1. W.C.Mann, “Smart Technology for Aging, Disability and Independence”, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2005.
2. R.A.Cooper, H.Ohanabe, D.A.Hobson(Eds.), "An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering", CrC press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2007.
3. M.Akay (ed.), Wiley Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering, Wiley ed., 2006
4. E.Biondi, P.L.Emiliani, P.Morasso, “Protesi e Ausili per la Comunicazione”, Patron, Bologna, IT, 1995.
5. R.Bissi, M.Cannao, G.Cossu, M.L.Gava, G.Moretti, M.Somalvico, G.Stella, “La Comunicazione Alternativa”, F.Angeli, Milano, IT, 1991.
6. T.W.King, “Assistive Technology”, Allyn&Bacon, Needham Heights, MA, USA, 1999.
Learning Objectives
The course is organized in two parts. The first one aims at introducing the main bioengineering technologies to support disability in various areas such as:
motor, visual, hearing, phonation and neurocognitive disabilities and impairments.
Each of these topics will be preceded by an introductory part related to the system's or apparatus anatomy and physiology.
The second part of the course is devoted to omics sciences and their impact on the study of disabilities, introducing the computational methods for the study of genomic variants their annotation and filtering: database of allele frequencies and recessive and dominant models.
Functional impact of the variants: conservation, impact on the protein, impact on the regulatory regions.
Methods for the discovery of signals from homic experiments.
Search of biological functions and pathways.
Examples of cancer genomics.
Prerequisites
basics of Human physiology
Teaching Methods
The course will mainly take place in the classroom with front lessons and seminars, using slides, notes and other teaching material and links to sites of interest.
Some lessons will be replaced by visits to specialistic clinics, research labs and operating rooms where students could directly interact with researchers and the medical staff.
Further information
Seminars and visits to research centers and clinics will be announced to students beforehand and the announcement of the place and time will be included in the communications of the School of Engineering
Type of Assessment
The learning test will consist of a part aimed at verifying the knowledge acquired by the student during the course regarding:
- Ability to analyze the engineering aspects of rehabilitation techniques and devices
- ability to make a bibliographic search about the state of the art related to a specific problem under study
- ability to interact with the clinical environment
- in general, develop a critical attitude to address a wide range of issues in the field of bioengineering of rehabilitation
Course program
Rehabilitation - Introductory concepts
Disability, Disability and Independence
Assistive Technologies and Rehabilitation Engineering
Rehabilitation and Society
Technology transfer
Standard for assistive technology
Research and development models
Motor impairment:
mobility devices
exoskeletons
assistive and rehabilitative robotics
Cognitive impairment:
memory devices
localization and guidance devices
other devices
Visual impairments:
anatomy and physiology of the eye
portable electronic reading / writing devices
aids for travel
Accessible pedestrian signage
other devices
Hearing disorders:
anatomy and physiology of the ear
the sound
acoustic frequencies and information encoding
hearing loss
auxiliary hearing aids
implantable devices
available for assistive listening.
Speech impairments:
anatomy and physiology of the vocal apparatus
voice quality parameters
disturbances of voice: dysphoniae, stuttering, aphasia, dysarthria, dementia, dyslexia, tremor, paralysis of vocal cords, malformations, etc.
Rehabilitation techniques
Assistive technologies
Advanced Technologies:
Smart house
sensors
wireless technology
Internet
Possible future developments
The point of view of the user: psychological and social problems.
Introduction to the omic sciences.
Computational methods for the study of genomic variants. Annotation of genomic variants.
Filtering of genomic variants: database of allele frequencies and recessive and dominant models.
Functional impact of the variants: conservation, impact on the protein, impact on the regulatory regions.
Methods for the discovery of signals from homic experiments.
Research of biological functions and pathways.
Examples of cancer genomics.