IUCRC Planning Grant North Carolina State University: Center for Manufacturing Ultrasound Systems for Intelligent Care (cMUSIC)

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports planning activities towards the creation of an Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC), the Center for Manufacturing Ultrasound Systems for Intelligent Care (cMUSIC). The cMUSIC center is led by the North Carolina State University (NCSU) in partnership with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The global medical ultrasound devices market is rapidly growing due to accelerating rates of chronic and lifestyle-related illnesses. However, the U.S. ultrasound industry faces unprecedented challenges to exploiting growth opportunities, largely related to insufficient device development, system design, manufacturing, and commercial translation capabilities following decades of manufacturing outsourcing. The center will leverage the ultrasound device fabrication, integrated electronics and artificial intelligence for manufacturing intelligent ultrasound systems for sensing, imaging, therapy and drug delivery. The center aims to enhance the global strength and competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing, electronics, and medical sectors of the economy. The cMUSIC center will be a hub in the United States of America to train undergraduate and graduate students and post graduate professionals who will ensure the US leads ultrasound innovation and economic development via transformed manufacturing industry for ultrasound healthcare products. K-12 students will also have access to an unprecedented ultrasound resource for physics and biomedicine education. The overarching goal of the proposed center is to foster collaborations among stakeholders in academia, industry and government agencies to provide international leadership and train the next-generation U.S. scientists and engineers in the fundamental ultrasound technology and its translation to practice. Specifically, challenges related to the fundamental research and ultrasound healthcare industry needs will be addressed by investigating the following research thrusts: advanced manufacturing of ultrasound systems with a large number of array elements by using semiconductor manufacturing processes; artificial intelligence (AI) integrated ultrasound imaging for disease diagnosis, surgery guidance and post-treatment assessment; implantable and wearable ultrasonic sensing, communication, imaging, therapy, drug delivery and ultrasound power transfer; advanced thermal and non-thermal ultrasound therapy including histotripsy and neural modulation; and advanced characterization of ultrasound devices for intelligent ultrasound devices and systems. The NCSU site will specifically focus on ultrasound device fabrication process, wearable ultrasound, AI-powered imaging, therapy and drug delivery, and rapid and accurate characterization of ultrasound products. With world class ultrasound research labs located in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina and cross-collaborations between NCSU/UNC and UIUC, cMUSIC center is expected to provide impactful contributions to the next generation of biomedical ultrasound systems manufacturing for intelligent care. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.