Advanced Instrumentation Methods for Biomedical and Oilfield Applications

提出的研究目标是研究、设计、实施和测试生物医学和油田工程应用的创新仪器方法。近年来，电子仪器的发展对生物医学和油田工程领域产生了巨大的影响。虽然从应用的角度来看，这两个领域有很大的不同，但从电子仪器仪表的角度来看，这两个领域有很多共同之处。与生物医学和油田系统相关的监测信号和过程的次低频特性是连接它们的最重要因素之一。此外，通过无线微系统和微机电系统（MEMS）的发展，结合实时和多通道信号处理以及先进的信息处理，电子仪器仪表的最新进展涉及从宏观仪器仪表向微观仪器仪表的过渡，这意味着集成方法可能非常有益。具体来说，最近发展的“智能”微系统既适用于人体，也适用于井下，为协同和融合创造了新的机会。我的研究将集中于：(1)一种微型、顺序驱动、多细胞、无线、半侵入式贴片，用于糖尿病患者的血糖水平伪连续监测（“电子蚊子”）；(2)无线、井下安装的实时惯性导航系统，用于油田边钻边测的方位监测。第一个项目是电子蚊子，这是一种可附着在皮肤上的微系统，用于血液采样和分析。该装置的整体设计类似于一排真正的蚊子，它们依次穿透皮肤，每只蚊子都能采集一小滴血液。第二个项目的总体愿景是用基于现代惯性导航系统（INS）的微系统取代水平钻井中的传统方法，后者采用磁测量技术来确定底部钻具组合的位置和姿态，利用我们的专利方法——钻孔对准，实现更精确的井下测量。

The objective of the proposed research is to investigate, design, implement and test innovative instrumentation methods for biomedical and oilfield engineering applications. In the recent years the development of electronic instrumentation has influenced immensely the areas of biomedical and oilfield engineering. Although dramatically different from application point of view, the two areas have a lot in common from the perspective of electronic instrumentation. The infra-low frequency nature of the monitored signals and processes associated with biomedical and oilfield systems are among the most important factors linking them. In addition, recent advancements in electronic instrumentation related to the transition from macro-instrumentation to micro-instrumentation through the development of wireless microsystems and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), combined with real-time and multichannel signal processing, as well as advanced information handling, imply that integrated approach could be extremely beneficial. Specifically, the recent development of "smart" microsystems applicable both in the human body and downhole created new opportunities for synergy and fusion. My research will concentrate on the development of: (1) a miniature, sequentially-actuated, multi-cell, wireless, semi-invasive patch for pseudo-continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels for diabetics ("Electronic Mosquito") and (2) wireless, downhole-mounted real-time inertial navigation system for azimuth monitoring in measurement-while-drilling oilfield applications. The first project, the Electronic Mosquito, is a skin-attachable microsystem for blood sampling and analysis. The overall vision for the apparatus is to resemble an array of real mosquitoes sequentially penetrating the skin each to sample a small blood droplet. The overall vision for the second project is to replace the conventional methods in horizontal drilling which incorporate magnetic surveying techniques for determining the position and the attitude of the bottom-hole assembly with modern, inertial navigation system (INS)-based microsystems utilizing our patented method, In-Drilling Alignment, for more precise downhole surveying.