Project Info
3D Printed Small Animal Imager
Kevin Cash
kcash@mines.edu
Project Goals and Description:
This project is to help develop a 3D printed/rapid prototyped small fluorescence imaging system. Traditional small animal imaging systems are expensive (measured in the millions of dollars), precluding use in research settings without extensive needs and funding. Our lab is developing a 3D printed animal imager that can handle some use cases, but at a significantly reduced cost (hundreds to thousands of dollars). Our initial prototype is able to do three color imaging, but in our future versions we are redesigning the imaging system to enable hyper spectral (many color) imaging, spatial reconstruction, and other more advanced approaches.
More Information:
Grand Challenge: Engineer better medicines.
Primary Contacts:
Kevin Cash, kcash@mines.edu
Student Preparation
Qualifications
For the most part, different aspects of this project will be better fits for different students. No REQUIRED background, although some examples of strongly beneficial backgrounds:
LED driver system and power modulation design: EE background or prior work with LED drivers and LED illumination systems.
Illumination/imaging design: Physics/optics background or prior work with imaging applications.
Mechanical design, 3D printing: ME background, 3D printing and design background, rapid prototyping experience
Control software, integration: extensive python background (and/or willingness to self teach more complex python usage).
Application work and development: cell imaging, biological application interest
TIME COMMITMENT (HRS/WK)
5-6
SKILLS/TECHNIQUES GAINED
See example project/background alignment. Will likely vary by student, but 3D printing likely to be an area of focus for all students.
MENTORING PLAN
Weekly lab group meetings, mentoring from current graduate students and other students in the lab, as needed individual meetings or subgroup meetings.
PREFERRED STUDENT STATUS
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior