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Back (left to right): Tony Wampole, Marty Grasse, Erik Yusko
Front (left to right): Dani Ebben, Anita Zarebi
In order to accurately measure internal blood pressures, a properly calibrated pressure sensitive cardiovascular catheter may be used. Current techniques for calibrating the catheter are in question, which causes concern about the validity of the test results. This project aims to devise a testing system which more reliably calibrates and verifies the accuracy of the catheter in both atmospheric and internal bodily conditions.
Steps are underway to modify the prototype such that an airtight seal is acheived.
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 26 | We have assigned team roles and chose a course of action to achieve an airtight seal. |
| 2 | February 2 | Box dimensions have been finalized, sample microcontrollers were ordered, and a basic temperature control model was developed. |
| 3 | February 9 | We have modified the pressure and temperature feedback loops such that a microcontroller is no longer needed. |
| 4 | February 16 | The box has been machined to its final dimensions, and many of the main components have been ordered. |
| 5 | February 23 | Interior work on the box is almost complete. Amplifier schemes continue to be developed as samples will begin to arrive shortly. |
| 6 | March 2 | Hemostasis valve sampes are on the way. We have also prepared our midsemester presentation. |
| 7 | March 9 | Obtained sample hemostasis valves from the client. Aspects of the heating system were modified. |
| 8 | March 16 | A client meeting derived guidance on heating alternatives, a catheter sheath, and the user interface. |
| 9 | March 23 | A preliminary graphical user interface was put together. Components for the box were finalized. |
| 10 | March 30 | Spring Break: Skiing, Sleeping, Reading and the like. |
| 11 | April 6 | We hit the ground running and recorded voltage changes proportional to pressure changes from the INA118 amplifier with the VBasic code. |
| 12 | April 13 | All materials have been ordered and received during this past week. The pressure chamber has been sealed. |
| 13 | April 20 | Final touches were made on the box including: foam insulation, thermistor ports, and intial seal testing. The code underwent initial and discrete testing while the control hardware was wired to a bread board. |
| 14 | April 27 | Assembled, tested, and are ready to present! |
| 15 | May 4 | Finalized some itmes within the code, added power resistors to slow air pump, and finished up final deliverables |
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Midsemester Presentation (Mar 8 2007, 1858 kb) |
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Outreach Presentation - PDF (May 1 2007, 751 kb) |
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Final Poster - JPG (May 3 2007, 2103 kb) |
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Final Technical Note (May 12 2007, 258 kb) |
