Research

Low Power Passive Microsystems for Medication Compliance:
National Science Foundation CAREER Award

During clinical trials, it is important to know with certainty the patient's compliance to a medication regimen, because without it, the results cannot be interpreted accurately. Numerous direct and indirect methods are available for measuring patient adherence to medication regimens, but as documented in a recent JAMA review of medication adherence strategies, none have had a significant effect in determining the validity of compliance. The primary objective of the proposed work is to develop ultra-low power deep in-body communication passive microsystems for orally ingestible pills.

MRM on a Chip:
UF Research Opportunity SEED Fund

Development of a miniaturized chip-based platform for Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM) of single biological cells. The significance of this research stems from the rich information content that can be obtained using MR techniques, which include the analysis for structural and conformational determination in chemistry and biology. The rich array of contrast variables obtained via MRM can be used to glean new information regarding cells themselves, and to use these data to interpret MR signals from macroscopic assemblies of cells i.e. MRI of tissues.

An Ultra-Low Power Wireless Neural Recording Implant
National Institute of Health (NIH)

Allow subjects to interact seamlessly with a variety of actuators and sensory devices through the expression of their voluntary brain activity. Develop new technologies for augmenting human performance by accessing the brain in real time and integrating the information into external devices

Selective Wireless-Adjustable Multiple-frequency Probe (SWAMP) Coil for MRI/S
National Institute of Health (NIH)

The goal of this research project is to develop a high sensitivity NMR, selective wirelessly-adjustable multiple-frequency probe (SWAMP) system, using an implanted coil, that can be used to non-invasively monitor the function in vivo of a tissue engineered construct, such as a pancreatic substitute. The probe design uses custom microchips fabricated to allow the automatic tuning and matching of the probe to any desired frequency (i.e. nuclear magnetic resonance frequency).

Integrated Power Converters
Intel Corporation

Power delivery systems for future generation of microprocessors must be capable of providing high step-down DC/DC voltage conversion from the system board supply plane, operate at higher power densities, cope with increasing dynamic loading and current slew rates (~ 100 A/ns), and achieve much tighter voltage tolerances (less than 10% in supply voltage variation) while dealing with the parasitic impedance of the power supply connections and components. This research aims to investigate the feasibility of a highly integrated DC-DC converters for future generation of processors.

Integrated Micronode Research
US AIR FORCE AFOSR

This research effort is proposed to define an ultra small low power radio transceiver integrated using a mainstream 65nm CMOS foundry logic process in an M&M sized uNode. The radio will support node to node communication at 20m separations, node to base station.

Ultra-Miniature Power Management for Microsystem Platforms
US ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY

This effort is aimed towards the development of highly-integrated power management systems for ultra-miniaturized microsystem platforms such as micro air vehicles and microrobots. The power system is based on advanced power converters that can sense and manage power from multiple power sources and appropriately deliver power to multiple output loads, each with different power requirements.

High-Speed Electrical Interconnects
IFC/MARCO, SRC, Texas Instruments

The goal for this project is to develop high-speed I/O integrated circuit modules to characterize and evaluate the performance of high frequency chip-to-substrate package interfaces and electrical communication links. The proposed tasks will also establish design metrics for both near term and long term I/O solutions.

For interested students

Dear applicant,

Our research area is in mixed-signal integrated circuit design mainly for biomedical applications, but we also work on power management and high-speed I/O blocks. Our group's typical areas of interest include:

Biomedical Microsystems (wireless, RFID, CDRs, low power DSP, analog front ends)

Power Management (high frequency buck and boost converters, controllers, battery and wireless chargers)

High-speed IO (PLLs, DLLs, serial links)

We are primarily an experimental group. We implement mixed signal circuits for a variety of applications. As the design of functional circuits across process, temperature and voltage variations is not a simple task, the learning curve can be a bit steep. As a group member you will have many opportunities to design, fabricate and experimentally validate circuits in a variety of technologies including advanced CMOS nodes. This experience is highly valuable and will place you at a unique position for future endeavors in your career.

I generally look for students that are resourceful. The ability to reason and systematically approach a problem, dissecting it into manageable pieces, is extremely important. A good circuit designer will generally be a detailed oriented person. He or she is someone that double checks every single assumption. These are general skills of a good engineer. Creativity is of utmost importance. After all, we are in the business of research; new ideas and circuit implementations will get you published.

I am interested mainly in PhD students, although I will also consider exceptional master students. I am particularly interested in potential students with prior IC design experience, in industry or academia. A prior publication record is also highly encouraged. Upon considering these issues, if you are interested in joining my group, I would sincerely like to hear from you. However, please take the following items into consideration:

I would first encourage you to apply for admission

Write a short letter with specific interests

You may send me a CV with educational background, prior research and work experience

Please list GRE scores, GPA and class rank

List of publications

If possible, send PDF instead of Word files

In the News

TECHCON 2010 Best in Session Award Jikai Chen wins best in-session paper award at TECHCON 2010

MoMA: Talk to Me exhibit, Research showcased in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York Talk to Me, 2011

EE Times, Research consortium touts air-gap for PC boards R. Colin Johnson, 8/17/2010

ABC Channel 12 News, Pills that will call your doctor if you miss a dose Leslie Toldo, June 04, 2010.

Discovery Channel, Daily Planet May 31 2010.

American Medical News, Smart pill sends message when medication is swallowed Pamela Lewis Dolan, May 10, 2010.

TechRadar, World of Tech News, 7 high tech medical gadgets that just might save your life Rob Mead, May 1, 2010.

RFID Journal, University Team Sees Ingestible RFID Tag as a Boon to Clinical Trials Claire Swedberg, April 27, 2010.

Time, A pill that can tell if it's been taken? Tiffany O'Callaghan, April 14, 2010.

RF Globalnet, Digestible Antenna Pill Signals It Has Been Swallowed April 12, 2010.

MIT Technology Review, Smart Pill Reports Back: A new smart pill could let doctors know when patients have taken their medicine April 07, 2010.

Printed Electronics World, Pill that signals it has been swallowed April 06, 2010.

Daily News India, Soon, pill that signals it has been swallowed April 1, 2010.

Gainesville Sun, No joke: a pill to make you take your other pills Diane Chun, April 1, 2010.

CBC News, Canada, Pill with antenna ensures patients take meds March 31, 2010.

Popular Science, Chip in a Pill Tells Your Doctor When You Swallow Your Medicine - and When You Don't Clay Dillow, March 31, 2010.

CNET News, Introducing the pill that snitches on you Elizabeth Armstrong Moore, March 31, 2010.

Business Week, edible-rfid-microchip-monitor-can-tell-if-you-take-your-medicine March 31, 2010.

Science Daily, Science News, Tattletale pills: Engineers design pill that signals it has been swallowed March 31, 2010.

University of Florida News, Rx for health: Engineers design pill that signals it has been swallowed Aaron Hoover, Kay Howell, March 31, 2010.

EE Times, ISSCC: MIT, TSMC, UC seek to control power Mark LaPedus, February 15, 2010.

Cybernetic News, Engineer's circuit to help enable miniature medical implants, December 20, 2007.

INSIDE FLORIDA'S HIGH TECH CORRIDOR, UF Researcher Develops Tiny Implanted Circuit for Recharging Medical Devices, Aaron Hoover, December 18, 2007.

The Medical News, Electronics that interface with biological systems, July 26, 2007.

Science Daily, The future of medicine: Insert chip, cure disease?, April Birdwell, July 25, 2007.

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