Term of Award

Fall 2025

Degree Name

Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Committee Chair

Sevki Cesmeci

Committee Member 1

Mohammadamin Ezazi

Committee Member 2

Priya Goeser

Abstract

Over two decades, there has been a significant rise in awareness regarding Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), leading to a deeper comprehension of numerous variables, including hereditary factors, patterns of occurrence, and health challenges. According to the Type 1 Diabetic Index, around 8.7 million people worldwide are affected by this chronic autoimmune illness marked by a lack of insulin and hyperglycemia. The introduction of artificial pancreas systems could save more than half a million patients by 2040. Despite the availability of various insulin delivery technologies that are offered to diabetic patients, many still are skeptical of this modern system. The issues patients face are physical and psychological burdens associated with carrying various integrated parts alongside the insulin pumps on their bodies. The need for a smaller and more user-friendly insulin delivery system can be integrated to provide a solution to individuals with T1D To address this potential solution, we have proposed a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) bodily functioning micropump, a portable, lightweight, compact, and wireless insulin delivery system. This study builds a foundation for the additive manufacturing of a microfluidic pump with a magnetic actuation mechanism. The two main components of the micropump were printed using stereolithography (SLA) printing, and an MRE was created through a molding procedure with a mixture of 50% iron concentration and 50% elastomer base matrix. The MRE material is crucial because it will serve as the upper wall of the pump, which will deform when exposed to an external magnetic field. Testing of this material is conducted to validate the fabricating procedure. Experimental results showed that integrating 50 wt% iron particles into the PDMS matrix significantly increased the storage modulus at lower temperatures, indicating enhanced stiffness and energy storage capability. Around room temperature, the storage modulus ranged from approximately 0.1 to 1 MPa, while the loss modulus remained between 0.02 and 0.2 MPa, confirming that the material exhibits predominantly elastic behavior over viscous response—ideal for magnetically driven deformation. The material also displayed a tan δ peak between –45 °C and –35 °C, confirming the glass transition region and demonstrating stable viscoelastic performance suitable for biomedical operation near room temperature. This concept can be introduced not only to insulin delivery systems but also to other biomedical applications such as microfluidic blood transport in artificial organs or targeted drug delivery for conditions including PTSD, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.

OCLC Number

1560064745

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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