Combining Imaging with Biomechanics
The Movement & Applied Imaging Lab at Boston University integrates biomechanics, imaging, function, and mobile health tools to investigate mechanisms of osteoarthritis and develop more effective interventions.
The lab opened in January 2017 and houses a 13-camera Qualisys motion capture system with 12 7+ cameras and one Qualisys 210c video.
Through digital and analog integrations, the QTM software records synchronized data from the Qualisys cameras, two additional HD video cameras, five force platforms, an instrumented staircase, a 16-channel wireless EMG and inertial sensor system, and a strength testing dynamometer.
A unique aspect of this lab is the use of quantitative MR imaging techniques to assess the impact of movement biomechanics on hip and knee joint tissues health. The researchers use a state-of-the-art imaging facility at Boston University with a 3.0 Tesla MRI to quantify cartilage, muscle, and bone structure and composition in the populations of interest.
This allows them to combine measures of joint loading from the motion capture system with high resolution data on tissue health to assess biomechanical mechanisms of disease and outcomes of clinical interventions with high sensitivity.
Optical Tracking and Inertial Sensors
The motion capture system is also used to validate wearable sensors, particularly inertial sensors, for use in measuring quantity and quality of movement outside the lab in free living conditions. These sensors are incorporated into innovative mobile health solutions for intervention monitoring and delivery.
Want to know more?
To learn more about the work done at the Movement and Applied Imaging Lab, visit their website below