California Institute of Technology

Michael Ortiz

Stefanie Heyden

Morteza Gharib

Mikhail G Shapiro

Peter Schroeder

Kaushik Bhattacharya

Beverley McKeon

David Reza Mittelstein

Fehmi Cirak

Stephanie Mitchell

Anna Pandolfi

Systems and methods for targeting specific cell types by selective application of ultrasonic harmonic excitation at a resonance frequency ('oncotripsy') for the specific cell types are presented. The systems and the methods result in permeabilization, lysis, and/or death of the targeted specific cell types by using ultrasonic harmonic excitations that have a frequency and a pulse duration specifically tuned to disrupt nuclear membranes of the targeted specific cell types by inducing a destructive vibrational response therein while leaving non-targeted cell types intact. Target cells may be neoplastic.

Selective disruption of neoplastic cells via resonant harmonic excitation

Systems and methods for targeting specific cell types by selective application of ultrasonic harmonic excitation at their resonance frequency ('oncotripsy') are presented. The systems and methods result in the lysis of targeted cell types by using ultrasonic harmonic excitations that have been specifically tuned to disrupt the nuclear membrane of the targeted cells types by inducing a destructive vibrational response therein while leaving non-targeted cell types intact. The target cells types may be cancerous cells.

Targeting cancer cells selectively via resonant harmonic excitation

Materials and methods for implementing engineered aggregates in metamaterials are provided. The engineered aggregates may be tuned to oscillate resonantly under the influence of an external force improving the dynamic performance of the metamaterial by impeding dynamic excitation. The engineered aggregate generally comprise a multilayer resonant structure having at least a relatively heavy inner core surrounded by at least a compliant coating layer. The geometry and stiffness of the relative layers can be tuned to engineer a desired resonant frequency response within the aggregate for a chosen frequency range. The engineered aggregates are disposed in a matrix material to form a metamaterial. The engineered aggregates may be disposed within a mortar matrix to form a concrete metamaterial suitable for use, for example, in structural applications, including bunkers, shelters, etc.

Engineered aggregates for metamaterials

A structure configured to modify its surface morphology between a smooth state and a rough state in response to an applied stress. In demonstrated examples, a soft (PDMS) substrate is produced, and is pre-strained. A relatively stiff overlayer of a metal, such as chromium and gold, is applied to the substrate. When the pre-strained substrate is allowed to relax, the free surface of the stiff overlayer is forced to become distorted, yielding a free surface having a roughness of less than 1 millimeter. Repeated application and removal of the applied stress has been shown to yield reproducible changes in the morphology of the free surface. An application of such morphing free surface is to control a boundary layer transition of an aerodynamic fluid flowing over the surface.

Morphing surfaces for the control of boundary layer transition

Thin-shell finite-element analysis based on the use of subdivision surfaces: (1) describing the geometry of a shell in its undeformed configuration, and (2) generating smooth interpolated displacement fields possessing bounded energy. No nodal rotations are used in the interpolation. The interpolation scheme induced by subdivision is nonlocal, i.e., the displacement field over one element depends on the nodal displacements of the element nodes and all nodes of immediately neighboring elements. However, the use of subdivision surfaces ensures that all local displacement fields thus constructed combine conformingly to define one single limit surface.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Michael Ortiz