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The sign on the door at the renovated tobacco warehouse reads “Physcient.” Inside are a few rooms that, depending on where you look, seem like an artist’s studio, a machine shop or a natural history museum. A lathe stands next to a drill press; along other walls are vises, huge enamel-red C-clamps, microscopes and plywood frames covered in electronics. But there are also reed-woven sculptures of insects called water boatmen hanging on the walls, along with glass-fronted boxes holding preserved flying dragon lizards. Casts of human rib bones are scattered on tables. A huge cast of a fearsome pair of fish jaws rests on a row of books.
Physcient is, in fact, a medical technology company. But its décor speaks to the exceptional careers of its co-founders, Hugh Crenshaw and Charles Pell. They both got their start studying biomechanics — how creatures fly, swim and crawl. Mr. Pell built models of muscles and fish heads. Dr. Crenshaw earned his Ph.D. figuring out how single-celled creatures swim. And over the past 20 years they’ve profitably translated their understanding of biomechanics into inventions, from robotic submarines to pill sorters.
Now they’re turning their attention to the world of surgery. The instruments that surgeons use today, they argue, were invented before biomechanics became a mature science. They work against the physics of the body, instead of with it. “The technologies remain remarkably unchanged,” said Dr. Crenshaw. “Maybe we can do better.”
Dr. Crenshaw and Mr. Pell are starting with a kinder, gentler rib spreader. Surgeons often treat the broken ribs and other painful side effects of open heart surgery as inevitable. But Dr. Crenshaw and Mr. Pell have invented a new kind of rib spreader that takes into account how bones can bend, rather than break. Their preclinical studies on pigs suggest that it causes far less damage.
If it turns out to work as they hope, the inventors will turn their attention to other tools of the trade. “The entire surgical tray is going to be transformed,” said Mr. Pell.
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Biomechanics
- Biomechanics Pioneer Paul Mostert Dies at 94on May 11, 2022 at 3:58 pm
Paul Mostert, one of the founders of the study of the biomechanics in racehorses, died May 6 in Lexington at the age of 94, according to a story in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Mostert served in the ...
- Teen athletics star Priya Mohan, who beat Dutee, sparks buzz with top numbers on biomechanics charton May 6, 2022 at 3:55 am
Priya Mohan clocked 52.77s, which got her to a close fourth at the Junior World Championships at Nairobi, and was India’s best timing in 400m in 2021.
- Are animal biomechanics the future of defence?on May 4, 2022 at 5:37 am
Animal biomechanics describe the creation of robotics that are inspired by deep-sea creatures. From the efficient propulsion of jellyfish to examining how fish form and manoeuvre as a shoal, there is ...
- Biomechanics of Minor Automobile Accidents: Treatment Implications for Associated Chronic Spine Symptomson April 30, 2022 at 5:00 pm
[36] There are differences in the anatomy and biomechanics of the cervical and lumbar spine. The psychologic aspects of chronic pain are similar for various anatomic locations. For this reason ...
- Biomechanics lab offers visual science of movementon April 20, 2022 at 5:10 pm
Apr. 20—University of Texas Permian Basin has installed multimillion-dollar technology in its biomechanics lab at the D. Kirk Edwards Family Human Performance Center. Opened in 2021, it's a ...
- Biomechanics is transforming MLB: Taiwan scientiston April 19, 2022 at 5:00 pm
The use of biomechanics in sports has been a game changer in the past few years, and professional baseball teams are adopting the science in their training, said a Taiwanese biomechanist who worked ...
- Leap of faith: Science explores why squirrels are such good jumperson April 12, 2022 at 4:59 am
To study how squirrels leap, Nathaniel Hunt, an assistant professor in biomechanics, studied the motions of fox squirrels. He was impressed by how quickly they learned — and that not one of them ...
- Biomechanics are hereon April 10, 2022 at 5:00 pm
VAIL — The study of biomechanics has advanced so much in recent years, it was only a matter of time before Biomechanics Day was born. The international event will celebrate three years on Wednesday, ...
- Biomechanics of the elbow joint in tennis players and relation to pathologyon April 1, 2022 at 12:52 am
The purpose of this article is to give an overview of elbow injuries and their treatment in adult tennis players in relation to the current knowledge regarding biomechanics of the elbow in tennis. In ...
- Anterior cruciate ligament injury alters preinjury lower extremity biomechanics in the injured and uninjured leg: the JUMP-ACL studyon March 6, 2022 at 6:30 am
Background Information as to how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstructive surgery (ACLR) alter lower extremity biomechanics may improve rehabilitation and return to play guidelines, ...
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Biomechanics
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Computational biomechanics
- Research Newson May 8, 2022 at 5:00 pm
ScienceNews talks to Manuela Campanelli, professor and director of Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation ... Sciences and Technology and RIT baseball partnership creates biomechanics lab ...
- Research helps better understand the biomechanics of human skinon April 27, 2022 at 10:55 pm
Human skin has evolved to allow maximum durability and flexibility, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
- Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineeringon April 23, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Influence of gap distance between bone and plate on structural stiffness and parallel interfragmental movement in far-cortical locking technique - a biomechanical study.
- Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineeringon April 4, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Comparison of frequency and magnitude of head impacts experienced by Peewee boys and girls in games of youth ice hockey. Two efficient static optimization algorithms that account for muscle-tendon ...
- Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, Biomedical Engineeringon October 30, 2021 at 9:11 am
There are several active research areas in the BME Department, including Computational Biomechanics, Occupational Biomechanics, Cell and Tissue Engineering, Biomedical Optics, and Medical Device ...
- Heading in football. Part 2: Biomechanics of ball heading and head responseon August 21, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Unlike the typical passive use of the model in impact biomechanics, in the current study we used ... significant demands for computational time, and difficulty in configuring the model for extensive ...
- BMEN.5380 Computational Biomechanicson March 5, 2021 at 6:25 am
Computational biomechanics is a powerful engineering method to model fluid-structure interaction in biological systems. While its traditional roots are in the realm of engineering, the techniques have ...
- The Biomechanics Laboratoryon January 11, 2021 at 4:48 pm
Recent research in the biomechanics lab conducted by Honors Student Erin Heald focused on the effects of cross-sloped road surfaces on the joint mechanics of recreational female runners. Eleven ...
- Jingfeng Jiangon December 8, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Dr. Jiang's work falls under technological developments in translational research. Specifically, his work straddles biomechanics, biomedical imaging, and computational intelligence. He is actively ...
- Dr Paul Wattonon August 2, 2020 at 9:36 am
Research interests Mathematical and computational biomechanics and mechanobiology; constitutive modelling of soft biological tissues; theoretical and computational analyses of growth and remodeling; ...