Biophysical mechanisms responsible for ultrasound neuromodulation in bilayer lipid membranes: Enabling the research that uncovers the mysterious interactions between ultrasound and neurons

Medical technology has seen great progress over the last centuries, developing increasingly more specialised therapy to benefit human health. The rise of the pharmaceutical industry and the research it drives are contributors to this success. However, in humanity's attempt to tackle more and more complex health issues, the conventional methods...

Reliability and validity of IMU-based foot progression angle measurement under different gait retraining strategies

Background <br/>Gait retraining strategies are used to reduce medial compartment load in people with medial knee osteoarthritis. Two key gait retraining strategies are based on changing the foot progression angle (FPA). The FPA can be measured using a pressure sensitive walkways (PSW), but inertial measurement units (IMUs) are considered more...

Investigating landing and take-off contact dynamics of host-seeking Anopheles coluzzii malaria mosquitoes using frustrated total internal reflection

To avoid detection during a bloodmeal, a mosquito must minimize contact forces during attachment and detachment contact while maintaining sufficient grip to insert their proboscis and feed. Measuring contact mechanics of the mosquito is technically challenging due to the small length and force scales. Because of this, many aspects of blood...

Low-Cost Automated Paper Strip Reader (APSR)

Paper strip analyzer or a medical strip reader is a low-cost Paper-based Analytical Device (PAD) that is easy-to-use and widely accepted Point-Of-Care (POC) alternative to the relatively complex and expensive ELISA (Enzyme-linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) tests. These devices are used for determining the chemical concentrations (pH, glucose, protein,...

Integrating Ultrasound Neuromodulation and Imaging: A System Concept for a Non-Invasive Image-Guided Vagus Nerve Stimulator

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been proven to be an effective treatment for patients suffering from drug­-resistant epilepsy. Current vagus nerve stimulators are either implantable devices or bulky, handheld devices. The implant consists of a pulse generator beneath the skin of the chest, connected to electrodes that are wired to the cervical...

Inertial Measurement Unit-based post-surgery knee rehabilitation

Every year, nearly five million people undergo knee, making it one of the most common orthopaedic procedures. Sport-related injuries and age-related diseases are the major causes that lead to a knee operation. To recover mobility, stability and muscle strength, the person must go through a post-surgical rehabilitation program.<br/>The price of...

Actuator design for a viscous impeller pump to power the fontan circulation

Patients with a Fontan circulation have a diminished life expectancy of only 30-40 years old. A mechanical circulatory assist device can potentially increase their life expectancy and quality of life. Given the complexity of the anatomy and physiology of the Fontan circulation, design of a safe and effective mechanical assist device is a...

Assessing the state of security of Medical BANs and the IEEE 802.15.6 standard

Medical Body Area Networks (MBANs) are a cluster of possibly heterogeneous devices, communicating with each other in, on or around the human body. Through these devices, medical data is collected, processed in some way and transferred outside of the network. The IEEE 802.15.6 standard aims to govern communications between such devices. It...

Cell adhesion on 3D printed submicron patterns: a quantitative study

Objectives: With an increasing life expectancy in the western societies and more people practising extreme sports, the demand for orthopaedic implants is set to increase. Orthopaedic implant loosening is one of the main causes of revision surgeries, leading to increases in the costs of patient care and patient dissatisfaction. Better...

Towards CMUT for Neurostimulation: The Development of an Experimental Model for the Validation of Ultrasound Neuromodulation and Back-side Vent Etching for Low-Frequency CMUT Devices

Ultrasound (US) neurostimulation, the non-pharmacological, reversible excitation or inhibition of the nervous system using ultrasonic waves, is emerging as a high interest topic in neurostimulation research. In the current project, an attempt was made to demonstrate US neuromodulation in a Lumbricus Terrestris model of evoked compound action...

Oscillator based Analog-to-Digital Converter for Action Potential Readout in Microelectrode Arrays

The functioning of the brain depends on the interplay between a large number of neurons. To understand the information processing in neuronal networks, we need tools to record the electrical activity of cells at high resolution. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are predominantly used to measure neuronal activity<br/>at high spatial and temporal...

Flexible Graphene-Based Passive and Active Spinal Cord Implants

The spinal cord, considered to be the most important path of the human body, when injured induces severe motor dysfunction. Therefore, patients affected by lesions on the spinal cord, are most of the time unable to walk, stand or perform motor activities that are trivial for healthy people. To provide a better quality of life for these patients,...

Polymer Microfabrication Modules for Cytostretch Organ-on-chip Applications

The use of conventional biological assay tools, such as Petri dish, has hindered the drug discovery studies ineffective and time-consuming. To cope with this problem, organ-on-chip (OOC) devices have been developed. Modeling organ functionality, topography, and pathology, OOC devices are expected to pave the way the drug discovery processes....

An Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulator with Adaptive Voltage Compliance for Freely Moving Rats

When the neural pathway within the spinal cord gets damaged, a person’s ability to initiate loco- motion can be affected. Currently, no restorative treatments exist for individuals that suffer from such an injury. However, recent studies have shown epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESCS) to be a potential option for re-establishing some...

Terahertz Torching: Towards closed-loop neurostimulation of group-housed freely moving rodents

Close collaboration between the Bioelectronics department at Delft University of Technology and the Neuroscience department at the Erasmus Medical Centre has resulted in a successful tethered design for a real-time epileptic seizure detection and suppression method for mice. The goal of the Neuromate project is to develop this method into a...