9501793 Murphy This project is on research to enhance the design and fabrication of microsystems for medical and biological applications. Two demonstration projects are proposed for this purpose. The first project is the development of a strain sensor to be mounted directly on bone fixation plates, which could be monitored using an external ultrasound sampling system. This could significantly improve the orthopedists' control of when bone plates are removed, greatly reducing the risk of a second fracture adjacent to the original break. The second project is to develop an arthroscopic instrument based on sensing technology developed for in situ laboratory cartilage research to assist diagnosis of a common orthopedic problem, chondromalacia. This project will push the limits of current microfabrication technology and help to define the requirements for interfacing between macroscale and microscale machine elements. ***
