CAREER: Laser Micro- and Nano-Processing of Biodegradable Polymers for Biomedical and BioMEMS Applications

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）项目整合了研究和教育计划，重点是使用激光技术对生物可降解聚合物进行微纳米级加工，用于生物医学和bioMEMS应用。 研究重点是激光微米和纳米尺度的加工与参数研究，使用紫外准分子激光器和飞秒激光器，以产生受控的聚合物表面上的微观特征将得到解决。 生物可降解聚合物作为可植入生物医学微器件的新材料具有巨大的前景，这是由于它们的生物相容性和在期望的时间段内自然降解并消失在组织中的能力。 这种可降解性消除了第二次手术来取回植入的微型装置。 职业项目将： (1)发展先进的激光技术及近场光束传输系统，在可生物降解的聚合物表面产生受控的微米和纳米尺度图案;（2）发展实验系统和数值模型，以研究在极小的时间和长度尺度上激光与材料的瞬态相互作用过程;以及（3）开展研究，开发可生物降解的微米和纳米器件。 该研究将为新兴的和跨学科领域的微和纳米制造科学和技术，生物工程和聚合物科学做出重大贡献。综合教育计划将通过将新兴的和多学科的研究注入课堂，专注于本科和研究生阶段的微和纳米制造课程开发。该计划还鼓励女学生从事研究，并在教学中采用合作学习技术。PI还将自己的学习计划纳入教育教学法和课程开发的新方法中。

This Faculty Early Career Development ( CAREER) project integrates research and educational initiatives focusing on micro- and nano-scale processing of biodegradable polymers using laser techniques for biomedical and bioMEMS applications. Research focusing on laser micro- and nano-scale processing with parametric studies using both a UV excimer laser and a femtosecond laser to produce controlled micro-features on polymer surfaces will be addressed. Biodegradable polymers hold immense promise as new materials for implantable biomedical micro-devices due to their biocompatibility and ability to naturally degrade and disappear in tissues over a desired period of time. This degradability eliminates a second surgery to retrieve the implanted micro-devices. The CAREER project will: (1) develop an advanced laser technique with a near-field beam delivery system to produce controlled micro- and nano-scale patterns on biodegradable polymer surfaces; (2) develop an experimental system and a numerical model to investigate the transient laser-material interaction process on extremely small time and length scales; and (3) implement the research into the development of biodegradable micro- and nano-devices. This research will make significant contribution to the emerging and interdisciplinary field of micro- and nano-manufacturing science and technology, bioengineering, and polymer science.The integrated education plan will focus on curriculum development in micro- and nano-manufacturing at the undergraduate and graduate levels by infusing emerging and multi-disciplinary research into the classroom. This plan also encourages women students in research and adopts cooperative learning techniques in teaching. The PI also incorporates a learning plan for himself in new methods of educational pedagogy and curriculum development.