Summary

The Lymph Node Extractor was my Mechatronic Systems Engineering Capstone project, which I completed as a member of a group of four. The project was sponsored by Tenomix Inc.

Key Points

• Designed an end effector for a cartesian manipulator capable of extracting, holding, and releasing core samples from fatty tissue, earning third place out of eighteen teams at the design showcase
• Created a proprietary design with industry sponsor to deliver a functional prototype in under eight months
• Worked with sponsor to identify the design problem, presented them with potential solutions, and kept them updated with project progress
• Wrote control code for stepper motors in Arduino/C, including a homing algorithm using limit switches. Iteratively tested and improved the code until the desired results were achieved
• Wired electrical components, including an Arduino microcontroller, A4988 motor drivers, and limit switches, according to their respective documentations
• Compiled a detailed design document showing the full design process, including schematics of the electrical systems, wiring instructions, troubleshooting procedures, and bill of materials
• Created test procedure and tested prototype on imitation fatty tissue and real fatty tissue. Evaluated test results and identified possible areas of improvement

Software Used