Johns Hopkins Faculty and Student Researchers Present at 2018 Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting

What:
The Biomedical Engineering Society is the professional society for biomedical engineering consisting of more than 7,000 members. Johns Hopkins students will be presenting posters of their engineering projects designed to fill needs in clinical care.

When:
Oct. 17–20, 2018

Where:
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Boulevard NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Application of Doppler Ultrasound to Measurement of Spinal Cord Blood Flow in Spinal Cord Injuries

Where: Georgia World Congress Center – Exhibit Hall A

Poster No: P-SAT-303

When: Saturday, Oct. 20^, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering students will present their research on using ultrasound to measure the return of blood flow in patients with spinal cord injury. Such traumatic injuries are often accompanied by damage to the surrounding blood vessels, cutting off oxygen and nutrients to the surrounding tissue. The full extent of damage after spinal cord injury occurs in two phases: primary trauma from the injury and secondarily, lack of blood flow to the area from damage to surrounding blood vessels, which causes nearby tissues to die.

Working with Nicholas Theodore, M.D., chairman of the National Football League’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee and professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and mentored by Amir Manbachi, Ph.D., assistant research professor of biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, the group of eight students found that ultrasound could measure flow in artificial vessels constructed to mimic the blood vessels that feed the spine. If proven effective in preclinical and clinical testing, the researchers say, this preliminary strategy may offer physicians a way to monitor and ensure adequate spinal blood flow as patients heal from the primary trauma.

Spinal cord injuries affect about 2.5 million people around the world. Motor vehicle accidents account for the approximate 250,000–500,000 new cases each year.

Reusable Intrauterine Tamponade for Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage in Low-Resource Settings

Where: Georgia World Congress Center – Exhibit Hall A

Poster No: 51

When: Oct. 19. 9:30 to 10:15am and 2:45 to 3:30pm

Three Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering students will present their design for a reusable intrauterine tamponade designed to prevent life-threatening hemorrhaging after childbirth. According to the students, currently available tamponade devices have serious barriers to use in low-resource settings, including availability, cost, challenges to proper placement and maintenance. Without access to potentially expensive ultrasound technology to survey the device’s placement, the doctors are deploying the device blind, which can lead to it being placed inaccurately and can lead to failure.

In collaboration with Ob/Gyn clinicians at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the students designed a novel intrauterine tamponade intended to apply pressure within the uterus to stop hemorrhagic bleeding after childbirth. The team, called Maternys, verified their device achieved the minimum pressure required to stop active hemorrhage in a variety of uterine models. The device can be placed reliably without imaging technology. The device is designed to be sterilized and reused, providing cost savings over the current treatments. The researcher plan to conduct clinical testing to verify whether the device can stop postpartum hemorrhage.

Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in low-income countries and is the cause of nearly 25 percent of all maternal deaths globally.

​Sensitivity Analysis of Feedback Controllers for Human Prosthetic Systems

Where: Georgia World Congress Center

When: Oct. 20, 2018

Johns Hopkins University biomedical engineering students will present their design for a system that will provide natural sensory feedback for prosthesis users. The students aim to create a single controller for prostheses that puts the user more “in the loop,” by not only providing feedback from the prosthetic limb, but also taking the user’s reactions into account, which will allow them to use the prosthetic limb more naturally. The Johns Hopkins design aims to tap into these nerves and take advantage of the user’s innate ability to give and receive touch sensation from the limb. To move toward this goal, the research team created a computer simulation of the electronic network that would be needed to provide a user with natural feedback on the prosthesis’ position while simultaneously giving direction to the prosthetic limb. After testing scenarios on the simplified proof-of-concept simulation, the researchers are now collecting real-life data on touch and feedback to optimize their system.

There are nearly 2 million people with amputations in the United States, according to statistics from the Amputee Coalition. Many amputations, about 185,000 each year, are replaced by prosthetics. If the design proves to be successful in further testing, the students say it could help improve the quality of life of prosthesis users.