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Vascular reactivity studies will greatly increase the understanding of Atherosclerosis, an inflammation of the arteries. A possible complication of advanced Atherosclerosis is thrombosis, which in turn may lead to heart attacks or strokes. When examining how the brachial arteries react to occlusion, an ultrasonic probe must be held in the correct orientation for prolonged periods of time. Ultrasonic images are influenced by motion artifact caused by the sonographer’s movements. The development of a probe holder that would stabilize and consistently position the ultrasound probe would improve the quality of the sonogram. A prototype was constructed that enables the probe to be moved in six degrees of freedom while being attached to a table. The positioning of the probe can be adjusted by loosening one knob and moving the entire arm into the correct location before tightening the knob again. The table also contains a comfortable arm rest that stabilizes the patient’s arm. Future work includes testing the prototype to determine if it meets the sonographer’s requirements, looking into having articulated arm translate in three directions and attaching a clamp to the articulated arm in order to hold a variety of different sized probes.
From Left to Right: Leon Corbeille, Lein Ma, Neal Haas, Peter Kleinschimdt
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4 | Contacted client to set up meeting. |
| 2 | September 11 | Met with client and discussed possible improvements to the prototype. Bought a "goose neck" to possibly use in our design |
| 3 | September 18 | Ordered materials for new prototype (HDPE and rubber). Begin construction after going shopping for rest of materials |
| 4 | September 25 | Bought vinyl and nuts and bolts for new probe holder design. |
| 5 | October 2 | Started construction of probe holder and determined best possible way to lay vinyl on the arm stabalizer |
| 6 | October 9 | Finished painting of parts and built prototype |
| 7 | October 16 | Practiced for Mid Semester Presentation |
| 8 | October 23 | Brought prototype to client to provide feedback |
| 9 | October 30 | Discussed possible changes to prototype and started IRB forms |
| 10 | November 6 | Ordered parts for changes and sent IRB forms to IRB |
| 11 | November 13 | Finished upgrades to prototype and plan to meet with client on Friday for any more improvements or changes |
| 12 | November 20 | |
| 13 | November 27 | |
| 14 | December 4 | |
| 15 | December 11 |
