School Notes: School of Engineering & Applied Science
May/June 2010

Advances in medical imaging

Epilepsy affects nearly three million people in the United States and about 50 million people worldwide. While it is often controlled or relieved by medication, for some patients, surgery to remove damaged tissue is the best option.

Thanks to a new imaging system developed by professor of biomedical engineering and diagnostic radiology James Duncan, in collaboration with researchers and physicians at Yale, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, University of Minnesota, and BrainLAB, Inc., neurosurgeons are able to operate with greater precision, leaving healthy tissue undamaged. The breakthrough technology simultaneously maps blood flow, electrical activity, and biochemical activity, which provides neurosurgeons with a clear image of the problem site. Duncan’s Yale collaborators include professors of biomedical engineering and diagnostic radiology Lawrence Staib ’90PhD, Xenophon Papademetris ’00PhD, and Richard Carson.

This medical advancement was featured on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website and was reported in February 22, 2010, issue of Parade magazine by the director of NIH, Dr. Francis S. Collins ’74PhD, in a story entitled, “Revealing the Body’s Deepest Secrets.”

New magnetic solders stronger and greener

Yale researchers have developed a magnetic solder—a metal alloy that acts as the glue for bonding microchips and other electronic devices—that can be manipulated in three dimensions and selectively heated, while offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to today’s lead-based solders.

Until recently, virtually all solder was made from a tin-lead alloy. But legislation in Japan and the European Union banning the import of electronics with lead solders due to lead toxicity has increased interest in trying to find a greener alternative.

“We took this as an opportunity to improve solder for the environment, but we also took it as an opportunity to reexamine how to enhance solder in general,” said Ainissa Ramirez, associate professor of mechanical engineering and lead author of the study. Ramirez and her team have developed a nontoxic solder made of tin-silver containing iron particles. In addition to environmental benefits, the new solder offers several advantages over traditional solders. With the addition of iron, the new solder is stronger and can be remotely moved into hard-to-reach places through magnetic manipulation. “There is a whole range of possibilities for this new kind of solder,” Ramirez said. “In addition to helping make the fabrication of microelectronics more environmentally responsible, these new solders have the potential to solve technological challenges.” (See “PG or Not PG?” for a Yale Alumni Magazine report.)

Four receive NSF Career Awards

Assistant professors Michael Levene (biomedical engineering), Minjoo Larry Lee (electrical engineering), André Taylor (chemical engineering), and Aaron Dollar (mechanical engineering) have each received a National Science Foundation Career Award—one of the highest honors for young faculty members. The Career Award recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education.