...Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Bionics (also known as biomimetics, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering) is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word "bionic" was coined by Jack E. Steele in 1958, possibly originating from the Greek word "βίον", pronounced "bion", meaning "unit of life" and the suffix -ic, meaning "like" or "in the manner of", hence "like life". Some explain the word as being formed from "biology" + "electronics". We are entering a new era of technology inspired by lifestyle and healthcare. The human body is a significant application area for technology and, under the research theme of bionics, we are applying the techniques and understanding of engineering to applications which will improve human health. Our research group is a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, clinicians and biochemists, interfacing engineering technologies to biological systems to improve chronic disease management. The team is developing biomedical platforms based on established techniques and leveraging on semiconductor technology to produce a new breed of medical devices. Such examples include silicon β-cells in a bionic pancreas for diabetics, ultra low power solid-state bio/chemical sensors for continuous monitoring, advanced microfluidics for lab-on-chip technologies, neural monitoring and stimulation to enable future diagnostic/monitoring tools, in addition...
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...hospitals as well as mending cuts and scrapes that people get, targeting kids because they are accident prone. In later years Johnson & Johnson explored other opportunities mainly in the over-the-counter medicinal products. Over the years they have been subject to many lawsuits but the one this paper will focus on is the product liability lawsuit on the DePuy ASR hip implant. DePuy is a company that specializes in orthopedic products and was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1998. The metal on metal hip replacement DePuy ASR was approved by the FDA for use by surgeons on patients that were in need of a hip replacement in 2005. (Meier, 2010). The DePuy ASR hip replacement should have a life of at least 10 years. The device was being used on patients, soon after the DePuy dividion of Johnson & Johnson started receiving complaints of the device with the largest spike of complaints in 2009. (Meier, 2010). Many of the complaints resulted in the patient having to receive another hip replacement only a few years after receiving their first hip replacement. The reason the DePuy ASR hip implant didn’t last is because the device is metal on metal and can cause metal debris as the hip is used. ‘This can cause damage to muscles and other soft tissues which results in the replacement of the device.’ (Meier, 2010). The device was tested on a few patients who were not aware they were ‘testing’ and the...
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...John Smith Dr. Madaro University Physics I Spring 2014 Biomedical Engineering and the Future of Modern Medicine I have always been interested in math and science, but my interest developed into a fascination this year in physics class. I enjoyed being able to apply all of the laws and theories that we learned in class to real-world situations. I liked being able to figure out the distance an object traveled just by knowing the acceleration and speed, finding the vertical and horizontal components of a force, and solving for the coefficient of friction of a surface. I loved that every concept seemed to build on the one before it, and how they all helped me understand the world in a way I never had before. Whenever I think about my future, what I want to study, and how I want to make a living, I always think of engineering- a career that would allow me to develop this fascination with the way the world works and to apply my knowledge to a project that could help improve peoples' lives. I want to go into this field to develop technology that could help cure disease or improve the quality of life of those with serious medical conditions. The concepts of Physics play a crucial part in the everyday work of Biomedical Engineers, specifically in the invention of prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, and improved hearing aids. "The first artificial limbs were stiff and did not have joints that bent like real arms, hands, or legs" (Woods 40). The invention of the artificial limbs...
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...Cybernetic Implants One of the things that we will probably being seeing in the future is the development of cybernetic implants. There are a few pros and cons to the development of cybernetic implants. Some of the pros could be increased life span do to less illness, increased economy due to the sales of implants, increased productivity due to increased physical strength, increased security due to most everything financial would be implanted into you so less identity theft, and increased technology due to increased portions of the brain being unlocked from neural enhancements. Some of the cons could be issues such as the religious views on such things. Some religions believe that the use of cybernetic implants for financial transactions to be a form of the mark of the beast and would have no part in such implants. This issue alone could start major riots and divisions in certain states. Another issue could result from the physical enhancement side. There will probably be an increase in crimes such as grand theft auto due to people having increased strength and in essence feeling almost godlike. They will probably be more likely to ignore the laws and think that they are above them. This will also cause those who cannot afford such implants to be at increased risk. The neural enhancements could also cause people to be able to outthink many security systems and be able to develop more homemade devices for crime. There is a lot consider when dealing with cybernetic implants. While...
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...Company Profile Stryker Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a medical technology company. The company operates in three segments: Reconstructive, MedSurg, and Neurotechnology and Spine. The Reconstructive segment offers orthopaedic reconstructive (hip and knee) and trauma implant systems, as well as other related products. The MedSurg segment provides surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling and emergency medical equipment, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical device products. The Neurotechnology and Spine segment includes neurovascular products, spinal implant systems, and other related products. The company sells its products through local dealers and direct sales force to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities, as well as through third-party dealers and distributors primarily in the United States, Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, the Pacific region, and Latin America. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker Corporation is a leading maker of specialty surgical and medical product based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. although not yet the household name, Stryker is one of the most consistent profitable growth company in America. In 2003, Stryker posted record sales of 3.6 Billion. After John Brown became chairman in 1977, Stryker achieved 20 percent or more annual...
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...Penn Square Bank and the Down Corning Bankruptcy Today’s businesses struggle to survive in a volatile marketplace and frequently internal and external ethical pressures are placed upon employees and management in an effort to ensure the success of the company. Companies like Penn Square Bank faced ethical pressures regarding documentation, credit extension, and revenue recognition, which eventually led to the closing of Penn Square Bank. The Dow Corning bankruptcy raised many ethical questions. Speculations have been made about whether Dow Corning filed bankruptcy because of the financial hardship placed upon it by consumer lawsuits or whether Dow Corning used bankruptcy laws to shield itself from obligations to its consumers. This report will examine, 1) the ethical challenges and pressures each of these companies faced, 2) a review of Dow and Corning’s actions during the bankruptcy filing, and 3) a discussion of how Penn Square Banks ethical pressures might have been alleviated or offset. Penn Square Bank Penn Square Bank is an illustration of improper asset valuation. In an effort to grow Penn Square bank into a merchant bank and have it become a major financial backer to Oklahoma’s oil men, Bill Jennings hired Bill Patterson to lead his new energy lending division (Caskey, 1985). The energy lending division was tasked to find borrowers for oil customers. As loans were passed to other financial institutions; Penn Square collected fees for originating...
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...Refresh Smile Expert Dr. Scott Frank | Buffalo Grove, IL Welcome to North Shore Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Scott Frank is an experienced implantologist who specializes in Refresh Smile, the most efficient, high-quality dental implant restoration procedure. We work with general dentists who want to help their patients achieve healthy, beautiful new smiles with dental implants. We can help your patients by catering to their specific needs and then sending them back to the primary dentist they know and trust. Dr. Scott Frank is a highly trained dental health care professional with almost 30 years of experience. Dr. Frank received his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and his Doctor of Dental Surgery...
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...One study compared fixed and Dynamic FM performance for hearing aid users, while the other made the same comparison with cochlear implant recipients. In the hearing aid study, conducted by Dr. Linda Thibodeau, both adults and children (ages 11 tol5) were used as subjects, and both objective and subjective measures were taken. The objective comparisons were conducted in a large classroom, with the interfering noises - ranging from 54 dB to 80 dB - emanating from four speakers located in the corners of the room. The FM microphone was placed six inches from another loudspeaker located in the center of the room. The goal was to create a situation where someone would talk into an FM microphone while the listener was surrounded by changing levels of ambient noises. For the subjective comparisons, the subjects tried both the fixed and the adaptive systems at home and during activities in a public aquarium. As expected, the objective results show no difference between the two systems at low noise levels. This is because the adaptive feature is not triggered until the background noise level exceeds 57 dB. But as the noise level increased, the speech perception scores increased with the adaptive system only, reaching a maximum difference of about 50 percent at the higher noise levels. Across all noise levels, the average difference between the fixed and the adaptive systems was about 25 percent. Subjectively, too, most or all (depending upon the activity) of the subjects preferred the...
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...About Dental Implants Have you been considering dental implants as a tooth replacement option? Whether you are missing one or an entire mouthful of teeth, dental implants can help you regain what you have lost. At Dental 2000, we are dedicated to our patients — we would love to help you achieve a smile you can be proud of. Let us help you get the replacement teeth you need to look and feel your best. Our team, located in Totowa, NJ, would be happy to help you get started. Below, you will find the five most important things to know about dental implants. Hopefully this information will help you make an educated decision about your smile. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office. We would be...
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...Even with good oral health practices like regular brushing, flossing and dental visits, tooth loss can occur. The good news is that if you lose a tooth to decay, gum disease or an injury, you can now get an implant which will look just like your natural tooth. Dentist Thad Kawakami-Wong of AAWindward Dental Group offers advice on getting dental implants. Understanding Implants A dental implant is a replacement for a tooth root. When you lose a tooth, the root is often damaged. An implant replaces the root with a synthetic root, usually made of titanium, to which a replacement tooth can be attached. The dentist places the implant into the socket in the jawbone that is left by the root that has been damaged. The jawbone will heal around...
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...Potential Implant Failure Posted on February 23, 2016 by admin in Uncategorized How do you tell that your dental implant is failing? “It is failing if it is loose” is the answer most likely to be given by many people. However, while a loose implant is likely to fail, that isn’t the only symptom you should watch out for. Other signs that your implant isn’t likely to integrate or heal properly include: Discomfort Discomfort and pain are some of the first signs that something is wrong with your body. Therefore, pain and discomfort around your dental implant should send you to the dentist. The only exception is if your implant is a recent one, and you are experiencing post-surgical pain associated with healing. However, if you are already done with this early pain, and this is a new one, you may be dealing with something a bit more serious, such as peri-implantitis. This is a bacterial attack around the implant, and it is one of the most...
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...The logical investigation of memorable confirmation demonstrates that people have tried to supplant missing teeth with root shape inserts for a great many years [1]. Four thousand years back in old China, for supplanting lost teeth bamboo pegs are utilized. Bamboo pegs are taken advantage of the bone, to supplant lost teeth. Valuable metals have been utilized as a part of old Egypt to make a likewise formed peg. In some Egyptian mummies transplanted human tooth has found. These teeth were made of ivory. [2] [3]. Advancement of dental inserts achieves its new stature in the early piece of the twentieth century. More embeds are made of an assortment of materials. The prominent best embed was the Greenfield embed arrangement of 1913 [4]. Bothe, Beaton and Davenport utilized titanium as a first implantable material in 1940 [5]. Bothe et.al were the primary analysts to mark the name osseointegration. A name osseointegration would be promoted later on by Per-Ingvar Brånemark. The Achievement rate of osseointegration relies on upon the material which is utilized for making an embed. Titanium poles were embedded in rabbits by Gottlieb Leventhal in 1951. The result of this persuaded titanium spoke to the perfect material for surgery [6]. Present day dental embed has turned into a critical use choice in the substitution of harmed teeth or loss of characteristic teeth since 1960. The quantity of embed plans and number of embed businesses are accessible now a days. At present embeds are accessible...
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...option: dental implants. Although there is now a second option for replacing missing teeth, many people avoid it due to some common misconceptions. If you have heard some scary—or odd—myths about dental implants, you are not alone. However, if you have missing teeth and are looking for a replacement it is important you learn the truth about dental implants. Here are four myths debunked about dental implants: 1. You Need Excellent Health While it is definitely helpful to be in excellent health, you do not need to have perfect health to be a candidate for dental implants. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, and...
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...Services The demand for implant treatment has increased as patients have become better educated, and insurance companies have begun to recognize the treatment as a long term cost effective way to replace missing teeth, and to improve overall gum health. As part of their cost saving structure, most dental insurance companies have begun offering coverage for portions of implant related surgery. “According to new dental reports by iData Research (www.idataresearch.net), the leading global authority in medical device, dental and pharmaceutical market research, the U.S. market for dental implants is expected to regain double-digit growth by 2013, and will help drive the dental prosthetic market to reach over 82 million prosthetic placements by 2016.” (idata research.net, 2012) “Dental implants have earned the reputation of being the best aesthetic option for single-tooth replacement," said Dr. Kamran Zamanian, CEO of iData. "By 2016, over 20% of general practitioners are expected to place dental implants and their adoption of computer-guided-surgery will further the growth of this market." (idata research.net, 2012) In the past the treatment options were limited to extractions with no replacement teeth, dentures, or fixed bridges. All of these options were stop gap measures to maintain oral stability. The cost of progressively treating the loss of a tooth in one or more areas often involved multiple procedures and time, which made it very expensive. With implants replacing a tooth root...
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...Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural. Central hearing loss is a problem in the central nervous system involving the inability to interpret sound. Functional hearing loss is caused by an emotional or psychological factor in which there is no physical finding of hearing loss (Lewis et al., 2011) Mosby and Elsevier (2009) (Crusse & Kent, 2013). To determine the type of hearing loss, type of hearing device needed and proper fit, there are different doctors with different levels of education a person can see. Choosing a correct hearing specialist is important. An Audiologist can identify and access hearing disorders. They can also select and correctly fit hearing aids. Audiologists can also program cochlear implants and provide counseling services, rehab and instruction on device usage. An Audiologist is required to have a doctorate or masters degree. A Hearing Aid Specialist can access, select, fit and dispense hearing aids. The can also instruct rehabilitation and counsel in use and care of hearing aids. A certification by the National Board of Certification in Hearing Aid Sciences is...
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