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Each year, more than 30 million patients receive fluid resuscitation therapies for critical care scenarios like hemorrhaging, sepsis and burns. Underdosing resuscitation strategies are inefficient at saving lives, while overdosing regimens may lead to resuscitation injuries and hypothermia. Hossein Mirinejad, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, is hoping to help find the solution to dosing problems.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Mirinejad a $200,000 grant to design a systematic approach for precision dosing in critical care. 

Precision dosing is the process of individualizing care and medications through patient-specific characteristics, such as medical history and conditions. It can also be used for critical care scenarios.

“Our focus is mostly on fluid resuscitation systems for critical care application,” Mirinejad said.

Mirinejad uses hardware-in-the-loop simulation and testing, computational modeling, optimization techniques and control engineering methods to conduct his research.

The project will begin June 1, 2022, and is expected to be completed in two years. Kent State students will have a unique opportunity to participate in the research. Mirinejad will select an undergraduate and a graduate student to assist him with his work.

“I expect undergraduates to present their results in the Kent State Undergraduate Research Symposium,” Mirinejad said. “For the graduate students, the expectation is to submit their work to peer-reviewed, highly accredited conferences and journals.” 

Precise control of fluid dosage and other critical parts of resuscitation haven’t been fully researched because of clinical barriers. Some of the barriers include physiological limitations and emergency consideration of critical care.

The research will address these barriers by using a new individual-based modeling and control approach. 

“It will enable a new personalized fluid dosage adjustment strategy,” Mirinejad said.  

The outcomes of the research can advance healthcare by saving lives in critical care, reducing costs, fixing dosing issues and improving patient safety and outcomes.

“It’s a direct impact on the lives of more than 30 million patients receiving fluid therapies annually,” Mirinejad said. “Additionally, the need for precision dosing ultimately spans numerous medical areas further signifying the long-term impacts of this project.”

Kent State is ranked as an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which is the highest recognition that doctoral universities can receive, affirming Kent State’s place as an elite research institution along with Yale, Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley.

Learn more about the College of Aeronautics and Engineering.