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Week 15 E-mail Progress Report

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Thermal warm/heat probe for neurological examination

Team members:

Andrew Hoyord
Bern Jordan
Dana Mueller
Paul Thottakara
Paul Victorey

Client:

Miroslav Backonja

Reporting period:

5/1 - 5/7

Problem statement:

"Doctors are now finding it necessary to test patients experiencing pain or numbness primarily in their extremities, and possibly the trunk or face for neurological damage and warm/heat sensitivity by applying hot sensations to their skin. A device that heats up to target temperatures of 38 and 45 degrees Celsius relatively quickly, and is portable, allowing the doctor to carry it between examining rooms. The first prototype is being designed to run off regulated voltage from a wall outlet.

Restatement of team goals:

1. Complete the construction of Prototype I.
2. Begin testing of the completed prototype with various loads. Attempt to simulate what the
   device will actually see.
3. Get liquid crystal sheets and test the consistency of the temperature at the probe surface.

Accomplishments:

1. Epoxied remaining switches reset button guide to the project box.
2. Worked on the safety features of the code.
3. Informal testing, just to make sure everything is still working.

Goals for next reporting period:

1. Do some testing of completed prototype I
2. Meet with our client
3. Write journal/confrence paper
4. Create and present final poster presentation.

Project Schedule

Past
12/7 - 12/20: Wrote final paper and poster presentation. Final meeting with advisor.
1/23 - 1/29: Start of new semester. Soldered components to two PCBs. Contacted client.
1/30 - 2/5: Ordered remaining components for board(power transistor, case). Completed construction of the two boards. Began testing the boards.
2/6 - 2/12: Redesigned probe head to allow mounting on project case. Ordered remaining components neccesary for first prototype completion.
2/13 - 2/19: Met with client. Reviewed and filled out some of the material neccesary for HSC application.
2/20 - 2/26: Machined probe heads. Submitted IDR to the WARF. Began computer drawing of prototype.
2/27 - 3/5: Ordered remaining hardware neccesary for the construction of our probe. Set up meeting with HSC representative. Completed project box layout.
3/6 - 3/12: Machined project box and PVC coupling for probe attachment.
3/13 - 3/19: Midsemester presentation. Met with representative from the WARF. Finished machining the project box. Tested thermistors. Began construction of new probe heads.
3/20 - 4/2: Began testing of new probe heads. Plotted temperature waveform of our STAMP while operating. Spring Break (3/23 - 4/1)
4/3 - 4/9: Worked on new heating routine. Determined could not write journal by deadline.
4/10 - 4/16: Worked on a heating routine using changing duty cycles to regulate temperature. Found liquid crystal supplier. Developed way to fasten Ni-Cr wire leads without soldering.
4/17-4/23: Created new attachment after epoxy found in the threads of the old one. Finished new version of code with threshold control implemented. Attached Ni-Cr leads with modified screws.
4/23-4/30: Continued construction of the prototype, almost complete.
5/1-5/7: Finished epoxying switches to project box, worked more on the safety features of the code.

Future
5/8 - 5/14: Extensive testing of prototype I. Make modifications and enhancements to prototype I as needed. Finish writing journal article. Work on Final Presentation. Meet with Client. Final presentation.
5/15-5/17: Final meeting with our advisor.

Difficulties thus far:

Unable to work in the BME lab during the day this week, because EMA has reserved the lab for meetings
WARF has decided not to pursue a patent for our device.
Have not been able to get any further response from liquid crystal distributor.

Activities:

Total time (this period):

9.5 hours

Total time (overall):

209.5 hours

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