NSF-CGP Fellowship: Scanning Acoustic Microscopy Studies of Micromechanical Properties of Osteoporotic Bone

小行星9602492 该奖项支持美国-凯斯西储大学生物医学工程系的J. Lawrence Katz博士和日本仙台东北大学电气工程系的Noriyoshi Chubachi教授之间的日本合作研究。 Katz博士将在东北大学进行为期六个月的扫描声学显微镜研究，研究骨质疏松症的微观力学特性。研究人员将研究超声波技术，通过体内特定骨骼测量声速和/或衰减，以评估“骨质”水平，从而开发更有效的骨质疏松症筛查技术，并提供骨骼何时可能有骨折风险的指示。 该技术提供了优于双能X射线吸收测定法（DEXA）的优势，后者提供了有关骨材料特性的信息，如刚度和刚度，而不是骨密度。 通过开发弹性特性和骨强度之间的相关性，然后可以开发骨折风险指数，该指数可以成为预防骨折发生的医疗程序早期干预的基础。 这位美国研究人员将他对骨组织结构、功能和性质之间科学关系的了解带到了这次合作中。 最近，他参与了骨质疏松症发作引起的骨组织材料变化（损失）的形式功能关系研究。 日本研究人员在用于骨微观力学研究的高频扫描声学显微镜（SAM）领域的专业知识对此进行了补充。 他的实验室配备了最先进的SAM，可以在非常高的分辨率下工作。 该项目预计将导致对大量妇女、长期卧床休息的人以及在太空微重力环境中患有或容易患有严重骨质疏松症的宇航员的骨折风险进行更好的预测。 两位研究人员都表示，他们希望在六个月的访问结束后继续对他们的项目进行研究。

9602492 Katz This award supports U.S.-Japan collaborative research between Dr. J. Lawrence Katz of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and Professor Noriyoshi Chubachi in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. Dr. Katz will be spending six months at Tohoku University undertaking scanning acoustic microscopy studies of micromechanical properties of osteoporotic bone. The researchers will research ultrasound techniques which measure sound velocity and/or attenuation through specific bones, in vivo, to assess the level of "bone quality" in order to develop more effective screening techniques for osteoporosis as well as providing an indication of when bone might be at risk of fracture. This technique provides an advantage over dual energy x-ray absorptionmetry (DEXA) which provides information about the material properties of bone, such as stiffness and rigidity, rather than bone density. By developing correlations between elastic properties and bone strength, it then would be possible to develop a fracture risk index which could become the basis for early intervention of medical procedures to prevent the occurrence of fractures. The U.S. researcher brings to this collaboration his knowledge of the scientific relationships between structure, function and properties of bone tissues. More recently he has been involved in research into the form function relationships in bone tissues undergoing material changes (losses) due to the onset of osteoporosis. This is complemented by expertise of the Japanese researcher in the area of high frequency scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) for bone micromechanic studies. His laboratory is equipped with a state-of-the-art SAM for work at very high resolution. The project is expected to result in greater prediction of fracture risk to the large number of women, people in long term bed rest, and astronauts in the microgravity environment o f space who have, or are prone to, the serious condition of osteoporosis. Both researchers have expressed their expectation to continue research on their project after the conclusion of the six month visit.