Blake Hannaford Ph.D.
Department of Electrical Engineering (BioRobotics Laboratory)
E-mail: blake@u...


TITLE:

"Biomechanics in Surgery"


ABSTRACT:

This talk will introduce some biomechanical aspects of advancing the
techniques of surgery.  These range from kinematics and force
properties of surgical manipulations, to the biomechanics of soft
tissues in the abdomen.  Much of the soft tissue literature is focused
on in-vitro measurements but these differ substantially from in-vivo
properties (which are most relevant to surgery).  We have looked at
the question of safe levels of stress and strain for tissue
manipulation.  At what level of stress on tissue does damage occur?
At what stress level does this damage become clinically significant?
Finally, we will discuss preliminary results (with X. Yu and H.
Chizeck) on control in the presence of non-linear stiffnesses such as
those measured in-vivo in abdominal organs.