LEVIN

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Other Projects


Wireless Tissue Palpation



This project was in collaboration with Vanderbilt University, and resulted in a wireless device for laparoscopic tissue palpation. The device consisted of a battery for power, a pressure sensor for measuring force, Hall effect sensors for localization, and a wireless microprocessor for signal processing and transmission. The device could be inserted through a trocar into an insufflated abdomen, grasped by a laparoscopic instrument, and used to probe tissue, providing the surgeon with a real-time pressure distribution map of the palpated organ. This information is useful for locating tumors, which tend to be stiffer than neighboring healthy tissue. My main contribution to the project was in vivo data collection, and ex vivo stiffness measurements of the liver using a materials testing machine to validate the in vivo results.


Click to read TBME cover article

Pain Measurement



It is generally difficult to quantify pain, and there are no devices currently available that can do so in a repeatable manner. Procedures commonly used in clinical practice include a 1-10 pain scale rating or other subjective scales. The purpose of this project was to quantitatively evaluate a patient's pain threshold (PPT). Pain measurements from the state-of-the-art algometer device (Wagner) are dependent on the test administrator. The Automated Pain Measurement Device (AmP-MeD) removes the variability from the test administrator by applying the load in a computer controlled and repeatable manner. After a patient is secured in the device, an algometer tip is applied to the patient's shin. The patient holds a trigger, which records the force each time the trigger is pulled. After two pulls, the algometer tips is retracted. Results from the study have shown that the AmP-MeD provides significantly lower PPT and variance than the Wagner device. 



Blood Pressure Lab



As the temporary Lab Module Engineer for the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, I developed a lab experiment to teach students about data acquisition through MATLAB, pressure sensor calibration, and blood pressure algorithms. The lab module consists of blood pressure cuffs and sphygmomanometers for manually measuring blood pressure, and a pressure sensor for recording cuff pressure data. The pressure data is acquired by MATLAB, and then post-processed to yield systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and mean arterial pressure.



Jousting Robot



During a graduate course titled Mechatronics, a team of 4 students (including myself) designed and build an automated robot to compete in jousting bouts. The robot was required to navigate a course (by sensing white versus black substrate), locate the opponent's infrared (IR) frequency, drive towards the opponent, and knock the opponent's action figure from the top. The project integrated both hardware and software including an FPGA board, motor controllers, power regulation circuits, a beacon board (for transmitting an IR signal), IR sensing, and LabVIEW as the programming language.



Waterproof Solar Charger



While doing multi-day raft trips it is nice to have a source of power for charging camera/ipod/phone/speaker batteries and running appliances such as electric mixers. There are a number of different products available for purchase, but none of them matched my power needs, were waterproof and were within my price range. So, I set out to build a waterproof solar charging station that would produce continuous 400 W of power for 8 hours and cost under $200. The entire system (except for the solar panel) fits inside of a 20 mm ammo can, and consists of 4 batteries (12 V, 7Ah) wired in parallel, an inverter with two outlets and a USB plug, a charge controller, a power meter, and a 30 W solar panel. The system has been on several river trips, including an 18 day trip through the Grand Canyon, providing power for the entire group (16 people) throughout the duration of the trip.



Furniture & Architecture



One of my hobbies is building furniture out of steel and beetle kill pine wood. I weld the frames, and join rough cut lumber for the table top. The coffee table pictured (top row) has a polycrylic finish, while the kitchen table pictured (middle row) has an epoxy finish.


The structure pictured in the bottom row is a chicken coop that I designed and built for my parents. The coop has an automated door, a heated watering system, and a food/water system that alerts you when it is near empty.



Bicycle Powered Generator



In 2010, friends of mine (musicians who perform children's songs) asked if I could help build them a bicycle powered generator that would power a small guitar amp that they could showcase at their concerts. The music generally contains messages about the environment and conservation, so it was important to them to build the bike using as many recycled components as possible. Also, they needed to ride the bike that powered the generator to the show, and then set it up for use with the generator. We ended up building the entire system for under $50 using an old car alternator, batteries, an old cooler to house the electronics, and a small inverter.


LEVIN SLIKER | PHD MECHANICAL ENGINEERING


7801 Valmont Rd, Boulder, CO 80301 | Tel: 719 460 3866 | levin.sliker@gmail.com