Group 066-05: Magnetic Device for a Minimally Invasive Surgery

Pictured above (left to right):  Chris Angstadt,  Rei Ballabani, Haroon Nawaz Welcome to our blog! The posts on this page will follow our Engineering 113 Freshman Project: Magnetic Device for a Minimally Invasive Surgery. We have been tasked with developing a means of controlling the path of a magnet in a plate of hydrogel. This is meant to simulate a medical device moving through brain tissue for deep-brain stimulation. Using image-processing from a USB camera to send signals to an Arduino, which controls a stepper motor, we will rotate a platform holding a petri dish of hydrogel (meant to simulate brain tissue). The goal is to insert the magnet in the hydrogel and use another magnet outside the apparatus to move the device in a circle of a set radius. More info on the project's specifications can be found on our "Background", "FAQ" and "Weekly Progress" pages.