Strain Gauge-Based Torque Sensor for Orthopedic Surgery Applications; The Future of Senior Citizen Healthcare in the United States

The objective of my group’s technical project was to design an attachment for orthopedic surgical drills that is capable of measuring the relative bone strength while drilling is taking place. The relative bone density can affect which surgical strategy may be the most effective, including what type of set screws need to be used and their arrangement. Current methods for estimating the relative bone density involve external radiology. Examples of this include planar x-ray, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and CT scan. Due to the lack of accuracy associated with these methods, the goal of our technical project was to create an attachment for surgical drills that is able to accurately relay bone strength characteristics to orthopedic surgeons in real-time.
Before we could begin any design, it was crucial for us to define the requirements and constraints that our product needed to fulfill. As for performance, it was crucial that our attachment be able to relay results in real-time, as well as be able to accommodate for a range of drill bit sizes. The operating room presents many different challenges, and therefore there were many constraints that we needed to consider. The device needed to be small enough to be practical within the surgical environment, as well as fulfill all requirements for sterilization.
After defining these constraints, we were able begin the designing process. We began with an initial idealization stage, which included each team member submitting a list of potential ideas that addressed our constraints. We then put our list of ideas through a thorough screening and selection process that allowed for us to find the optimal solution. We used the following metrics to score the designs: ease of use, sterilization, data readability, weight/balance, ergonomics, fluid resistance, cost, and compatibility with current drill models. We decided that the best solution was to place a load cell between the chuck and drill bit. This load cell would be able to measure torque and relay information in real-time. Initially our group sought out an off-the-shelf load cell. However, the device we looked into was outside of our budget and did not meet all of our requirements. We then decided that the best course of action was to build our own load cell. We began by designing an aluminum shaft that would attach between the chuck and drill bit. This shaft had holes drilled in it to make it more sensitive to any changes in torque. Next we attached rosette strain gauges to the shaft to measure the strain. These strain gauges are attached to a signal amplifier so that small changes in torque are distinguishable. The amplifier is then connected to a microcontroller with a built in RGB. The RGB changes colors based on the torque being measured.
When it came time to decide a topic for my STS research paper, I knew that I wanted to research something pertaining to senior citizen healthcare as I have always been close to my grandparents and have witnessed their struggles trying to find and afford quality healthcare. I decided that I wanted to write my paper on the future of senior citizen healthcare in the United States. I began by doing a thorough literature review, I was able to formulate an argument as to what the future of healthcare looks like and where the United States is currently falling short. The first large issue that we will face is the growing and changing senior citizen population in the United States. I found a model that predicts that there will be a large increase in the number of middle class senior citizens and senior citizens as a whole by 2030. This increase in middle class senior citizens means that more people will be stuck in the unfortunate situation of not having enough money to afford quality healthcare, while also having too many assets to qualify for Medicaid assistance. For this reason, I believe that Medicaid needs to expand its coverage in order to help many of these individuals. Past trends in Medicaid budget cuts also point to the fact that there needs to be increased funding for the program in order to support its expansion.
The other large problem facing the healthcare industry is the imminent shortage of healthcare workers. Due to an aging workforce and lack of proper funding, there will not be enough doctors and nurses to support the ever-growing senior citizen population. There needs to be heavy funding poured into our universities and other med schools to ensure that the medical field is still a sought-after profession.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Jason Foreman

STS Advisor: Karina Rider

Technical Team Members: Grant Garland, Jackson Green, Joseph Liberatore, Matthew McEwen,
Michael Riley, Logan Wasserman