Cheetah Flex Foot: Diagram

Analysis:
Important Components of Flex Foot
- Carbon fiber material
lightweight
flexible
strong
- Artificial Socket
vertical shock absorber
determines ability to control actions of limb adn amputee's comfort
connected by an inverted pyramid shaped fitting - allows for angular change
- Leg (Calf Shank)
fitted with elastic springs - convert gravitational energy to kinetic energy
largest component of the flex foot
vertical shock pylon - reduces impact to residual limb
- Heel/Foot
fitted with elastic springs - convert gravitational energy to kinetic energy
active tibial progression - forces at heel are translated to linear motion
Carbon X active heel - stores energy during loading responses
energy vector optimization - controls how ground reaction forces are transferred
converts ground reaction forces to kinetic energy.

Springs - responsable for propelling the body forward (similar to a tendon)
converts weight into energy
Body Weight - the matter transferred throughout the flex foot system

The Advancement in Protheses

Technology related to the advancement in prosthetics has exponentially grown in the past years. Evolving from the first prosthetic made, the wooden peg, many new models have been designed that are much more efficient and allow the amputee greater mobility. Prior to the demand in research towards the dynamics in prostheses, those that had lost a limb were confined to limited movements and physical activity was very restricted. Through the success of Oscar Pistorious, the bilateral amputee track and field athlete, it has proven that technology has expanded in such a way that the new models of prostheses now give amputees a mechanical advantage over able bodied athletes. I believe that technology will continue to develop to a point where people merged with machines will become more efficient in every way possible in comparison to naturally made humans. A leap in research has recently been made in the field of bionics. Bionics are able to restore impaired body parts with mechanical devises that are neurologically controlled. This technology is not limited within prostheses, but can be adapted to restore a degree of any lost function. Although scientist are still perfecting this innovative idea, it is apparent that sometime within the next years people will have the ability to control artificial limbs with their brain. This creates a narrower gab between the mobile abilities of amputees in comparison to regular in tact limbed individuals. Technology plays such an important role in our lives today and it makes a person wonder where it will lead us in the future. Will an entire army of robots be constructed that become more efficient that current soldiers in war? How far will the government let scientist delve into applied science mixed in with human nature?

The Cheetah Flex Foot

I was first called attention to this topic of prosthesis technology during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Because I love watching sports and especially have an interest in track and field, this particular event involving advanced prosthetic legs caught my attention immediately. An amputee sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, was banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)from participating in sanctioned competitions, including the Olympics and World Championships. The IAAF stated that Pristorious's high performance, J shaped, prosthetic leg, the Cheetah Flex Foot, gave him an advantage of able bodied runners. A team of experts and biomechanics then ran experiments on the South African athlete in order to provide statistical proof for the case against of Pristorius vs. the IAAF. The scientific team compared Oscar Pristorius against track athletes with intact limbs to evaluate his energy cost of running, fatigue resistance and sprinting mechanics. All of the following were indeed similar to intact limb athletes except the sprinting mechanics which were markedly dissimilar. At top speed Pristorious exerts considerably less force against the ground in relation to his body weight and he spends 34% less time in the air. In addition he takes 21% less time to reposition his legs between steps and therefore is able to cycle faster. In summary, the results proved that Prisotrious did have an advantage over able bodied athletes and it was the correct decision to ban him from participation.

Locust Walk: The Aorta

Locust Walk may be described as the main artery within campus. It is therefore appropriate to compare Locust to the aorta, the major artery of the human body. The aorta is the largest artery in the body and is responsible for distributing oxygen to all other arteries. The main purpose of the walk is to allocate Penn students and other people of the city to their destination. Just as other arteries branch off of the aorta, multiple paths exetenf rom Locust and are used to distribute students amoung other parts of campus. Similar to these arteries, the other various paths are smaller in size, both length and width. Locust walk is composed of small units of bricks. Together these bricks provide the strength and support of the entire structure. The size of the brick is relative to the size of cells of the aorta. The aorta is made of of numerous cells that work together to make up the structure as a whole.

Analyzing Locust Walk

One of the purposes of the project was to analyze the structure and break it down to three different levels. Quantitatively, Locust walk runs from 34th - 38th street (4 blocks). I broke the length scales down to length, width, and size of the brick which compose the walk.
- Length: The average block of Philadelphia is about 150 meters and therefore locust
runs to about 600 meters in length
- Width: Locust Walk is about 644 cm long
- Brick Size: Locust walk is made up of bricks and within the brick pavement lies a
a design composed of smaller stones. The brick size is 190mm x 90.5mm
while the stone is 100mm x 100mm
The three length scales are very appropriate to the function of Locust Walk. Locust Walk is long enough to extend through the major parts of campus. It is unavoidable to pass through Locust Walk when travelling from the north side of campus to the south side. The main application of the walk is to transport students across campus. Therefore its width is suitable to hold a large portion of the student body however is not useful for holding cars or big motor vehicles. The walk is big enough for the people who travel on it, however it is not too big to interfere with other important parts of campus such as class buildings, sports facilities and various aspects of nature. The size of the brick also fits the function of the structure. The brick provides smooth yet sturdy support for the thousands that walk upon its path. It is fitting that multiple bricks are used so that all the force is not upon one giant rock bed. The size of the brick also make it easier to repair damages to Locust Walk. It is not as costly to rebuild a small section of individual bricks rather than try to replace a large piece of concrete

Penn's Campus

One of the reasons why I chose to attend Penn rather than any other college is because of Penn's beautiful urban campus. I remember walking through the university on my first visit and looking around at all of the fascinating architecture and appealing structures located throughout campus. One of the most aesthetically pleasing structures of this university is located right in the center of everything, Locust Walk. Out of all of my college visits, the thing I remember most is wandering down Locust and just taking in all it has to offer. It was a crazy experience. I really didn't even feel like I was in the middle of Philadelphia anymore and the ambiance seemed so alive with old customs and spirit that I wouldn't have been surprised if Ben Franlkin himself walked out of one of the buildings. This is why I chose Locust Walk for the topic of this project. It had such an important impact on me when I was just getting a feel for each different university and it still remains a striking appearance even though I walk along it almost every day. Discovering this structure wasn't really a matter of discovering like many people use the term. Locust Walk is not difficult to find. I'm sure every one on campus knows where it is and where it leads. Though I believe it is important to discover its impact upon Penn and the students that go here. I think Locust Walk, lying in the heart of campus, really unifies all of Penn and brings the entire student body together. It is easy to see that it is the center of all student activity, whether it is used for socializing, handing out flyers, advertizing a product, or simply to get to class.

Evidence vs. Wishful Thinking

Researching this topic proved to be pretty difficult. There was only limited information on how technology is able to reduce health care cost. Also, many of the sites and references available did not seem like a reliable source. I obviously was unable to think of ten ways that technology could aid in this problem, however I did zero in on a few good ideas and provided significant evidence in how to go about executing these technological advances in order to reduce the errors in health care systems. I don't believe that many of the references vested in personal interest in making the claims, but rather provided suggestions for other sources through extensive research to help solve the issue. This includes recognizing and analyzing the rate of medical administration errors that occur in a hospital and how it deters patient recovery; therefore increasing overall health care cost for others. Most of the references I used in order to verify the role of technology were more than just wishful thinking. However that does not mean that there were not numerous sites with only wishful outlooks out on the web.

Health Care: The Role of Technology

Technology may be used in order to reduce the cost of health care. It is important to standardize medication processes and procedures as well as prevent errors within the heatlh care systems. According to the Agency of Health care and Research Quality, there are five main error-prone stages of the medication process
1)Ordering/Prescribing
2)Transcribing and Verifying
3)Dispensing and Delivering
4)Administering
5)Monitoring and Reporting
(Hughes & Blegen)

A drug administration error is a discrepancy between the drug therapy received by the patient and the drug therapy intended by the prescriber (Low & Belcher).Technologies may be developed in order to reduce these errors, beginning from when the Pharmacists prescribe the medication to when the nurse actually administers the medication to the patient. Developing specific technology such as computerized pharmacy systems as well as computerized medication administration would ensure that the patient is receiving the right medicine and the right amount at the right time. This can be ensured by using technology such as automated charts of administration time and the quantity of the drug dosage as well. Robotic Drug Preparation could provide the medicine with an accurate bar code and effectively distinguish between medicine that appear similar (Walton, Medication Administration. Computerization is the key role in the solution of drug administration errors.
Technology is also used in order to identify a patient. Medications sent from the pharmacy to the patient are bar coded to match the identification bracelet worn by the patient which significantly reduces the error (Low & Belcher). Health care cost can obviously reduced if the average time spent in the hospital is decreased. Errors do not facilitate a quick recovery and can sometimes delay the amount of time spent in the hospital.
Technology may also assist in standardizing medical procedures as well. When all health care systems are uniform in quality, in guarantees a competent staff and sound quality while the American people have to pay for the variability

References
Walton, G. (n.d.). Technology. In Medication Administration. Retrieved from
Carilion Health Center
website:http://www.ehealthinternational.org/pdfs/Walton.pdf
Hughes, R., & Blegen, M. (n.d.). Medication Administration Safety. Retrieved from
Agency for Healthcare Resarch and Quality
website:http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/docs/HughesR_MAS.pdf
Low, Debra, & Belcher Jan (2002). Reporting Medcation Errors . Retrieved from
http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/spb/ovidweb.cgi

Health Care

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past months, it is impossible to be completely unaware of all the talk about our nation's health care system. There has been numerous discussions and a lot of media coverage about what our nation should do about the contention within health care cost, especially since the election of the new President who is adamant in administering a new health care plan. The plan involves expanding health coverage throughout America while reducing the cost; all while maintaining adequate quality. Sounds like a tough problem to go about solving, which is why I'm glad I am not the President of the United States.
Though I do not set out to be the future president of the U.S, but merely a bioengineer; and thinking like an engineer brings about the questions of how technology is able to reduce the cost of health care. Once again it might be up to engineers to do behind the scenes work in order to eradicate this pressing issue. I believe technology must play a key role in eliminating the errors within hospitals and clinics which ultimately saves money. Because within a company, it is evident that errors cost money.

Thinking like an Engineer

After having had a thorough discussion on swine flu and blogging about my thoughts on the pandemic, I still don't believe I have been through any sort of transformation toward thinking like a real engineer. Beginning to think like an engineer is going to take me a lot longer than a couple hours of doing research on swine flu and applying the research to answer relevant questions about the seriousness of the disease and its impact upon the nation. Dr. Bogen stated that it takes a person 10,000 hours to truly master a subject. Applying that number to the amount of hours I spent going through a decision making process with the knowledge gained, I don't suspect it is enough time to really go through a major transformation. Although it is a start, I don't believe that any evident changes in my thinking have occurred. Similar to most things that are new and unfamiliar, it takes awhile to adjust and begin to really apply the knowledge and develop a true understanding. One thing I am certain of is that practice makes perfect (or at least an improvement), so the only way to begin a transformation is to continue to document my decisions as well as extensively research the topic in order to apply it to a modern practice.

H1N1 Vaccine

If this coming fall there is an enormous outbreak of the swine flu virus and only a limited amount of vaccines available, I believe that certain people should receive the vaccine before others. Though even if there was a specific order in which people were to get vaccinated, I am not sure how the government would able to implement this process without causing a huge uproar among the American people. Those at the bottom of the list would feel cheated, upset, less important and angered that they were not given the same opportunity to be treated for the rising disease. However in my opinion I believe children and pregnant women should be the first to receive the vaccination. The next order of people in my list are those between the ages of 6-25. It might seem selfish of me to have the people within my age group be third to be given the vaccine however it is this age group that the virus has effected the most. Therefore, it only makes sense that those in this age group get hold of some medical assistance before they contract the disease and continue to spread it primarily among people of the same ages.

H1N1

It seems every where you go people are talking about the swine flu pandemic, scientifically known as the H1N1 virus. You could say that the topic of swine flu has been catching on like wildfire throughout the nation; discussed by scientists, researchers and above all the media. Similarly, the effects of the virus appear to be spreading from person to person at a rate equally as rapid. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention state that swine flu is spread in a way resembling that of the common seasonal flu. It travels mainly "from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with the influenza." (Center for Disease Control) Because the virus is so easily transferred between people, I would definitely recommend receiving the swine flu vaccination. Especially living here on Penn's campus, amoungst thousands of other students that are frequently in close contact with one another, it is safe to have the vaccination in order to prevent contracting the virus. Students sit in close vicinity to one another during class lectures and often live with another student as well. And if a person does not acquire the disease through those means, then there is a higher chance that they obtain H1N1 during college social events such as parties and football games. Another reason that I would receive the vaccine is because H1N1 is unusual in that it has a greater effect in individuals 25 years of age or younger (CDC). In contrast to the seasonal flu, the swine flu has impacted a greater proportion of the younger population rather than those at the ends of the age spectrum (children younger than five and adults older than 64). This is the main reason why I believe many fear H1N1. Disregarding the role of the media, which fuels all of the hype pertaining to H1N1, people are afraid of the swine flu because its forceful attack on young people, something that is very different to other viruses. However I don't think that gives reason to overreact to current condition of this pandemic. Especially when the seasonal flu attributes to 36,000 deaths each year and there are only 550 confirmed deaths from H1N1 in the United States. (CDC)

References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, August 5). H1N1 Flu. Retrieved from Center for Disease Control website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Assignment 1: BE

Similar to Dr. Bogen, this is the very first time I have experienced blogging. I never thought I could call myself a blogger, but it could be a good learning experience to see what other students have to think about Bioengineering.

i) I am not 100% sure why I chose to major in Bioengineering. All throughout high school you think about the career you'd like to pursue based off what subjects you enjoyed learning about the most. I definitely was intrigued by Biology, taking the class both my sophomore and senior year. In addition to being fascinated by functions of cells, tissues, and organs I also discovered that I have passion for helping people with various problems. Combining both of these aspects I came to the conclusion of possibly studying pre-med. Sometimes I ask myself why I didn't just major in biology or something less enduring, but maybe I just like to challenge myself and see what I am able to create when mentally pushed to my limit.


ii) Even after deciding to choose bioengineering as my major, I still am unsure what bio engineers actually do in their career. With a little online research before beginning school I discovered that a student with a degree in bioengineering is able to do multiple things upon graduating. But I believe that bio engineers use technology in order to provide solutions for current health related issues, in addition to using techniques to improve the quality of those with medical problems.


iii) If I were able to go back in time and help design and create a prominent biomedical device, I would be a part of the development of the pacemaker. The pacemaker was constructed in order to help regulate and control abnormal heart rhythms. A pacemaker is able to help an individual with irregular heart rhythms lead a more active lifestyle. Generating this device would be very important to me because I am an athlete here at Penn and have been playing sports all my life. As a result, I definitely encourage people to lead active lifestyles and participate in physical activities. Maintaining an adequate heart beat would allow those confined by heart problems be able to become active once more.


iv) Having minimal background on the subject of bioengineering, there are a lot of topics within this field that I have no knowledge about. Therefore I would enjoy learning anything about this subject so that I have a better understanding of what type of problems bio engineers deal with and if this is something I would actually like to pursue as a career. However I am most interested in genetics and DNA, so I would enjoy learning about how bio engineers modify and manipulate DNA in order treat genetic diseases.



v) Once bio engineers establish an innovative technological idea, what steps are taken toward constructing the device so it will be able to be effective? What type of material should be used? What is the appropriate size of the system? I want to know how difficult it can be to transfer a thought from paper to an actual model. In addition I would like to learn how to build simple biological technology or at least be able to look at piece of technology and know a general idea of how it was assembled.

vi) http://http//www.bio-pro.de/medtech/news/index.html?lang=en&artikelid=/artikel/04162/index.html
The following biomedical news article discusses the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The pluriptent cells are created through skin cells and may be able to be differentiated into specialized cells, similar to the qualites of embryonic stem cells. Most recently, Dr. Utikal of Mannheim University Hospital has succeeded in manipulating genes in order to significantly increase the rate of iPS production. The most interesting feature of the article explains the benefits and advantages of iPS cells. iPS cells are obtained without the destruction of embryos, which eliminates any ethical constraints that were evident in embryonic cells. Without the limitations of moral concerns, I believe scientist will be able to research and develop this technology more efficiently and in a brief time period as well. This is exciting news for those in the science world because it shows a positive step toward the advancement of cell replacement therapy.

vii) Another aspect of bioengineering that I find interesting is interaction of living systems and engineered devices. In order to produce effective materials it is important to first understand the systems within the organism and how the organism will react as a result of the application. I probably find this topic the most stimulating because of my interest in the medical field. But I look forward to learning all elements presented in bioengineering.