Course developed by Joel M. Bach, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Karl W. Brown, MS
Adjunct Faculty, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado School of Mines
Director, Center For Biomechanics and Rehabilitation
Research
Associate Clinical Professor, UCD, Assistive Technology
Partners Orthopedic Biomechanics Labs
Director, InCAST
Syllabus and housekeeping
Introduction
What is Biomechanical Engineering?
Web page
http://inside.mines.edu/~jmbach/
From this page you’ll be able to link to the class web
page
Timeline of Major Advancements
You’ll also find a link for announcements
Case Study with a Bilateral Transtibular Amputee
Class notes will be posted in PDF format ahead of time
Anatomy and Physiology Definitions
on the class web page
After this week, the PDF files will be protected with the
password CSM
Office hours (subject to change, see the announcements on
the class web page for updates)
Tuesdays (1:30 – 3:00)
Thursdays (10:45 – 12:15)
Additional hours can be arranged Tuesdays and Thursdays
by appointment
• Adjunct Faculty, Mechanical Engineering, CSM
• Director, InCAST
• B.S. Aerospace Engineering, CU Boulder
• M.S. Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of
Pittsburgh
Head Position Monitor and Virtual Driving Simulation
Head Position Monitor and Virtual Driving Simulation
Variable Compliance Joystick
Variable Compliance Joystick
Watercraft Transfer Device
Watercraft Transfer Device
Powered Mounting Arm
Powered Mounting Arm
Head Position Monitor and Virtual Driving Simulation
Head Position Monitor and Virtual Driving Simulation
Variable Compliance Joystick
Variable Compliance Joystick
Watercraft Transfer Device
Watercraft Transfer Device
Powered Mounting Arm
Powered Mounting Arm
I will assume that everyone has taken
Physics II
Mechanics of Materials
In addition, Dynamics is a co-requisite
If you were able to register without one or more of
them, or without an override from me, then please
see me after class
Introduction to
Biomedical Engineering,
Second Edition, by John
Enderle, Academic Press,
2005; ISBN 978-0-12374979-6
An anatomy text might be helpful
The Anatomy Coloring Book (Kapit
& Elson) ($15-$20)
Basic Biomechanics of the
Musculoskeletal System; M.
Nordin and V. Frankel; ISBN 9781609133351
This is the book that is required
for the Musculoskeletal
Biomechanics course (MEGN 430)
in the Spring
Exams (2)
Project Report
Project Presentation
Color Atlas of Human Anatomy ($70)
Homework
Just about any other anatomy text
Quizzes
Participation
20% each
25%
5%
10%
15%
5%
We are going to use the i>Clickers for class
participation and quizzes
At the beginning of most classes, and throughout
others, there will be questions (T/F, multiple choice)
that you will answer with your i>Clickers
Responding will establish your participation grade
You’ll need to register yours (even if you’ve done so in
prior semesters) if you want a grade
Go to iclicker.com and register your device
We’re going to start using them Thursday
Please be sure to bring yours to class every day
Some days’ questions will randomly be graded
This will establish your quiz grade
I really like classes where we can get discussions going
Discuss…
With such a large class that will be difficult
What is good about it?
I will try some things out to see if we can facilitate
What is bad about it?
discussions
If you have ideas, let me know
There will be three types of homework
Knowledge based (short answer questions)
Problems (requiring calculations)
Research (internet or literature search and summary)
Electronic (e-mail) submissions are encouraged where
reasonable
Treat everyone with respect
No cell phones (please silence the ringer and tone
down the buzz)
No texting
No passing notes back and forth
No surfing the web on your laptop, tablet, phone, etc.
I reserve the right to eject you from class if your
behavior violates these policies or if you are disturbing
your classmates or me
This course is intended to provide an introduction to,
and overview of, Biomechanical Engineering (hence
the title)
This course is a prereq for the other biomechanics
courses
At the end of the semester, you should have a working
knowledge of the special considerations necessary to
apply mechanical engineering and related principles
to the human body
Tentative version is posted on the web page
It may be changing in the next week or so as I update
my plans for the class
Anatomy and
Physiology
Bioelectric
Phenomenon
Biomechanical Sensors
Bioinstrumentation
Biosignal Processing
Biomechanics
Biomaterials
Tissue Engineering
Human Motion
Rehabilitation
Engineering
Group size
4 to 6 students per project
Written Report (25% of grade)
5 to 15 pages, double spaced
Length will be affected by type of project, size of team,
etc.
Presentations (5% of grade)
10 minutes followed by 5 minutes Q&A
The time limit will be strictly enforced
Scope
Review of medical and/or engineering literature
pertaining to a selected biomechanical engineering
related application, condition, injury, problem, device,
topic, etc.
Intervertebral disc replacements and spinal fusion
Tommy John surgery
Spine reconstruction
Cervical spinal cord injury case study
Upper extremity prosthetics
Lower extremity prosthetics
Myoelectric prosthetic hand
Tissue engineering for musculoskeletal applications
Nanotechnology in orthopedics
Finite element analysis of the proximal femur
Shod vs. barefoot running
Mechanics of rotator cuff surgery
Straightening scoliosis
Knee therapy/repair devices
Patellar tendinitis
Meniscus tears
Total knee replacement
Exoskeletons
3d printing
Rotationplasty
Umbrella term, often associated more with biotech or
genetic engineering
Sometimes used as a default rather than getting more
specific (biomedical, biomechanical, bioelectrical, etc)
Life Sciences, Medicine, Veterinary
First, what do they have in common?
Biology
BioEngineers
Medicine
Engineering
Biologist
Engineer
Traditional Engineering Fields
Medical Professional
Applies electrical, chemical, optical, mechanical, and
Medical Sciences
other engineering principles to understand, modify, or
control biologic systems
Must have a good understanding of engineering
fundamentals as well as anatomy, physiology, and
medicine
BioMedical Engineers
Traditional Engineering Fields
Modeling, simulation, systems analysis
Detection, measurement, modeling of physiologic
signals
Development of devices for replacement or
augmentation of body parts
And development of therapeutic and rehabilitation
procedures and devices
Research in new materials for prosthetics, tissues,
implants, etc.
Research physiological processes such as walking,
running, manual wheelchair propulsion and transfers,
etc.
And develop computer models of physiologic systems
and functions
Design imaging systems, sensors, implants,
instruments
Design control systems
And study of normal and abnormal function to
develop new methodologies of treatment
As medicine becomes more reliant on technology,
there is increasing need for biomedical engineers
M.D.s (and other medical professionals) speak one
language, traditionally trained engineers speak
another. Biomedical engineers bridge this gap and
often act as facilitators
1714 – Fahrenheit scale proposed based upon human
body temperature (100°)
1733 – First blood pressure measurement
1816 – The Stethoscope is invented
1818 – First successful blood transfusion
1853 – The Hypodermic Syringe is invented
1860 – The Sphygmomanometer is invented
1870 – Aseptic surgical technique developed
1895 – X-Rays are discovered
1899 – Aspirin is introduced
1903 – Electrocardiograph (ECG) invented
1906 – First human cornea transplant
1921 – Insulin—a treatment for diabetes
1924 – The Electroencephalogram (EEG)
1928 – Penicillin is discovered
1929 – The iron lung breathes for polio victims
1937 – First blood bank
1938 – First total hip replacement
1944 – Open-heart surgery
1953 – Discovery of the structure of DNA
1953 – Heart-Lung machine is successful
1954 – First kidney transplant
1957 – Ultrasound scanning of pregnant women
1964 – First surgical use of lasers
1967 – The CT Scan is developed
1967 – First human heart transplant
1973 – DNA cloning is invented—birth of genetic
engineering
1974 – Patent is granted for the MRI
1981 – First use of artificial skin to treat a 3rd-degree
burn
1982 – First implantation of the Jarvik Artificial Heart
1995 – Patent issued for unique blood substitute
2012 – bilateral trans-tibial amputee races in the
Olympics against “able bodied” athletes
Now we transplant kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs,
pancreas, intestines, blood vessels, cornea, etc.
We have artificial kidneys (dialysis), livers (liver
dialysis), hearts (fully implantable)
We can genetically engineer compounds and tissues
We’ve decoded the human genome
Disadvantages?
What do we need to consider?
No energy generation from muscles
Mechanical
No/limited ability to adapt to varying terrain, turns, etc.
Biomechanical
Advantages?
Physiological
Springs are more efficient at energy storage and return than
???
are muscles/tendons
His prosthetic legs are lighter than his natural legs would be
His prosthetic legs may be longer than his natural legs would
be
Unknown?
Altered biomechanics relative to how humans have evolved
(2.8 mph)
(4.5 mph)
Walking
Speed
Ankle
(A2)
Knee
(K2)
Hip
(H1+H3)
Total
Slow (J/kg)
0.22
0.04
0.08
0.35
% Total
63
11
23
Natural (J/kg)
0.21
0.06
0.12
(7.3 mph)
http://www.bme.ncsu.edu/labs/hpl/farris,sawicki_Interface_2011_walkrunID.pdf
% Total
54
15
31
Fast (J/kg)
0.19
0.10
0.15
% Total
42
22
33
0.39
0.45
Disadvantages:
No energy generation from muscles
No/limited ability to adapt to varying terrain, turns, etc.
Advantages:
Springs are more efficient at energy storage and return than
are muscles/tendons
His prosthetic legs are lighter than his natural legs would be
His prosthetic legs may be longer than his natural legs would
be
What might be even more amazing are the claims of
an unfair advantage
Pistorius didn’t get to run in the 2008 Olympics because
of the claims we just discussed
He was allowed to run in the 2012 Olympics
In the 2012 Paralympics Pistorius claimed that one of his
competitors had an unfair advantage, that his blades
were too long
Unknown:
Altered biomechanics relative to how humans have evolved
Everyone is different
Most body parts have multiple functions
Gender differences
Deformable bodies
Racial differences
Large degree of redundancy
Age differences
Other individual differences
We often can’t see what we are
studying
Most tissues are not linearly elastic, but rather are
viscoelastic (including fluids)
Most tissues can repair or remodel
Language !!!
Mechanics - the science which deals with motion or
non-motion of material objects
Statics
Kinematics
Kinetics
Dynamics
Refers to the internal and external structures of the
body and their physical relationships
The description of dimensions and masses of
the body
Refers to the study of the functions of the anatomical
structures
Standing upright, looking straight
ahead, feet straight ahead, arms
straight and at your sides, palms
forward.
its segments
and/or its parts
Superior (cranial, cephallic), Inferior (caudal)
Anterior (ventral, frontal), Posterior (dorsal)
Superficial, Deep
Medial, Lateral
Proximal, Distal
Sagittal – divides body
into left and right
Palmar (plantar), Dorsal
Frontal – divides body
Ipsilateral, Contralateral
into front and back
Transverse – divides
body into top and
bottom
Email (the best way to reach me)
brown@mines.edu
One paragraph answering why you signed up to take
Phone
TBD
Grade based on
Office
Brown Building, room 317
this class
Honesty
Professionalism
Length – three to five sentences
Send in body of email to brown@mines.edu
Due by beginning of class Thursday (8/27)