As technology and medicine evolve, engineering has a growing role in health care and medical innovation. From tissue repair to mobility, engineering research brings new perspectives and inventions to tackle medical issues.
Improving osteoarthritis treatment through biomaterials
There’s currently no cure for osteoarthritis, a joint disease that causes pain and reduced mobility affecting more than four million Canadians. Treatments currently help reduce symptoms, but their effectiveness is temporary. Medications administered into the joint tend to wear off quickly, while surgical repair strategies for articular cartilage, the connective tissue that covers bones within joints, often only provide temporary reprieve.
Jean-Philippe St-Pierre, a biomedical engineering researcher and the lead of the St-Pierre Biomaterials Lab at the uOttawa Faculty of Engineering, is developing biomaterial-based solutions to improve osteoarthritis treatment and repair of injuries to articular cartilage. His research focuses on two components: making drug administration into the cartilage more effective and using advanced materials to promote cartilage repair.
St-Pierre’s research uses biomaterials to enable a more sustained release of drugs into the cartilage. This could help reduce the need for frequent, invasive treatments. St-Pierre is also researching cell-instructive hydrogels, materials designed to guide cell behaviour that could help damaged cartilage heal more efficiently.
By improving both drug delivery and tissue repair, St-Pierre’s research will improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for those living with osteoarthritis.
Enhancing mobility aids with AI and machine learning
Individuals living with amputation or significant mobility issues resulting from old age or injury could greatly benefit from engineered solutions like next-generation prostheses and exoskeletons. Mobility aids help individuals live comfortably and independently.
At the Assistive-device Biocompatibility Lab (ABL), mechanical engineering professor Thomas Uchida is researching methods to make these devices feel as natural as possible. Using AI and machine learning, Uchida applies computer engineering concepts to understand how the human body interacts with different mobility aids. Data collected using a prosthesis emulator system will enable Uchida and his team to optimize prosthesis and exoskeleton design for longer wear by evenly distributing the forces applied to the body.
For amputees and elderly individuals, a properly fitting device not only helps restore mobility but also contributes to overall health by facilitating physical activity and social engagement. Uchida’s research will help improve the lives of individuals with prostheses and exoskeletons, leading to better health outcomes and lower health-care costs.
The intersection of engineering and health care
Engineering research plays a crucial role in addressing complex health-care challenges. Researchers like St-Pierre and Uchida are developing more effective and personalized health-care solutions. As engineering and health care continue to converge, engineering research will further transform how we approach medical challenges like disease management, treatment and rehabilitation, improving the lives of patients worldwide.
