Division of Medical Engineering Research

Introduction | Mission | Advisory Committee | Research Direction |
Research Achievements | Members

Achievements

The accomplishment of the division over the past 3 years can be summarized according to the four research areas:

In the Biomechanics area, Dr. Jeng-Jiann Chiu, one of our founding member of the division since 2000, has developed interdisciplinary approaches at the interface of physiology, medicine, and engineering to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the regulation of vascular functions, with a special emphasis on the transduction of mechanical stimuli, such as blood flow-induced shear stress, into intracellular signaling and the ensuing gene expression and functional responses in health and disease. The results are related to clinical problems such as atherosclerosis, gene therapy, and functional tissue engineering. The research outcomes have already won academic merits and have more than 17 papers been published in SCI journals from 2007 to present.

In the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering area, Director Feng-Huei Lin has conducted a research project entitled “The Thermo-sensitive Hydrogel as Cell Carrier for Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration” since early 2009 aiming to use the chitosan/β-glycerophosphate thermo-sensitive hydrogel as cell carrier for nucleus pulposus cell proliferation and extracellular matrix production. The research outcomes suggest that the thermo-sensitive hydrogel could be an adequate material for nucleus pulposus cells regeneration in degenerative intervertebral disc. One journal article has been published in Tissue Engineering Part A in 2009.

Prof. F. H. Lin has also collaborated with Dr. K. H. Chen (Adjunct Assistant Investigator, an Ophthalmologist of Taipei Veterans General Hospital) aiming to develop a colorless, transparent and injectable hydrogel as a vitreous substitute that is formed by oxidated HA (oxi-HA) and adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH). The result has showed that the injectable oxi-HA/ADH hydrogel would be used as an injectable material and would meet the requirement for vitreous substitutes. The outcome has resulted in 2 patent disclosures submitted in 2009.

Dr. Guo-Chung Dong, our new recruited PI in 2009, has planned to study on traditional Chinese medicine as protein modulators for bone tissue engineering application. The lab has established two separate analysis platforms of bone cell growth-related receptors (BMPR and EGFR) based on biosensor system and study the kinetic parameters of thses receptors-ligands binding. Dr. Dong has also established bone cell culture system to analyze the signal transduction signals according to bone cell growth and differentiation. In 2009, 5 abstracts have been presented in domestic and international conferences respectively.

In the Biophotonics & Bioelectronics area, Dr. L. W. Lo’s study is planning to design interactive ischemia control system for nanoparticle-adjuvant therapy for cancers such as hepatoma. To implement of the interactive ischemia control system will not only provide a platform for pringle surgery but also for a spectrum of any surgical process that involves ischemia, such as organ transplantation, traditional cardiopulmonary bypass, and tumor enucleation. So far in 2009, by implementing the current project, the research team has more than 6 papers published or accepted for publication in prestigious international journals, and 9 more have submitted for publication; in addition, among 3 patent applications, one has been granted by European Patent Office (EPO), and the other two are current under review. Dr. Lo has also conducted his research in many aspects associated with the NHRI Center for Nano-Medicine Research.

In the Medical Imaging area, Dr. Kurt Lin’s laboratory has conducted molecular imaging research and focused on two major directions, hybrid multimodality imaging reporters and transgenic mouse models with reporter gene expression, and these two directions have now integrated together, as the generation of transgenic mouse expressing tri-fusion reporter. The key to the completion and of achieving the most exciting part of Dr. Lin’s research is to perform multimodality (optical, microPET, SPECT/CT) animal imaging. Dr. Lin has published 13 journal articles in the research areas of conditional transgenics, heat shock proteins, and mechanical transductions over past 3 years. Furthermore, 3 patent disclosures have been submitted in 2009.

iMRI Research Program

Worth special mentioning is Dr. Hsu Chang’s product-oriented research project entitled “Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) Research Program”. Dr. Chang has successfully led a multidisciplinary and multi-institute research team to conduct this Program since 2005. The major accomplishment of the first phase (2005-2007) of this program is the development of a technology platform for MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) tumor ablation, including a portfolio of 9 patent applications in process. The subsequent phase (2009-2010) will continue to enhance the electronic focus steering technology using multi-channel array transducers and with a focus on the more complex clinical applications in liver cancer ablation.

Based on the above research result, the Division received a product development grant from the Executive Yuan’s “Medical Device Industry Priority Promotion Program” since the beginning of 2007. This two-year grant enables the Division to kick off the development of two promising medical imaging products, MR Guided HIFU ablation system and partial effort in the High Frequency Ultrasound System (HFUS), taking mature technology developed within the Division as well as with collaborating institutes, developing into practical prototypes for animal or clinical testing, and preparing for commercialization. This is exactly the current status of the MR-HIFU product designed as an upgrade solution for existing clinical MRI systems. The MR compatible HIFU device prototype has been designed, assembled and integrated onto a 1.5T MRI system installed in the iMRI MR-HIFU experiments have been in process. Upon successful animal experiments, the product designed for uterine fibroids will be ready for clinical test; and serious commercialization efforts had begun in terms of technology transfer and /or forming business entity.