INNOVATION DAY 2024 | biomedical engineering

Capstone instructor

Yantao Shen
Yantao Shen

The 2024 Senior Capstone course in biomedical engineering was taught by Yantao Shen. To learn more about the biomedical engineering projects, please email Yantao Shen.

About the department

From electromagnetics to biosensors to smart grids, we're on the cutting-edge of electrical and biomedical engineering research and training our students to be successful leaders in the field. Visit the Department of Electrical & Biomedical Engineering

Explore the projects

  • BME-1 Anti-Snoring Pillow Insert

    Students:Momo Alverson, Kim Ortega, Jennifer Trinh

    The proposed anti-snoring pillow insert utilizes embedded vibration motors and real-time snore detection technology to offer a cost-effective, unobtrusive intervention for snoring. Distinct from conventional anti-snoring products, the system instantly identifies snoring occurrences and triggers tactile alerts, prompting the user to adjust sleeping position. Such prompts simultaneously disrupt the snoring pattern and encourage positional shifts, capable of reducing snore intensity. This investigational device leverages embedded sensor and vibration technologies to provide an accessible and minimally disruptive solution for conditioning the body against snoring. Through postural feedback therapy, the intervention aims to achieve both immediate snoring relief and lasting behavioral change for improved sleep health and reduced snoring-related risks.

  • BME-2 Fingerprint Scanning System

    Students: Angelo Carlini, Mara Lee, Nolan Redman

    The goal of this project is to create a software and hardware system that captures fingerprint data, analyzes the data and allows the user to log in to the interface. The hardware implementation of this project consists of an Arduino 2560 UNO board/Raspberry Pi, a computer, the Arduino IDE, an Optical Fingerprint Reader Sensor, a 3D printed case and MATLAB software.

  • BME-3 Bruxiflex Therapy

    Students: Nathan Habon, Alex Hsueh, Rachel Lykins

    The team is working on a health device for the live monitoring and active stimulation of mastication muscles to disincentivize and eventually dehabitualize bruxism, which is grinding of the teeth that introduces various health issues. The health device senses using electrodes and processes it to a threshold limit where a tactile stimulus is applied at point of attachment of electrodes.

  • BME-4 HealGuard Smart Bandage

    Students: Oluwatosin Diyan, Nimisha Sabu, Samuel Suk, Khang Vo

    The purpose of HealGuard Smart Bandage is to create a mobile device to constantly monitor wound conditions. From the measurements retrieved by each sensor, a conclusion can be made based on the specified thresholds on the condition of the wound. The user of the bandage will be notified if there are any irregular conditions and the data pertaining to the sensors will be shared.

  • BME-5 Bioinspired Whisker Sensor-Based Pediatric Assistance Device

    Students: Corey Bivens, Kyle Hedin, Katherine Kerns, Kevin Orellanos

    Our completed product will be similar in form to a stuffed animal. It will be made of materials suitable for repeated exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO), the most common sterilization technique used. There will be an accessible external charging port to recharge the internal battery. There will be a pulse oximetry sensor and whisker-like temperature sensors to allow the child to detect their own heart rate, oxygen saturation and temperature. The results will be displayed on a screen integrated in the product. A vibration motor will be used to provide enhanced tactile feedback during the device's use, and LEDs also will be employed.

  • BME-6 StayCoolB Electric Cooling Band

    Students: Tiffany Fung, Tara Hartman, Jonathan Taasan, Anthea Zander

    This product is a flexible band that can be applied to multiple parts of the body. The device uses input from strain-gauge sensors embedded into the band to detect swelling. When swelling is detected, the thermoelectric coolers will turn on and the device band will begin to cool. This product is designed to treat swelling caused by injury, medical procedures, disease and infection. Though this condition commonly is treated with refrigerated cold packs, those can cause frostbite in minutes, making it dangerous for unconscious or unaware users such as diabetic, senior, pediatric and high blood pressure patients. This product is designed to provide a safer alternative for long-term cold pack use. Safety features will limit temperatures to safe levels and limit the time that skin is exposed to cold temperatures while still promoting healing.

  • BME-7 Safeguard CO: Portable CO Detector

    Students: Antoinette Adduchio, Jacob Arce

    Safeguard CO Alert: Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector embodies the pinnacle of innovation in carbon monoxide detection, crafted by Safeguard CO Alert, a distinguished manufacturing and design enterprise headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Founded by visionaries Antoinette Adduchio and Jacob Arce in February 2024, our company is passionately dedicated to mitigating the perils of carbon monoxide poisoning. With a steadfast commitment to health and safety, we recognize the insidious threat posed by this silent killer, imperceptible to the senses yet capable of catastrophic harm. At Safeguard CO Alert, we understand that traditional methods of CO detection are often impractical and inaccessible. That's why we've engineered a portable, versatile solution that seamlessly integrates with everyday accessories such as phones, eyewear or clothing. Our cutting-edge technology empowers vulnerable populations, including the elderly, first responders and young children, who may not have the luxury of traditional wall-mounted detectors. Individuals can now proactively monitor their CO exposure, safeguarding themselves and their communities from this invisible menace.

  • BME-8 and EE-10 (combined team): PressurePoint Pro

    Capstone Professors: Yantao Shen and Sesh Commuri
    Students:
    Brian Belton, Larson Rivera, Andy Tan, Anna Urias

    Many individuals spend considerable amounts of time standing up with differing postures that may be detrimental to their health. Additionally, with the newfound popularity of health monitoring, individuals may be interested in monitoring their weight consistently without seeking out a traditional scale. The PressurePoint Pro is intended to measure a user's ground reaction force to advise medical professionals on the design of shoe orthotics or provide users with the means to track static weight over extended periods of time without utilizing an external scale. The focus for the project is to develop a single shoe insert prototype with 12 force sensors. The prototype can measure the user's weight distribution, monitor components of an individual's gait cycle and display metrics and graphs through data processing. The PressurePoint Pro must meet certain specifications as a complete product and as a prototype. Some relevant specifications for the prototype include utilizing a single control module affixed to a shin guard to data log to an SD card, a Python application and non-laminated sensor array affixed to sheets of 3D-printed plastic. To meet the desired specifications, certain team-dictated system requirements were created that branch into more specific module-focused requirements.

  • BME-9 and EE-8 (combined team): MoveMentor

    Capstone Professor: Sesh Commuri
    Students: Matt Hosilyk, Josh James, Grant Korte, Zeyad Lateef, Chris Long

    The MoveMentor product aims to teach exercises for physical therapy and dancing using sensors and image analysis. This provides an alternative for physical therapy and dance lessons at an affordable cost. Users will follow step-by-step movements shown on a display screen that will teach the exercise. The display screen then will give feedback based on the accuracy of the user's movements. A correct movement will be indicated by a green screen and an incorrect movement will be indicated through a red screen.