On-going Active Research Projects

• Prototyping of Smart Safety Helmets for Reducing Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Due to Falls and Blunt Impacts
• Development of smart sensor systems and smartphone (IPhone) based iOS App and AI/ML for user-friendly system

• Development of Smart Helmets for Reducing Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury
• Development of smart sensor systems and android App and AI/ML of smartphone for user-friendly system

  Chong Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Development of Microchannel Capillary Flow Assay (MCFA) Lab Chip and Analyzer for Cardiac Biomarker Point-of-Care Test (POCT)

• Development of smartphone-based point-of-care test (POCT) using smart polymer lab-on-a-chip for high sensitive troponin.
• Development of smartphone based analyzer and App

Completed Research Projects

  Chong Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Biomarker Detection Device for Early Effect of Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica

• Diagnostics of the early detection of CC16 for the development of a field-deployable point-of-care testing (POCT) for the early monitoring of the field workers who are exposed to silica aerosol.
• Development of immunoassay lab on a chip (LOC) for analyzing Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) in serum as one of the potential biomarkers of lung inflammation or lung damage due to the respirable silica dusts.

  Chong Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Development of Polymer Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms using Chemiluminescence-Based Immunoassays for Point-of-Care Diagnostics (POCD)

• A new sample-to-answer lab-on-a-chip will be developed for adopting the sandwich ELISA and chemiluminescence detection method.

  Chong Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Device for Early Detection of Health Effects from Silica Aerosol Exposure

• A new sample-to-answer lab-on-a-chip will be developed for adopting the sandwich ELISA where biomarkers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-1, neopterin, and Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) in blood are considered as potential indicators of lung inflammation for silica aerosols.
• The biomarkers are the target antigens which will be provided from the collaboration team, CDC - NIOSH.

  Jason Heikenfeld (PI), Ian Papautsky (Co-PI), Andrew Steckl (Co-PI), and Chong Ahn (Co-PI)

  Ohio Center for Microfluidic Innovation (OCMI)

  Jed Hartings (PI) and Chong Ahn (Co-PI, 50%),

  Novel Smart Catheter for Multimodal Monitoring of the Head-Injured Warrior

• develop a simple, reliable and inexpensive ‘smart’ catheter to continuously and accurately monitor the biochemical and physiological parameters that are vitally important in the neurocritical care of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• An innovative, flexible polymer lab-on-a-tube and BioMEMS devices will be used as the ‘smart’ catheter platform, which is accurate, simple to use, multifunctional, low-cost and mass-manufacturable.
• A portable reader with real-time display using custom designed bioelectronics or FPGA will also be developed for monitoring the physiological signals from the smart catheter.

  Chong Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Interdigitated Nanoelectrode (IDn) Biosensors on Polymer with Charge-Balanced Transduction Method

• develop an innovative interdigitated nanoelectrode (IDn) biosensor on polymer with a new on-chip charge-balanced transduction method

  Paul Bishop (PI) and Chong Ahn (Co-PI, 50%),

  A Point Detection Disposable Lab-on-a-chip With Bulit-in Mercury Precursor Electrodes for Heavy Metal Detection

• develop a point detection disposable heavy metal lab-on-a-chip with mercury electrodes using easy-to-handle and inexpensive disposable polymer lab-on-a-chip (or disposable cartridge) and built-in mercury precursor as its working electrode by microfabrication technology and screen printing technology

  Pat Limbach (PI) and Chong Ahn (Co-PI, 50%),

  Bioassays and Molecular Characterization by Microchip CE

• develop polymer-based multilane microchips for pharmaceutical biossays

  Kyung Kang (PI) and Chong Ahn (Co-PI, 50%),

  Rapid, Multi-Analyte Immuno Biosensor with Passive Microfluidics: A Model System – Four Cardiac Marker Monitoring Device

• develop a sensing unit that can monitor four cardiac markers simultaneously using optical detection with fiber optics

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Plastic-Bsed Structurally Programmable Microfluidic Bio-Chips for Clinical Diagnostics

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 100%),

  A Novel Bi-Directionally Actuated Magnetic Microactuator for Fuel/Air Control and Regulation

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Development of Micromachined Planar Inductors for On-Chip DC/DC Power Converters Using UV-LIGA and MEMS Techniques

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 100%),

  Development of Microvalves for Small Scale Propulsion Systems (SSPS)

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 50%), and William Heineman (Co-PI),

  Development of A Prototype Electrophorosis (CE) System on A Glass Chip Toward High Throughput Drug Synthesis

  Chong H. Ahn (PI, 100%),

  A generic Microfluidic system for Remote Sensors