Enginuity Winter 2005 - The Schulich School of Engineering ...

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Photo Credit: Stuart Gradon Research Braced for Success Graduate Student Daniel Visser designs custom-built braces for people suffering from scoliosis. Back Up Plan U of C researchers at the Calgary Centre for Innovative Technology (CCIT) are collaborating with doctors and staff at the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) on a non-invasive, portable, 3D imaging system to diagnose and monitor scoliosis in patients. This imaging system would allow doctors to do more accurate testing of patients in less time and allow patients to avoid potentially harmful x-rays during their treatment. The researchers are also using new imaging technology to produce customized torso braces for patients, which are used to keep mild cases of scoliosis from progressing. Currently, standard, pre-made braces don’t fit well enough on an estimated 40 per cent of patients and therefore are not as effective as they could be. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine. A normal spine curves slightly backward at the chest and slightly forward at the abdomen with no lateral curving. Scoliosis involves an exaggerated, C- or S-shaped lateral curvature of the spine associated with deformity of the ribs and asymmetry of the trunk. While a majority of cases can be treated effectively if detected early, severe cases that are neglected can progress dramatically, causing pain, osteoarthritis, physical deformities or potentially lethal complications, such as heart and lung problems. Currently, scoliosis patients typically go for x-rays twice a year so doctors can monitor the condition. However, this means patients are exposed to a lot of radiation and the risk of cancer. Instead of multiple x- rays, a multidisciplinary group of Calgary engineering, kinesiology and medical researchers are digitally imaging patients’ torsos using an optical scanning system and a 3D stereo radiographic reconstruction technique. These two technologies provide doctors with more detail of the deformity. “When you look at the X-ray film, you may think that scoliosis is just a lateral deformity of the spine, with the spine going to the left or to the right. However, it is actually a three-dimensional deformation,” says CCIT researcher and U of C postdoctoral fellow Dr. Philippe Poncet, who is working on the project with Dr. James Harder of the Alberta Children’s Hospital; Dr. Janet Ronsky, the Schulich School of Engineering’s Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Ron Zernicke, Faculty of Kinesiology; and several other U of C professors and students as well as doctors and staff at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Testing of the new methods has been underway since 1997. As a part of the project, the U of C researchers have scanned about 100 patient torsos at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. To date, the Calgary research team has been able to estimate the deformity of the spine with an accuracy of about 10 degrees for 95 per cent of the patients and within 5 degrees on two-thirds of the patients. “What we are working on now is optimizing the technology to further improve the accuracy,” says Poncet. “To use it as a clinical tool, it needs to be even more accurate, but we are close to what the doctors need.” 14 UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
W.I.S.E.: Meet the Dean On September 14 th approximately 150 first year female engineering students participated in the Schulich School’s annual Meet the Dean Night. This evening is special to the school because it provides an opportunity for incoming female engineering students to become aware of the many programs and services available to them throughout their academic careers. The students were given a special welcome by Dr. Chan Wirasinghe, Dean of the Schulich School of Engineering. “In Engineering, we are a group that is naturally diverse and you are a big part of that,” said Dean Wirasinghe to the group of first year female engineering students. Additionally, students were introduced to Dr. Josephine Hill, Chair of the Gender and Diversity in Engineering Committee and a number of female faculty members, as well as representatives from the WISE undergraduate student club. “Events such as this are a great opportunity for our female students to have a chance to meet one another and learn about the resources that are available to them,” commented Dr. Josephine Hill on the importance of Women in Engineering events. Overall this event is a very fun and informal way to welcome first year female students to the Schulich School of Engineering. Connecting with Students Engineering Professor, Josephine Hill (second from left), chats with female engineering students about the opportunities available to them. SCHULICH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Leader of Tommorow Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student, Ryan Schneider, was recognized with the Leaders of Tomorrow Award at the recent ASTech Awards gala. The 28-year-old investigated a technology to accelerate computer simulation to assist diverse areas of research, from developing new cancer diagnostic tools to building better washing machines. Recognizing a huge market for such a tool Taking the Lead ECE Graduate Student, Ryan Schneider, winner of the ASTech Learders of Tommorow Award Students in both industry and academia, Schneider co-founded his own company in 2004 with another student and their faculty supervisors. Schneider led a team of eight engineers and software developers to bring the company’s first product to market in less than 12 months. His company’s flagship product is a family of flexible hardware accelerators that can be plugged into a computer to vastly improve performance. This specialpurpose hardware transforms problems that would require hours on a supercomputer into simulations that can be completed in minutes on a modified desktop. In Alberta, university researchers are using product developed by Schnieder’s company to develop new technologies for breast cancer detection and petroleum engineers are investigating some technology for reservoir simulation. Engineers from international companies such as Motorola and Nokia are applying the company’s technology in the development of modern wireless devices, which can reduce the time it takes to complete a complex simulation of a cellphone next to a user’s head – to assess safety – from several hours to a few minutes. In addition to all of this, Schneider, 28, is also president of a high-performance computing provider he launched seven years ago and ran while completing his undergraduate and Master’s degrees. In his “spare time,” Schneider is continuing his work in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to complete his PhD. 15 Photo Courtesy of ASTech
Page 1 and 2: enginuity Winter 2005 www.schulich.
Page 3 and 4: Schulich Entrance Scholarship Recip
Page 5 and 6: Schulich Research Chairs Additional
Page 7 and 8: Alumni Profile Defensive Engineerin
Page 9 and 10: Getting into the Rhythm PhD student
Page 11 and 12: Around the SSE Distinguished Lifeti
Page 13: Home Team Advantage By Greg Harris

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