BIOMECHANICAL DESIGN RESEARCH LABORATORY Objectification of Medical Practices
Neck impairment affects 70% of individuals at some point in
their lives. The diagnosis
of impairment is assessed using manual therapy techniques. However,
currently, there are no scientifically accepted objective
measures to support manual medicine diagnostic (and treatment)
techniques. For example, a breast exam consists of palpation to
evaluate the feel of the tissue (the examiner is looking for abnormal
tissue feel) but a physician also couples this palpatory exam with an objective measure.
This objective measure could be a mammogram, ultrasound or MRI.
Our research serves as a foundation for establishing objective,
kinematic
correlates for manual medicine diagnostic techniques. This research
involves collaborations with MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine and
Grand Valley State University.
Seating Mechanics
Seating research has evolved into
three industrial areas: Automotive, Office and Medical
Kinematics: Our laboratory has developed specialized measures to assess and document posture and postural
change.These methods coupled with seat
pressure distributions and measures of spinal curvature are used to evaluate the ability of seats to
allow a wide range of anthropometries to move, yet be well supported during typical activities of the given chair. Kinetics: Another area of
study utilizes the measurement of force distribution (both normal and shear) of
various regions of the body and how these forces change with recline and seat
back articulation.These data have been
combined with a study of seat stiffness to develop a set of prediction
equations for seat pan deflection, which are normalized with respect to body
weight.These techniques are useful in
the early stages of design, primarily in the automotive industry.
Comfort: By studying
Kinematics and Kinetics associated with seating, a series of biomechanical
factors have evolved.Current
exploratory work being performed with a team including a psychologist, an
epidemiologist and myself is being conducted to develop links between the
biomechanical factors and user comfort.
All
of the above is also being incorporated into the assessment of seating
design for the disabled, particularly in the analysis of decubitus
ulcers (pressure sores). This research is being conducted in
conjunction with S. Baek at MSU. Sports Biomechanics The last several years have seen an increased interest in
elucidating the causes of non-traumatic injuries specific to
bicyclists. Injuries may include soreness of the pelvis, skin problems
in the groin, or even more serious ones such as erectile
dysfunction, and impotence. Research in the BDRL was conducted to
measure the loading at all interface locations including the
seat, pedals and handlebars. Force data indicates continuous
shear loads at the seat interface in combination with high normal
forces. We believe that it is the combination of
shear and normal loadings that is a significant contributor to these
injuries. When evaluating or designing a seat, attention should
be paid to the anterior/posterior and medial/lateral shear loads as
well as the normal forces.
Hand Function
Research is being conducted on the kinematics of hand for application to packaging.
Modeling
Human body adaptation and musculoskeletal functions utilize experimental data to develop adaptive, more realistic models. (BAMF Group)