Detection of fecal indicating bacteria plays an important role in water quality monitoring to ensure safe human water contact and/or drinking. Specifically, epidemiological studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have shown strong correlations between illnesses and bacteria concentrations of Enterococci and E.
A Tissue Engineered Electronic Nerve Interface (TEENI) combines research areas including flexbile MEMS device fabrication, Hydrogels, Magnetic Microparticle Templating, Tissue Scaffolding, and Nerve Regeneration to develop a highly compliant and versatile interface for stimulating and recording the peripheral nerve with the potential for electrode density to scale in a truly 3-Dimensionsal fashion.
The overall goal of this SBIR effort is to develop a rapid, portable system to test for presence and viability of coliform bacteria and E. coli in field water samples. The end system will be portable, battery-powered, reusable, easy to use, and selective to the specific indicator organism.
Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a new tomographic imaging technique that maps the spatial distribution of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in real time and with spatial resolution that is on par or better than other biomedical imaging techniques. In this project, we will develop a theoretical foundation relating the properties of MNPs and MPI magnetic field conditions to the MPI signal strength and resolution. These efforts will yield design rules that will guide the rational design of future generations of MNP tracers for MPI. The proposed research will enable development of a novel biomedical imaging technique capable of high resolution real time imaging using nontoxic tracers suitable for a variety of biomedical applications.
Technological advances in microelectrode neural probes have great potential to benefit patients with neurological diseases and injuries because they allow for direct interfacing and intervention with neurons of the nervous system. The interface design involves chronically collecting neural activity directly from the cortex of the brain, interpreting its information, and delivering therapy via an electronic interface. Such Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) systems that are capable of recording and processing the activity of large ensembles of cortical neurons have the potential to allow paralyzed individuals to communicate with the external world via computer control or direct control of prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs.We design, fabricate, and test flexible microelectrode array that can be hybrid-packaged with custom electronics in a fully implantable form factor to realize a self sustained BMI system. Also the flexible cable will provide strain relief to the implanted electrode and potentially improve long term viability.
This project aims at designing novel micromachining techniques for polymer-based flexible substrate microelectrodes as well as defining requirements for recording amplification, signal processing, and wireless telemetry systems. Much effort is going into the design and fabrication of highly compliant 2D electrodes which will potentially increase the possibilities of achieving reliable neural recordings over a chronic period . All efforts are in attempt to further the field of chronic neural recording for neuroprosthetic therapies.