Balance On-a-Chip: An Electronic Prosthesis Mimicking the Dynamic Vestibular Function

LifeChips IGERT Fellows present the LifeChips Seminar Series 2007

Featuring Andrei M. Shkel
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
UC Irvine

Location: Calit2 Auditorium
Free and open to the public

Abstract:
One of the true frontiers in the biomedical sciences is repair of the human sensory dysfunctions: developing prosthesis for the central nervous system to restore sensory functions that have been lost due to damage or disease. Prosthesis for a number of sensory systems are currently under investigation. For example, cochlear implants use electrical stimulation to restore hearing and provide some relief for patients suffering profound sensorineural hearing loss. Using similar principles of stimulation, a vestibular prosthesis could provide head and body orientation information to the nervous system for patients suffering from peripheral vestibular disorders. Our approach combines two advanced technologies in inertial Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (micro-gyroscopes and micro-accelerometers) and Neural Electro Stimulation. This presentation will introduce our unique approach and recent advances in prosthesis development.

About LifeChips:
LifeChips refers both to our program at UC Irvine, as well as a type of research and teaching paradigm--one that embraces the overlap between life science and technology that naturally occurs at microscopic scales. LifeChips program is dedicated to facilitating interdisciplinary research collaboration, education and outreach to the industry and the public.

About NSF IGERT:
Funded by the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program (IGERT), six fellowships per year are awarded to incoming first year graduate students.

For more information please visit www.lifechips.org or contact Joon You jyou@uci.edu.