Implantable biomedical devices — like pacemakers, insulin pumps and neurostimulators — are becoming smaller and utilizing wireless technology, but hurdles remain for powering the next-generation implants. A new wireless charging device developed by Penn State scientists could dramatically improve powering capability for implants while still being safe for our bodies, the researchers said.
Penn State hosted a delegation of senior administrators and faculty from Satbayev University, located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Feb. 1-2. The visit, coordinated by Penn State Global, marked a milestone in the evolving relationship between the two universities that was first established in 2018. Penn State and Satbayev University re-affirmed an interest in expanding the scope of collaboration by signing a general agreement for academic cooperation.
Soft bioelectronic devices hold potential for many advances in the health care field, but researchers have faced hurdles in identifying materials that are biocompatible while still maintaining all necessary characteristics to operate effectively. A team co-led by Penn State researchers has now taken a step toward achieving such a material, modifying an existing biocompatible material to conduct electricity efficiently in wet environments, as well as send and detect ionic currents within biological media.
Penn State researchers are invited to attend “After Café,” a casual, applications-centric series designed to raise awareness about the range of characterization assets available at the Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL). This series will not focus on theory related to characterization. The MCL is a University-wide core user facility that supports research and the education of the next generation of qualified researchers. The MCL is not limited to materials-related research, though. In fact, in a typical year researchers from more than 45 departments across the Penn State research community leverage MCL resources for a variety of interdisciplinary research projects.
Ultralong, fracture-free semiconductor fibres have been produced inside glass cladding by researchers in Singapore and China. By etching off the glass and replacing it with a flexible polymer sheath embedded with metallic wires, the researchers were able to produce microscale fibres that could be spun into textiles. The work, which builds on a long-standing quest to produce fibre-based electronics, could have applications in smart clothing, medical devices and potentially in photonics.
The 16th annual Materials Visualization Competition (MVC16), an annual scientific and artistic visual competition sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State, is now accepting submissions. Deadline for submissions is March 18.
Guha Manogharan, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, was named co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). Manogharan replaces Tim Simpson, the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing, who has served in the position since the center’s founding in 2012.
When Katelyn Kirchner arrived at Penn State seven years ago as an undergraduate studying materials science and engineering, glass was for windows.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) named Qiming Zhang, distinguished professor of electrical engineering in Penn State’s College of Engineering, a fellow — the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.
Silicon has long reigned as the material of choice for the microchips that power everything in the digital age, from AI to military drones — so much so that “silicon” is almost a synonym for tech itself.