12/04/2024
By Danielle Fretwell

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal defense by Edidiong Etim on: "Computational and Experimental Analysis of a Photo-ECMO Device for Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and a Cryolipolysis Device for Treating Subcutaneous Fat"

Candidate Name: Edidiong Etim
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Friday, December 13, 2024
Time: 2-3 p.m.
Location: Falmouth Hall, Room 302M

Committee:
Advisor: Walfre Franco, Department Chair, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UMass Lowell

Committee Members*
Jinxiang Xi, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UMass Lowell
Rudy Valentine, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy & Kinesiology, UMass Lowell
Joel Jimenez Lozano, Ph.D., Principal Research Scientist, Abbvie

Brief Abstract:
The analysis of medical devices is crucial at all stages of development, from preclinical studies to post-market utilization. Such analyses ensure that devices perform as expected and provide opportunities to optimize existing devices for improved performance after commercialization. This dissertation focuses on the experimental and computational analysis of two medical devices. The first is a light-based device for treating carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, which has been validated in animal studies but lacks a design suitable for human application. The second is a cryolipolysis device for site-specific fat reduction, which is already commercialized and used in patients, though gaps remain in understanding its mechanisms of action. This research is organized into four studies to address these gaps and enhance the design and performance of these devices.

The first study investigates the photo-ECMO device by performing computational flow and thermal analyses of CO-poisoned blood to advance its development for human clinical use. The second study examines the mechanical properties of skin and subcutaneous fat under large deformations caused by suction through computational modeling and human in vivo studies. The third study develops and characterizes a synthetic fat phantom to study large deformations due to suction pressure, bridging a gap in existing phantom designs. Finally, the fourth study explores the combined effects of extreme cooling and prolonged suction pressure in an in vivo animal model. Together, these studies aim to enhance the performance and design of these medical devices.