Development of High Precision Medical Devices For Minimally Invasive Diagnosis
and Therapy Using Micro/nano Technology
Last updated: 14/04/2007
What's new:
12/11/2005
Pursuit of research activities by Yoichi Haga (PDF 550KB) was added to Link list.
04/11/2005 Mr. Michael J. Whitson was added to members list.
09/09/2005 Focused Ultrasonic Device for Treatment of diseased Sites in the Human Body was added as a new research subject.
14/07/2005 Mr. Takashi Genda has came into our laboratory as a post-doctrial
reseacher.
Mr. Nakamura's photo and Mr. Sakurai's photo were added.
23/06/2005 Mr. Shingo Nakamura and Mr. Masahiro Sakurai were added to researchers
list.
Research subjects of each researcher are added.
Phone number was updated
09/05/2005 Mr. Makishi's photo was added.
21/12/2004 Phone number was updated
Using microfabrication technologies called micromachining and nanotechnology, we have developed small medical devices with several functions for use in the human body. Several new technologies, for example, semiconductor microfabrication, ultra-precision machining, laser machining and molecular/atomic level control are used for fabrication.
In the science fiction movie "Fantastic Voyage" released in 1966, treatment from inside the human body by miniaturized men in a miniaturized submarine injected into a blood vessel is depicted. Although such a fantastic scenario is unlikely, precision examination and treatment can be performed by extremely small medical devices which have several functions.
Minimally invasive examinations and therapies with endoscopes and catheters are already widely performed, and new more precise examinations and diagnoses which have been impossible to date can now be realized by installing microsensors (ultra-miniature pressure sensors, ultrasonic sensors and imaging systems) in these medical devices. Furthermore, precise surgical treatment can be realized by installing microactuators (shape memory alloy, piezoelectric elements, etc.) which change energy to motion and work as micromuscles in minimally invasive therapeutic devices. Besides incision and suturing, we aim to realize ultra-precise examinations and treatments in the body at the microscopic and cellular levels by developing new therapeutic microdevices powered by optical and ultrasonic energy.
Performances of a micro-pressure sensor and an active catheter incorporating shape memory alloy, have been demonstrated and we are presently improving these devices with an eye to actual applications.
Research at universities only for the sake of research is no longer acceptable, and thus we aim to apply our efforts to the realization of practical medical devices. We are therefore actively cooperating with clinicians and medical equipment companies under the auspices of Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization and a venture company established for the above-mentioned purpose.
Research Subjects:
Active Catheters(Shape memory alloy type, Hydraulic type)
Ultra Miniature Fiber-Optic Pressure Sensor
Intravascular Forward-looking Ultrasonic Probe
Magnetic Sensor System for Detecting Position and Orientation of a Catheter Tip
Pin Display for Visually Impaired or Sightless Person
Intracorporeal Therapeutic Laser Device
Plug for Treatment of Dissecting Aneurysm of the Aorta
Focused Ultrasonic Device for Treatment of diseased Sites in the Human
Body
Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization, Nanomedicine
Division
Task Team Leader: Yoichi Haga
Biography:
Yoichi Haga was born in Sendai, Japan, on April 4, 1965. He received the
M.D. in 1992 at Tohoku University School of Medicine. From 1994 to 1996,
he worked at Tohoku Kosei-Nenki
n Hospital. From 1996 to 2002 he served as a research associate at the
Department of Mechatronics and Precision Engineering, Tohoku University.
From 2003 to 2004 he was an assistant professor at the Department of Bioengineering
and Robotics, Tohoku University. Since 2004, he has been a task team leader
of Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization, Nanomedicine
Division. He has been studying micromachining and nanomachining for medical
and welfare application (mainly minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment).
Affiliation:
Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization (TUBERO)
Dept. of Nanomedhicine
Contact Address:
Phone: +81-22-795-5250
haga@cc.mech.tohoku.ac.jp
Member
Research Associate
Tadao Matsunaga (Japan Science & Technology Agency (Tohoku University
Biomedical Engineering Research Organization)
Research subject: Microactuator etc.
Wataru Makishi (Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization)
Research subject: Microactuator
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Secretary
Miki Otomo 
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J. J. Chen (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
Research subject: Ultrasound imager
Hiromasa Akahori (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
Research subject: Microscanner
Akihiro Yashui (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.) 
Research subject: Ultrasound therapeutic tool
Michael J. Whitson (MIT) 
Research subject: Ultrasound Sensor
Shoji Goto (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.) 
Research subject: Microfabrication
Shingo Nakamura (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
Research subject: Sensor packaging, sealing
Masahiro Sakurai (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.) 
Research subject: Microactuator
Cooperate Reseachers:
Takashi Mineta (Fuculty of Science and Technology, Department of Intelligent
Machines and System Engineering, Hirosaki Univ.)
Kentaro Totsu (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
Research subject: Microsensor
Md. Moinul Islam Bhuiyan (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
Research subject: Optical device etc.
Masayoshi Esahi (Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ.)
References
[1] Biomedical Microsystems for Minimally Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment
Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 92, No. 1(2004), pp. 98-114
(Special issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE entitled Biomedical Applications for MEMS and Microfluidics)
Y.Haga and M.Esashi
Link
Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization (TUBERO)