Swaminathan Rajaraman, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor, NanoScience Technology Center & Department of Material Science & Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

Abstract: Additive Manufacturing (AM) is expected to revolutionize micro/nanoengineering. In this talk, we will present novel, benchtop, AM-based, microfabrication technologies that are ideal for the fabrication of biological microdevices, wearable devices and bioelectronics. Our group has been developing new “makerspace microfabrication” technologies that are developed either entirely outside the cleanroom or utilize the cleanroom minimally for rapid prototyping of lab-on-a-chip (LOC), wearable and other biological devices. We will introduce several technological platforms that are developed or are currently under development such as 3D PICLµM (3D printing, ink casting, micromachined lamination), 3D microelectrode array technology with integrated nanospun Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) fibers and flexible 3D resin-elastomer composite sensors. The devices developed using these technology platforms can be used in a variety of applications such as electrophysiology, drug delivery, disease in a dish, organ on a chip, intracellular modeling, environmental monitoring, wearable devices, agricultural therapeutic delivery, pathogen detection and genomic testing.

We believe such technologies provide a rapid translation from design to a device, cost effectiveness, reduced expenses associated with tools and environment, material flexibility, control of device properties etc. that are being demanded by current biological applications areas.

Speaker Bio: Swaminathan Rajaraman received the B.S. degree in Electronics Engineering from Bharathidasan University (Trichy, India), the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) in 1998, 2001 and 2009 respectively.

From 2001-2002 he was with Analog Devices Micromachined Products Division (MPD) in Cambridge, MA where he developed optical MEMS micro-mirrors for telecommunication applications. From 2004-2005 he was with CardioMEMS (now Abbott Labs) in Atlanta, GA where he developed implantable MEMS pressure sensors for detection of heart disease. The CardioMEMS sensor is the only FDA-approved sensor for congestive heart failure detection in the market currently. In 2007, during his Ph.D. studies he co-founded Axion BioSystems Inc. (Atlanta, GA), a biotechnology company that has developed the industry’s first in-vitro high-throughput Microelectrode Array (MEA) system. From 2007 to 2015, he served as the VP for Biological & Materials Engineering at Axion. Dr. Rajaraman returned to academia in 2016 and is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL).

His current research interests include in-vitro and in-vivo Micro/Nanoelectrode Arrays, 3D printing, bioplotting, microneedles, micro/nanostenciling, micromilling, laser micro/nanomachining technologies, flexible electronics devices, microtweezers, MicroTAS, nanobiosensors and implantable MEMS devices. He has published in excess of 50 articles in peer reviewed journals and conferences and holds 18 patents/applications. He has served on the Technical Program Committees of Hilton Head MEMS meeting 2014 & 2016 as well as the IEEE Sensors Meetings from  2016 – 2018.