MSE Talks: Qifa Zhou

Speaker: Dr. Qifa Zhou, University of Southern California

Title: Novel Piezoelectric Materials and Devices for Vision Restoration and High-Resolution Flow Image

Abstract:Piezoelectric material is one of key components for ultrasound transducer/array on the medical image and therapeutic application. In this talk, I will present novel piezoelectric composites materials prepared by MEMS and 3D printing technology for high frequency ultrasound transducer applications. As one of important applications, I will also present focused ultrasound stimulation on the retina evoking neuron activities from the visual centers including the superior colliculus and the primary visual cortex (V1), in either normal-sighted or retinal degenerated blind rats in vivo. The neuron activities induced by the customized spherically focused 3.1-MHz ultrasound transducer have shown both good spatial resolution of 250 µm and temporal resolution of 5 Hz in the rat visual centers. An additional customized high frequency transducer/array was further implemented to generate a static stimulation pattern of letter forms. Our findings demonstrate that ultrasound stimulation of the retina in vivo is a safe and effective approach with high spatiotemporal resolution, indicating a promising future of ultrasound stimulation as a novel and non-invasive visual prosthesis for translational applications in blind patients. In addition, high resolution flow of vessels and elastography of the ocular tissue will be introduced.

Bio:Qifa Zhou is currently a Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Zhou is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and International Association of Advanced Materials (IAMM). He has published more than 320 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Science, Nature Medicine, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Communication and Progress in Material Sciences. His research focuses on the development of piezoelectric composites and piezoelectric single crystal for high-frequency ultrasonic elastography, stimulation on ocular tissue, intravascular and photoacoustic imaging on biomedical applications.

When 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Friday, March 29, 2024
Location EMB 105, 15 St. Mary's St.