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Design and Simulation of a Multi-Channel Focused Ultrasound System for Microfluidic Blood-Brain Barrier Models

Forschungsthema/Bereich
Medizinische Ultraschallbildgebung /-therapie
Typ der Abschlussarbeit
Master
Startzeitpunkt
03.11.2025
Bewerbungsschluss
31.12.2025
Dauer der Arbeit
6-12 Months (can be adapted)

Beschreibung

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex cellular interface that protects the brain from harmful substances while limiting drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Focused ultrasound (FUS), when combined with microbubbles, has emerged as a promising method for transiently and non-invasively opening the BBB to enhance CNS drug delivery.

While rodent experiments are low-throughput, ethically challenging, and expensive, microfluidic organ-on-chip platforms offer a powerful alternative by mimicking the structural and functional characteristics of the human BBB. When combined with FUS, these platforms can serve as high-throughput tools for parameter optimization
in targeted drug delivery.

Objectives
The primary aim of this thesis is to design, build, and validate a prototype four-channel FUS system using benchtop electronics for precise, controlled BBB opening in a microfluidic BBB-on-chip platform that has been designed by the Medical Faculty of Mannheim

Specific objectives are:
  • Simulate, design, construct, and characterize a FUS transducer compatible with the microfluidic chip model.
  • Integrate transducers into a four-channel prototype FUS hardware platform, including signal generation and amplification using benchtop electronics, as well as proper acoustic coupling into the micro-fluidic chip.
  • Validate the system's ability to open the BBB in vitro using microfluidic chips, assessing both permeability and safety.


Voraussetzung

Voraussetzungen an Studierende
  • Programming skills in MATLAB required.
  • Basic knowledge in electronics required.
  • Interest in medical imaging and in particular ultrasound imaging.
  • Basic knowledge in acoustic simulations beneficial.

Studiengangsbereiche
  • Ingenieurwissenschaften
    Elektrotechnik & Informationstechnik
    Maschinenbau
    Mechatronik & Informationstechnik
    Mechanical Engineering
  • Naturwissenschaften und Technik
    Physik
    Medizintechnik


Betreuung

Titel, Vorname, Name
Dr. Torsten Hopp
Organisationseinheit
Institut für Prozessdatenverarbeitung und Elektronik (IPE)
E-Mail Adresse
torsten.hopp@kit.edu
Link zur eigenen Homepage/Personenseite
Website

Bewerbung per E-Mail

Bewerbungsunterlagen
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E-Mail Adresse für die Bewerbung
Senden Sie die oben genannten Bewerbungsunterlagen bitte per Mail an torsten.hopp@kit.edu


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