College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Biomedical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Biomedical Engineering
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 3
BS in Biomedical Engineering
College - Author 4
College of Engineering
Department - Author 4
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 4
BS in Biomedical Engineering
Date
6-2026
Primary Advisor
iian Black, College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Department
Additional Advisors
Eric Espinoza-Wade, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
The project is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Eric Espinoza-Wade to develop a secure, accurate wearable sensing system for infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) who have experienced asymmetric perinatal brain injury (APBI). Infants with APBI are at increased risk for developing unilateral cerebral palsy; however, clinical diagnosis is often delayed until 12–24 months of age, limiting opportunities for early intervention.
The goal of the project is to design a wearable system that securely attaches small, lightweight accelerometers to an infant’s limbs to quantify bilateral limb movement. Triaxial acceleration data will be used to detect movement asymmetries, which may serve as an objective indicator for early identification of infants at risk for cerebral palsy. Earlier detection could enable clinicians to initiate therapy during critical periods of neurodevelopment.
Primary stakeholders include the project sponsor, Dr. Eric Espinoza-Wade, and collaborating with clinical partners in the NICU. Additional stakeholders include NICU nurses and physicians, therapists, infants and their families, and future researchers utilizing the collected motion data. The device must be safe for fragile neonatal skin, compatible with hospital sanitation protocols, and integrate seamlessly into existing clinical workflows.
This document serves as the project's Final Design Report. It presents the clinical background and problem definition, customer needs and engineering specifications, and the House of Quality linking stakeholder needs to design requirements. Concept generation is documented through Morphology Charts and Pugh Matrices, culminating in a final conceptual model built in SolidWorks. Prototyping and material selection narrowed the wristband housing to BioMed Flex 80A after cross-functional comparison of three biocompatible materials. Twelve design specifications were established and evaluated through formal testing: the device weighed 22 g, measured 35 ± 0.11 mm in maximum dimension, and produced a skin temperature change of only 0.34 ± 0.58°F, well within the 1°F safety threshold. Secure attachment was confirmed with displacement of 1.4 ± 0.91 mm and loosening of 0.10 ± 0.057 mm, both far below the 5 mm maximum. Acceleration accuracy was within 1.8% of 1G, and sensor variability between limbs was 0.021G. The device was applied in 13 ± 3.1 seconds and sanitized in 9.5 ± 2.0 seconds per wristband, and battery life exceeded the 30-minute minimum. Results, limitations, and future clinical directions are discussed in the concluding sections.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/bmedsp/228