Research Groups
We are a research group in the Mechanical Engineering Department at San Diego State University in southern California. Our team includes mechanical, bio/biomedical, electrical as well as materials engineers. General research areas include micro and nanofabrication, microfluidics, Microarrays and DNA/Protein chips, 3D Manipulation and Separation, and other Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) emerging technologies.
 
Current Group Members: Bao Nguyen, Lei Zhou, Saravana Pitchaikani, Steven Wong, Phoebe Shin, Zaid Karim, Jeff Barnovitz, and Vaibhav Patel.
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(I) Microfluidics Group
Research in this area encompasses Navier-Stokes
analysis, boundary forces, and localized phenomena within
micron and nano-scale channels. Simulations are utilized
to develop physical models for experimental validation of
force and boundary scaling laws in the micron-scale world
through electrokinetic transport. Applications for such
development include miniaturized biological assay transport,
selective charged-particle separation, and reduced volumes
for pathogen detection.
Current active research also include new magneto-hydrodynamic
(MHD) micropump designs with bubble-isolating micro-channels
and high-efficiency stacked centrigugal micropumps.
Researchers: Bao Nguyen, Saravana Pitchaikani,
and Vaibhav Patel (currently at Qualcomm MEMS Technologies).
 
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(II) BioChip & Nanofabrication Group
DNA arrays and DNA chips
Coupled with our research in microfluidics,
these projects include strides towards Sample-to-Answer
technologies. Utilizing the innate charge of DNA and
the electrical polarizability of other biomolecules, our group
is making strides towards improved separation techniques requiring
minimal reagent volume. Thus, detection and validation
of varying DNA strands is possible with minimal cost –
an application highly desirable in the pharmaceutical industry.
3D Manipulation and Separation
Traditional micron and nano-scale transport
occurs in a single plane. We have developed several
designs for selective manipulation of colloids and individual
particles in three dimensions. These models allow for
improved utilization of particles, be they mechanical or biological
in origin, through the entire volume of a sample chamber.
Dimensional extension of such manipulations has many applications
ranging from molecular diagnostic and pathogen detection systems
to nano-assembly.
Researchers: Steven Wong,
Alex Teeter (currently @ Gen-Probe)
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(III) IMU Group (Accelero)
We are working on design and fabbing of various novel 2-axis
and 3-axis accelerometers. Together with a collegaue at the
Biology Department of SDSU, we are also looking at accelerometers
for biometric identification purposes.
 
Researchers: Zaid Karim, Phoebe Shin and Albero Rodriguez.
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(IV) RF MEMS Group
We have an ongoing research project on the design and fabbing
of contact series RF MEMS switch with applications for reconfigurable
antennas.
Researchers: Lei Zhou, PhD and Jeff Barnovitz.
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