ANOTHER ADVANCEMENT FOR PROSTHETICS: Engineers and orthopedics experts at Brown University are applying nanotechnology to prosthetic medical devices in order to increase patient safety. By closely mimicking human skin, experts hope to reduce the infection-inducing bacteria that grow on prostheses. Researchers found that by changing the texture of the devices in small way there was a big reduction in bacteria growth, as well as improvement of skin closures and bone growth.
WHAT IS ERGONOMICS? This is a branch of science that strives to design the job to fit the worker, rather than the other way around. In the modern office, it most commonly relates to the physical stresses placed on joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones, even hearing and eyesight, along with other environmental factors that can adversely affect comfort and health. Ergonomics deals with the interaction of technology and work environments with the human body, and involves such things as anatomy, physiology, and psychology in the design of chairs, desks, computer accessories, the design of car controls and instruments -- in short, any kind of product that could help relieve potential repetitive strain from a given job or task.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.