ECE4084 Biomechanics of human musculoskeletal systems

This unit will apply the basic mechanics included in the engineering course to the physiological background of the biomedical engineers. This will include characterisation of the principal body tissues as engineering materials, such as bone, cartilage and ligaments as structural materials, joints as mechanisms, muscles as motors and brakes, the heart as a pump, and the nervous system as sensor network and controller. Gait, the prime example of the interaction of all these elements, will be studied in its own right, and as a diagnostic tool in palsied, diseased and prosthetic patients. The technologies of the gait lab and of ambulatory monitoring will also be covered.