of foam and carbon fiber, with a total weight close to 20 lbs. 

Launch Vehicle

Our team is participating in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) competition, which challenges university-level student teams to design, build, and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a scientific payload to an apogee altitude between 4,000 and 6,000 feet above ground level. The launch vehicle will have a stability margin of 2.0 at the point of rail exit and will accelerate to a minimum of 52 fps at rail exit. Our team will optimize the rocket design for stability and acceleration using simulation tools and physical testing. In addition, we will design and integrate a scientific payload that is capable of autonomously receiving RF commands and performing a series of tasks with an onboard camera system upon landing. Through this project, we aim to gain hands-on experience in rocket system design, as well as project management, teamwork, and communication skills. Our performance in the competition will be evaluated based on the criteria and standards set by NASA, and the quantitative results of our project will provide valuable insights into the scientific problem addressed by our payload.

SOLIDWORKS model of the assembly

This project aims to address Temple Formula Racing's (TFR) issue of a lack of quantitative data on their braking system. The solution was to create a brake dynamometer that would allow the team to test rotors and calipers by collecting data on speed, rotor temperature, and braking pressure. The prototype was designed to simulate one-quarter of the inertia of the TFR car moving at 40 MPH through the use of a flywheel. The system operates by spinning the shaft up to braking speed and then setting the sensors to collect data as the brake is applied to the rotor. The results of this project will provide TFR with data that is directly transferable to its cars. TFR could then use this machine to test various rotor and caliper combinations as well as different flywheel sizes as the vehicles continue to change from year to year.

Designing a people counter sensor to track the number of people that use the Temple Flight system daily. Also developing a geolocation system that will track what stops are most commonly used. Lastly creating a user-friendly dashboard so that the administration can monitor Flight activity.   

The problem we are addressing with our project is the lack of accessible travel devices for above the knee amputees to use in the shower that still provides adequate access to the residual limb. To address this problem we designed a portable prosthetic device that can quickly be assembled once the user reaches their destination. This device can support up to 275 lbs, disassemble to fit into a 22x14x9 inch suitcase, is water resistant, and has a total weight of 25lbs. With these specifications, our device will be able to accommodate the needs of those who could benefit from the use of a device such as this. 

The Kinova arm carrying the TIS probe to take measurements of phantom tissue

The American Cancer Society estimates over 280,000 cases of breast cancer in 2022, and the main method of testing (clinical breast exams) are inconsistent and subjective. This project addresses this problem by using a Kinova robotic arm to dynamically interrogate breast tissue, and a tactile imaging sensor to characterize the size and stiffness of the identified tumor. With a positive outcome to our research, there could be a more affordable and accurate tool to determine tumor presence, growth, and classification. This means cancerous tumors can be found earlier, and treatment can be arranged much more quickly than with previous detection methods.  

A SOLIDWORKS rendering of the final canister design. The top of the canister is a directional alignment system with a particle detection subsystem in the bottom

NASA RockSat-C is an annual senior design project in which students partner with the Student Space Exploration and Embedded Systems Lab to send a scientific experiment into a suborbital trajectory within a Terrier Orion sounding rocket. This year, the team is performing two separate experiments: particle detection and directional alignment. Particle detection focuses on recording gamma and muon activity as a function of altitude. Directional alignment is a system to hold a spatial heading independent of the rocket’s stabilizing spin. The final testing will be a launch from Wallops Flight Facility in June, 2023. Data retrieved from the experiments will be presented to NASA following the flight.

Complete mechanical build of the JPL Open Source Rover original design.

Remote operation, particularly autonomy, is vital for operations in space. As the industrialization of space advances, these technologies will need to become more capable than ever. This rover will demonstrate a visual obstacle detection and navigation system autonomously, which would be a valuable and necessary system for distant space-based infrastructure. The rover will first need to achieve basic teleoperated drive, followed by autonomy using custom navigation software and a stereo camera system. Our goal is for the rover to navigate on its own to a given location, avoiding hazards in its way

A preliminary Simio model of PhilaPort operations simulating the path of freight from arriving on ships to departing by rail and trucks.

Transporting freight by truck makes up almost 7% of the total US greenhouse gas emissions while freight rail only accounts for about 0.5%, even though 40% of long-distance freight is carried by rail. This is largely because, on average, freight railroads are 3-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks. Use of rail for freight transportation instead of trucks also has benefits including decreased traffic congestion and cost savings for shippers. Despite this, only 8-10% of the 7 million tons of cargo entering the Port of Philadelphia each year leaves by rail. In an effort to support the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050, this project seeks to develop a tool that can be used to determine the specific environmental, social and operating metric impacts to the region by increasing the percentage of rail freight leaving the port under current and planned capacity constraints.
To accomplish this, PhilaPort operations were studied, and the data was used to build a validated queuing model in Simio to show port operations. This model creates a tool that allows stakeholders to visually see how the port operates and adjust the percentage of freight being carried by each mode. Using this model, a capacity analysis report will be created to show the effect of the changing inputs on various environmental, social, and operating metrics. This will provide a more holistic picture of operations and the impacts of carrying freight by truck vs rail for the port’s stakeholders. It is anticipated that the results of this project will provide a verified and validated simulation model of the port operations and a tool that allows stakeholders to see the environmental, operating, and social impacts of increasing the amount of freight carried by rail. It is expected that results will show an increase in rail usage for carrying freight overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, noise pollution, Critical Air Pollutants, microplastics, and operating costs including energy and labor costs.

This is an image of the Temple University Police Department's jurisdiction in which we will be working within.

The project Predictive Model for Proactive Patrols and Deployment of the Temple Police Department has the ultimate goal to develop a program capable of using given crime data to then make predictions of future crime occurrences to a certain degree of accuracy to aid in scheduling and patrols for the Temple University Police Department. Using the car break-in crime instances from the year 2018 to 2022, our program should predict future crime locations within a block radius and the time it will happen within a short window based on the attributes provided to each entry in the given data which includes the zip code, address, time of the year, day of the week, time of the day, and whether it was directly on or off campus. The program should predict these crimes with an 80 to 90 percent accuracy range that is addressed through the WEKA software and excel analytics. 

Performing data collection with radar.

We are attempting to provide a means to detect falls inside the home in a non-invasive way using radar. We have created a training dataset that involves multiple different typical movements inside a home. K-nearest neighbor is used to classify unlabeled movements. With further development, the resulting algorithm could be used in household settings to notify third parties if a fall is detected. 

The objective of the Space Capsule Rehabilitation project is to fabricate a new instrument panel that resembles the 1960’s Friendship 7 panel. The sponsor of the project has an original mock-up of the capsule along with the instrument panel. It has been out of commission for many years and is in need of improvements so that it can be used for educational outreach again. The new panel will include functional switches, gauges, LEDs and buttons that are all interconnected with the hope down the line that it can replicate a portion of John Glens Friendship 7 mission. The importance of this project is to inspire the youth to join the ever-growing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and to restore an important part of space flight history. Having and interactive panel where you can see how everything is connected and put together will help future space enthusiasts to better understand aerospace-related concepts and hopefully entice them to participate in STEM-related activities.

Sustainable Data Test Bench with Raspberry Pi connected to a BAS controller

According to the 2021 global status report for buildings and construction, building and construction energy usage is 36% of global energy use and 37% of energy-related CO2 emissions. The sustainable development goals set by the United Nations Development Program dictate that “global net CO2 emissions must drop by 45% between 2010 and 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.” Because buildings make up such a large percentage of the net emissions of CO2, reducing the energy usage in buildings would assist greatly in reaching these goals. Large commercial buildings create a massive amount of data through their Building Automation Systems. Our overall goal is to create a system that can pull data off a building's BAS and aggregate and analyze that information. This system should be open source and affordable, but also capable of creating actionable data from a BAS and delivering it to an energy manager.

We addressed the intersection of Lindbergh Blvd and South 84th Street, by collecting data on traffic flow during rush hour. After visiting the intersection 3 times and counting the vehicles traveling in each direction, as well as other factors like how many vehicles turned and the percentage of heavy vehicles we found the total delay in seconds per vehicle. We got delay values of 23 and 26 for the North and South directions and 16 and 17 for the East and West. We then used this data to generate graphs where we varied cycle length and green light time to see their effect on the total delay. We found if the Cycle length is made 45 seconds and the green time 20 seconds, the total delay was brought under 10 sec/veh in the southbound direction. This would improve the Level of Service of the intersection from C to A.

the intersection drawing, road model, and smart cars

This project aims to increase the level of service at the intersection in all directions for all vehicles. This project needs to change light traffic time, install sensors, dilemma zone, redirecting cars, and stop cars. The results will be a decrease in the number of accidents, enhanced safety, and no busyness at the intersection. These results are very important to increase the level of service and to ensure people can move in that intersection was safer.    

The GeoWall competition is a student competition that requires participants to design and construct a model of a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall that holds back soil and applied loadings without failing or deforming. The competition requires a wall that uses the least amount of reinforcement, with the model being constructed within a 26”x18”x18” plywood box, using strips of kraft paper as reinforcement and posterboard as facing. It is a timed competition with fabrication and construction confined to less than an hour of total time. After construction, vertical and horizontal loads are applied, and capacity is tested. Our team’s focus was to design a wall with minimal reinforcement while keeping construction simple. Laboratory tests were completed to determine the relevant properties of both the soil and the paper reinforcement, and design calculations were carried out to determine an optimal design. We hope to achieve 1st place  at the GeoWall competition, as well as improve upon the design of prior teams.

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials and is essential for many engineering projects such as roads, bridges, dams, and pipes. Concrete also has a relatively high compressive strength which makes it a popular choice in many applications. Many construction projects are growing in scale to continuously meet infrastructure needs due to population growth. The construction industry is utilizing concrete in more application thus needing a more durable and better-quality concrete. 

The goal of our project is to design a mixture of high-strength concrete modified with nano silica that can outperform traditional high strength concrete mixtures. We tested the effect of adding nano silica at increasing levels to a high strength concrete mixture. Before curing our concrete, we investigated the fresh properties of high strength concrete. After curing our concrete for 1, 3, 7, and 28 days we investigated the strength and durability properties through various laboratory tests. After designing and testing our samples, our solution will be the mixture that has the highest increase in strength and durability results compared to the control mixture with no nano silica added. 

Creating an improved construction material using nano silica will allow for an increased lifespan of infrastructure and a decreased amount of waste and construction pollution.

We will be designing and fabricating a model steel bridge to compete at the AISC Student Steel Bridge Regional Competition with team 29. Our bridge must support 2500 pounds of vertical load and 50 pounds of lateral load without exceeding 3 inches of vertical deflection or 1 inch of sway. We created individual models and compared our ideas for the design of the bridge and connections before deciding on a final design. Our model bridge is 240 pounds and can support the required weight with a vertical deflection of 1.1 inches and sway of 0.088 inches, well within the required limits. We ordered the materials and received the training necessary to fabricate the bridge after performing relevant calculations to ensure the bridge model will perform as intended. We plan to compete at the regional competition on April 22, 2023. 

Rain garden PA BMP Standardized PA Department of Environmental Protection.“Chapter 6: Structural BMPs.” Pennsylvania Best Management Practices Manual. Dec. 2006.

Our project plans to address stormwater management issues at Congregation Keneseth Israel synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. The specific issues we want to target are reducing peak rate, reducing runoff volume, and removing the possibility of icing. The site currently has a peak rate of 0.45 cfs and 1670 ft3 runoff volume. In order to handle these issues, we will have to implement a Stormwater Management Practice. Our SMP will be a rain garden with the assistance of rip rap. The design produced a 0.44 cfs peak rate and 790 ft3 runoff volume for a 2-year, 24-hour design storm event. Results on the icing will show over time after construction and determined by the client. These results show that our SMP design was adequate in handling the stormwater issue.

This is a photo from the computer simulations that we ran on our model design

Vibrations affect tall buildings, vibration absorbers can reduce this impact. Computer simulations and mathemtcial models show that addition of an appropriate absorber can reduce amplitude response function characteristics by 15%. This makes buildings safer and more comfortable for occupants.

Portable non-invasive NIR fiber optic probe collecting data of the M2 metacarpal region.

Degenerative bone diseases necessitate continuous monitoring to evaluate disease progression and therapeutic efficacy. Researchers in Dr. Nancy Plesko's lab NIR spectrometers that use fiber optic probes to measure NIR spectra for bone tissue monitoring as a low-cost, portable, low-risk alternative for taking accurate measurements of bone health. The efficacy of the NIR spectroscopy devices must be tested using human tissues or materials that mimic the absorption, scattering, and other optical properties of human tissues. The availability and use of human tissues for analytical tool development is limited, so utilizing optical tissue models to test the reproducibility of data, to optimize data collection, and calibrate NIR spectroscopy devices is preferred. For this senior design project, the team will make biological models that mimic the composition of human metacarpal bone and the overlying layer of skin. Dr. Pleshko’s lab will assess the functionality of their NIR spectroscopy devices by measuring spectral data from various layers of these models and comparing the data to the known composition of each layer.

Mold for the construction of the microfluidic platform which will be used to house the adipose tissue, connect with the electrodes for stimulation, and examine under a microscope.

The research project aims to investigate the effects of electrical stimulation on adipose tissue (AT) using a microfluidic device made from PDMS. The device will house adipocytes within a hydrogel, mimicking the human body's physiological conditions. Integrated electrodes will deliver electrical stimulation to the adipocytes, which will be precisely controlled through a remote serial peripheral interface. The changes in adipocyte metabolism will be measured by the concentration of glycerol, a byproduct of lipolysis. By examining the glycerol concentration at different levels of electrical stimulation, this project will provide a deeper understanding of the impact of electrical impulses on AT metabolism. The study's potential implications are significant as AT plays a critical role in regulating energy balance and metabolic health, and this research can lead to new therapeutic approaches to obesity.

Researchers have stated that there are errors in the kinematic analysis, which can be derived from the skin and soft tissue being loosely attached to the skeleton of rodents. This significant error is caused by markers drawn on or attached to the skin, which are known as skin motion artifacts. Although these skin markers obtain repeated results of kinematics, they do not represent the inherent motion of the skeleton. 

To enhance the localization of the markers, the team presents two solutions; single-point tattooing and sutured high contrast disk. The single-point tattooing is an iteration from previous Senior Design Teams, while the contrast disk is a new approach that defeats the challenge of dispersion of material. The solutions have proven to be visible through light coated rat when utilizing NIR Cameras as well as allow free movement of the rat. With these results, the team is able to assist Dr. Andrew Spence’s research on locomotor neuromechanics and spinal cord injury through overcoming skin motion artifacts.

PETG mold design with changing infill angles and the produced PDMS sample with a mechanical stiffness gradient

Polydimethylsiloxane is a commonly used polymer to study cell behavior, more applicably wound repair, in human skin. The challenge that arises in current models is replicating the large range of mechanical properties that skin has while maintaining uniform samples as deformities cause cell death. We developed a thin anisotropic device, capable of being used in a microscopic slide, by creating PETG molds with changing infill angles. These high throughput molds can be reused to create multiple uniform samples. They are then tensile tested for the mechanical stiffness gradient. This method of creating anisotropy within the silicone will be utilized in researching cell behavior in wound healing while maintaining cell viability.

PETG mold design with changing infill angles and the produced PDMS sample with a mechanical stiffness gradient

Nasal surgery requires the simultaneous use of two medical tools: one to provide vision of the nasal cavity and another to repair the damaged or infected tissue. Currently, there are two types of tools (called endoscopes) that laryngologists use to observe the inside of the nose. The first is a rigid design, where the angle of observation of the tool is at a fixed angle. This requires the surgeon to swap out different rigid endoscopes to achieve different angles of view during a surgery. The other design is a flexible endoscope that the surgeon can orient at almost any angle to view the nasal cavity. The disadvantage of the flexible design is that it requires both hands to operate, so it cannot be used during surgery. Our team was charged with designing a method to thoroughly view the nasal cavity while simultaneously allowing the laryngologist to perform surgery to reduce the surgery time. We have designed a rigid endoscope with a rotating insertion tube and mirror at the distal tip. The surgeon is able to control the rotation of both components using a pulley system that is attached to the handle of the device. 

This project aims to produce a microfluidic device that allows for long-range visualization of spheroid invasion, providing a much deeper understanding of how cancer cells begin to invade and metastasize with specific chemical stimulation or mechanical gradients. In our project, we developed a microfabricated biocompatible device derived from PDMS capable of wide-range imaging for spheroids. Microfluidic devices are used frequently because they allow spatiotemporal chemical gradient manipulation of the recapitulated dynamic cellular microenvironment. The temporal and spatial profile of the chemical gradient, which is also known to influence cellular responses such as cell migration, invasion, signaling, and differentiation, is crucial to several biological processes. Some examples of spatial and temporal manipulation that can replicate the extracellular microenvironment include convection flow, passive diffusion, droplet-based microfluidics, flow switching, integrated microvalves/pumps, and droplet manipulation. The simulation of the dynamic cellular microenvironment is made possible by combining the spatial and temporal changes of the chemical gradient. The proposed solution features a 3-channel design with a center collagen channel and a media channel on either side. Varying concentrations of FBS generate the desired gradient to induce cell and spheroid migration across the gel channel.

Digit occluding mechanism (left) and model for NIR spectroscopy housing (right) will work in synchrony to capture hyperemic responses for assessment of microvascular health.

Little to no accessible, preventative diagnostics exist for the 37 million diabetic Americans at risk for severe complications including foot ulcerations, lower extremity amputations, and even death. Observing hyperemic responses, the return of blood flow to tissue after blanching, allows physicians to assess microvascular health and prevent the onset of these severe complications. The Portable System for Dynamic Assessment of Microvascular Function utilizes a repeatable load with affordable NIR spectroscopy to analyze microvascular function under simulated occlusion. The device housing design allows for unique control of spectroscopy components in tandem with the occluding mechanism to facilitate a hyperemic response in a digit. A user-friendly interface controls the data output, graphing the hyperemic response and highlighting important portions such as latency period for quick interpretation.