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Topics of Interest ::
Research :: Earlier this decade Given Imaging created the first swallowable digital capsule and the field of capsule endoscopy was born. The invention allows for doctors to view sections of the small intestine previously inaccessible. However, the passive nature of the system creates room for improvement. Accordingly, researchers are working hard to advance the technology. The ultimate goal is a fully autonomous actively propelled capsule with biopsy, diagnostic, and treatment capabilities. Realization, however, is still years away. In stepping toward this goal, my
interests are in designing an active propulsion system for a swimming
micro-robot to be used in vivo.
This entails developing a safe, biocompatible, low power system capable of operation
in limited space. For inspiration, I am looking at organisms living in
similar environments. These creatures have refined their propulsion systems to succeed
in the human body; drawing information from their developments is crucial to accomplishing my goal. Accordingly, I have proposed a
design based on the helical flagella used by e.coli bacteria. One major
modification on the system is a switch from a rigid filament (used by the e.coli) to a flexible filament. The filament is designed such that, when rotated in a fluid, it contorts into a helix and provides propulsive force. The reason for this modification is the safety issues surrounding a slender rigid
object acting as a needle inside the body. To date the proposed design has
been modeled in A video of the scaled prototype can be found here (14MB AVI file). More
Information :: I am currently searching for full time employment. My areas of interest are biomedical devices, machinery/mechanism design, compliant mechanisms and micro-design. Resume
[pdf]
Portfolio
[pdf] Publications ::
[ Motion
Research Group | People
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