-
-
Skip navigation
(Access key: S).
Contact information.
The Small Animals Imaging Lab located in the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research is in need of a solid, adjustable device that will restrain mice during Positron Emission Tomography and Computerized Tomography (PET/CT) scans. These scans are used to pinpoint cancerous growths within the animal prior to treatment. The device must restrain the animal’s extremities to prevent movement and must include a quantitative analysis device to replicate the animal’s exact anatomical position. The device should improve efficiency for animal restraint compared to the current cardboard restraint device.
Left to right: Vanessa Grosskopf, Brooke Sampone, Sam Paulsen, Jim Mott, Eamon Bernardoni
The team learned some important aspects of imaging including more about attenuation, what the Hounsfield unit is, and what information the software readouts will give us. The team began fabricating some pegs for the board and realized that it was necessary to do most of the work in the lab with an actual mouse. The team met to mill off several columns of holes on the first prototype to make the device smaller. Work on the poster also began.
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4 | Established team roles, conducted preliminary research, set up meeting with client. |
| 2 | September 11 | Met with client, had a site visit, began individual brainstorming wrote PDS. |
| 3 | September 18 | Had a group meeting and shared individual brainstorm ideas, began developing design alternatives, updated PDS, decided wood wouldn’t work as a material after contacting client. |
| 4 | September 25 | Team collected possible materials for testing, set up meeting with client for testing, continued developing design alternatives, received confirmation of budget. |
| 5 | October 2 | Met with client for material testing, met with client regarding an idea the client had for the project, completed the design matrix, updated the PDS, decided on 3 design alternatives, divided the sections of the paper and presentation among team members. |
| 6 | October 9 | Redirected statement of motivation, made preliminary SolidWorks models of the 3 design alternatives, completed Midsemester PowerPoint Presentation, compiled rough draft of Midsemester Report, conducted research on ABS plastic. |
| 7 | October 16 | Edited and completed Midsemester Report, updated notebooks, completed self/peer evaluations. |
| 8 | October 23 | Researched chemical ratios of ABS, ordered materials, contacted Siemens regarding software information. |
| 9 | October 30 | Began fabrication, fabricated board, cut pegs for board attachment, ordered cord for peg restraints, set up meeting with client to scan fabricated bed and determine necessary dimensions. |
| 10 | November 6 | Met with client, measured necessary carbon fiber bed dimensions, decided to narrow bed and not have holes in the middle of it, received pictures from client of scanned board and peg material. |
| 11 | November 13 | Learned more about imaging, fabricated pegs, milled off a row of holes, began making poster, |
| 12 | November 20 | |
| 13 | November 27 | |
| 14 | December 4 | |
| 15 | December 11 |
 |
Midsemester PowerPoint Presentation (Oct 15 2009, 2240 kb) |
|
Product Design Specifications (Oct 21 2009, 14 kb) |
|
Midsemester Report (Oct 21 2009, 985 kb) |
