Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering

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Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering posted by member150_php on 2/22/2009

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Abstract/Syllabus

Courseware/Lectures

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Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering

Spring 2006

Astronaut Carlos I. Noriega waves during his extravehicular activity session (NASA).

Astronaut Carlos I. Noriega waves during the second of three STS-97 sessions of extravehicular activity. (Photo courtesy of NASA.)

Course Highlights

This course features a full set of assignments with solutions as well as the term project.

Course Description

This course introduces students to a quantitative approach to studying the problems of physiological adaptation in altered environments, especially microgravity and partial gravity environments. The course curriculum starts with an Introduction and Selected Topics, which provides background information on the physiological problems associated with human space flight, as well as reviewing terminology and key engineering concepts. Then curriculum modules on Bone Mechanics, Muscle Mechanics, Musculoskeletal Dynamics and Control, and the Cardiovascular System are presented. These modules start out with qualitative and biological information regarding the system and its adaptation, and progresses to a quantitative endpoint in which engineering methods are used to analyze specific problems and countermeasures. Additional course curriculum focuses on interdisciplinary topics, suggestions include extravehicular activity and life support. The final module consists of student term project work.

Technical Requirements

Special software is required to use some of the files in this course: .m, .mdl, and .zip.

Syllabus

Description

Learning Objectives

To apply engineering methods to the study of astronaut adaptation to reduced gravity environments.
To use analytical techniques, such as structural idealizations, control theory, electrical circuit, and mechanical system analogs to model astronaut performance.
To enable quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of countermeasures.
To consider the socio-political implications for advanced technological R&D (e.g., space policy, health policy, international collaboration).
To teach, perform outreach, and demonstrate mastery of a chosen engineering concept.

Measurable Outcomes and Assessment

Students graduating from 16.423J/HST.515J will be able to:

Explain the short-term and long-term physiological consequences of space flight.
Use analytical techniques such as structural idealizations, control theory, electrical circuit and mechanical system analogs to model astronaut performance.
Calculate the stress and strain state in a human bone such as the proximal femur.
Use a mechanical model including springs, dashpots and concentrated masses to simulate muscle groups.
Derive and the equations of motion for a multibody dynamic system and understand applications of the theory.
Select control laws and evaluate control parameters applied to space biomedical engineering.
Use a resistance-capacitance model to evaluate changes in the cardiovascular system.
Formulate multidisciplinary engineering-based models for physiological systems and identify the assumptions and limitations.
Communicate a scientific or technological research problem to policy/decision makers.

Teach younger students engineering concepts.

Calendar

Course calendar.
ses #	Topics	Key Dates
1	Introduction
2	Humans in Space
3	Exploration in Extreme Environments	Assignment 1 out
4	Bone Changes in Space	Assignment 2 out
5	Muscle Mechanisms I	Assignment 3 out
6	Muscle Mechanisms II
7	Motor Control Optimization
8	Quiz 1
9	Musculoskeletal Dynamics and Control	Assignment 4 out
10	Cardiovascular System
11	Cardiovascular Control	Assignment 5 out
12	Cardiovascular Simulation
13	Countermeasures and Artificial Gravity
14	Extravehicular Activity (EVA)
15	EVA II: Research
16	Teaching and Outreach I
17	Teaching and Outreach II

Readings

This section contains documents that could not be made accessible to screen reader software. A "#" symbol is used to denote such documents.

Course readings.

SES #

TOPICS

READINGS

1

Introduction

"Human Anatomy Manual: The Skeleton." Gatesville, TX: Medical Plastics Laboratory, Inc., 1997.
Beckers, Frank, Bart Verheyden, Andre E. Aubert. "Space Physiology." Wiley Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006. ISBN: 9780471740377 .
National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. "Rising above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future." Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2006.
Markoff, John. "Behind Bush's New Stress on Science, Lobbying by Republican Executives." The New York Times, February 2nd, 2006.

2

Humans in Space

"Space Science and Exploration: Research and Development Funding in the President's 2007 Budget." Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC, 2006.
"Math and Science Eduction: American Competitiveness Initiative Education Funding in the President's 2007 Budget." Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC, 2006.
2007 US Federal R&D Budget Facts.
"NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture Study." Executive Summary.

3

Exploration in Extreme Environments

Stuster, J. "Bold Endeavors: Behavioral Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration." Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin 13, no. 2 (June 2000).
Stuster, J., C. Bachelard, and P. Suedfeld. "The Relative Importance of Behavioral Issues during Long-duration ICE Missions." Aviat. Space Env. Med. (September 2000): A17-A25.
Brubakk, A. "Man in Extreme Environments." Aviat. Space Env. Med. (September 2000): A126-A130.

4

Bone Changes in Space

Schaffner, Grant. "Bone Changes in Weightlessness."
Beck, T. J., C. B. Ruff, et al. "Predicting Femoral Neck Strength from Bone Mineral Data: A Structural Approach." Investigative Radiology 25, no. 1 (1990): 6-18.
Beck, T. J., F. A. Mourtada, et al. "Experimental Testing of a DEXA-Derived Curved Beam Model of the Proximal Femur." Journal of Orthopaedic Research 16, no. 3 (1998): 394-398.
Gibson, Lorna. "Biomechanics of Cellular Solids." Journal of Biomechanics 38, no. 3 (2005): 377-399.
Frost, H.M. "Why Do Marathon Runners Have Less Bone than Weight Lifters? A Vital-Biomechanical View and Explanation." Bone 20, no. 3 (1997): 183-189.

5

Muscle Mechanisms I

Shenkman, Boris S., and Inessa B. Kozlovskaya. "Results of Studies of the Effects of Space Flight Factors of Human Physiological Systems and Psychological Status, and Suggestions of Future Collaborative Activities between the NSBRI and the IBMP." Section 3: Muscles. State Research Center of Russian Federation Institute for Biomedical Problems Report, Moscow, 2000.

6

Muscle Mechanisms II

7

Motor Control Optimization

8

Quiz 1

9

Musculoskeletal Dynamics and Control

Bizzi, E., W. Chapple, and N. Hogan. "Mechanical Properties of Muscles: Implications for Motor Control." Trends in Neurosciences 5, no. 11 (1982): 395-398.
Flash, T., and N. Hogan. "The Coordination of Arm Movements: An Experimentally Confirmed Mathematical Model." Journal of Neuroscience 5, no. 7 (1985): 1688-1703.
Flash, T. "The Control of Hand Equilibrium Trajectories in Multi-joint Arm Movements." Biological Cybernetics 57 (1987): 257-274.
Gribble, P. L., D.J. Ostry, V. Sanguineti, and R. Laboissiere. "Are Complex Control Signals Required for Human Arm Movement?" Journal of Neurophysiology 79 (1998): 1409-1424.
Gomi, Hiroaki, and Mitsuo Kawato. "Equilibrium-Point Control Hypothesis Examined by Measured Arm Stiffness during Multijoint Movement." Science 272, no. 5258 (1996): 117-120.

10

Cardiovascular System

Fritsch-Yelle, Janice M., Urs A. Leuenberger, Dominick S. D'Aunno, Alfred C. Rossum, Troy E. Brown, Margie L. Wood, Mark E. Josephson, and Ary L. Goldberger. "An Episode of Ventricular Tachycardia during Long-Duration Spaceflight." The American Journal of Cardiology 81 (1998): 1391-1392.
Kirsch, K.A., L. Rocke, O.H. Gauer, R. Krause, C. Leach, H.J. Wicke, and R. Landry. "Venous Pressure in Man during Weightlessness." Science 225, no. 4658 (1984): 218-219.
Aubert, A.E., F. Beckers, and B. Verheyden. "Cardiovascular Function and Basics of Physiology in Microgravity." Acta Cardiol 60, no. 2 (2005): 129-151.

11

Cardiovascular Control

12

Cardiovascular Simulation

Heldt, Shim, and Mark Kamm. "Computational Modeling of Cardiovascular Response to Orthostatic Stress." Journal of Applied Physics 92 (2002): 1239-1254.
Convertino, V.A., and W.H. Cooke. "Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risks of Spaceflight Does Not Support the Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap." Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 76, no. 9 (2005): 869-76.

13

Countermeasures and Artificial Gravity

Diamandis, Peter H. "Countermeasures and Artificial Gravity." Chapter 12 in Fundamentals of Space Life Sciences. Edited by Susanne Churchill. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Co., 1997. ISBN: 9780894640513 .
Stone, Ralph W., Jr. "An Overview of Artificial Gravity." Fifth Symposium on the Role of the Vestibular Organs in Space Exploration, Pensacola, Florida, August 19-21, 1970, NASA SP-314, 1973, pp. 23-33.

14

Extravehicular Activity (EVA)

Newman, Dava, and Michael Barratt. "Life Support and Performance Issues for Extravehicular Activity (EVA)." Chapter 22 in Fundamentals of Life Sciences. Edited by Susanne Churchill. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Co., 1997. ISBN: 9780894640513 .

15

EVA II: Research

16

Teaching and Outreach I

NASA Education Home
NASA Lessons for K-12 Students

17

Teaching and Outreach II

National Academy of Engineering
National Academy Report: Raising the Public Awareness of Engineering
Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century (2005)