Beyond Traditional Computer Science: Data-Driven Computational Modeling of Anatomical Joints

Liz Marai (Brown)

Monday, February 26th, 2007
10 am - SENSQ 5317

Refreshments at 9:30 a.m

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Abstract

One out of five computer users damage their wrists due to excessive typing. How do these injuries occur, and why does treatment seldom work? Individualized, computational models of anatomical joints can help answer such questions. However, developing such models poses significant computational challenges and requires interdisciplinary collaboration between computer scientists and orthopedists.

I will present a computational framework for integrating measured data - such as medical images, tracked motion, and anatomy-book knowledge - into the physically-based simulation of joints. Specific contributions include: 1) a sub-voxel accurate method for tracking bone-motion from sequences of medical images; 2) computational tools for estimating soft-tissue geometry and contact; and 3) a tool for the visual exploration of joint biomechanics. I will demonstrate the application of this framework to the human wrist and forearm. I will conclude by discussing future directions for research at the intersection of computer graphics and biomechanical modeling.

Biography of Speaker

Liz Marai is a PhD candidate in the Computer Science Department at Brown University. Her research interests are in computer graphics and scientific visualization, with a focus on modeling, visualization and automated analysis of medical data. She works closely with researchers at the Brown Medical School and in the Biology and Evolutionary Biology Department.