SqueakPeak: Mouse Pup Birth Detector for Research Laboratories
Team Members: Alexsandra Denisin, Davis Li, Pauline Luong, Chris Alabastro
Capstone Client: David Copenhagen, Ph.D, UCSF Opthalmology & Physiology
Purpose: Development studies of synaptic pathways in mouse neonatal retina, phototaxis, and hyaloid vessel regression currently require that mice are dark reared. To achieve this, pregnant mice are isolated from other mice 2-3 days before litter birth. Pup age is estimated by manual inspection that requires a laboratory professional to check on the mice daily, including after normal business hours. The Capstone team developed a pup delivery detector to accurately determine birth time of pups such that researchers can age-match mice. Unlike manual inspection, this research sensor identifies the birth hour and day for age-matching individuals.
Embryo Delivery Device for Greater In Vitro Fertilization Success
Team Members: Wanging Du, Vincent Liu, Pamela Tiet, Hanson Zhao
Capstone Client: Paolo Rinaudo, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor & Practicing Clinician at UCSF School of Medicine
Purpose/Goal: In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves fertilization of a human embryo outside the body in an artificial environment. The typical success rate for IVF ranges widely – from 10% to 60% — depending on the female’s age, clinic, and physician. Procedures can cost several thousand dollars. To address the IVF success rate variability, the Capstone team developed a hand-held device to enable high accuracy and precision delivery of an embryo to specific locations in the uterus, as is needed in IVF.
Transforming Patient Handling
Team Members: Bryant Chu, Hoaming Huang, Eric Johnson, Jessie Tung
Capstone Client: David Rempel, M.D., Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Purpose/Goal: Current methods of patient transfer create immediate and long-term safety concerns for both the patient and healthcare professionals. Immediate risk involves injury to the patient during a transfer while long-term risk concerns injury to the caregiver from manual handling. To address rising injury rates with an aging population, this Capstone team developed a safer, more efficient system to move hospital patients to and from beds/tables to minimize risk of injury to both the patient and caregiver.
Portable Assessment of Hemoglobin Levels in Resource Poor Settings
Team Members: Philippe Decorwin-Martin, Austin Kwong, Xin Xin Lin, Nawal Siddiqui
Capstone Clients: Megan Huchko, M.D., M.P.H Advisor for Jacaranda Health; Nick Pearson, Founder and managing Director for Jacaranda Health
Purpose: Jacaranda Health is a mobile maternity clinic serving rural & urban communities in Kenya. One dysfunction relevant to Jacaranda’s mission is to diagnose and treat anemia. Anemia is characterized by a decrease in red blood cells or a low level of hemoglobin in the blood and leads to an annual death toll of almost a million deaths. The Capstone team worked with Jacaranda Health to create portable means to accurately assess human hemoglobin levels in a resource-limited setting using commonly available mobile telephone technology and WHO anemia standards.
A Home Monitoring: Early Detection of Asthma Flares
Team Members: Charvi Shetty, Vinidhra Mani, Jay Kumar
Capstone Client: John Hixson, M.D. Clinical Neurologist, Assistant Professor at UCSF; Pulmonary Function Test Lab, UCSF Medical Center
Purpose: Asthma, a disorder causing airway constriction, affects 34.1 million people in the United States. Asthma is a degenerative, heterogeneous disorder with varied triggers. Clinically, asthma is subject to grossly generalized treatments. Through extensive needs finding, the Capstone team identified a need for a non-invasive, consistent monitoring of a patient’s asthmatic flares to inform specific courses of treatment. The team introduced an in-home, portable asthma monitoring device with components for airflow and chemical measurement.
Improve Breastfeeding Latching Assessment
Team Members: Saba Khalilmaji, Brian McRae, Chengwin Saephanh, Libing Wang
Capstone Client: Carol Miller, M.D., UCSF Pediatric specialist for well–born neonates, Francis Kong, Graduate from the University of Missouri School of Medicine; Barbara Gay, RN, UCSF lactation consultant
Purpose/Goal: Breastfeeding is essential for the development of newborns. Tongue tied, sore nipples, and incorrect positioning may contribute to unsuccessful breastfeeding session. The Capstone team created an electronic sensing device for direct and continuous assessment of breastfeeding mechanisms as a means to aid physicians in correcting nonproductive behaviors.
Point of Care CellScope Diagnostics for Tuberculosis
Team Members: Raymond Lee, Aleo Mok, Jessica Wen, Elaine Su
Capstone Clients: Asa Tapley, UCSF School of Medicine, UC Berkeley School of Public Health Joint Program; Lina Nilsson, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Purpose: Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that afflicts 9 million new individuals per year. In conjunction with the CellScope team at UC Berkeley, this Capstone team developed a low-cost, portable device to generate consistent and high-quality sputum samples for the diagnosis of tuberculosis via cell phone based imaging.
The Branched Thoracic Catheter; Efficient Hemothorax Drainage Through Localization Targeting
Team Members: Gary Chan, Albert Lan, Kathleen Lo, Tiffany Truong
Capstone Clients: Rais Vohra, M.D., UCSF – Fresno Emergency Medicine Physician; Steven Cheung, M.D., UCSF Head and Neck Surgeon
Purpose: Thoracostomy procedures involve an incision made into the chest wall to provide an opening for drainage via a chest tube. The flexible plastic tube removes fluid or air from the pleural cavity, but the drainage location is currently limited to one area within the pleural cavity. The Capstone team introduced a device that allows for constant drainage of a hemothorax in trauma patients requiring a thoracostomy.
