Course detail

Mechanics in Medicine

FSI-6MB-A Acad. year: 2025/2026 Summer semester

Students will learn about the possibilities of using mechanics in medicine, the synergy of these disciplines in biomechanics and its basic concepts and terminology. The course will briefly discuss the history of human biomechanics, mechanical properties of living tissues, including biomaterials, and their interaction with living organism. Emphasis will be placed on computational and experimental modelling to determine and evaluate deformation and stress states in musculoskeletal biomechanics, blood flow, and mechanical principles of human voice and hearing. Students will also learn about imaging methods, their basic principles and their potential applications in the creation of computational models.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

4

Supervisor

Ing. Petr Marcián, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics

Entry knowledge

Basic knowledge of biology at the high school level and knowledge of solid mechanics at the level presented in the bachelor's degree program at the Faculty of mechanical engineering.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The graded course-unit credit requirements:

Active participation in the seminars and completion of partial tasks.

The teacher will specify form of credit and details of assessment will be communicated by the lecturer during the semester.

Participation in the exercises is compulsory. Excused absences are made up by independent completion of assignments as instructed by the lecturer.

Aims

  • To indtroduce human biomechanics and the use of technology in the medical field and understand the synergy between them.

  • Gain a basic understanding of the mechanical behaviour of living tissues and materials used in medicine.

  • Introduction of the methodology of solving basic biomechanical problems.
  • Gain a basic understanding of the principles of imaging methods and their importance in the creation of biomechanical models.
  • Gain an overview of computational and/or experimental modelling on a specific biomechanical problem.

The study programmes with the given course

Programme B-STI-A: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Syllabus


  • Introduction, history, the most famous mistakes in biomechanics (from the first ideas to computational models).

  • Biomaterials.

  • Material models in biomechanics.

  • Medical imaging and 3D visualization.

  • Implants used in musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems.

  • 3D scanning and 3D printing in medical practice.

  • Experiment and computational modelling.

  • Principles of human voice and hearing.

  • Problems of clinical practice – lecture by physicians.

  • Bio-inspired robotics

Laboratory exercise

6 hours, compulsory

Syllabus


  • Blood viscosity and flow character, similarity criteria, pulse wave propagation in a flexible tube.

  • DIC and tensometry in biomechanics.

Computer-assisted exercise

7 hours, compulsory

Syllabus


  • Determining the forces acting on the human body.

  • Determination of parameters of material models and their dependence on the structure of the material.

  • Image processing and geometry model creation.

  • The simplest biomechanical models in the musculoskeletal field, solution of deformation and stress states.

  • The simplest biomechanical models in the cardiovascular field.

  • Determination of blood pressure in blood vessel.

  • Modal analysis of the vocal tract.