Engineer Saves His Own Life

L.Jenkins

Found this article on a tech site and thought to myself, What I would do to save myself from kicking the bucket? I don't know if I could go as far as designing an implant and be the first to use it.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/british-engineer-designs-his-own-heart-valve-implant-saves-own-life

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/uk-engineer-develops-own-life-saving-implant/1006877.article

A serious heart problem inspired UK engineer Tal Golesworthy to develop a device that offers hope not just for himself but for thousands of other patients with the same condition.



In 2000, Tal Golesworthy, a process engineer from Tewkesbury, was told that the aortic root in his heart had expanded to 4.8cm and was in danger of splitting. He had two choices; undergo surgery to insert a mechanical valve or risk a sudden and fatal heart attack.

stevejr

Sounds like the start of Iron Man

FatherLen

i once got my arm caught under a boulder and had to cut it off with a pen knife to survive.

L.Jenkins

stevejr wrote: »

Sounds like the start of Iron Man

From the inside out by the look of it.

Tar.Aldarion

This is why I became an engineer.

L.Jenkins

I became an engineer too. Doesn't mean I'm going to start designing myself some body parts and trying them out first, I'll need a guinea pig for that. Great marketing ploy though.

biko

Engineers, is there something they cannot do?

In two years of work, Golesworthy discovered that the hardest part of creating this new implant wasn't the actual design or construction--it was securing reliable measurements. The movement of the heart and other organs made it so different perspectives yielded totally different measurements. Luckily, the team figured out that a scan at one specific point in the cardiac cycle gave them the dimensions they needed.

The final product is constructed of polyethylene terephthalate, a standard medical plastic, and weighs less than 5g. It can be sutured directly into place by a surgeon at relatively low cost. The results speak for themselves: Golesworthy was the first recipient of his own creation, and since then, 23 others have taken the plunge, with more on the waiting list. Golesworthy sees this as not just a victory for Marfan sufferers, but a message to the medical community: "They are all biologists and medics, and they need process engineers," he said.

Ficheall

The focus application of my phd research is to hopefully improve some cancer treatment (or at least - that is the excuse we use when we request funding) - I can only hope to God that if, heaven forbid, I or a loved one get cancer, then my stuff will have absolutely no involvement whatsoever.

There's an old engineering joke about a meeting where the engineering dept. heads of various universities are led onto a plane and told that the plane has been designed by their own students, and that to receive funding they must fly on the plane. All the engineering dept. heads immediately disembark, aside from one. When complimented on his confidence in his students he replies that there's no danger of the plane even making it as far as the runway..

squod

Now if that was an accountant, he'd have had a heart attack when he heard what the operation would cost.

starbelgrade

biko wrote: »

Engineers, is there something they cannot do?

Yes.. understand building aesthetics.

big_show

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

This is why I became an engineer.

I'd like to see you code your way out of a heart attack..

Captain_Generic

big_show wrote: »

I'd like to see you code your way out of a heart attack..

heartAttack = FALSE;

Tar.Aldarion

big_show wrote: »

I'd like to see you code your way out of a heart attack..

do
{
boolean heartAtk = false;
}

Null point heart error :eek:
edit: damn beaten!


I'm sure we could VHDL our way out of it :cool:

L.Jenkins

I'd prefer C++ or Java. That way you could design yourself a nice little pop-up if something goes wrong.

Tar.Aldarion

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

I'd prefer C++ or Java. That way you could design yourself a nice little pop-up if something goes wrong.

So when heart attack is positive -

erection++;

Cute, I like it

flyton5

Misleading thread title. He didn't save his own life, he gave himself hope. :rolleyes:

mickdw

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yes.. understand building aesthetics.

While you Im sure would prefer to bend the laws of physics or at least tripple the cost to achieve that look. More often than not, a look created using materials and details that are in no way suitable to the climate/conditions & create a nightmare for the client & builder to sort out when you are long gone.

kowloon

How did he solve the icing problem?

starbelgrade

mickdw wrote: »

While you Im sure would prefer to bend the laws of physics or at least tripple the cost to achieve that look. More often than not, a look created using materials and details that are in no way suitable to the climate/conditions & create a nightmare for the client & builder to sort out when you are long gone.

I've yet to see an architect not take into account the laws of physics or to walk away from a job before the builder or engineers finish on site.

Usually they are the last to leave.

Kerikosan

What a legend

BASHIR

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yes.. understand building aesthetics.

Function over form can look better to some, art and style are personal opinions

RMD

Anyone know did he patent the idea? Not only will this invention help people, but he can make a bit of money off it as well, the perfect compromise.

L.Jenkins

RMD wrote: »

Anyone know did he patent the idea? Not only will this invention help people, but he can make a bit of money off it as well, the perfect compromise.

Im sure he did patent it. What amazes me is how they retrieved measurements for the device.

Tigger

mickdw wrote: »

While you Im sure would prefer to bend the laws of physics or at least tripple the cost to achieve that look. More often than not, a look created using materials and details that are in no way suitable to the climate/conditions & create a nightmare for the client & builder to sort out when you are long gone.

starbelgrade wrote: »

I've yet to see an architect not take into account the laws of physics or to walk away from a job before the builder or engineers finish on site.

Usually they are the last to leave.

lol i see you ignored the triple costs bit

Capt'n Midnight

starbelgrade wrote: »

I've yet to see an architect not take into account the laws of physics or to walk away from a job before the builder or engineers finish on site.

Usually they are the last to leave.

in a word, skyhooks