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Research activities
A summary of my current and past research activities is shown on this page. For more information please refer to my [cv].
 

Research (current)


Communication of Cranial Blood Flow and Cerebrospinal Fluid Pulsations: A computational and In vivo Study
Bryn Martin, Ph.D., Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Philippe Reymond, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
N. Stergiopulos, Ph.D., Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne


Non-invasive pcMR Measurement of Spinal Canal Compliance: Healthy and Pathological Baseline
Bryn Martin, Ph.D., Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Francis Loth, Ph.D., The University of Akron
John N. Oshinski, Emory University
Nikos Stergiopulos, Ph.D., Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne


Importance of the Mechanical Forces in the Development of Syringomyelia for Patients With Chiari Malformation Modeling of the Spinal Cord with a Syrinx
Bryn Martin, Ph.D., University of Akron
Francis Loth, Ph.D., University of Akron
John Oshinski, Ph.D., Emory University
Wojciech Kalata, M.S., University of Illinois at Chicago

Project funded by the American Syringomyelia Alliance Project.

The overall goal is to better understand the mechanical forces, specifically pressure, that lead to the development of a syrinx in the spinal cord. The altered pressure environment after decompression surgery will be examined in order to better understand why this procedure is often successful in collapsing the syrinx. The proposed work consists of experiments on realistic syrinx models in which the unsteady pressure environment will be recorded to determine the mechanical forces (pressure environment) within and around the syrinx cavity as a function of time during the cardiac cycle. Model geometry and motion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the spinal canal will be based on patient data obtained using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. A physical model of the spinal canal will be constructed to represent the in vivo geometry with syringomyelia. MR measurements will be made on this flow model to determine how well it mimics the real life case. The pressure measurements obtained inside this model will provide more information about the mechanical force environment within the spinal canal. This work will hopefully lead to a better understanding about why decompression surgery helps patients with syringomyelia. This, in turn, may lead to better surgical procedures for this disease.  


Construction of an In Vitro Cerebrospinal Fluid System
*Research proposal in need of funding
Bryn A. Martin, Ph.D., University of Akron

We propose to construct and experimentally validate an in vitro cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) system model. This model will be physiologically similar in size and material properties to a human and will serve as a platform to conduct research which will help understanding of the hydrodynamic environment present in the CSF system. The model will enable novel and important research examining the biomechanical mechanisms of various CSF system disorders including, hydromyelia, syringomyelia, Chiari malformation, and arachnoiditis in the subarachnoid space (SAS), and tumors.

Research (past)


Multimode Sonic and Ultrasonic Diagnostic Imaging Method
2004-2006
Thomas J. Royston, Ph.D.
Todd Sponholtz, Ph.D.
Bryn A. Martin, B.S. 2004

The goal of this project is to improve existing ultrasound (US) medical imaging technology by integrating a noninvasive acoustic sensor array that is capable of measuring biological sounds within the human body. This Multimode sonic / US imaging technique will advance diagnostic capabilities beyond the state-of-the-art and will be ideal for retrofit on existing systems.

Quantification of the Modulus of Elasticity and Dynamic Properties of Sylgard for Various Mixing Ratios, 2003-2006
Bryn A. Martin, M.S.
Tom Kotsakos
Justin Stevens
Sebastien Nicolaon
Steven Cespedes

Sylgard is a clear silicone based material that is commonly used in research laboratories for creating various experimental flow geometries. In many cases it is desirable to create the models with properties similar to that of human tissue. By mixing Sylgard at different ratios one can vary stiffness. The goal of this study is to determine what mixing ratio of Sylgard best simulates human tissues elastic and dynamic properties.