• Designed a turbofan-based blower with customized airflow directions, enabling cooling in tight slits. Simulated blower assembly performance using Fluent FEA and optimized fan and air channel design. Aiming to achieve 5 CFM with a max voltage of 5V and a max current of 0.5A, given 5*1.5 cm intake.

• Developed ultrasound-based through-tissue 3D printing using injectable hydrogel. Explored different monomer formulations to achieve optimal cross-linking. Employed piezoelectric particles to drive reactive oxygen species generation. Designed and manufactured custom fixture to facilitate novel 3D process development. (Autumn Quarter)

• Developed Python scripts to post-process proprietary thermal videos, saving $900/yr per workstation. Programmed custom toolpath-hatching algorithms with controllable orientation and line spacing. Modeled SLS metal 3D-printing using FEA by implementing heat equation into FEniCS PDE solver, saving at least $2,500 in yearly software licensing. Optimized printing for less defects by integrating hatching with FEA and comparing with videos. (Winter Quarter)

• Developed fluid-solid-interaction (FSI) models of human brain using LS-DYNA to facilitate understanding of brain injury kinematics. Explored Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation and implicit formulation to achieve most accurate FSI simulation. Modeled white matter-skull impact and brain deformation using different impact velocities. (Spring Quarter)

• Spearheaded oral insulin delivery and ultrasound-assisted active release using polymer delivery vehicles to achieve high drug loading capacity and bioavailability. Designed and manufactured molecularly imprinted polymers for the electrochemical sensing of melatonin within saliva. (Summer Quarter)

• Designed 3D-printed architected functionally graded lattices to achieve tunable material properties of bone implants for better bone fixture, contributing to a key area of research conducted by leading industry manufacturers (Stryker, Johnson & Johnson – DePuy Synthes, etc.)

• Modeled lattice structures computationally and sourced industry partners for manufacturing. Communicated, negotiated, and approved the order with 3D Systems. Examined the parts for build quality and argued for a rebuild for significantly defected parts.

• Tested the 3D-printed parts experimentally with MTS compression testing rig. Extracted and post-processed the testing data to produce stress-strain curves. Identified micro-scale and internal defects using micro-CT. Developed a MATLAB code to process and reconstruct the printed parts using micro-CT images. Quantitatively determined the printing accuracy by comparing reconstructed parts and initial models.

• Developed guidelines for computational model size adjustments to achieve designed material properties for higher part quality and usability.