Welcome to My Senior Research Project: Engineering a Fog-Free Future to Medical Surgeries
Hi everyone, and welcome to my research blog! My name is Shreyash Prakash, and over the next few months, I’ll be diving deep into an exciting project at the intersection of materials science and biomedical technology. My senior research project, titled: Anti-Fog Strategy Via Surface Energy Engineering Using New Hyper-Hydrophilic Coatings: Model and Application to Lenses in Medical Devices, explores how advanced coatings can prevent fogging on surgical endoscopes – an issue that affects precision and safety in the operating room.
Why This Project?
Fogging on optical lenses is more than just an annoyance – it’s a real problem in medical procedures. Surgeons rely on endoscopic cameras for minimally invasive surgeries, but fog can obscure their vision, forcing them to pause, remove the scope, and clean it. This not only extends surgery time but also increases the risk of infection and complications. Current solutions, like alcohol-based wipes or heated lenses, provide only temporary relief, requiring frequent reapplication.
I became interested in this issue after observing fogging in my own life – whether it was my glasses clouding up in humid weather, my ski visors fogging as I am going 60 mph down a mountain, or my drone camera blurring during early morning flights. When I learned that this same problem affects high-stakes surgeries, I saw an opportunity to apply materials science to a real-world challenge.
My Approach
Over the past 2 years, I have been working with Professor Nicole Herbots, an Emeritus Professor at ASU, and conducting research at Banner Health, where I’ll be testing a new hyper-hydrophilic coating called KnoxFog™. At school, Mr. Schaffer will be my on-site mentor as we work to explore the progress of my research. Unlike traditional hydrophobic coatings that repel water, hyper-hydrophilic surfaces encourage water to spread out in a thin, uniform layer, preventing droplet formation that causes fogging. My research will focus on:
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- Improving and measuring how well KnoxFog™ maintains clear endoscopic visualization over extended periods.
- Comparing its effectiveness to existing solutions like heated lenses and alcohol-based coatings.
- Developing a practical, sterile application method to integrate this technology into surgical settings.
Through a combination of surface energy engineering, image analysis, and prototype development, I hope to demonstrate that hyper-hydrophilic coatings offer a longer-lasting, biocompatible solution to lens fogging in surgery.
Goals For The Next Couple Of Weeks
Since I have been working on this project for the past two years, I will use the next couple of weeks to catch everyone up on my research. This will include early R&D progress of the different versions of the anti-fog solution, silicone-casing prototype development, and the latest experimentation of the KnoxFog™ solution. I will also discuss our ongoing animal testing and work with the FDA to ensure proper commercialization standards are upheld. Finally, I am excited to begin the research publication and data analysis phase, gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of clear data communication in STEM research.
This blog will document my journey – challenges (there will be a lot!), discoveries, and breakthroughs – as I work to bring clarity where it’s needed most. Stay tuned for updates, and feel free to follow along as I navigate the world of research, engineering, and medical innovation!
Thank you all for taking the time to read my intro blog!
Shreyash
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