Yeun-Ho Joung

Development of implantable medical devices: from an engineering perspective.

From the first pacemaker implant in 1958, numerous engineering and medical activities for implantable medical device development have faced challenges in materials, battery power, functionality, electrical power consumption, size shrinkage, system delivery, and wireless communication. With explosive advances in scientific and engineering technology, many implantable medical devices such as the pacemaker, cochlear implant, and real-time blood pressure sensors have been developed and improved. This trend of progress in medical devices will continue because of the coming super-aged society, which will result in more consumers for the devices. The inner body is a special space filled with electrical, chemical, mechanical, and marine-salted reactions. Therefore, electrical connectivity and communication, corrosion, robustness, and hermeticity are key factors to be considered during the development stage. The main participants in the development stage are the user, the medical staff, and the engineer or technician. Thus, there are three different viewpoints in the development of implantable devices. In this review paper, considerations in the development of implantable medical devices will be presented from the viewpoint of an engineering mind.

SiC formation for a solar cell passivation layer using an RF magnetron co-sputtering system.

In this paper, we describe a method of amorphous silicon carbide film formation for a solar cell passivation layer. The film was deposited on p-type silicon (100) and glass substrates by an RF magnetron co-sputtering system using a Si target and a C target at a room-temperature condition. Several different SiC [Si1-xCx] film compositions were achieved by controlling the Si target power with a fixed C target power at 150 W. Then, structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Si1-xCx films were studied. The structural properties were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The optical properties were achieved by UV-visible spectroscopy and ellipsometry. The performance of Si1-xCx passivation was explored by carrier lifetime measurement.

Implantable Bladder Sensors: A Methodological Review

The loss of urinary bladder control/sensation, also known as urinary incontinence (UI), is a common clinical problem in autistic children, diabetics, and the elderly. UI not only causes discomfort for patients but may also lead to kidney failure, infections, and even death. The increase of bladder urine volume/pressure above normal ranges without sensation of UI patients necessitates the need for bladder sensors. Currently, a catheter-based sensor is introduced directly through the urethra into the bladder to measure pressure variations. Unfortunately, this method is inaccurate because measurement is affected by disturbances in catheter lines as well as delays in response time owing to the inertia of urine inside the bladder. Moreover, this technique can cause infection during prolonged use; hence, it is only suitable for short-term measurement. Development of discrete wireless implantable sensors to measure bladder volume/pressure would allow for long-term monitoring within the bladder, while maintaining the patient’s quality of life. With the recent advances in microfabrication, the size of implantable bladder sensors has been significantly reduced. However, microfabricated sensors face hostility from the bladder environment and require surgical intervention for implantation inside the bladder. Here, we explore the various types of implantable bladder sensors and current efforts to solve issues like hermeticity, biocompatibility, drift, telemetry, power, and compatibility issues with popular imaging tools such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. We also discuss some possible improvements/emerging trends in the design of an implantable bladder sensor.

Structural and optical properties of a radio frequency magnetron-sputtered ZnO thin film with different growth angles.

This study introduces optical properties of a columnar structured zinc oxide [ZnO] antireflection coating for solar cells. We obtained ZnO films of columnar structure on glass substrates using a specially designed radio frequency magnetron sputtering system with different growth angles. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy was utilized to check the growth angles of the ZnO films which were controlled at 0°, 15°, and 30°. The film thickness was fixed at 100 nm to get a constant experiment condition. Grain sizes of the ZnO films were measured by X-ray diffraction. A UV-visible spectrometer was used to measure the transmittance and reflectance of the ZnO film columnar structures as a function of the growth angles.

Investigation of X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Electrical Conductivity Properties of the Layered Perovskite LnBaCo2O5+d (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd) for IT-SOFC

Chemical states of the layered perovksite LnBaCo2O5+d (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd) are investigated using the x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy method. For the Co spectra of the LnBaCo2O5+d oxide systems, the two main peaks located at binding energies (BEs) of 779.65 eV and 794.96 eV are assigned to Co 2p3/2 and Co 2p1/2 of PrBaCo2O5+d (PBCO) and are ascribed to 779.86 eV and 795.08 eV of NdBaCo2O5+d (NBCO). In addition, the lower binding energy (LBE) and higher binding energy (HBE) of SmBaCo2O5+d (SBCO) were found to be 779.67 eV and 795.02 eV, respectively; the LBE and HBE of GdBaCo2O5+d (GBCO) were 779.73 eV and 795.03 eV, respectively. The BEs of the mixture state of Co3+ and Co4+ ions in PBCO, NBCO, SBCO, and GBCO were approximately located in the vicinity of 803.24 eV to 804.47 eV. As for the electrical conductivities of the layered perovskites, PBCO and NBCO had metallic characteristics over the whole temperature range tested while SBCO and GBCO exhibited metal-insulator transition (MIT) behavior.

Real Time ECG Monitoring Through a Wearable Smart T-shirt

A wearable sensing ECG T-shirt for ubiquitous vital signs sensing is proposed. The sensor system consists of a signal processing board and capacitive sensing electrodes which together enable measurement of an electrocardiogram (ECG) on the human chest with minimal discomfort. The capacitive sensing method was employed to prevent direct ECG measurement on the skin and also to provide maximum convenience to the user. Also, low power integrated circuits (ICs) and passive electrodes were employed in this research to reduce the power consumption of the entire system. Small flexible electrodes were placed into cotton pockets and affixed to the interior of a worn tight NIKE Pro combat T-shirt. Appropriate signal conditioning and processing were implemented to remove motion artifacts. The entire system was portable and consumed low power compared to conventional ECG devices. The ECG signal obtained from a 24 yr. old male was comparable to that of an ECG simulator.

Electrode Characteristics of Non-contact Electrocardiographic Measurement

The ability to take electrocardiographic measurements while performing our daily activities has become the people-choice for modern age vital sign sensing. Currently, wet and dry ECG electrodes are known to pose threats like inflammations, allergic reactions, and metal poisoning due to their direct skin interaction. Therefore, the main goal in this work is to implement a very small ECG sensor system with a capacitive coupling, which is able to detect electrical signals of heart at a distance without the conductive gel. The aim of this paper is to design, implement, and characterize the contactless ECG electrodes. Under a careful consideration of factors that affect a capacitive electrode functional integrity, several different sizes of ECG electrodes were designed and tested with a pilot ECG device. A very small cotton-insulated copper tape electrode () was finally attained that could detect and measure bioelectric signal at about 500 um of distance from the subject`s chest.

Rapid prototyping of 2D glass microfluidic devices based on femtosecond laser assisted selective etching process

Microfluidics technology which deals with small liquid samples and reagents within micro-scale channels has been widely applied in various aspects of biological, chemical, and life-scientific research. For fabricating microfluidic devices, a silicon-based polymer, PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), is widely used in soft lithography, but it has several drawbacks for microfluidic applications. Glass has many advantages over PDMS due to its excellent optical, chemical, and mechanical properties. However, difficulties in fabrication of glass microfluidic devices that requires multiple skilled steps such as MEMS technology taking several hours to days, impedes broad application of glass based devices. Here, we demonstrate a rapid and optical prototyping of a glass microfluidic device by using femtosecond laser assisted selective etching (LASE) and femtosecond laser welding. A microfluidic droplet generator was fabricated as a demonstration of a microfluidic device using our proposed prototyping. The fabrication time of a single glass chip containing few centimeter long and complex-shaped microfluidic channels was drastically reduced in an hour with the proposed laser based rapid and simple glass micromachining and hermetic packaging technique.

The Effect of Deoxycholic Acid on Secretion and Motility in the Rat and Guinea Pig Large Intestine

Background/Aims Bile acid is an important luminal factor that affects gastrointestinal motility and secretion. We investigated the effect of bile acid on secretion in the proximal and distal rat colon and coordination of bowel movements in the guinea pig colon. Methods The short-circuit current from the mucosal strip of the proximal and distal rat colon was compared under control conditions after induction of secretion with deoxycholic acid (DCA) as well as after inhibition of secretion with indomethacin, 1,2-bis (o-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetra-acetic acid (an intracellular calcium chelator; BAPTA), and tetrodotoxin (TTX) using an Ussing chamber. Colonic pressure patterns were also evaluated in the extracted guinea pig colon during resting, DCA stimulation, and inhibition by TTX using a newly developed pressure-sensing artificial stool. Results The secretory response in the distal colon was proportionate to the concentration of DCA. Also, indomethacin, BAPTA, and TTX inhibited chloride secretion in response to DCA significantly (P < 0.05). However, these changes were not detected in the proximal colon. When we evaluated motility, we found that DCA induced an increase in luminal pressure at the proximal, middle, and distal sensors of an artificial stool simultaneously during the non-peristaltic period (P < 0.05). In contrast, during peristalsis, DCA induced an increase in luminal pressure at the proximal sensor and a decrease in pressure at the middle and distal sensors of the artificial stool (P < 0.05). Conclusions DCA induced a clear segmental difference in electrogenic secretion. Also, DCA induced a more powerful peristaltic contraction only during the peristaltic period.

Effects of Annealing Ambient on the Anti-Pollution and Mechanical Properties of Functional Film Coated on the Ceramic Substrate

For the improvement of the anti-pollution properties of porcelain electrical insulators, in this study, we have applied the functional film to the surface of insulator. The functional films were coated on the ceramic substrates which components were like the porcelain electrical insulator. The coating material was applied to ceramic substrate by spray coating method and then the film was cured at around 300C for 10 minutes with different gas ambient, such as O2, N2, and only vacuum. We have measured the contact angle of the coated surface, and obtained the lowest angle (8.9) and a strong hydrophilic property at vacuum condition. The anti-pollution properties were measured, revealing that as the contact angle decreased, the anti-pollution properties improved. The mechanical hardness and adhesion were both excellent regardless of the annealing ambient.