Home > Press > Purdue professor develops devices to treat glaucoma, cancer
Abstract:
An electronic device no larger than a grain of rice could be a key factor in treating multiple diseases ranging from glaucoma to cancer.
Purdue professor develops devices to treat glaucoma, cancer
West Lafayette, IN | Posted on February 18th, 2010
Babak Ziaie, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, was torn between engineering and medicine when he was deciding what to do with his life. His solution was to work in the Birck Nanotechnology Center developing small and sophisticated machines that could help provide faster and more effective health care.
Ziaie and his team are currently working on a device that will improve the way radiation therapy is applied. Patients will have a small electronic device implanted in or around the cancerous area receiving the treatment. This device will measure the amount of radiation the target area receives and relay this information to medical personnel.
"This system could greatly reduce the side effects of (radiation therapy) because the doses of radiation could be much more precise," Ziaie said. "We are the only group to be doing this kind of research."
A prototype of the device has been developed and testing is in progress. Another product from Ziaie that has been fabricated is a "plug" for the human eye.
"Sometimes, when a patient has glaucoma, pressure in the eye must be corrected with surgery," Ziaie said. "We have developed a glaucoma device that protects the eye after surgery."
The device fits into an opening in the eye and can act as a drain for excess pressure. If ignored, this pressure could damage the optic nerves that allow a person to see, possibly leading to permanent loss of vision.
The device can drain very small amounts of pressure and is biodegradable. This means that it will completely dissolve in about two weeks without harming the body.
Amani Salim is a graduate student in engineering education and a part of Ziaie's team. Salim said Ziaie encourages his team to expand on their own original concepts.
"Ziaie is dedicated to research. (He is) not a micromanager," Salim wrote in an e-mail. "It is up to (me) to think and see which ideas to pursue."
The team has many other projects and ideas, including the development of methods to deliver drugs to the brain, measure pressure in the brain and bladder, and track tumor progression throughout the body.
Trials on animals are conducted in conjunction with the Indiana University School of Medicine while all of the engineering work and fabrication takes place at Purdue.
"Seventy percent of my research is clinically based," Ziaie said. "My goal is to get products to patients for treatment."
####
For more information, please click here
Copyright © Purdue University
If you have a comment, please
Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
News and information
Aspen Aerogels Announces $22.5 Million Private Placement May 18th, 2013
NanoInk, Inc. Assets To Be Sold May 18th, 2013
Beautiful "flowers" self-assemble in a beaker: Elaborate nanostructures blossom from a chemical reaction perfected at Harvard May 17th, 2013
Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013
Possible Futures
Lifeboat publishes its first book: The Lifeboat Foundation has published its first book, "The Human Race to the Future: What Could Happen -- and What to Do" May 14th, 2013
UC Santa Barbara History Professor's Book Elucidates, Celebrates ‘Visioneers' May 14th, 2013
Conceptual Nanomedical Lipofuscin Removal Strategy April 29th, 2013
The Global Desalination Market 2013-2023 April 24th, 2013
Academic/Education
Inaugural Baccalaureate Class Among CNSE Graduates to Pursue Opportunities in New York: Half of undergrads from pioneering class to seek graduate degrees at CNSE; majority of master’s and doctoral degree recipients land high-tech jobs in state’s emerging nanotech industry May 16th, 2013
Anasys reports on University of Illinois study of near-field behavior of semiconductor plasmonic microparticles using AFM-IR published in APL May 14th, 2013
The University of Wyoming uses Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis to characterize nanoparticles in natural environments May 14th, 2013
Nanotechnology Pioneer Named 'Entrepreneur of the Year': Royal Society of Chemistry honors Chad Mirkin for commercializing innovations May 10th, 2013
Molecular Machines
Conceptual Nanomedical Lipofuscin Removal Strategy April 29th, 2013
A giant step toward miniaturization: Nanotechnology transforms molecular beams into functional nano-devices with controlled atomic architectures April 3rd, 2013
ASU Biodesign Institute scientists develop innovative twists to DNA nanotechnology March 21st, 2013
Reversible assembly leads to tiny encrypted messages March 11th, 2013
Nanomedicine
Nanotechnology could help fight diabetes: Injectable nanogel can monitor blood-sugar levels and secrete insulin when needed May 16th, 2013
Nanobiotix Revenue for the 1st quarter of 2013 May 15th, 2013
Pitt Chemists Demonstrate Nanoscale Alloys So Bright They Could Have Potential Medical Applications: “Think about a particle that will not only help researchers detect cancer sooner but be used to treat the tumor, too.” May 15th, 2013
Using clay to grow bone: Researchers use synthetic silicate to stimulate stem cells into bone cells May 15th, 2013
Announcements
Aspen Aerogels Announces $22.5 Million Private Placement May 18th, 2013
NanoInk, Inc. Assets To Be Sold May 18th, 2013
NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013
Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013
Nanobiotechnology
Artificial Forest for Solar Water-Splitting: Berkeley Lab Researchers Report First Fully Integrated Artificial Photosynthesis Nanosystem May 17th, 2013
Glowing Plant Kickstarter Project Retains Digital Marketing Agency, Command Partners: Glowing Plant brings on top Charlotte-based digital marketing firm to assist in crowdfunding campaign May 16th, 2013
DNA-Guided Assembly Yields Novel Ribbon-Like Nanostructures: Approach could be useful in fabricating new kinds of materials with engineered properties May 16th, 2013
Advancements and developments of solid-state nanopores sensors May 16th, 2013