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Engineering in Medicine: MMSE

Active projects in Materials & Mechanical Systems Engineering (MMSE) with applications for engineering in medicine:

Biomechanics of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is being studied by another combination research team from Thayer School, Dartmouth Medical School (DMS), and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). AAA is a disease in which the abdominal aorta dilates and will eventually rupture if corrective surgery is not performed in time. The cross-campus group is studying the biomechanical cause of the ruptures. The results are being used to develop a stress-based prediction of an aneurysm's susceptibility to rupture.
(Faculty contact: Kennedy)

Cell interaction with forces due to flow and electric fields has physiological implications relevant to the understanding of disease. For example, flow-induced deformation may limit cell adhesion to the blood vessel wall and thus influence inflammatory response or tumor metastasis. Our research develops physical models to elucidate universal features of cell response, mediated by the plasma membrane, to external forces. Current projects include cell electro-deformation and cell dynamics in capillary flows.
(Faculty contact: Vlahovska)

Hyperthermia—selectively elevating the temperature of body tissue—has a variety of therapeutic effects. Different methods of microwave heating are being developed for use in cornea reshaping, fallopian tube occlusion, and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia as well as liver and prostate cancer.
(Faculty contact: Trembly)

Iron nanoparticles coated with iron oxide are being developed for cancer treatment, either for localized magnetic hyperthermia or as a thermal trigger for drugs delivered in vesicles. Localized nanoparticles enable magnetic hyperthermia to treat the tumor with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Optimization of heating mechanisms (maximum heat rise per unit weight of particles) will allow either smaller tumors to be targeted (possibly even metastases) or a smaller concentration of nanoparticles to be used (thereby minimizing toxic effects), or both.
(Faculty contacts: I. Baker, Hoopes)

Joint replacement technology research at Thayer School takes place within the Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center for Orthopaedics (DBEC). Since 1976, DBEC has acquired over 9000 retrieved joint implant specimens—the largest collection in the world—and has systematically identified and solved most problems related to the production, design, and materials of joint replacement technology.

Remaining issues and current foci of the program include:

  • determination of the rate of oxidation in vivo of polyethylene subjected to new sterilization techniques
  • performance of new crosslinked polyethylene materials
  • wear of new metal-on-metal and ceramic-on-ceramic technologies

(Faculty contacts: Collier, Kennedy, Van Citters)

Magnetic resonance elastography is being developed as a technique to measure the elasticity of tissue in vivo by gently shaking the tissue in a magnetic resonance imager. The displacements measured are used to determine tissue mechanical properties which can help identify and classify breast lesions. See also Discovering at Thayer School.
(Faculty contacts: Paulsen, Weaver)

Neurovascular coupling refers to the mechanisms that relate evoked neural activity to localized responses by the cerebral vasculature. Better models of this coupling are needed to improve the interpretation of neuroimaging studies and understanding of neurodegenerative disease.
(Faculty contact: Diamond)

Orthopaedic biomaterials and tribology research focuses on the measurement and prediction of friction, wear, and surface temperatures during sliding in mechanical components. Debris generation from polyethylene wear is considered the biggest problem facing joint replacement today. Current research on cross-linked polyethylene is targeting this problem which involves an analysis of the trade-offs between wear resistance achieved by cross links, and toughness and contact fatigue resistance of the polymer. Tribological studies of polymers analyze wear, contact fatigue and viscoelastic behavior in oscillatory sliding or rolling/sliding contact.
(Faculty contacts: Kennedy, Collier, Van Citters)

See also Active noise control