肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 11, 2019

Engineering team designs finger support to correct deformities

A 肉肉传媒 engineering professor and her team of students have developed a new finger support that could ultimately help those suffering from finger deformities regain motor function.

, who teaches in the , said finger deformation is very common among people who struggle with arthritis, Dupuytren鈥檚 contracture and mallet finger, among other ailments. While there are supports available to help slow the onset of finger deformation, the devices had limited capabilities that rendered them unwieldy and uncomfortable, according to Nasseri. Additionally, many supports cannot be adjusted to fit different finger sizes and positions.  

Armed with extensive experience in biomedical and manufacturing engineering, and with several family members and friends who have finger deformities, Nasseri said she was inspired to develop an improved finger support that would allow others to tackle daily tasks more freely. With the help of students, and after several months of research and mechanical testing, she has created a composite support with a soft polymer shell and a thin aluminum, steel or carbon fiber sheet running the length of the apparatus to provide rigidity. The shell was printed entirely in KSU鈥檚 and the sheet was cut in the just across the hall in the University鈥檚 Engineering Technology Center.

鈥淥ur support was designed to be used in 鈥榝unctional positions,鈥� meaning that you are able to slip it over your finger and perform normal tasks with your hands without difficulty,鈥� said Nasseri, who will be completing the project this semester alongside student Shanice White. 鈥淥ur final design is very durable and allows for a wide range of finger positions in order to maximize function.鈥�

Nasseri started by conceptualizing designs of her own and soon began to recruit some of her undergraduate students in order to introduce them to the intricacies of engineering research. Since spring 2017, five students have played roles in writing literature reviews, perfecting the design, running simulations, fabricating and conducting mechanical testing on the finger support. As a team, they have co-authored two journal papers and presented their findings at a regional conference. White, who is conducting a directed study with Nasseri this semester, will complete further testing and hopes to present her discoveries at the to be held at KSU in April.

In a similar project, Nasseri and two additional students have conducted research on a foot support for bunion deformity using the same concepts. Though the finger and foot supports are still under development, the team hopes to obtain patents for their designs and bring it to market.

鈥淭his has been an excellent way for me to introduce our students to research and offer them a glimpse into the complete design and manufacturing processes,鈥� Nasseri said. 鈥淭his is an opportunity outside of the classroom where they can apply what they鈥檝e learned on something tangible and ensure that it works as designed.鈥�

Kyle Castellano, who served as student lead prior to graduating with a degree in , said his experience working on the project is what ultimately guided him toward graduate school. Under Nasseri鈥檚 purview, he conducted computer simulations to test the feasibility of the design before it was printed.

鈥淚鈥檓 always grateful that she was able to take me under her wing and introduce me to engineering research,鈥� said Castellano, who is now a graduate research assistant at Auburn University. 鈥淢y goal always has been to attend grad school, and I don鈥檛 think I could have made it without Dr. Nasseri鈥檚 guidance.鈥�

Another alumnus, Mushfequr Kotwal, said the research project opened his eyes to a wide range of engineering applications.

鈥淭he use of engineering to create medical devices really appealed to me, so I immediately sought out Dr. Nasseri to see how I could get involved,鈥� said Kotwal, who graduated in Dec. 2017 with a mechanical engineering degree. 鈥淥ver the course of the project, I felt like I obtained a great deal of critical thinking skills. My biggest takeaway, however, was learning how to conduct high quality research and publish papers.鈥�

The Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at 肉肉传媒 is the second largest engineering college in Georgia, serving more than 4,000 students. The College offers 20 undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and engineering technology led by industry-expert faculty in the university鈥檚 state-of-the-art facilities.

鈥� Travis Highfield

Photos by David Caselli; Renderings contributed

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.