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Bioacoustics
^ Development of Intelligent Hearing Aid
A. Feng* (Physiol.); D. Jones, B. C. Wheeler, W. D. O'Brien; C. Lansing, R. Bilger (Speech & Hearing)
Phonak, Inc.

This project aims to refine binaural signal processing algorithms for hearing aids so that they are suitable for real-time implementation in a commercial hearing aid. Also studied is wireless communication between hearing aids and support devices located on the body.

^ High-Intensity Ultrasound for Prostate Treatment
L. A. Frizzell,* J. S. Tan
National Institutes of Health, CA81340; SBC Interscience Research, Inc.

Ultrasound phased array applicators are being developed by several groups for use in high-intensity surgical treatment of the prostate. It is proposed in this study to use larger elements than most groups are using to keep the number of elements to a reasonable level and thereby reduce the cost and complexity of manufacture. Grating lobes will be kept to an acceptable level by using random size and spacing of the elements. The first phase of the study involves investigation of the effects of various design parameters with theoretical modeling of the acoustic field of the array. Once an acceptable design has been determined theoretically, an experimental prototype will be constructed and tested.

^ Development of a Biomimetic Acoustic Microsensor
D. Jones,* B. C. Wheeler,* W. D. O'Brien; A. Feng (Physiol.); C. Lansing, R. Bilger (Speech & Hearing)
DARPA

This subcontract to SUNY Binghamton aims to develop acoustic signal processing algorithms to support an advanced biomimetic acoustic sensor.

^ In Vivo Ultrasonic Microprobe for Tumor Diagnosis
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* J. F. Zachary (Vet. Pathobiol.),* D. A. Payne (Mat. Sci. & Engr.), D. L. Jones, K. A. Topp, P. Han, M. A. Haun, M. L. Oelze
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, CA079179

The objective of this interdisciplinary research program is to develop the basis for a fundamentally new sensor technology for an in situ evaluation of solid tumors with the expectation of rapid and accurate detection and diagnosis of cancer. The specific goal is to develop an in vivo ultrasonic microprobe sensor that operates at ultrasound frequencies up to 300 MHz and image resolution to 5 micrometers. With these sensor and imaging capabilities, research is scheduled to assess differences in acoustic cytoarchitectural features of normal tissues from neoplastic tissues at the cellular level.

^ Human Ultrasound Dosimetry in Ovarian, Embryonic, and Fetal Examinations
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* M. Goueygou
National Institutes of Health, HD 21687; SBC University of Cincinnati Medical Center

The specific research aims are to measure the ultrasonic energy delivered to the human ovary, early embryo, and mid-trimester fetus using currently available diagnostic imaging equipment. Specially designed hydrophones will be placed as close as possible to the ovaries in normal volunteers. Exposure to the embryo will be determined by placing the hydrophones as close as possible to the embryo in utero. Once the dosimetry in these clinical situations has been established, then meaningful data regarding the effect of diagnostic ultrasound in human pregnancy can be obtained and "safe" levels of ultrasonic energy established for patients of varying size and gestation.

^ Improved Food Package Quality and Safety Using Nondestructive Ultrasonic Sensing
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* S. A. Morris* (Food Sci. & Human Nutrition), C. A. H. Frazier, X. Yin
Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research, IDA CF-00E-01-4

The objective of this program is to define the engineering trade-offs of the nondestructive ultrasonic sensor that University of Illinois researchers have developed. The aim of the engineering trade-offs is to define the design parameters necessary for an online ultrasonic sensor technology that will allow for the safe, high-speed production of shelf-stable foods in packages that offer better quality and consumer utility while retaining microbial safety comparable to that of traditional cans and jars.

^ Portable Integrated MEMS Sonar Imaging System
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* C. A. H. Frazier, S. A. Hertleben, V. Lassale
U.S. Office of Naval Research, BAA 97-33; SBC Pennsylvania State University

The research objective of this program is to develop a diver-held underwater acoustic imaging (sonar) capability using novel thin-film piezoelectric and/or ferroelectric materials, small-scale acoustic microelectromechancial system (MEMS) receivers, and unique two-dimensional transducer array and beam-forming designs. The immediate need for the navy is to have an underwater imaging capability that can be used in shallow, limited visibility waters to detect and identify man-made objects. The program is a highly collaborative activity with investigators from The Pennsylvania State University's Applied Research Laboratory, Bioengineering Program, and Materials Research Laboratory, and from industry.

^ Real-Time Acoustic Imaging Development for Defect Detection in Shelf-Stable Food Packages
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* S. A. Morris* (Food Sci. & Human Nutrition), C. A. H. Frazier, X. Yin
University of Illinois Value-added Research Opportunities Program, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station

Typical real-time ultrasonic imaging is performed with phased-array ultrasonic transducers using the ultrasonic backscattered signal. Previously, researchers demonstrated that ultrasonic backscattered signal evaluation can detect packaging defects better than the system's resolution limit. This was accomplished with the development of a new pulse-echo image processing strategy called backscattered integrated imaging, or BII-mode imaging. These images were constructed under laboratory (static) conditions with offline computer processing (nonreal-time processing). The research aim is to evaluate the extent to which the BII-mode pulse-echo technique can detect and classify packaging defects under real-time, production-line speed [[horizontal-tab]]conditions.

^ Subsurface Acoustic Imaging of Cultural Artifacts
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* R. G. Darmody (Natural Resources & Environ. Sci.), C. A. H. Frazier, W. D. Zierfuss, J. Mamou
U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, DACA42-00-R-006

The objective of the research program is to evaluate the feasibility for subsurface detection of cultural artifacts. The hypothesis is that subsurface artifacts can be detected using various acoustic imaging approaches. The principal unknowns are the axial and lateral spatial resolutions required as a function of buried artifacts in ground soil and the contrast resolution at which detection can be achieved for various soil types and conditions.

^ Ultrasonic Anistropy of Biological Tissues
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* M. L. Oelze
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, CA09067

The object of this project is to evaluate ultrasonic anisotropy of biological tissues. This work will impact the ability to diagnose malignant tissue, whereas current diagnostic ultrasound capability can only identify whether the tissue is abnormal and not necessarily malignant. The quantification of ultrasonic propagation properties is dependent on tissue anisotropy. Therefore, it is necessary to have the capability to assess tissue anisotropy in order to diagnose tissue abnormalities such as malignancies. The approach is to measure the ultrasonic propagation properties which include propagation speed, attenuation, and backscatter. The approach is also to develop a theoretical basis for the ultrasonic anisotropic behavior of propagation speed, attenuation, and backscatter.

^ Ultrasound-induced Lung Damage Assessment
W. D. O'Brien, Jr.,* J. F. Zachary (Vet. Pathobiol.),* T. G. Waldrop (Molec. & Integrative Physiol.), D. G. Simpson (Statistics), L. A. Frizzell, J. M. Sempsrott, N. H. Darwish, R. J. Miller, J. P. Blue, J. M. Kramer (Molec. & Integrative Physiol.)
National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, HL58218

The objective of this interdisciplinary research program is to evaluate a significant ultrasound-induced biological effect of lung tissue. It is known that diagnostic ultrasound exposure conditions can produce damage to lung tissue in a limited number of animal species. Thus, the emphasis of the program is to conduct both experimental and theoretical evaluations in order to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms responsible for producing lung damage and from this understanding provide a best-case extrapolation to the likelihood of similar damage in humans.

^ A Database System for Neuronal Pattern Analysis
B. C. Wheeler, B. Mihalas; M. Gabriel,* W. T. Greenough, J. Malpeli (Psychol.); M. Nelson, A. Feng, R. Gillette (Physiol. & Biophys.)
National Science Foundation, DBI 9116763

Neuronal pattern analysis documents the dynamic brain processes of sensation, perception, learning, and cognition by recording the electrical activity of brain neurons. Recent advances in multi-array recording have greatly expanded the rate at which these data can be obtained, making possible the study of dynamic intercorrelations in neuronal networks. Computational modeling has fostered major increments in data processing requirements, which call for parallel development of adequate database systems for organization, rapid access, and sharing of these data. This work establishes a database system for time series neurophysiological data recorded by the Neuronal Pattern Analysis Group at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, carried out with collaboration from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

^ Chemical Communication between Cells and Engineered Bioscaffold Materials
B. C. Wheeler; D. E. Leckband* (Chem. Engr., Biophysics); D. L. Gross, T. E. Eurell (Vet. Biosci.)
University of Illinois Critical Research Initiative Program

A powerful emerging strategy for biomaterials engineering involves integrating materials and biological systems by mimicking the signaling that occurs between biological matrices and the cells with which they interact, which in turn determines the cells' viability and stimulates communication with other cells. The specific research aims of this proposal are to identify the physical and biochemical mechanisms that control short-term (1 to 4 days) cellular localization and to identify mechanisms and chemical signals that control the long-term adhesion strength, cell localization, and viability of neurons and epithelial cells cultured on bioscaffolds.

^ Micropatterning Neurons
B. C. Wheeler,* G. J. Brewer (Southern Illinois Univ. School of Medicine)
National Institutes of Health, PHS 1 R21 NS 38617-01

The goal is to create a technology that permits the design and reliable creation of ordered in vitro neural networks. Essential elements of this technology are the ability to retard cell attachment and growth from background areas, confine somata to desired positions, and control axonal extension so as to create an oriented network. Further, to permit input, output, and control over the network, researchers will superpose the neurons on electrode arrays for stimulation and recording.

^ Microstamping Proteins and Micropatterning Neurons
B. C. Wheeler,* G. J. Brewer (Southern Illinois Univ. School of Medicine)
National Institutes of Health, RR 13320-01

Microstamping technology will be developed and used to stamp proteins that control the position at which neurons in culture attach to glass substrates. Further, by simultaneously stamping multiple proteins, researchers will control the extension of axons as opposed to dendrites and somata. Finally, the technology will be combined with microelectrode arrays to create designable biological neural networks in a dish. The technology will give insight into basic brain sciences as well as be applicable to biosensors, prosthetics, and drug testing.

^ Physical Exercise, Mental Activity, and Brain Plasticity
B. C. Wheeler,* W. T. Greenough* (Psychol.)
National Institutes of Health, PHS 2R01 AG10154-07

Researchers propose to use morphological and morphometric, electrophysiological, immunocytochemical, and behavioral methods in mature adult and aging cerebellar cortex to determine which synapse and neuron types in cerebellar cortex exhibit plasticity in response to learning and to physical exercise; which nonneuronal elements exhibit plasticity; the molecular mechanisms underlying this plasticity; and functional correlates.

^ Real-Time Implementation of Intelligent Hearing Aids
B. C. Wheeler, D. Jones, W. D. O'Brien; A. Feng (Physiol.); C. Lansing, R. Bilger (Speech & Hearing)
National Institutes of Health

The long-term goal is to create high-performance hearing aids for use in noisy environments. The immediate goal is pilot data and feasibility demonstrations of a real-time implementation of two novel signal processing algorithms that process binaural inputs, optimally reject interfering sounds, and reconstruct the desired signal in real-time. One localizes the interfering sound source and steers a null in the reception pattern toward the largest in each frequency band. The second algorithm employs minimum variance beamforming to minimize off-axis sound energy on a frequency by frequency basis. Work will include human subject testing.

^ U.S.–Korea Cooperative Research: Micropatterned Neural Networks and Microelectrode Arrays
B. C. Wheeler,* S. J. Kim (Seoul National University)
National Science Foundation

This grant supports travel to facilitate cooperative research between the University of Illinois and the NanoBioelectronics and Systems Research Center at Seoul National University. The topic of the research is the use of microlithography to control the patterns of growth of neurons, to superpose them on microelectrodes, and to stimulate and record neuroelectric activity. The results should be applicable to basic neuroscience, cell-based biosensors, and neural prosthetic devices.


Summary of Engineering Research