• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.418-424
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• 2023

Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in combating infections and tumors. However, their therapeutic application in solid tumors is hindered by challenges, such as limited lifespan, tumor penetration, and delivery precision. Our research introduces a novel ultrasonic actuation technique to navigate NK cells more effectively in the vascular system, particularly at vessel bifurcations where targeted delivery is most problematic. We use a hemispherical ultrasonic transducer array that generates phase-modulated traveling waves, focusing on an ultrasound beam to steer NK cells using blood-flow dynamics and a focused acoustic field. This method enables the precise obstruction of non-target vessels and efficiently directs NK cells toward the tumor site. The simulation results offer insights into the behavior of NK cells under various conditions of cell size, radiation pressure, and fluid velocity, which inform the optimization of their trajectories and increase targeting efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this ultrasonic approach for enhancing NK cell targeting, suggesting a potential leap forward in solid tumor immunotherapy. This study represents a significant step in NK cell therapeutic strategies, offering a viable solution to the existing limitations and promising enhancement of the efficacy of cancer treatments.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.656-663
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• 2001

This paper presents a sensor fusion method to recognize a cylindrical object a CCD camera, a laser slit beam and ultrasonic sensors on a pan/tilt device. For object recognition with a vision sensor, an active light source projects a stripe pattern of light on the object surface. The 2D image data are transformed into 3D data using the geometry between the camera and the laser slit beam. The ultrasonic sensor uses an ultrasonic transducer array mounted in horizontal direction on the pan/tilt device. The time of flight is estimated by finding the maximum correlation between the received ultrasonic pulse and a set of stored templates - also called a matched filter. The distance of flight is calculated by simply multiplying the time of flight by the speed of sound and the maximum amplitude of the filtered signal is used to determine the face angle to the object. To determine the position and the radius of cylindrical objects, we use a statistical sensor fusion. Experimental results show that the fused data increase the reliability for the object recognition.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.332-335
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• 2020

Drop casting, a solution process, is a simple low-cost fabrication technique that does not waste material. In this study, we elucidate the effect of the concentration of a InGaZnO solution on the electrical properties of drop-cast oxide thin-film transistors. The higher the concentration the larger the amount of remnant InGaZnO solutes, which yields a thicker thin film. Accordingly, the electrical properties were strongly dependent on the concentration. At a high concentration of 0.3 M (or higher), a large current flowed but did not lead to switching characteristics. At a concentration lower than 0.01 M, switching characteristics were observed, but the mobility was small. In addition to a high mobility, sufficient switching characteristics were obtained at a concentration of 0.1 M owing to the appropriate thickness of the semiconductor layer. This study provides a technical basis for the low-cost fabrication of switching devices capable of driving a sensor array.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.324-329
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• 2022

This paper proposes a shift-register-based multichannel ultrasonic focusing delay control method using a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) for a high resolution of ultrasonic focusing system. The proposed method can achieve the ultrasonic focusing through the delay control of driving signals of each ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic array. The delay of the driving signals of all ultrasonic channels can be controlled by setting the shift register in the CPLD. The experiment verified that the frequency of the clock used for the delay control increased, the error of the focusing point decreased, and the diameter of the focusing point decreased as the length of the shift register in the proposed method. The proposed method used only one CPLD for ultrasonic focusing and did not require to use complex hardware circuits. Therefore, the resources required for the design of an ultrasonic focusing system could be reduced. The proposed method can be applied to the fields of human computer interaction (HCI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.132-137
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• 2018

Ultrasonic waves are used in various applications in multiple devices, sensors, and high-power machinery, such as processing machines, welders, and cleaners, because the acoustic vibration frequencies are above the human audible frequency range. In ultrasonic machining, electrical energy at a high frequency of 20 kHz or more is converted into mechanical vibration by a vibrator and an amplifier. This technique allows instantaneous separation between a tool and a workpiece during machining, machining by pulse impulse force at the time of re-contact and minimizes the minute elastic deformations of the workpiece and machine tools due to the cutting effect. The Al7075 alloy used in this study is a typical aluminum alloy with superior strength that is mainly used in aircrafts, automobiles, and sporting goods. To investigate the optimal conditions for machining aluminum alloy using ultrasonic vibration, the present experiment utilized the Taguchi orthogonal array method, and the coefficient of friction was analyzed using the characteristics of the Taguchi technique. In ultrasonic friction and abrasion tests, the changes in the friction coefficient were measured in the absence of ultrasonic vibrations and at 28 kHz and 40 kHz. As a result, the most considerable influence on the friction coefficient was found to be the normal load, and the frequency of ultrasonic vibrations increases, the coefficient of friction increases. It was thus confirmed that the amount of wear increases when ultrasonic vibration is applied.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.206-214
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• 2018

This paper proposes an impact point estimation algorithm of the rifle using microphone sensors. The proposed algorithm resolves the time synchronization problem by expanding the existing ToA (Time of Arrival) method to TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival) method and verifies the performance of the algorithm through the actual shooting experiments. By comparing analysis of the actual and the estimated impact points by the algorithm, it is confirmed that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance by estimating the impact point accurately within the tolerance range.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2006

A digital ultrasonic image construction system was developed for the nondestructive detection of cracks in water distribution pipes. The system consists of PC based ultrasonic testing system and a scanning device. The PC based ultrasonic system has an ultrasonic pulse/receive board for the generation and reception of ultrasonic signals, an analogue to digital conversion board for the digitization of the received ultrasonic signals, and transducers for the ultrasonic sensors. Using this system, the digitized ultrasonic signals were properly constructed in accordance with the position information obtained by scanning device that moves an ultrasonic transducer along the outer surface of pipes. In the construction of the ultrasonic signals, signal processing concepts, such as spatial average and array concept, were considered to enhance the resolution of ultrasonic images of pipe wall. Using the developed system, crack detection experiments were performed in both laboratory and field, which shows promise for crack detection in the water distribution system.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2014

In this paper, we propose a block-based low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with a simple pixel structure for power efficiency. This method, which uses an additional computation circuit, makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the pixel array. In addition, the computation circuit for a block-based CIS is very flexible for various types of pixel structures. The proposed CIS was designed and fabricated using a standard CMOS 0.18 ${\mu}m$ process, and the performance of the fabricated chip was evaluated. From a resultant image, the proposed block-based CIS can calculate a differing contrast in the block and control the operating voltage of the unit blocks. Finally, we confirmed that the power consumption in the proposed CIS with a simple pixel structure can be reduced.

• Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2007

In this paper, a thermo-piezoelectric mechanism with integrated heaters and piezoelectric sensors has been studied for low power probe-based data storage. Silicon nitride cantilever integrated with silicon heater and piezoelectric sensor has been developed to improve the uniformity of cantilevers. Data bits of 40 nm in diameter were recorded on PMMA film. The sensitivity of the piezoelectric sensor was 0.615 fC/nm after poling the PZT layer. And, the $34\times34$ probe array integrated with CMOS circuits has been successfully developed by simple one-step bonding process. The process can simplify the process step and reduce tip wear using silicon nitride tip.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.440-446
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• 2010

Array-based gas sensors now offer the potential of a robust analytical approach to odor measurement for medical use. We are developing a fast reliable method for detection of microbial infection by monitoring the headspace from the infected wound. In this paper, we present initial results obtained from wound-state monitoring for burn patients using an electronic nose incorporating an automated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) desorption system to enable the system to be used for clinical validation. SPME preconcentration is used for sampling of the headspace air and the response of the sensor module to variable concentrations of volatiles emitted from SPME fiber is evaluated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry studies prove that living bacteria, the typical infectious agents in clinical practice, can be distinguished from each other by means of a limited set of key volatile products. Principal component analysis results give the first indication that infected patients may be distinguished from uninfected patients. Microbial laboratory analysis using clinical samples verifies the performance of the system.