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Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Rehabilitation Engineering
Module Code MM498 (ITS) / MEC1046 (Banner)
Faculty Engineering & Computing School Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
Module Co-ordinatorAntony Kho
Module TeachersOwen Clarkin, Tanya Levingstone
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
None
Description

To familiarise the students with technology currently used to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, and those recovering from trauma.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify, formulate, analyse and solve numerical models to represent the musculoskeletal system and apply these models to the development of prosthetics/orthotics used in rehabilitation engineering.
2. Demonstrate the fundamental principles and design considerations of medical instruments currently in use for rehabilitation, e.g. EMG, ECG, EEG electrodes.
3. Describe extensive applications of medical instruments for rehabilitation.
4. Describe the technology currently used for physiotherapy and rehabilitation purposes, e.g. back braces, wheelchairs etc.
5. Discuss current concepts/designs and potential modifications which may be introduced to improve rehabilitation engineering devices.
6. Describe and/or perform experiments to assess rehabilitation device designs fulfilment of design requirements.
7. Describe in detail various types of physical and sensory disabilities of a temporary and permanent nature and be familiar with the devices and technology used to diagnose and improve such disabilities.
8. Write and present a well organised project report.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture24No Description
Laboratory6No Description
Tutorial12No Description
Assignment Completion28No Description
Independent Study55No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to rehabilitation engineering

Modelling and simulation applied to biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system and prosthetics/orthotics

Wheelchairs and personal transportation

Wheelchair design

Wheelchair safety, standards and testing

Wheelchair support and seating

Rehabilitation engineering technologies: Principles and applications

Bioamplifiers - principles and design

ECG, EMG, EEG, EOG measurements - electrode principles and design

Stimulating electrodes

Design of medical instruments used in rehabilitation engineering

Sensory augmentation and substitution

Defibrillators

Pacemakers

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment30% Examination Weight70%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Group assignmentStudents, in groups of two, are asked to compare and contrast patents for specific rehabilitation devices30%Week 12
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories:
Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module.
Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • Nigg BM & Herzog W: 2007, Biomechanics of the Musculo-Skeletal System, 3rd, Wiley, 978-0-470-017
  • Cooper RA.: 1995, Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation, Institute of Physics, 978-0-750-303
  • Webster JG.: 2009, Medical Instrumentation; Application and Design, 4th, Wiley, 978-0-471-676
  • Teodorescu H-NL & Jain LC.: 2001, Intelligent Systems and Technology in Rehabilitation Engineering, The CRC International Series on Computational Intelligence, 978-0-849-301
  • Hedman G.: 1990, Rehabilitation Technology, Haworth Press, 978-1-560-240
  • Carr JJ & Brown JM.: 2000, Introduction to Biomedical Equipment Technology, 4th, Prentice Hall, 978-0-130-104
  • Bronzino J.D.: 2000, The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, 2nd Edition Volume 2, A CRC Handbook published in cooperation with IEEE Press, 9781439825334
  • R.A. Cooper, JH. Ohnanbe, D.A. Hobson: 2006, 9. An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering, Taylor & Francis,
Other Resources

38917, Web-book, Malmivuo J. & Plonsey, R., 1995, Bioelectromagnetism - Principles and Applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields, New York, Oxford University Press, http://butler.cc.tut.fi/~malmivuo/bem/bembook/,

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