September 2020

Over the summer, the team researched continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and the pathology pf pressure injuries that come from this treatment. At the beginning of the semester, the team contacted the Wound Ostomy Nurse and Clinical Respiratory Specialists from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in order to better identify user needs. From there, the team began compiling a list of requirements and specifications for the CPAP mask. During this time, the device’s constrainsts were analyzed and the requirements were changed as necessary. The necessary standards were researched in order to make sure the device is manufactured and tested safely and accurately.

October 2020

Throughout the month, the team established the list of requirements and specifications and their respective justifications, resulting in three possible design solutions. With a list of narrowed down design solutions, a budget was created for all three possible solutions. Additionally, each design was sketched in order to map out the location of the equipment. The team began to consider different verification and validation methods for each design input.

November 2020

Throughout the entire month, the team finalized the design inputs, and verification and validation testing while beginning to order parts for feasibility testing. In the middle of the month, the team once again met with the affiliates of CHOP to get feedback on the design solutions to help narrow them down. The team chose two of the possible designs solutions and created design matricces to pick the components for each design. Using these mattrices, parts were ordered to conduct feasibility testing for both designs.

December 2020

The team is expecting to go to TCNJ’s machine shop on December 10th in order to begin the feasibility testing. During this time, the team began implementing the circuit board to utilize photodiodes to read blood flow. Also, the team ordered majority of the equipment required to continue conducting feasibilityanu testing

January 2021

During January, the team was not on campus because of winter break. However, the team used this time to allocate the budget as well as create a timeline for prototyping and testing protocols. Last minute items were also purchased during this time as more items were required.

February 2021

The team established verification protocols and planned future steps once all the materials get delivered. The team will also be going to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to get fitted for a CPAP mask to use during testing.

February 22- The team traveled to CHOP to meet with Natalie Napolitano, a clinical respiratory specialist. She provided the team with 3 different CPAP masks to use for feasibility testing as well as the tubes to connect the mask to the machine

February 24- The materials to conduct screen printing has arrived. The team began casting the emulsion mold to set up for printing the silver silver chloride paste.

February 25- The team exposed the emulsion to lo light with the stencil on top of the emulsion. The light hardens the emulsion, allowing the emulsion underneath the stencil to be washed away. The emulsion stencil was placed on top of a thin polyester substrate sheet. Using the screen printing kit, the silver silver chloride paste was used to establish the electrode arrays. Multiple stencils were created for testing purposes.

February 26- Using Rigol Digital Multimeter, and the stencil, the feasibility of the conductive paste was tested. Diana acted as the human subject and placed the silver silver chloride stencil on a CPAP mask, and placed that on her face. Using an LCR, the team was able to read the resistance measured between each electrode.

The first stencil that was printed was slightly too small. The team cast another emulsion in order to make a larger stencil.

March 2021

Throughout the month, the team worked on perfecting the sizing of the stencil for feasibility testing purposes. Two electrodes were established by connecting them to conductive copper tape and soldered to wires. The two electrodes were used to obtain impedance measurements over time with applied heat to ensure the technology worked properly. Once the data revealed that the technology successfully outputted impedance, a stablization component was designed in SolidWorks to enclose the conductive tape, electrode leads from the film, and the soldered wires. Additionally, the team continued to use the two electrodes to collect more data throughout the month.

April 2021

This month, the team was able to develop a final prototype, inlcuding an enclosement for the hardware equipment. The code for the microcontroller was finalized and successfully outputted impedance values. Throughout the month, the team began testing to determine what percent change of impedance signifies the onset of pressure injury. During this testing, more prototypes were developed in order to perfect the assembly.