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.
(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) |
(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. |
(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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