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The minister for tech and the digital economy met with representatives from Aston University’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Solihull College & University Centre during a visit to the new Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) Hub on 2 August. Damian Collins MP was given a tour of the new facility by Rosa Wells, executive director for employment and skills and IoT at Solihull College & University Centre. The Institute of Technology focuses on engineering and advanced manufacturing and is a partnership between local further education colleges, universities and industry partners. It will support learners from across the region to progress to high-skill technical jobs in industry through clear, supported pathways. Construction of the GBSIoT Hub building is nearing completion and will be welcoming students in the coming weeks. During the visit, the minister was shown the cyber physical manufacturing rig, a scaled-down version of a factory of the future, which will create a simulated working environment for IoT learners. The minister then met with executive dean Professor Stephen Garrett and deputy dean Professor Kate Sugden for a tour of Aston University’s Advanced Prototyping Facility conducted by senior project manager Paul Gretton. The facility supports businesses by increasing awareness of the opportunities available through 3D printing to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing designs, and to develop new products all the way through to producing prototypes. The visit also included a showcase of Aston University’s Autopod, a state-of-the-art autonomous vehicle funded by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and the Institute of Technology which is used for research and as a teaching tool. Professor Garrett said: “Aston University has a proud history of delivering high-quality technical education and world-leading research. We were delighted to be able to showcase our facilities to Damian Collins MP, whilst discussing our commitment to equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in STEM careers.” Damian Collins MP said: “It’s been brilliant to visit the pioneering facilities at Aston University today, especially seeing the cyber rig which will give students first class training to enter the industry with confidence. “Having these opportunities will help young people gain skills they need for future jobs, supporting the UK’s world leading advanced manufacturing and digital industries.” The minister toured the facilities at Aston University as part of his wider visit to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. For more information about the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences please visit our website.
Physical models of a patient’s brain help researchers treat neurological disorders and diseases
Brain phantoms are a creative solution for a challenging question: How do you tune an electromagnetic field to a patient without testing on the actual patient? Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an application of electromagnetic research with the potential to change the way we treat migraines, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and even conditions like schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Ravi Hadimani, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, leads a team of researchers who seek to use TMS to excite or inhibit brain neurons to alter specific brain functions and treat these conditions. This team includes faculty from VCU Health, including Mark Baron, M.D., professor of neurology and Kathryn Holloway, M.D., professor of neurosurgery, as well as outside collaborators like Joan Camprodon, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “The brain phantom is a first step,” says Hadimani, “Our ultimate goal is to 3D print a brain fabricated with biomaterial scaffolds and printed neurons that produce a stimulation response similar to neurons in our brain. This model would behave more realistically than current brain phantoms. Our future work involves collaborating with researchers who are able to print lab-grown neurons on biomaterial scaffolds or researchers who directly fabricate artificial neurons onto any scaffold.” Coils used in TMS are responsible for generating the electromagnetic field used in treatment. Individual coils are designed to treat specific diseases, but additional settings like current strength, number of pulses and coil direction are unique to each patient. Refining these settings on the actual patient is not feasible. Computer modeling is also inefficient because creating head models and running simulations from MRI scans of the brain’s complex structure are not spontaneous. Hadimani and his team developed the brain phantom as a novel solution to this problem. In 2018, the first model was created by Hamzah Magsood, one of Hadimani’s Ph.D. students. The brain phantom is a physical model of a patient’s brain designed to specifications obtained from MRI scans. Materials used in brain phantom construction are designed to replicate the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic permeability of different brain sectors. The result is a representation that, when connected to electrodes, provides instantaneous feedback to researchers calibrating TMS coils. Elements of material science, electromagnetics and mechanical prototyping come together to create each brain phantom. The process starts with an MRI, which serves as a map for researchers designing the customized model. This is a careful process. Unlike other areas of the body with clear distinguishing features, like skin, muscle and bone, the brain has subtle differences between its many regions. Researchers must carefully distinguish between these areas to create an accurate brain phantom that will simulate a patient’s skin and skull as well as the brain’s gray and white matter. A composite material of polymer and carbon nanotubes that exhibits electric properties similar to the human brain is the foundation for the brain phantom. Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, is used to create shells for different brain regions based on the patient’s MRI. This shell becomes a mold for the polymer and carbon nanotube solution. Once the brain phantom takes shape within the mold, it is placed within a solution that dissolves the casing, leaving only the brain phantom behind. The conductive parts of the brain phantom are dark because of the carbon nanotubes and non-conductive parts are lighter in color. Electrodes are easily inserted into the brain phantom and provide feedback when an electromagnetic field from the TMS coil is applied. Adjustments to the strength, number of pulses of the field, and coil direction can then be made before applying the treatment to a patient. Having recently received a patent for the brain phantom, Hadimani and Wesley Lohr, a senior biomedical engineering undergraduate, formed Realistic Anatomical Model (RAM) Phantom. The pair have been awarded both the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund Award and the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Dreams to Reality Incubator Grant. RAM Phantom’s goal is to market brain phantom technology to the growing neuromodulation market, which also includes transcranial direct current stimulation and deep brain stimulation. The company will also aid in the development of advanced brain models that more accurately simulate the properties of the human brain.
“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” - Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO I would add the following to Mr. Brown’s statement. This innovation approach requires more than a designer’s toolkit. It requires multiple departments within an organization to engage in the approach. If I’ve learned one thing in my more than 5 years in higher education it’s that companies continue to push for employees to become better problem solvers, more creative/critical thinkers, and ultimately stronger communicators. Why? Company growth is critical, and the aforementioned skills are how many companies will achieve growth. At Otterbein, we continue to provide education that addresses the development of these skills. We are designing a new focus in the MBA Program; Design Thinking. Otterbein University’s MBA Program is collaborating with the Master of Design (MDes) Program at the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), to integrate a Design Thinking Area of Focus within the MBA program. Design Thinking combines design research, service design, studio & project course for prototyping/impression/artifact work, along with design thinking principles critical in succeeding in business and industry. It is designed for individuals who wish to pursue a career in business design, organizational change, and innovation, among other potential career paths. Are you a reporter covering stories that involve Design Thinking? Are you a student considering pursuing Design Thinking as a postsecondary option? If so, let our experts help with any of your questions. Eric is Director of the MBA Program at Otterbein University and is available to speak to the concepts of Design Thinking. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
