Ongoing Research Support
Product Evaluation for MediView, LLC: Augmented Reality coupled to an ultrasound equipment system. Evans (PI): This amazing technology has the potential to allow the physician, sonographer, and other ultrasound user to visualize the sonographic image on the lens of the XR-50 visor and complete ultrasound guided procedures without turning toward the ultrasound equipment system. This equipment set-up is being trialed in our lab and allows us to invite up to seven different occupational users to determine the usefulness, utility, and desirability for integrating AR into the practice of ultrasound guided procedures. The funding provided by MediView, LLC will allow our team to provide value product information to the engineers and designers for further equipment upgrades. We believe this product could assist in reducing some of the risk for work-related musculoskeletal injuries in our ultrasound users. (Project contact Pete Bradbury) Funded by MediView LLC
Isaiah Bloom scanning a carotid artery as part of the pre-assessment of children enrolled in the Garden Study.
Screening SNAP eligible children for early signs of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. American Dietary Association: Spees, C (PI) ; Evans KD (co-I): This three year research has been funded as an interventional study for providing SNAP eligible 4th graders, from Columbus Public School Systems, as an opportunity to harvest fresh vegetables. Dr. Spees is a nationally known dietary researcher and this study has been referred to as the “Garden Study”. Dr. Evans, Nicole Weikle, and Isaiah Bloom have been taking pre and post-imaging assessment data, on consented children and their parents. Nicole will be using this experience and the pre-assessment data on children, as the basis for her doctoral dissertation. (Project contact Nicole Weikle)
Shawn Roll, PhD, co-PI at University of Southern California
Documenting the progression of acute to chronic work-related musculoskeletal injuries: A national survey of ultrasound users. SDMS Research Institute: Evans (PI), Roll & Sommerich (co-PI): This is a funded survey research project that will culminate in a national data base of registrants who update their health status and report on their acute to chronic incidence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries, specific to the sonography workplace. This data base will collect health data on sonographers, vascular technologists, and sonologists (physicians performing sonography). This comprehensive longitudinal survey of the professional will the largest and most detailed record of work-related injuries in the field. This builds on the early work and publications that were completed by Evans, Roll, and Baker in 2007. A team of researchers will be working with Evans and Roll to complete this longitudinal project. Data will be embargoed until the data base is searchable and reporting can be accessible by the sponsoring organizations. (Project contact Shawn Roll, PhD) Funded by the Ultrasound Alliance
SARS-CoV-2 pediatric survivors with possible chronic health conditions: The use of non-ionizing imaging and biomarkers to efficiently guide primary care management. Evans (PI) Lee (co-PI): In conjunction with Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) and the pulmonary clinic, Drs. Evans and Kopp are working to develop a diagnostic and therapeutic clinic for children 12-15 years of age, who survived COVID-19. These patients in the pulmonary clinic are complaining of lingering disease and need diagnostic surveillance to determine the extent of their disease. At the clinic, Dr. Evans and his team will provide lung, heart, and renal sonography to assess these organs and also obtain a blood draw. The NCH Cardiology department, lead by Dr. Lee will provide a cardiac MRI for these participants to further examine for subtle changes in heart function, due to COVID. This work is currently being supported by funding by NCH and also has the support of Dr. Amrik Khalsa, our research physician. The team is also seeking extramural grant support to expand the study beyond the current 50 participants. (Project contact Huriah Al-Sultan, MS) Funded by ASRT Foundation
Articulating Support Arm System for Cardiac Sonographers. Sommerich (PI), Evans & Lavender (co-PIs): This articulated arm assistant has been developed over several years with the help of many graduate student contributors. With recent funding from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, this invention is now being moved from its original prototype form to a more professional device. The CDME group has been engaged to move the manufacture of the articulate arm to its professional status. The goal of this next phase of work is to check for image quality by comparison with and without the arm as well as user satisfaction. The goal is to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury among cardiac sonographers. (Project contact Pete Bradbury) Funded by OBWC
Completed Research Support
Isaiah Bloom, BS working at the OSU Gahanna Carepoint clinic to assess patients with risk for atherosclerotic disease.
Screening Asymptomatic Patients with Hand-held Ultrasound to Assess Their Risk of a Cardiovascular Event. ASRT Educational Foundation: Evans (PI) Phase B: [NO COST EXTENSION] The overall goal of this proposed project is to find a non-ionizing and relative inexpensive way to assess cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) in a primary care physician setting. Through the use of new handheld ultrasound technology (US), we hope to show that abdominal aortic calcification measured with US is a better predictor of CVD than the current standard of the Framingham risk score. In Phase B, the pilot work (Phase A) is translated to a family practice clinic where patients 40-60 years of age are provided with the battery of CVD screening tests.
Clinical Equivalency with CAE simulators for sonographers and medical students sonography clinical competency. ARDMS/ Inteleos: Evans (site PI) Phase 2B: This is the international arm of the study and will take place with CAE donations at the following medical training facilities: Zhejiang People’s Hospital, Hangzhou College of Medicine, and West China Hospital. Funding was provided by Inteleos allows for our research team to assist faculty in these institutions to not only add simulation to their educational curriculum but also to collect valuable discipline-based education research (DBER). Upon completion of this Phase 2B portion of the project, the lab will have these deliverables:
- Formative English and Mandurian versions of the simulation templates for sonographers, medical students, and ultrasound doctors who practice in premier university medical centers.
- Empirical research data that will be provided to the sponsoring organization and can be published in peer-reviewed ranked journals.
- Development of stronger educational delivery methods between US and Chinese medical educators.
- Raising awareness of the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries during sonographic scanning and possibly micro-ergonomic solutions.
ARDMS/Inteleos Phase 2A: Evans (multi-PI) 2019-2020 Documenting clinical mastery of sonography students while utilizing CAE computer based sonography simulators was the main endpoint for this project. This three site data collection provided student outcome data from two years of discipline based educational research.
Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Research Program: Evans (PI) 06/01/2017 – 06/30/2019 Implementing a series of micro and macro-ergonomic interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The overall goal of the proposed research is to measure the educational effects of providing ergonomics education, engineering solutions, and mindful yoga to 2 classes of Radiographers and Radiation Therapists, at Ohio State and Kent State-Salem.
Midmark Corporation: Sommerich (PI)-Evans (Co-I) 10/1/16 – 1/31/18 Validating exam room flow designs that improve usability, usefulness, and desirability of outpatient clinical spaces. The purpose of this project is to document the effects of changes to an outpatient clinic patient examination room on workflow, staff and provider ergonomics, and stakeholder perceptions. Midmark supported John Mickley, BS Undergraduate research thesis: Pilot application of varied equipment and procedural techniques to determine clinical blood pressure measurements.
R01 OH010181-02: Lavender (PI)-Evans (co-PI) 09/01/12-06/30/17 A participatory design process addressing the ergonomics of hospital patient rooms. To work with a series of stakeholders to determine the correct parameters within the patient room to accommodate a workspace that is ergonomically friendly. The design of the ultimate room space should allow for a place that is conducive to providing care to all patients by a variety of care providers.
R21 OH009907-02: Evans (PI) 09/01/10-04/30/13 An experimental investigation into the staging of CTS utilizing portable ultrasound. The goal of this study is to determine if diagnostic ultrasound can detect changes in the median nerve based on longitudinal exposure to a repetitive task, in an animal model. The use of hand-carried ultrasound machine allows for recording longitudinal data and possible development of carpal tunnel syndrome.