team photo

Figure 1
project photo

Figure 2
project photo

Biomedical Engineering
Team 2

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Nathan Friday
Vidyalaxmi V. Kandarpa
Morgan McNamara

Martin Han

Sponsor

UConn Neural Prostheses Lab

sponsored by
sponsor logo

The main goal of this project is to construct an insertion device that will allow us to insert microelectrodes into the gray matter of the spinal cord that are connected to the bladder that patients no longer have control of. Our motivation for the completion of this project is primarily to enhance the daily lives of patients who suffer from spinal cord injuries and chronic pain all located to the lower appendicular of their body systems. The insertion device will utilize sensors which allow the operator to better understand the location of the implantation. This will take place through the use of a force and displacement sensor to measure the speed of the insertion and distance at which the microelectrode is implanted. We plan on utilizing SolidWorks and tissue design to create prototypes of our insertion design as well as a gelatin-agarose model of the spinal cord to test the device. We also used SolidWorks to design and prototype the device in order to test the compatibility with the holding frame, insertion rods, and force and displacement sensors. This prototype will then be used in conjunction with the instrumentation circuitry and the spinal cord model to test its performance and generate data for continuous improvement.