Mary Biediger John Marshall High School – NISD Dr. Duncan Maitland, Biomedical Device Laboratory

TThe focus of the research is stroke prevention and treatment. TThe devices being developed are made of shape memory polymers TThe engineering in the lab runs the gamut for engineering disciplines

 Define - aneurysm  Formal Definition  Plain terminology description  Find statistics – cases per year (USA)  Identify known risk factors  Identify some symptoms and warning signs  Identify family members/close friends who have been diagnosed.

 Groups assigned – 3 or 4 students per group  Small group discussion – share information, solidify understanding of the disease  Task – students are given model of an actual size aneurysm with parent vessel  Begin discussion - how to construct a mold that can be cast to fit the aneurysm model

 Composition notebook – 1 per group  All sketches, plans, specifications will be done in the notebook  A summary of the group’s progress will be recorded here (each day they work on the project)  Any problems they encounter in the project will be recorded here  Actual size aneurysm model (made of modeling clay)  Pencils, ruler, eraser

 Group definition of aneurysm  Compiled data  Compiled list of risk factors  Compiled list of symptoms  General sketches of the design

 Materials selection (samples provided)  Cardboard sheets (by the square foot)  Polystyrene material (by the square 9”x9”)  Meat packaging trays (by the square 6”x 6”)  Packing tape (by the inch)  Aluminum tape (by the inch)  String (by the foot)  Popsicle sticks (per each)  Toothpicks (per each)  Gelatin (by the milliliter)  Budget

 Samples of each material provided  This day is planning/decision making ONLY

 Record group decisions about materials to use in the notebook  Include quantities  Calculate total estimated cost (must be under budget) in notebook

 Purchase materials  Construct the container

 Cardboard sheets (by the square foot)  Polystyrene take-out container material (by the square 9”x9”)  Meat packaging trays (by the square 6”x 6”)  Packing tape (by the inch)  Aluminum tape (by the inch)  String (by the foot)  Popsicle sticks (per each)  Toothpicks (per each)

 Completed mold  3D sketch of mold in notebook (with dimensions labeled)  Net sketch of mold (with dimensions labeled)  Notes about difficulties, discussion, etc.  Predict effectiveness

 Pour the gelatin in the mold  Check for leaks  Redesign if necessary  Leave to set

 Gelatin (prepared)  Plastic tubs/trays

 Mold cast  Notebook record –  What problems did you find with your mold?  How can you fix it?  Redesign – Sketches + construct

 Communicate the solution  Present product (5 minutes per group)  Disclose problems encountered and solutions devised  Explain what they would do differently if they could redesign again

 Give students an opportunity to design an object that satisfies some specification  Work collaboratively  Make decisions  Experience the engineering design process  TAKS objective – 6, 7, 8, and 10  Geometric relationships and spatial reasoning  Understanding 2 and 3 dimensional shapes  Understand the concept of measurement and similarity  Mathematical processes

 Develop awareness of aneurysms  Identify symptoms  Learn about current treatment options  Determine familial connections to this condition

 Pretzels and melted chocolate  Measure diameter after each dip  Predict next diameter after each dip  Plot data on graph  Determine function and write model

 Main Objectives  Measure diameter of circle  Determine thickness of tube  Generate and plot data  Identify parent function  Write model  Test model  Auxiliary Objectives  Learn about a biomedical device – stent  Make a fun snack

 (P.1) The student defines functions, describes characteristics of functions, and translates among verbal, numerical, graphical, and symbolic representations of functions, including polynomial, … exponential, … and piecewise- defined functions.  The student is expected to:  (A) describe parent functions symbolically and graphically, including f(x) = x n, … f(x) = e x, …  (B) determine the domain and range of functions using graphs, tables, and symbols;

 (P.2) The student interprets the meaning of the symbolic representations of functions and operations on functions to solve meaningful problems.  The student is expected to:  (A) apply basic transformations, including a f(x), f(x) + d, f(x - c), f(b x), …, to the parent functions;

 (P.3) The student uses functions and their properties, tools and technology, to model and solve meaningful problems.  The student is expected to:  (B) use functions such as logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric, polynomial, etc. to model real-life data;  (C) use regression to determine the appropriateness of a linear function to model real-life data (including using technology to determine the correlation coefficient);  (D) use properties of functions to analyze and solve problems and make predictions; and

This has been a very rewarding experience that will pay dividends in my students for years to come.  John Horn – Graduate student who served as my mentor  Dorothy Ringer Sumner – my partner for being a sounding board and exchanging ideas  Dr. Duncan Maitland for allowing me access to his lab to learn about engineering  Matthew Parioythorn, Dr. Robin Autenrieth, Dr. Cheryl Page, Dr. Arun Srinivasa, Ashwin Rao for organizing the program and giving teachers access to this invaluable experience  NSF, NPI, and TWC for funding this experience  My 2011 E3 cohort, within which I’ve found many intriguing personalities and friends from around the state.