Faculty: Dr. I. A. Feuerstein

 

Professor Emeritus
Department of Chemical Engineering

McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Hamilton
Ontario, Canada  L8S 4L7

office: JHE-118
email:  feuerst@mcmaster.ca
voice:  (905) 525-9140 ext.23118

B.Ch.E. City College of New York (1962), M.S. Newark College of Engineering (1965),
Ph.D. University of Massachusetts (1969).

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Research Projects

1. The Flow Dynamics of Suspensions of Solids to Be Used for Coating.

There are a wide variety of industrial processes where coatings are produced from
suspensions of solids. Polymer particles are used to coat paper and magnetic iron
particles are used to coat polymer tapes to produce a magnetic tape product. These
processes are done in such a way that the coating suspension moves relative to the
surface being coated. Under these circumstances collisions between suspended
particles can lead to agglomeration. The coatings have there best properties when
they are made with small particles; so agglomeration is to be avoided. Using video
microscopy of flowing suspensions, this work will study flow properties to define
conditions which avoid agglomeration.

2. Transport and Adhesion of Blood Cells to Artificial Surfaces

A system for well controlled flow experiments with fluorescently labeled blood
platelets is available. Particle balances at the blood-solid interface are used to
evaluate biomaterials for blood compatibility. Since adherent activated platelets
will form the base for a thrombus, we also evaluate the ability of surfaces to promote
morphological changes in adherent cells. This is done with normal light microscopy,
confocal microscopy and SEM; all aided with computer based image enhancement.
Activities also include understanding and categorizing the biochemical pathways present.
Experimental information is integrated with knowledge from cell biology and biochemistry
for the cell types studied. This work is done at the McMaster University Health Science
Centre within the Department of Pathology.

3. Computer Tracking of Blood Cells at Surfaces

Video tapes showing the adhesion, detachment and movement of fluorescently labeled
blood cells require quantitative analysis. This will make available detailed cell-surface
reaction rates and provide information on the flux of altered cells back into the circulation.
A joint project with Dr. D.W. Capson of Electrical and Computer Engineering is using a
computer approach to this problem requiring utilization of techniques for image
enhancement and time efficient procedures for data manipulation.

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Selected Publications

Bruil, A., Sheppard, J.I., Feijen, J. and Feuerstein, I.A. "In vitro leukocyte adhesion to
modified polyurethane surfaces III. Effect of flow, fluid medium, and platelets on PMN
adhesion", Journal of Biomaterial Science, Polymer Edition, 5, 263-277, (1994).

Yeo, E.L., Sheppard, J.I. and Feuerstein, I.A., "Role of P-Selectin in polymorphonuclear
cell adhesion to surface adherent platelets under physiologic shear conditions
(An injury vessel wall model)", Blood, 83, 2498-2507, (1994).

Feuerstein, I.A., McClung, W.G. and Horbett, T.A., "Platelet adherence and detachment
with adsorbed fibrinogen: a flow study with a series of hydroxyethyl methacrylate-ethyl
methacrylate copolymers using video microscopy", J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 25, 221-237,
( 1992).

McClung, W.G. and Feuerstein, I.A. "Epifluorescent video microscopy (EVM) for platelet
material interaction: methodology and preparative techniques", Accepted for publication,
Biomaterials 13, 871-877, (1992).

Feuerstein, I.A. and Sheppard, J.I., "States in adherent platelet morphology and the
processing of adsorbed protein on biomaterials", Biomaterials, 14, 137-147, (1992).

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