DELTA ECMO ABI Study (Assessing Acute Brain Injury after Rapid Reduction of PaCO₂ upon ECMO Cannulation using Portable MRI and Biomarkers)

Main Goal: This study aims to understand how rapid changes in carbon dioxide levels during the first day of ECMO support affect the brain. Sudden drops in CO₂ can alter blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, potentially leading to acute brain injury. Using low-field portable MRI at the bedside, combined with daily blood tests for brain injury biomarkers, and cerebral blood flow monitoring, we will look for both visible and hidden brain injuries in the first 72 hours after ECMO starts. The goal is to identify safe thresholds for CO₂ changes and improve long-term neurological outcomes for patients on ECMO.

SEE ECMO Study (Standardized Early Evaluation of Eyes in ECMO)

Main Goal: This study will investigate whether a simple, noninvasive eye exam using automated infrared pupillometry can help predict brain injury and recovery in ECMO patients. By measuring the Neurological Pupil index (NPi) every four hours during the first week of ECMO, we aim to detect early signs of neurological problems and link these findings to patient outcomes at discharge. The goal is to give clinicians a reliable bedside tool to spot brain injury sooner and guide care decisions.

SAFE MRI ECMO Study (Assessing the Safety and Feasibility of Bedside Portable Low-Field Brain MRI in ECMO Patients)

Main Goal: This multicenter study evaluated the safety and diagnostic value of using an ultra–low-field (0.064T) portable MRI scanner at the bedside to detect acute brain injury (ABI) in patients receiving ECMO. Fifty patients were successfully scanned in the ICU without major safety concerns, with only 3 adverse events (two minor, one serious). Portable MRI identified ABIs in 44% of patients—most commonly ischemic strokes—and was more sensitive than head CT for detecting ischemic injury. These findings show that portable MRI can be safely integrated into neuromonitoring protocols, enabling earlier and more accurate ABI diagnosis without the risks of transporting critically ill ECMO patients.

Study of Early portable brain magnetic resonance imaging and Subclinical Stroke detection in Post-operative Cardiac Surgery Patients (SEARCH)

The IRON MAN (Innovative Resuscitation and Optimized Novel Multi-organ support with Autonomous ECMO for Non-medical personnel and medics) Project

Main Goal: In collaboration with the ASPIRE Lab, the proposed research seeks to establish the technical foundation of an advanced life support system capable of

1. automated resuscitation of active hemorrhage and
2. delivery and closed loop control of respiratory support via a novel extracorporeal gas exchange system.

The immediate goal of this project is to develop the following core components of the advanced life support system to enable future miniaturization and complete system prototype construction.

A Novel Method to Determine Individualized Energy Expenditure in ECMO (EE-ECMO)

Main Goal: The purpose of this study is to develop pioneering technology and test its clinical impact in a pilot study: to develop a patient specific, minute to minute continuous assessment of EE_TOTAL using VO₂ and VCO₂ measurement from both the ventilator and the ECMO circuit to be displayed at the bedside in real time for nutrition assessment.  

Brain Recovery Assessment with INnovative SENSor Engineering (BRAINSENSE)

Main Goals: This proposed study aims to link acute brain injury (ABI) to behavior, specifically disorders of consciousness (DoC), through multisensor technology, long-term monitoring using cutting-edge integrated circuits and devices, and novel analytical algorithms. We propose to advance an innovative in-ear multisensor monitoring platform that unobtrusively captures critical brain, cardiac, and metabolic activities. This platform will leverage cortico-temporal auricular activity from the ear canal and adjacent auricular structures, as well as electrocardiography recorded using integrated sensors and ultra-low-power electronic circuits.

IMCS International Multicenter Observational Study

In collaboration with Samsung Medical Center and Korea University, we have a multicenter REDCap database to track key clinical, laboratory, and imaging markers in patients receiving ECMO. The goal is to harmonize data collection across centers, enable large-scale analyses, and advance understanding of patient outcomes in ECMO care.

ICU Clinical Research Platform

This platform is a comprehensive database of ICU patients designed to power cutting-edge research and improve critical care. It integrates clinical data with AI and machine learning models to predict patient outcomes, enabling earlier interventions and personalized treatment strategies. By combining expertise from medicine, engineering, and data science, the platform supports a multidisciplinary AI pipeline for continuous ICU monitoring, advanced analytics, and innovative outcomes research.