Sep 3 2008
Dr. Yong Shi of Stevens Institute of Technology was recently awarded a NSF grant for his project titled "MEMS Umbrella-Shaped Actuator with Active Structure for Medical Applications." The grant was approved on scientific/technical merit for three years and will total approximately $300,000. The objective of the research is to design, fabricate and test an umbrella-shaped micro-actuator based on an integrated micro/nanofabrication technique for thrombus retrieval in stroke therapy.
The proposed actuator consists of active structures that are precisely controlled by novel piezoelectric nanofibers. The functional principle of the proposed actuator is unique in that it can provide a dynamic shear force on blood clots in vascular arteries. This shear force can be fine-tuned to facilitate the separation of the blood clot from the wall of the vascular artery due to the shearing-thinning phenomenon, thus enabling complete retrieval while minimizing the risk of damage to the arteries.This research will contribute new fundamental knowledge in the areas of piezoelectric response of nanomaterials as well as the mechanical behavior of blood clots.
Dr. Shi, the Principal Investigator, has been an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stevens Institute of Technology since 2004. He obtained his M.S and Ph.D in 2001 and 2004 respectively from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests include functional nanofibers and nanocomposites, micro/nano actuators and sensors, RF, Bio, medical MEMS/NEMS systems design, modeling and fabrication . He won the ASNT fellowship from the American Society of Nondestructive Testing in 2007 for the development of a nano acoustic sensor. Shi is also a member of several scientific and professional societies, including IEEE, MRS, ASME, and Sigma Xi.
Co-PIs working with Professor Shi on the project are Professor Sundeep Mangla (M. D., Director of Interventional Neuroradiology , Associate Professor of Radiology, Neurosurgery, and Neurology ) and Professor Ming Zhang (M.D, Assistant Professor, Dept of Anesthesiology), both from SUNY Downstate Medical Center at Brooklyn, New York.