Engineering Innovation Podcast and Radio Series

Neck-Protecting Helmet
Listen	*It’s the scariest moment in football…a potentially paralyzing, or even deadly, neck injury. So engineers are designing a helmet to protect both the head and the spine.* 02/07/2010
	Randy Atkins: When an athlete flies head-first into an object, his head suddenly stops…but his body keeps going. If neck and head are in perfect alignment, his neck takes the full force of stopping his body’s forward momentum. Peter Cripton, a University of British Columbia engineer, has devised a helmet to prevent that. Peter Cripton: When the impact occurs, instead of the head simply stopping, we keep the head moving and we guide it into either a nodding forward motion or a backward motion. Randy Atkins: The helmet does this using an inner and outer shell connected by guideways with a deployment mechanism that… Peter Cripton: …holds the two shells together until you have an impact where it has to deploy and create this motion. Randy Atkins: With the National Academy of Engineering, Randy Atkins, 103-point-5 F-M and WTOP-dot-com. ANCHOR TAG The helmet is still undergoing testing, but may be available in a few years.
	More on the helmet from the University of British Columbia
Engineered Knee Ligament
Listen	*Ski season is a primetime for injuries to the knee’s A-C-L. It’s the ligament that connects your upper and lower leg, and replacements often fail.* 01/31/2010
	Randy Atkins: Surgical reconstruction of the A-C-L uses donor soft tissue – like tendons – and attaches it to the leg bones. But the real A-C-L blends soft tissue into bone. Helen Lu, a Columbia University bioengineer, is re-creating that in the lab. Helen Lu: We think that it’s better to pre-engineer the integration outside the body. Randy Atkins: Each end of the artificial A-C-L is cartilage because, in the body, bones fuse with cartilage naturally. Engineers are crafting the perfect mix of calcium content for the rest of the ligament. Helen Lu: We’ve already characterized all the mechanical properties, so we know what the design criteria are. Randy Atkins: Lu says a structure that mimics the natural A-C-L will minimize joint stress. With the National Academy of Engineering, Randy Atkins, 103 point 5 F-M, WTOP Radio. ANCHOR TAG Dr. Lu thinks the bioengineered A-C-L could be ready for the clinic within this decade.
	Information on the ACL
Bridge Stress
Listen	*With all the D-C area traffic, our many bridges get lots of wear and tear. A material commonly used in the aerospace industry might soon be used to keep bridges safe.* 01/24/2010
	Randy Atkins: Cracks in steel bridges are usually drilled out, and new metal attached. But Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Kansas, says that can sometimes cause damage…and suggests spraying in plastic material instead. Ron Barrett-Gonzalez: Many of these composite structures often have stiffnesses and strength that are significantly greater than the steel. Randy Atkins: And if the composite becomes damaged or worn, it’s engineered to literally bleed red dye. Ron Barrett-Gonzalez: The bridge itself would scream out and say, “Hey, this component is not good.” Randy Atkins: Such materials might even be used from the start in areas engineers know will get high stress. With the National Academy of Engineering, Randy Atkins, 103-point-5 F-M and WTOP-dot-com.
	A story about the technique from the University of Kansas