The US Energy Information Administration estimates that up to 30% of natural gas (NG) reserves are flared into the atmosphere, producing an average of 111,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year. NG is primarily composed of methane and is flared to create CO₂, which is a less potent greenhouse gas. NG is often flared when it is stranded in an isolated location, making recovery economically unviable. To combat the under-utilization of NG as an energy resource, we designed a modular process to harvest and convert it into useful, liquid fuel products.

Patients with below-the-knee amputations who use prosthetic legs often have issues with the fit of the prosthetic leg due to the changing volume of the residual limb throughout the day. To date, there is no compact, affordable device available to the general amputee community that easily and accurately measures volume change throughout the day, alerting the patient that changes need to be made with the amount of prosthetic socks worn, or alerting a device inside the prosthetic to automatically adjust for them.

Modern cervical cancer screening has many problems, specifically the lack of accessibility to women’s healthcare, current healthcare disparities, patient pain and discomfort, accuracy of testing, and the lack of education and increased stigma surrounding women’s reproductive care. We aimed to increase patient satisfaction, create more engagement in clear communication between the healthcare professional and the patient, and have higher rates of women in lower socioeconomic areas engaging in consistent screening. 

In collaboration with Mayo Clinic, we developed an absorbable surgical foam and drain to address challenges in postoperative wound care. Current practices with surgical drains, though effective in many cases, have limitations that hinder their ability to comprehensively manage complications, particularly in large surgical wounds. The occurrence of seromas, a common postoperative complication, underscores the demand for innovative solutions to enhance the efficiency of wound healing processes.

Our objective was to create a rocking motion device for a rocking chair, automating its movement. We developed the device to help people with autism, including kids, who need a constant motion to relax and fall asleep without supervision.

While the prevalence of shock refractory ventricular fibrillation is low, survival remains incredibly rare. Different defibrillation methods have been proposed to improve outcomes, but the double sequential external defibrillation (DSED) technique is the most promising. We aimed to produce a device, that can deliver the same functions as a manual defibrillator and employ the DSED technique without the need for an extra defibrillator. 

Our goal was to create a safe and long-lasting total stemless reverse shoulder arthroplasty implant that can be approved by the FDA for consumer use. This type of arthroplasty would allow for a large range of motion compared to current models. However, the humeral component is more easily dislodged from the bone. We created a testing rig to apply force at various angles to mimic stresses from moving the arm. 

Dental anxiety affects a large portion of the population, leading to dental care avoidance, resulting in compromised oral health. We addressed this concern by developing a motorized bite block aimed at alleviating anxiety induced by dental drilling noises. Utilizing bone conduction technology, the device emits vibrational frequencies through the jaw bones, reducing patient anxiety and enhancing the overall dental experience. 

The project is significant in improving patient attendance, making procedures safer and reducing treatment costs. 

Our goal was to assess and suggest improvements for cervical implant technology. We aimed to develop a surface treatment to improve VySpine’s PEKK-based spinal implants’ osseointegration and osteoinduction to reduce patient recovery time, improve implant bone encapsulation, reduce recurrence of degenerative disc disease (DDD) and vertebral fracture symptoms. 

We created a device for Biosense Webster to establish a normalized relationship between the proximal and distal ends of cardiac catheters, in order to control the quality. Our primary focus was to improve Biosense Webster’s current testing arena for catheters and create controlled testing conditions replicating the human body, with limited storage space. Key user design needs included uniform dial movement, repeatability, recording catheter tip movement and data storage. Design inputs translate these needs into specific requirements, emphasizing precise dial movement