       Disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives. An individual may also qualify as disabled if he/she has had impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or developmental disabilities.
        Disability is considered as a problem of the person, directly caused by disease, trauma, or other health condition which therefore requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by professionals. In the medical model, management of the disability is aimed at a ‘cure,’ or the individual’s adjustment and behavioral change that would lead to an ‘almost-cure’ or effective cure. The aim of the disability management %26 engineering is to rehabilitate these individuals at his/her medical %26 social fitment.
      Mechanical Engineering contributes to the service of Rehabilitation in the application of Bio-medical Engineering. Generally the Bio-mechanical engineering comprises of application of physics %26 material science in the aspect of Biological science. Bio-mechanical engineering spread its wings in the field of prosthetic %26 orthotics, tissue engineering, bio-material science, gait analysis, surgery %26 implantation, artificial organs, bio-instrumentation (diagnostic %26 therapeutic), bio-design (CAD/CAM), bio-mechanical simulation (ANSYS/MIMICS), bio-composites %26 bio-polymers etc.
      Prosthesis %26 orthotics are basically the mechanical devices providing the external or internal support to the subjects with bio-mechanical disability. The design %26 manufacturing needs the utmost study of mechanics %26 kinematics. Material study helps to proper selection %26 evaluation of the material used in this process. Finite element analysis is a widely used theory in the mechanical solutions. Human anatomy constitutes of different mechanical joints. The orthopaedical biomechanics indicates the mechanical responses in the endo-skeletal system.
      To study the biomechanical properties of human anatomy we can utilize the FEA techniques. It envisions the solution region of human anatomy with the irregular geometry, into some small, discrete %26 interrelated particles of standard %26 regular geometry. Avoiding the tedious solution model we can study the biomechanical responses of human bones %26 joints through the GUI of different FEA software. ANSYS, ABAQUS %26 MIMICS are used for the modeling of bones %26 joints with higher accuracy of anatomy. Pathological gait may reflect compensations for underlying pathologies, or be responsible for causation of symptoms in itself.
       The study of gait allows these diagnoses to be made, as well as permitting future developments in rehabilitation engineering. Aside from clinical applications, gait analysis is widely used in professional sports training to optimize and improve athletic performance. A medical device is intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, A pump for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, an example of a biomedical engineering application of mechanical %26 electrical engineering to medical equipment. Some examples include pacemakers, infusion pumps, the heart-lung machine, dialysis machines, artificial organs, implants, artificial limbs, corrective lenses, cochlear implants, ocular prosthetics, facial prosthetics, somato prosthetics, and dental implants.
Stereolithography is a practical example of medical modeling being used to create physical objects. Beyond modeling organs and the human body, emerging engineering techniques are also currently used in the research and development of new devices for innovative therapies, treatments, patient monitoring, and early diagnosis of complex diseases.
Durbadal Biswas
Bio-medical Engineer
Advanced Diploma in Business Administration (HR)
E-mail: Â Â Â Â Â durbadal.bme@gmail.com
