Gary J. Saulnier

Dr. Saulnier joined the University at Albany as Professor and Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Summer 2017. He came to us from his position as the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies of the Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where had been on the faculty for 31 years. Prior to joining RPI, he was on the staff of GE Corporate Research and Development, now GE Global Research.  His research is in the areas of military and mobile communications, electrical impedance tomography for medical applications, and acoustic communications and power delivery.

Research Interests

Dr. Saulnier’s research interests broadly span the electronics, communications and signal processing areas.  More specifically, he is interested in the following areas: communications, signal processing, electronic instrumentation, impedance tomography systems for medical application, acoustic data and power transmission systems.

A major focus is on developing instrumentation for Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), where patterns of currents are applied to the body using an array of electrodes and the resulting electrode voltages are used to create an image of the inside of the body.  A second focus is on acoustic communications and power delivery through solid, often metallic, structures to provide connectivity to embedded sensors that are inaccessible using conventional radio waves.  

In 2019, Dr. Saulnier received a subaward of $730,658 from Colorado State University for his project, entitled "Real-Time Assessment of Lung Structure and Function in CF Patients using Electrical Impedance Tomography." This National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored grant is part of a collaboration between research teams at Colorado State University (CSU), the University at Albany (UAlbany), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Children’s Hospital of Colorado (CHC).  The goal of this research is to determine whether electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can provide sensitive measures of changes in lung structure and function in cystic fibrosis patients of all ages.  

Publications

Selected Archival Journal Publications

S. Gupta, A. Vargas, G. Saulnier, J. Newell, C. Faaborg-Andersen, and R. S. Kelley, “Uterine Bioimpedance Combined with Artificial Intelligence as a Means of Cancer Detection,” Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology, July 2021. DOI: 10.1080/03091902.2021.1936674

G. J. Saulnier, A. Abdelwahab, and O. R. Shishvan, “DSP-Based Current Source for Electrical Impedance Tomography,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 41, no. 6, p. 64002, June 2020. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6579/ab8f74

J. D. Ashdown, L. Liu, G. J. Saulnier, and K. R. Wilt, “High-Rate Ultrasonic Through-Wall Communications using MIMO-OFDM,” IEEE Transactions on Communications,” vol. 66, no. 8, pp 3381 – 3393, August 2018.

G. Boverman, D. Isaacson, J. C. Newell, G. J. Saulnier, T-J. Kao, B. C. Amm, X. Wang, D. M. Davenport, D. H. Chong, R. Sahni, and J. M. Ashe, “Efficient Simultaneous Reconstruction of Time-Varying Images and Electrode Contact Impedances in Electrical Impedance Tomography,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 64, no. 4, pp. 795 – 806, April 2017.

B. Amm, T-J. Kao, J. Newell, D. Isaacson, G. Saulnier, D. Shoudy, G. Boverman, R. Sahni, M. Weindler, D. Chong, D. DiBardino, D. Davenport, and J. Ashe, “Comparison of Impedance Measurements Near the Skin of Newborns and Adults,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 938 – 950, June 2016.  

S. Chakraborty, G. J. Saulnier, K. R. Wilt, Edward Curt, H. A. Scarton, and Robert B. Litman, “Low-Power, Low-Rate Ultrasonic Communications System Axially Along a Cylindrical Pipe Using Transverse Waves,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol 62, no. 10, pp. 1788 – 1796, October 2015.  

K. R. Wilt, T. J. Lawry, H. A. Scarton, and G. J. Saulnier, “One-Dimensional Pressure Transfer Models for Acoustic-Electric Transmission Channels,” Journal of Sound and Vibration, vol. 352, pp. 158-173, September 2015.  

P. A. Muller, T. Li, D. Isaacson, J. C. Newell, G. J. Saulnier, T.-J Kao and J. Ashe, “Estimating a Regional Ventilation-Perfusion Index,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 1283 – 1295, May 2015.  

T. Li, D. Isaacson, J. C. Newell and G. J. Saulnier, “Adaptive Techniques in Electrical Impedance Tomography Reconstruction,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 35, pp. 1111 - 1124, March 2014.  

P. A. Muller, J. C. Newell, D. Isaacson, and G. J. Saulnier, “Calderon’s Method on an Elliptical Domain,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 34, no. 6, June 2013, pp. 609 – 622.  

T. Li, J. C. Newell, D. Isaacson, T.-J. Kao, and G. J. Saulnier, “Adaptive Kaczmarz Method for Image Reconstruction in Electrical Impedance Tomography,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 34, no. 6, June 2013, pp. 595 – 608.  

S. Chakraborty, K. R. Wilt, G. J. Saulnier, H. A. Scarton, and P. K. Das, “Estimating Channel Capacity and Power Transfer Efficiency of a Multi-Layer Acoustic-Electric Channel,” Proceedings of the SPIE, vol. 8753, Wireless Sensing, Localization, and Processing VIII, 87530F (May 28, 2013); doi:10.1117/12.2018133.  

S. Roa-Prada, H. A. Scarton, G. J. Saulnier, D. A. Shoudy, J. D. Ashdown, P. K. Das, and A. J. Gavens, “An Ultrasonic Through-Wall Communication (UTWC) System Model,”  ASME Journal of Vibrations and Acoustics, vol. 135, no. 1, February 4, 2013, 12 pages, doi:10.1115/1.4007565.  

J. D. Ashdown, K. R. Wilt, T. J. Lawry, G.J. Saulnier, D. A. Shoudy, S. Rao-Prada, H. A. Scarton, and A. J. Gavens, “A Full-Duplex Ultrasonic Through-Wall Communication and Power Delivery System,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol 60, no. 3, March 3013, pp 587 – 595.

T. J. Lawry, K. R. Wilt, J. D. Ashdown, H. A. Scarton, and G. J. Saulnier, “A High Performance Ultrasonic System for the Simultaneous Transmission of Data and Power Through Solid Metal Barriers,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control.  vol. 60, no. 1, January 2013, pp 194 - 203.

T. J. Lawry, K. R. Wilt, H. A. Scarton and G. J. Saulnier, “Analytical Modeling of a Sandwiched Plate Piezoelectric Transformer-Based Acoustic-Electric Transmission Channel,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 59, no. 11, November 2012, pp. 2476 –2486.

Selected U. S. Patents

W. Rafferty and G. J. Saulnier, “Variable-Delay, Sine-Cosine Noncoherent Demodula­tor,” U. S. Patent No. 4,647,864, March 3, 1987.  

G. J. Saulnier, R. G. Herrera and T. E. Thiel, “Complex Digital Sampling Converter for Demodulator,” U. S. Patent No. 4,878,029, October 31, 1989.  

C. M. Puckette and G. J. Saulnier, “Digital Subharmonic Sampling Down-Converter,” U. S. Patent No. 4,888,557, December 19, 1989.  

S. Chennakeshu and G. J. Saulnier, “Digital Discriminator for Pulse Shaped p/4 Shifted Differentially Encoded Quadrature Phase Shift Keying,” U. S. Patent No. 5,202,901.  

S. Chennakeshu and G. J. Saulnier, “Tangential Type Differential Detector for Pulse Shaped p/4 Shifted Differentially encoded Quadrature Phase Shift Keying,” U. S. Patent No. 5,283,815, February 1, 1994.  

S. Chennakeshu, S. M. Hladik, G. J. Saulnier, R. D. Koilpilai and R. L. Toy, “Post Detec­tion Selection Combining Diversity Receivers for Mobile and Indoor Channels,” U. S. Patent No. 5,351,274, September 27, 1994.  

G. J. Saulnier, D. G. Gisser, J. C. Newell, R. D. Cook, J. C. Goble, and D. Isaacson, “High-Speed Electric Tomography.” U. S. Patent No. 5,544,662, Aug. 13, 1996.  

J.E. Hershey, S.M. Hladik, G.J. Saulnier and D.A. Langan, “Method and Apparatus for Low Complexity Satellite Ranging System Using Gaussian Noise Overlay.” U.S. Patent No. 5,680,143, October 1997.  

J. A. F. Ross, I. Ali, J. E. Hershey, S. H. Hladik, G. J. Saulnier and M. P. Weir, “Transmitted Reference Spread Spectrum Communications System,” U. S. Patent No. 5,761,238, Jun. 2, 1998.  

N. Al-Dhahir, J. E. Hershey and G. J. Saulnier, “Spacecraft Communication Channel Power Control System,” U. S. Patent No. 5,828,335, Oct. 27, 1998.  

J. E. Hershey, R. A. Korkosz, G. J. Saulnier, R. C. Gaus, Jr. and K. B. Welles II, “Power Line Communication System,” U. S. Patent No. 5,844,949, Dec. 1, 1998.  

J. E. Hershey, G. J. Saulnier, S. M. Hladik, R. C. Gaus, Jr., W. C. Taft, R. A. Korkosz, and G. W. Brooksby, “Method and Apparatus for TDMA Slot Synchronization with Pre­cision Ranging,” U. S. Patent No. 5,867,489, Feb. 2, 1999.  

J. E. Hershey, S. M. Hladik and G. J. Saulnier, “Spacecraft TDMA Communications System with Synchronization by Spread Spectrum Overlay Channel,” U. S. Patent No. 5,878,034, Mar. 2, 1999.  

J. E. Hershey, I. Ali, N. Al-Dhahir, G. J. Saulnier, R. G. Nelson, “Method and Apparatus for Doppler Based Multiple Access Communication Control,” U. S. Patent No. 5,926,467, July 20, 1999.  

G. J. Saulnier, E. J. Orlowski and J. A. F. Ross, “Spread Spectrum Communication Sys­tem with Frequency-Separated Message and Reference Signals,” U. S. Patent No. 6,061,388, May 9, 2000.  

J. E. Hershey, G. J. Saulnier, R. A. Korkosz, K. B. Welles II and R. C. Gaus, “Power Line Communications Spread Spectrum Symbol Timing and Random Phasing,” U. S. Patent No. 6,101,214, Aug. 8, 2000.  

A. S. Ross and G. J. Saulnier, “High Output Impedance Current Source,” U. S. Patent No. 7,116,157, October 3, 2006.  

S. C. Evans, J. E. Hershey and G. J. Saulnier, “Data Transmission System Utilizing Efficient Complexity Estimation of the Kolmogorov Complexity for Data Transmission,” U. S. Patent No. 7,313,817, December 25, 2007.  

G. J. Saulnier, N. Liu, and A. S. Ross, “High Precision Voltage Source for Electrical Impedance Tomography,” United States Patent No. 7,701,227, April 20, 2010.  

T. J. Lawry, G. J. Saulnier, K. R. Wilt, J. D. Ashdown, and H. A. Scarton, “Adaptive System for Efficient Transmission of Power and Data Through Acoustic Media,” United States Patent No. 9,054,826, June 9, 2015.  

G. J. Saulnier, J. D. Ashdown, T. J. Lawry, K. R. Wilt, and H. A. Scarton, “Multi-channel through-wall communication system using crosstalk suppression, “ United States Patent No. 9,331,879, May 3, 2016.  

T. J. Lawry, G. J. Saulnier, K. R. Wilt, J. D. Ashdown, H. A. Scarton, and A. Gavens, “Full-duplex ultrasonic through-wall communication and power delivery system with frequency tracking,” United States Patent No. 9,455,791, September 27, 2016. 

Awards and Honors

Computerworld Smithsonian Award in Medicine (1993)  

School of Engineering Education Excellence Award (2005)                        

IEEE Military Communications Conference Technical Achievement Award (2005)                        

School of Engineering Classroom Excellence Award (2011)  

MILCOM 2012 Best Unclassified Paper Award (2012)