TALKE LAB ACTIVE PROJECTS
Vaginal Dilator for the Prevention of Vaginal Stenosis
Vaginal stenosis is a common late complication of radiation injury caused by cervical cancer treatment. It is characterized by the narrowing or shortening of the vaginal canal, which is often detrimental to the quality of life of those who develop this medical condition. In order to address this problem, a vaginal dilator system capable of expanding the vaginal canal was designed for the purpose of preventing vaginal stenosis in cervical cancer survivors following pelvic irradiation.
Surgical Site Localization with Skin Printed Markers for Pain Management
Chronic back pain is the leading cause of non-fatal health loss and disability globally - in 2017, there were 577 million people globally with back pain. Current medical treatments for chronic back pain involve the use of fluoroscopy (x-ray) machines and/or very expensive tracking systems to help physicians alleviate the pain. Our research aims to develop an inexpensive augmented reality navigation system that uses non-invasive skin markers and does not require the use of radiation.
OPHTHALMIC INSTRUMENTATION
In this project, we develop a portable 2-in-1 internet-enabled device capable of performing slit lamp examination and visual acuity screening. The slit lamp portion of the instrument can automate the screening process of the eye anterior segment by generating a high-intensity narrow slit of white light with a fixed width and sweeping this slit beam across the eye for a full bio-microscopy exam.
DETACHABLE BRONCHOSCOPE
To intubate a patient successfully, a physician needs to insert an endotracheal tube (ETT) into the patient’s mouth and secure it in the airway. A delay in securing the ETT into a position of greater than 4 minutes can result in permanent brain injury or death of the patient. Our research aims to fill a critical gap by developing a detachable bronchoscope that functions as both an ETT exchanger and a bronchoscope, reducing the time needed to replace an ETT and guaranteeing proper ETT position within the airway.
INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE SENSOR
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness that affects millions of people worldwide. Eye pressure is associated with optic nerve damage and is known to be the number one risk factor for glaucoma. Since 2013, the Talke Lab has been developing a novel optical pressure sensor that enables long-term and frequent intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring in order to improve patient care and treatment.
ESOPHAGEAL DEFLECTION DEVICE
An esophageal deflection device is being developed to assist cardiologists who perform left atrium catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation patients. As the heart tissue is thermally ablated, it is possible the esophagus is damaged while it presses up against the heart. The device consists of an inherently deflected overtube and a relatively stiff insertion piece. A cardiologist will insert the fully assembled device and simply pull the insertion piece to deflect the over tube and esophagus away from the heart.
BIOFILM RETARDENT CATHETER
Catheter acquired urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a significant problem in the medical community. Our work involves the design and investigation of a passive electricidal urinary catheter coating. Composite films are prepared by combining a thermoset elastomer with active materials zinc, silver, and/or silver (I) oxide powders. Methods used to quantify composite films’ ability to generate hydrogen peroxide, electric potentials, changes in pH, and inhibit planktonic bacteria and biofilm synthetic urine are studied.