Innovative Projects Realized

Development and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Agents for Improving the Lifetime of Metalworking Fluid

Metalworking fluid is a widely used lubricant during the processing of metal (drilling, cutting, grinding, etc.). Even though it has been applied to industries for decades, microbial contamination is still considered a major problem during its application. The microbial contaminations not only reduce the effectiveness of the lubrication but also cause potential health issues. In this project, several eco-friendly biomaterials produced from low-cost agricultural- and food waste will be used for improving the resistance to microbial contamination. We expect it could extend the shelf-life of the in-use metalworking fluid as well as improve the biodegradability of the used fluid.

Using artificial intelligence to screen children suspected with listening difficulties

The goal of this project is to create a cutting-edge screening tool for children with listening difficulties, which can have a profound impact on their academic performance, social development, and overall well-being. Despite the current assessment process, which is time-consuming and requires extensive training and experience, early identification and intervention are critical for these children to reach their full potential.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing more information to inform diagnoses and improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. However, applying AI/ML to medical applications can be challenging due to the complexity and variability of medical data.

The project team has previous experience in developing fast and accurate infant ABR screening algorithms, which achieved 96% accuracy in detecting ABRs. In this project, the team will use deep learning approaches to create a fast and accurate AI-based screener for children with listening difficulties. The developed screener will be tested for accuracy, efficiency, and usefulness compared to the current assessment process. The work will be carried out in collaboration with Vivosonic Inc., a leading company in the field of hearing screening technologies.

By successfully completing this project, the team will contribute to filling the gap in research on developing efficient and reliable screening tools for children with listening difficulties and improving early identification and intervention. This project has the potential to improve the lives of many children by giving them a better chance to reach their full potential.

Non-destructive testing of utility poles in service

Wooden utility poles provide safe, economic, easily obtainable means of delivering power, communications, and cable television to the masses of industrial and residential locations worldwide. However, when a pole has been in service for a substantial number of years, its failure becomes more likely. Hence, the proposed project focuses on the strength estimation of in-service utility poles using non-destructive technology (NDT). The advantage of using NDT is that no further damage is caused to the poles during the investigation, which can further lead to reduced service life. The collected data will be statistically analyzed, and predictions will be made on the remaining service life of study area utility poles. The greatest economic benefit from regular inspection is in locating the decaying/serviceable group. Treating poles in this group can extend pole life, thereby saving emergency replacement costs. With the costs of replacing poles rising, the economics of extending service life is more favourable. To avoid costly failures of utility lines, many utility poles are condemned annually based on a precautionary basis. This represents a significant irresponsible waste of natural resources. Our industrial partner Stella-Jones Inc. is North America’s leading producer of industrial pressure-treated wood products and supplies utility poles to Canadian electric utilities companies. Keeping in view the environmental benefits of this study, Stella-Jones is happily supporting this proposed research. The outcomes will also help Stella-Jones expand the knowledge of the pole system, increase relative safety for the ones working on poles, and facilitate customer relations and quality perceptions.

Focused Ultrasound for Intraocular Hemmorhage

Intraocular hemorrhage is the most common cause of sudden vision loss from advanced diabetic eye disease. This occurs when blood from diseased retinal vasculature leak into the normally clear, gel-like substance in the eye called the vitreous, obscuring vision. The current management guidelines for these patients is a period of modified bedrest (up to 4 months) to encourage natural reabsorption. Apart from “watchful waiting”, the remaining treatment options are surgical. Focused ultrasound (FUS) represents a potential nonsurgical alternative to accelerate clearance of intraocular hemorrhage, and the present study aims to elucidate the biologic and mechanical effects of FUS through preclinical models of intraocular hemmorhage.

The FUS Lab at Sunnybrook Research Institute is 1 of 7 Centers of Excellence in FUS research worldwide, and Vitreosonic Inc. is excited to partner with this local academic powerhouse to assist in performing the rigorous scientific activities necessary to support the development of this sight-saving device.

Peptide-based material for heart muscle repair

With over 17 million deaths per year, heart diseases remain the top cause of mortality worldwide. Surgeries such as bypass restore blood supply and save lives. However, after a heart attack the capacity of the heart to pump blood is reduced. In Canada, over 2 million people aged 20+ live with heart disease, costing the healthcare system $2.8+ billion and thousands die each year. Approximately 1 in 4 of these patients develop heart failure, a number that increases by ~50,000/year. For many of those patients, a heart transplant is the only option. Thus, better treatments for repairing damaged hearts are urgent. In this project, we will develop a new generation of peptide-based materials to deliver stem cells to the damaged heart muscle and help rehabilitate the organ. This new therapeutic approach will be tested in small animals with infarcted hearts that will expedite advancing to first in human evaluation in the years to come.

Behavioral Model of Charge-Trap Transistors

Conventional von Neumann architectures rely heavily on communication between memory and compute elements,
making them power hungry. In recent years, therefore, neuromorphic computing based on low-power compute-inmemory
devices has been gaining interest. One of the essential aspects of such systems is the hardware modeling
of synapses that are expected to store weights that represent the strength of connections among neurons. Various
devices have been proposed as candidates for analog synapses. In this research, charge-trap transistors (CTTs)
that support the non-volatile analog adjustment of synaptic weights, are investigated. Accurately modeling the
physical phenomena of CTTs is critical to the design of CTT-based neuromorphic systems. A model of the weight
adjustment of CTTs will be developed and verified using experimental data. This model will enable efficient design
of CTT-based synaptic arrays, and the ability to simulate complete neuromorphic systems.

Développement de vaccins multivalent vivant atténué contre les infections respiratoires causées par les Escherichia coli pathogènes aviaires

Les Escherichia coli pathogènes aviaires (APEC) sont des pathotypes particulièrement importants pour l’industrie avicole, car il provoque la colibacillose, une maladie entraînant des pertes économiques importantes en raison de la mortalité et/ou de la baisse de productivité des oiseaux affectés.
Étant donné que plusieurs souches d’APEC sont impliquées dans les épidémies, le développement de vaccins plus prometteurs offrant une protection suffisante est très important. Cependant, il n’existe aucun vaccin efficace disponible pour protéger les volailles contre les infections causées par les APEC, ce qui est principalement dû à la diversité des sérotypes APEC associés aux cas de colibacillose lors d’épidémies. Par conséquent, l’introduction d’un vaccin multivalent, capable de protéger contre plusieurs souches de colibacillose avec une administration sûre aux volailles, pourrait réduire la gravité des infections causées par les APEC.

Development of Additively Manufactured Two-Phase Integrated Heat Sinks for Electronics Cooling Applications

As electronic components shrink in size and become more powerful, they create more concentrated heat that needs to be dissipated to ensure reliable operation. Due to the finite conductivity of the sink material, the temperature at the centre of the base plate is higher than the edges, leading to better performance of the fins at the centre compared with the periphery. Although incorporating heat pipes may present a viable solution, it is limited to simple heat sink geometries due to the simplicity of heat pipe shapes which constrains the heat sink design.
Additive manufacturing (AM) can be used to build innovative and functional end products at a low cost compared with conventional subtractive methods. Recent research has demonstrated the ability to create high-performance AM wick structures and this project aims to further use metal powder AM technology to fabricate entirely integrated two-phase heat sinks and their internal wicking structures with improved performance compared with conventionally fabricated heat pipes. This makes fabricating heat pipes with complex geometries a possibility, allowing for the use of more highly effective two-phase heat sinks in a wider range of applications.

Uncovering the role of ketogenesis in SGLT2 inhibitor-mediated fatty liver disease

Fatty liver disease, the most common complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), affects 1 in 5 Canadians. If not managed or treated, a proportion of patients with fatty liver disease may develop the irreversible phases of liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A new class of drugs, SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), has been approved by Health Canada and has begun to be widely used to lower the blood glucose levels of T2D patients. Notably, clinical trials have shown that these drugs effectively improve fatty liver disease. These encouraging outcomes motivate many clinicians and scientists to investigate whether the therapeutic action of SGLT2i against fatty liver disease is caused by better glucose homeostasis or a direct action in the liver.

The goal of the proposed research is to understand how the SGLT2 inhibitor works to improve fatty livers. Based on our published study and preliminary data, we hypothesizes that SGLT2 inhibitors promote ketone body synthesis in the liver, which leads to reductions in fat accumulation in liver cells.

LEVERAGING EXTENSIVE STUDY OF SOLID ELECTROLYTE AND CATHODE MATERIALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT ANODELESS LITHIUM-ION BATTERY.

This project is geared towards improving lithium battery technology in order to increase the amount of charges it can store, the speed at which the charges are used and recharged, the cost and the overall efficiency of the battery system. In addition, it has been designed to further understand the battery technology and the identify the root cause of some of the challenges that are still hampering it development. It is the desire of the consumers to have battery packs that are reasonably sized and pack enormous energy in it that meets our energy demands without the fear of experiencing typical lithium battery mishaps. To achieve this, the project adopts a new type of configuration where we can assemble the cell without one of the critical battery components called anode, however, rely on the other critical component to produce that anode material through electrochemical reaction in-situ.

Raffinement d’un modèle biomécanique de la tête pour l’étude des impacts répétés sous-commotionnels

Le cerveau fait partie des structures complexes les plus remarquables et importantes du corps humain. Le maintien de son intégrité est crucial. Insidieusement, dans les sports de contact, le cerveau est exposé à des impacts répétés asymptomatiques dits « sous-commotionnels » associés à des altérations progressives susceptibles de causer des maladies neurodégénératives. Malheureusement, la réponse mécanique du cerveau aux impacts répétés est peu connue. Les modèles par éléments finis (MÉF) sont des outils mathématiques utiles et puissants pour mieux comprendre le fonctionnement du cerveau en situation d’impact. Ce projet de recherche Mitacs Globalink vise à raffiner un MÉF de la tête afin d’inclure une représentation anatomique et mécanique de la substance blanche du cerveau mieux adaptée à l’étude des processus de neuro-dégénérescence. Ce projet revêt une importance particulière pour tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes pratiquant des sports de contact et à risque de subir une dégénérescence de cet organe névralgique.

Microhémorhéologie

Le sang appartient à une famille des suspensions particulièrement complexe : il s’agit d’une suspension dense de globule rouges très déformables et interagissant entre eux, ils peuvent par exemple s’agréger. Bien qu’étudié depuis les années 70 par les physiologistes, les mécanismes de ses écoulements complexes ne sont toujours pas bien compris. Le but de ce projet collaboratif est d’étudier les écoulements sanguins à l’échelle microscopique pour pouvoir mieux décrire les différentes situations physiologiques et industrielles où le sang s’écoule. Nous utilisons une approche expérimentale utilisant principalement des technologies de pointe associées à la microfluidique. L’expertise développée sur le comportement sanguin dans des géométries complexes permettra entre autres d’accélérer la conception des dispositifs microfluidiques pour les flux sanguins comme les analyseurs de sang, ou mini-organe sur puce.