Ultrasonic locating and tracking of small particles for biomedical applications

This dissertation focuses on the development of two novel ultrasound technologies with the idea of tracking and locating small particles: 1) Ultrasound tracking of the acoustically actuated microswimmers, 2) Super-resolution ultrasound (SRU) imaging by locating the microbubbles. Artificial microswimmers that navigate in hard-to-reach spaces and microfluidic environments inside human bodies hold a great potential for various biomedical applications. For eventual translation of the microswimmer technology, a capability of tracking the microswimmers in 3-D through tissues is particularly required for reliable navigation. In this work, after first proposing and demonstrating the proof-of-concept of ultrasound tracking of the microswimmer in a 2-D setup in vitro, we built a 3-D ultrasound tracking system using two clinical ultrasound probes. A reliable performance for tracking the arbitrary 3-D motions of the newly designed 3-D microswimmers in real-time was demonstrated in vitro. The developed 3-D ultrasound tracking strategy could be a strong motivation and foundation for the future clinical translation of the novel microswimmer technology. SRU that can identify microvessels with unprecedented spatial resolution is promising for diagnosing the diseases associated with abnormal microvascular changes. One of the potential applications is to assess the changes in renal microvasculature during the progressive kidney disease. In this work, we applied the developed deconvolution-based SRU imaging on the mouse acute kidney injury (AKI) model to show the capability of SRU for noninvasive assessment of renal microvasculature changes during the progression from AKI to chronic kidney disease (CKD). SRU that can identify microvessels with unprecedented spatial resolution is promising for diagnosing the diseases associated with abnormal microvascular changes. One of the potential applications is to assess the changes in renal microvasculature during the progressive kidney disease. In this work, we applied the developed deconvolution-based SRU imaging on the mouse acute kidney injury (AKI) model to show the capability of SRU for noninvasive assessment of renal microvasculature changes during the progression from AKI to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Future endeavors for integrating SRU locating technology with a reliable tracking capability of microparticles will provide a unique tool for various biomedical applications of the novel microdrones for diagnosis and drug delivery

Grand challenges in bioengineered nanorobotics for cancer therapy

One of the grand challenges currently facing engineering, life sciences, and medicine is the development of fully functional nanorobots capable of sensing, decision making, and actuation. These nanorobots may aid in cancer therapy, site-specific drug delivery, circulating diagnostics, advanced surgery, and tissue repair. In this paper, we will discuss, from a bioinspired perspective, the challenges currently facing nanorobotics, including core design, propulsion and power generation, sensing, actuation, control, decision making, and system integration. Using strategies inspired from microorganisms, we will discuss a potential bioengineered nanorobot for cancer therapy. © 2013 IEEE.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Extending Cognitive Work Analysis and Engaging Nanotechnology: Embodied, Embedded and Socially Situated Processes

With current advances in material science and the growth of novel technologies, the nature of human technology interaction is changing. Specifically, the growth and convergence of Nano-, Bio-, Info- and Cognitive Science (NBIC) related technologies has resulted in the emergence of new systems, which requires considerations of the embodied, embedded and socially situated aspects of the human behavior for advanced interaction with intelligent and responsive environments. Currently, Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) and the associated Ecological Interface Design (EID) are well positioned to draw requirements from these future smart environments; however, the role of the body in human knowing and acting as currently conceptualized in CWA requires further development. This thesis extends CWA by addressing the role of the body in human knowing and acting. Further, it also extends CWA by making the link between interpretive social approaches to human knowing and acting (specifically, symbolic interactionism) and CWA. Thus, this thesis supports the conception of the human in advanced technological environments as an embodied, embedded and socially situated construct. In this thesis, CWA was extended at a fundamental level. This strategy required returning to the basic assumptions of CWA derived from Rasmussen’s approach. A considerable portion of this thesis scrutinizes the fundamental assumptions of CWA by revisiting Rasmussen’s papers and highlighting the engineering dimension of his approach. CWA is then extended via consideration of Rasmussen’s approach along with other theoretical approaches from ecological psychology, action theory and symbolic interactionism, in order to produce a framework for gathering requirements for interface design. In this extended CWA, the first step allows for an interpretative understanding of the user’s traditional ways of knowing and acting. Whereas the second step consists of an analysis amenable for eliciting the design requirements. To show the applicability of the new extended framework, the work domain of nanotechnology is chosen. A field study was conducted in the area of nanotechnology that comprised of three subdomains pertaining to devices, robotics and materials. The requirements derived from these three areas were compared between the standard CWA and the extended CWA. In all the three cases the extended CWA supported the traditional CWA, as well as provided a greater number of requirements pertaining to the role of the body and the social dimension of activity in human knowing and acting. Therefore, this shows that the theoretical extensions have a practical feasibility in terms of using the extended CWA