Senior Design

Senior Design is a transitional experience—preparing students for an entry level engineering position. The experience emulates industry, allowing students to apply and deploy the engineering knowledge learned over their course of study to a real-world, open-ended design challenge. Through this experience students will come to realize the complete cycle of design from conceptual design to hardware/software testing, and then repeating the cycle.

Actual hardware/software will be produced, and students will understand the difference between theory, paper, and actual materials. Students gain valuable connections and areÌýmentored by aÌýdedicated industry professionalÌýin addition to a biomedical engineering faculty advisor.ÌýStudents will gain the professional skills necessary to succeed in industry and in life! Senior Design is perhaps the ultimate expression of engineering, and the "heart and soul" of applied science!

Objectives

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Teamwork

Understand how to work collaborativelyÌýtoward a common goal

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Technical Skills

Integrate course knowledge, acquire project-specific knowledge and resource management

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Design and Process Skills

Gain proficiency in design and application of design process

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Communication

Gain written and oral proficiency in technical and professional communication

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Project Management

Learn how to manage long-term projects

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Professionalism

Gain professional skills

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú´«Ã½ÎÄ»¯×÷Æ·ÌýEngineering Expo

This large-scale exposition in the spring celebrates the work of all the engineering students completing their senior design projects that is open to the public.

2025 Senior Design Projects

Team 1

Team Members: Ariana Morales Garcia, Janeth Marquez Rubio, Amanda Fallas Zuniga, Deyla Matkovich

Project Sponsor - Hydronovo

Project Description:

Hydronovo is collaborating with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú´«Ã½ÎÄ»¯×÷Ʒ’s Biomedical Engineering Senior Capstone Design Team 1 to design and test packaging for their innovative drug delivery system. The project supports Hydronovo's mission to develop a cutting-edge drug formulation to address Xerostomia (dry mouth), a condition commonly affecting patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer and those with autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome. The team is dedicated to creating a packaging system that ensures safe transportation, complies with ISO standards, and is ergonomically compact, efficient, and user-friendly, prioritizing functionality and ease of use for patients and healthcare providers.

Team 2

Team Members:ÌýPaloma Peters, Lindsey Heyd, Connor Gagen, Kahlea Schlegel, Karina Li

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description:Ìý

Pulse oximeters are applied to a patient’s skin to monitor blood oxygen saturation and heart rate, however a risk posed by these devices is pressure sores, due to increased pressures between the device and the skin. Our partner, Medtronic, developed the Nellcor OxySoftN and MaxN pulse oximeters to be used on neonates, a population that has especially delicate skin. Our project tests and finds the minimum pressure needed for pulse oximeter functionality while developing design recommendations that will reduce the occurrence of pressure sore formation.

Team Resonance X Full Body Sound

Team Members: Chloe Knape, Anna Mellizo Kroll, Clare Keeler, Rachel Haug

Project Sponsor - Full Body Sound

Project Description:

Team Resonance partnered with Full Body Sound, a start-up company that has developed a novel electrotherapy device that converts audio input into electric stimulation. The prototype, FBS-01, aims to provide non-drug pain treatment using wide-range electrostimulation coupled with established music listening habits. The team’s goal was to research, design, and test a low-cost device for measuring skin conductance that could be incorporated into the existing FBS-01 design in order to gather biometric data that could potentially be used to adjust applied voltage and intensity levels, providing a customized and enjoyable user experience.

Team Alloy Open Jaw

Team Members: Christian Moon, Haley Phillips, Nicole Taylor, Kloie Bautz, Jacob Fletcher

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description:Ìý

This project develops a custom testing fixture system to support Medtronic’s potentialÌý510(k) submission by enabling comparative analysis between the Alloy Jaw and a predicateÌýdevice. The system includes a device fixture with a collet chuck-inspired clamp and aÌýtissue fixture with a multi-plate lock-and-groove mechanism, designed to maintainÌýconsistent tissue tension and allow precise adjustments in angle, tension, and positioning.ÌýThrough iterative design and feedback, the fixtures will provide robust, reproducible dataÌýessential for regulatory compliance and marketing materials while ensuring compatibility,Ìýdurability, and ease of use.

Team Boulder Sterilization Services

Team Members: Ariadnee Ziady, Cambria McNulla, Sam Zanotti, Zoie Nuno, Kosy Ogbonna-ukuku

Project Sponsor - Boulder Sterilization Services

Project Description:Ìý

Team 5 developed a chlorine dioxide (ClOâ‚‚) sterilization system as a safer and moreÌýenvironmentally friendly alternative to ethylene oxide (EO), which has faced increasingÌýregulatory restrictions. Our system integrates advanced features such as real-time monitoring,Ìýprecise parameter control, and safety mechanisms such as leak detection and automatedÌýshutdowns to ensure both effective and safe operation. Using a Raspberry Pi-powered interface,Ìýwe created a user-friendly, commercially viable solution to address the growing demand forÌýsustainable sterilization methods in the medical industry. Ìý

Team ABC

Team Members: Creighton Tisdale, Andrew Swanson, Elizabeth Root, Devon Mckeon, David Katilius

Project Sponsor - CONMED

Project Description:Ìý

Team ABC is partnered with ConMed to expand functionality of their Argon Beam CoagulatorÌýhandheld device and module. ABC uses ionized argon gas to achieve hemostasis in a surgicalÌýenvironment, offering a non-contact, precise method of tissue coagulation. We are developingÌýcontrol algorithms that determine argon and RF power delivery to a handheld surgicalÌýcoagulation device, as well as a novel handheld device design focusing on human factors toÌýimprove surgical performance, and in turn, patient outcomes.Ìý

Team 7

Team Members: Hailey Jenks, Seanan Kelly, Andrew Mongin, Guadalupe Ramirez, Fishion Yohannes

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description:Ìý

Team 7’s project aims to design a test apparatus that will stress Medtronic's MAXFAST reflectance-based pulse oximeter sensors to their limits, thereby enhancing their sensor design. By integrating an oscillating surface into the test fixture, the goal is to simulate patient pulse readings compatible with a broader range of pulse oximeter devices. The team’s incorporation of colored and grayscale filters, along with adjustments to sensor distances, reflects a patient-simulator approach that accurately modulates key parameters such as SpO2, percent modulation, and IR NaV, ensuring a robust and reliable system

Team Infinity

Team Members: Parker Bonen, Meenakshi Skandarajan, Julia Keefe, Ellie Huettel, Brendan Naranja

Project Sponsor - St. Joseph's Hospital

Project Description:Ìý

Team Infinity is working with Dr. Gerard Salame of St. Joseph's hospital to create a catheterÌýbag urine output monitoring system. Urine output is a crucial variable to monitor, but doingÌýso takes extensive nursing hours and is highly prone to human error. To address this, theÌýteam is designing a novel automatic weight-based sensing system paired with a phone appÌýthat calculates urine output at customizable intervals and displays the data in real-time. ThisÌýsolution enhances efficiency, accuracy, and patient care while streamlining the workflow forÌýhealthcare providers.

Team Boulder iQ

Team Members:ÌýAli Jesaitis, Vincent Idnani, Bailey Geisel

Project Sponsor - Boulder IQ

Project Description:ÌýContinuous Monitoring System for Ethylene Oxide

Our team has partnered with Boulder IQ to develop a continuous ethylene oxide (EtO)Ìýmonitoring system to be used for the detection of EtO levels in medical device sterilizationÌýchambers to certify Boulder iQ is operating within the new EPA guidelines. EtO is a commonÌýsterilizing agent known to be a human carcinogen with serious short- and long-term effects. TheÌýmonitoring system is designed to maintain a constant record of EtO concentrations in theÌýchambers and provide real time audiovisual alerts if unsafe thresholds are passed.Ìý
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Team FML

Team Members: Drew Aparicio, Julia Flynn, Wes Doyle, Eva Burns

Project Sponsor - Cardiost

Project Description:

Team FML has partnered with Cardiost Inc. to design and develop a fully magnetic levitatingÌý(FML) motor for their left atrium unloading device (LAUD). Designed for patients with late-stageÌýheart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the LAUD is a long-term implantableÌýmechanical circulatory support pump that performs a partial derivation of blood flow from the leftÌýatrium into the descending aorta to alleviate the workload of a weakened heart. The FML motorÌýwill drive the LAUD’s impeller without physical cotact, reducing blood shear stress andÌýmechanical wear to improve biocompatibility and device longevity.

Team TET 2.0

Team Members: Daimean Solis, Bibek Shrestha, Rachel Beem, Srishti Jerath, Andy Tran, Cassidy Allen

Project Sponsor -Cardiost Inc.

Project Description:Ìý

Team TET 2.0, in conjunction with Cardiost Inc., is aiding in designing a wirelessly powered LeftÌýAtrial Unloading Device (LAUD), enhancing cardiac output for patients with diastolic heart failureÌý(HFpEF) by reducing left atrial pressure. The team has advanced the technology by minimizingÌýthe printed circuit board (PCB) size, optimizing device functionality, and improving coil design forÌýefficient power transfer. This innovative system, incorporating both internal and externalÌýcomponents, significantly reduces infection risks compared to Left Ventricular Assist DevicesÌý(LVADs) by eliminating the need for external catheters.Ìý

Team 12

Team Members: Gavin Channell, Hayden Tomazin, Julia Ingram, Bridget Antreasian, Eve Koester

Project Sponsor - TissueForm

Project Description:Ìý

Team 12 is working with the CU startup TissueForm to create an improved mixing method for their NatruLage flowable biomaterial. NatruLage requires two components to be mixed, which then crosslink together for articular cartilage repair, among other uses. Our goal is to design an efficient and effective mixing system for these components, while minimizing material loss in the process.​

Team Kapnós

Team Members:ÌýDerek Peters, AJ Ashoury, Brendan Harrington, Niki KosuriÌý

Project Sponsor - Medtronic

Project Description:ÌýVolatile Organic Compound Bench Mount

Team Kapnós partnered with Medtronic to evaluate the efficacy of RapidVacâ„¢ ULPAÌýFilters in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from electrosurgical plumes. TheÌýRapidVacâ„¢ Smoke Evacuator System is designed to capture and filter harmfulÌýparticulates generated during surgical procedures, improving air quality and safety inÌýoperating rooms. To achieve this, the team developed a test bench fixture utilizingÌýadvanced electrochemical sensors and calibration techniques to quantify filterÌýperformance against key gases such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and carbonÌýmonoxide.Ìý

Team Streamline Solutions

Team Members:ÌýToby Bernotat, Giovanni Llaury, Nihal Pandra, Radhika Patel

Project Sponsor - Meddux Development Corp

Project Description:ÌýPredictive Modeling for Laser Cut Hypotubes

Team 14 is partnering with Meddux Development Corp to develop a predictiveÌýmodeling program to assess the mechanical properties of laser-cut hypotubeÌýcatheters, specifically evaluating longitudinal, torsional, and flexural rigidity.ÌýPrevious modeling programs are designed to predict the performance ofÌýcatheters, but not laser cut hypotubes- using the cut specifications, an engineerÌýcan predict how these hypotubes will perform under stresses and strains asÌýthey navigate the body. This development is essential for advancing catheterÌýdesign, impacting medical procedures that require precise navigation throughÌýcomplex anatomical paths.Ìý
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