CNC XYZ Pressure Field Scanner
Problem statement
Imagine you’re trying to measure the chemical compound of a life saving drug that will stop the next global pandemic, but the borosilicate glass panes repeatedly distort the x-ray spectroscopy or mass spectrometer readings, preventing you from synthesizing the right chemical makeup of the drug. Foreign contamination is common for mass spectrometers especially as it has improved. A study from Keller et al. found that mass spectrometers can induce many foreign contaminants ranging from the laboratory workers that prepare the samples, to the equipment used to prepare and measure them. Extremely accurate and precisce measurement methods of medicines are needed for the advancement and development of modern pharmaceutical drugs. X-ray spectroscopy and acoustic levitation can provide a solution which allows pharmaceuticals and other samples to be examined without containers – avoiding the possibility of foreign contamination. While many single and double axis acoustic levitation devices exist to perform these analyses, these solutions cannot adapt to the fluctuating pressure forces of the environment and are often not precise enough to locate a particle to be struck by a high-power X-Ray beam. A three-axis acoustic levitation device could be used to solve this issue, but the field created by the acoustic radiation pressure must be measured to ensure accurate positioning of the particles. At CNC Force Wizards we intend to create a three-axis positioning system to move a microphone to various positions in the levitator to measure the resulting acoustic radiation pressure field inorder to create a visible pressure map. Eventually our solution will allow for more advanced pharmaceutical drug research that will enable the next generation of modern medicine.
Team members
Connor Mallahan – leader
Charles Klimpel – communicator
Charles Klafeta – accountant
Tavin Zeise – admin
Client
Mike Sracic