Huachen CUI
SMMG
Design and manufacturing of artificial-cilia-based micro-pump systems
Micro-pump is an important constituent of microfluidics systems and affects the development of biological technologies as well as clinical medicine. However, conventional micro-pumps usually have complicated manufacturing steps, high cost and poor biocompatibility. Micro-pumps in biological systems provide new pathways for the development of novel micro-pump systems. For instance, the cilia inside trachea can effectively transmit highly viscous mucus. This project develops artificial-cilia-based micro-pumps via additive manufacturing, optimize the projection stereolithography system for the fabrication of the artificial cilia and synthesize new types of UV composites for 3D printing. Based on the fabrication capabilities and printable composites, this project investigate the hierarchical architecture, driving modes and tessellation of artificial cilia, providing new pathways to the future micro fluidics systems.
All-in-one fabricated logic circuits based on multi-material projection stereolithography
The rapid development of additive manufacturing technologies enabled the fabrications of simple functional electronic components including cables, resistors, capacitors and inductors. However, the all-in-one fabrication of complex logic circuits containing transistors and so on remains elusive. The most challenging problem is the direct 3D printing of transistors due to the limitation of printing resolution and printable materials. This project aims at developing an all-in-one additive manufacturing method for rapid prototyping of complex logic circuits. The projects will start with the synthesis of 3D printable materials for electronic components and continue with the development of hybrid 3D printing method capable of direct printing of complicated logic circuits. The as-fabricated circuits will be capable of transmitting information, responding to stimulation, controlling remotely and making decision independently. In the future, it will be widely applied to wearable electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices and highly reduce the complexity of the fabrication of circuits.