Over 800,000 patients in the U.S. have undergone shoulder arthroplasty for a variety of medical conditions. Implant design has been affected by the rapid and popular trends of minimally-invasive surgeries. Traditional or “anatomical” shoulder replacement involves replacing the ball of the humeral bone with a metal or ceramic ball. A plastic socket takes the place of the glenoid cavity within the scapula. In a reverse shoulder replacement, the ball and socket are essentially switched.

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Team 112 L to R: Matthew Mohammed (ME), Ethan Corey (BME), William Crittenden (BME), Alexandra Nowzamani (BME), Valeria Aguilera Torres (BME), Nickolas Wolniewicz (ME)

We designed and built a catheter angle measuring device for Biosense Webster. Physicians often use cardiac catheters as a tool in heart surgeries to diagnose and treat patients with heart diseases. The need for more precise rotation in heart procedures is on the rise as the number of surgeries using cardiac catheters increases. This demands that we improve on current catheter models by increasing the accuracy and control physicians have during operations.

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Team 111 L to R: Amari Deleon (BME), Alberto Villacrez (BME), Jake Anthony Vickers (ME), Madison Burke (BME), Savannah Buro (BME), Christopher Hayot (BME), Linna Ma (ME) - Not pictured

The Tracheal-bronchial Reflux Diagnostic System is a medical device intended to aid in the diagnosis of patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Patients with chronic GERD can experience severe repetitive acid reflux resulting in chronic cough and damage to the lungs. By integrating a pepsin-specific degrading polymer with a sensor, we can implant the device in the airway to measure the changes in resistance of the polymer and quantify the amount of pepsin present in the airway.

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Team 110 L to R: Haddie Frost (BME), Aznar Guillermo (ECE), Zachary Baty (BME), Colton McGarraugh (BME), Hailey Murphy (BME), Joseph Malatino (ECE)

Glioblastomas are a subset of gliomas, one of the most common types of primary brain tumors and the most difficult to treat. The American Cancer Society reports that the survival rate of malignant glioblastomas ranges from 6-22%, depending on age. Currently, the most common form of treatment is surgical tumor removal followed by radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) are taken within the first three days after surgery and used as a guide for radiation therapy. However, radiation therapy is not initiated until 4-5 weeks post-surgery.

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Team 109 L to R: Alexander Kurlman (IME), Michael Lohse (BME), Willie Spight (BME), Vanessa Gonzalez (BME), Hunter Aldridge (BME), David Torres-Delgado (IME)

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects about 1 in 44 children in the U.S. alone. It is characterized by delayed social communication and interaction skills and repetitive behaviors. Known as “stimming,” these repetitive behaviors can help children with autism cope with stress.

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Team 108 L to R: Brianna Davis, Emily Cupelli, Kaleb Daniels, Yusef Kutbi

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative, non-sporeforming, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacteria. Its ease of manipulation, fast doubling time of 15-20 minutes, and well-understood genetic system contribute to a long history of E. coli use in biotechnology and laboratory research. As a result, it is used extensively in industry for widescale production of antibiotics, medicines, vaccines, pesticides, solvents and fuel.

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Team 107 L to R: Japhia Robinson (ChE), Tamia Edwards (BME), Jill Mistry (BME), Jacob Liboy (ChE), Sydney Braddock (ChE), Parth Patel (BME), Andrew Aarons (BME)

CREST Post-Doc Makes Immediate Impact Through Novel Materials for Extrusion Processing

After just one year on the job, Balaji Krishna Kumar has made an immediate impact on the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s research culture. Kumar is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Science Foundation-CREST program at the college and works with Florida A&M University doctoral students and undergraduate program interns on novel materials research.