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Our research contributions
have been in several areas of drug delivery, biomaterials,
biomolecular engineering, mass transfer, kinetics and reaction
engineering, polymers and biomedical engineering. The multidisciplinary
approach of his research in biomolecular engineering blends
modern molecular and cellular biology with engineering to
generate next-generation systems and devices, including bioMEMS
with enhanced applicability, reliability, functionality, and
longevity. The fundamental studies of our group have provided
valuable results on biomaterials design and development. Physiologically-controlled
and disease-responsive, feedback control-based devices require
the operation/function of electrical and mechanical parts
as a result of on-line measurement of physiological variables
of the body, blood or other biological fluids. We utilize
the basics of biomedical transport phenomena, control theory,
and kinetic behavior to design novel devices and to optimize
their behavior in the body or in contact with the body. Research
in physiologically-responsive devices seeks to show how it
is possible to use classical and biomedical engineering principles,
mathematics, transport phenomena and control theory to design
devices and artifical organs, often based on "intelligent
materials," which are responsive to changes in the surrounding
environment. We have developed feedback control devices, such
as glucose-sensitive microsensors that can respond to abnormal
glucose levels by releasing incorporated insulin to the blood
at desired rates. Such feedback control systems are now perfected
for use in treatment of diabetes. In addition, we develop
temperature-sensitive devices which can be used for treatment
of malaria by release of antipyretics, etc.
Our group is internationally known for our work on the preparation,
characterization and evaluation of the behavior of compatible,
crosslinked polymers known as hydrogels, which have been used
as biocompatible materials and in controlled release devices,
especially in controlled delivery of drugs, peptides and proteins,
development of novel biomaterials, biomedical transport phenomena,
and biointerfacial problems. Our research has examined fundamental
aspects of the thermodynamics of polymer networks in contact
with penetrants, the conformational changes of networks under
load or in the presence of a diluent, the anomalous transport
of penetrants in glassy polymers, and the kinetics of fast
UV-polymerization reactions. In the field of controlled release,
our group has provided the fundamental basis for a rational
development of such systems. In addition, our work has led
to a series of novel controlled release systems known as swelling
controlled release systems, a series of pH-sensitive devices
for drug delivery and a wide range of bio- and mucoadhesive
systems. Other biomedical work of our group had dealt with
understanding of transport of biological compounds in tissues,
analysis of polymer/tissue interactions, and understanding
of the behavior of biomembranes.
Our research has led to the development of a number of biomedical
polymers and devices. For example, we were the first to develop
the freezing-thawing technique for preparation of novel poly(vinyl
alcohol) gels in 1975. This technique led to a number of novel
biomedical materials. Our group pioneered the use of hydrogels
in drug delivery applications, including epidermal bioadhesive
systems and systems for the release of theophylline, proxyphylline,
diltiazem, and oxprenolol. The first applications of this
work were made public in 1979. Using intelligent polymers
as early as 1984, our group was the first to use such pH-sensitive
and temperature-sensitive systems for modulated release of
streptokinase and other fibrinolytic enzymes. Our group has
also developed novel buccal and vaginal controlled release
devices.
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| Fletcher
S. Pratt Chair of Engineering |
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