Ziad O. Abu-Faraj

Human locomotion is an acquired yet complex behavior requiring little thought during routine activities. It involves the integration of intricate sensory information within the nervous system, resulting in motor commands to control muscle contraction, and subsequent joint movement. Nevertheless, the understanding of the development of coordinated g...

This article discusses the massive blast of Beirut that took place in the evening of August 4, 2020 and the devastation it has caused to the country and its citizens. It allegedly blames shattered glass from building facades and interiors to be the leading cause of most the 180+ deaths and 6000+ injuries that resulted from this tragic blast as has...

Purpose: Despite the use of illustrations describing the Walk-Along theory of skeletal muscle contraction, the level of understanding by physiology students of this mechanism can be augmented by an original educational biomechatronics physiological model developed to better demonstrate this theory. Methods: When the user initiates muscle contractio...

This paper addresses a design imperfection in touch screens affixed to passenger seats of commercial aircrafts and cause disturbances to the passengers when the occupants of the rear seats repetitively poke their screen and transmit that poking energy to the back of the front occupants disrupting their comfort during the flight. The paper explains...

This article takes the reader down memory lane and describes some explicit events experienced by a young highschooler who was at the scene as a first responder in the tragic U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut that took place on April 18, 1983. The article unveils the enigmatic identity of a rescuer standing next to a U.S. Marine security guard, and who...

This paper presents a previously unpublished retrospective research that aims to quantify the overlap/differences among existing biomedical engineering curricula in the Middle East and Northern African (MENA) region. The work utilized an empirical study, entitled "Project Alexander the Great" to identify the 30 institutions of higher learning in th...

Synopsis: This article questions the legitimacy of the term Paradoxical Sleep. It begins with a brief historic overview of the discovery of brain electrical activity and the ensuing discovery of the electroencephalogram (EEG). It then addresses the sources of the EEG as a biopotential and the means of recording it with emphasis on the recommended i...

This article discusses the temporal outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic with the launching of the 5th generation mobile network as the new global wireless standard. It begins by addressing some of the debates, realities, and “conspiracy theories” revolving around COVID-19 and the adverse facts and theories surrounding 5G. It then describes the etiolo...

Synopsis: This article discusses the nature of the Coronavirus disease, a.k.a. COVID-19, which is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It begins by addressing its etiology, morphology, transmission, pathogenesis and related symptoms. It then refers to some important facts related to the globa...

This article is a wake-up call to global citizens and their authorities about Covid-19 that viciously infects humans without any prejudice as to their education, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, religion, gender, age, abilities or disabilities, national origin, and other factors. That is why the world has to be united in fighting this pand...

According to the World Health Organization, Health Technology is the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives" [1]. It encompasses a wide spectrum of health-related products that are used to treat diseases or me...

Leg length discrepancy (LLD) refers to the medical condition where legs are of different length. This condition might affect gait and posture, and may lead to various orthopaedic disorders that can have serious repercussions on the individual, be it physiological, psychological, social, economic, or ergonomic. In order to ameliorate the rehabilitat...

A plantar pressure study that is independent of age, height, mass, and shoe size, and which contributes to a normative database has not yet been developed. Plantar pressure data have been recognized as an important element in the assessment of patients with neuromusculoskeletal disorders. A normative plantar pressure distribution data for asymptoma...

This paper is an empirical study that aims to characterize the similarities/differences among existing biomedical engineering curricula in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The work is based on an earlier study entitled “Project Alexander the Great” that identifies 29 institutions of higher learning within this region, offering degree progra...

The ambulatory forces exerted underneath the plantar surface of the foot of visually-impaired individuals have not been fully studied. Accordingly, the objective of this pilot study is to characterize the plantar pressures in the said individuals using a pedar-x (novel gmbh, Munich, Germany) in-shoe dynamic plantar pressure measurement system. A fo...

The objectives behind this work were to study postural stability in an earthquake-simulated environment and to investigate whether human postural control in withstanding the impact of earthquake tremors could be proven to be cognitively learned and retained over long stretches of time. Thus, an earthquake simulator was designed and developed to rep...

Assistive technology has not yet reached an acceptable level of success in addressing the needs of blind individuals to navigate safely, comfortably, gracefully, and independently. Accordingly, this paper addresses a prototype, smart rehabilitative shoes and spectacles, designed and developed to facilitate safe navigation and mobility of blind indi...

Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering is one of the most advanced fields in science and technology worldwide. It has spurred advancements in medicine and biology. The Handbook of Research on Biomedical Engineering Education and Advanced Bioengineering Learning: Interdisciplinary Concepts explores how healthcare practices have been steered towar...

Bioengineering/biomedical engineering education is a social process integrating accrued knowledge, expertise, and values pertaining to a fusion of engineering sciences and biomedical sciences that have been disseminated across generations. It has evolved since 1959, and is currently undergoing a healthy global growth. This chapter provides a method...

Accidents and environmental disasters constitute emergency situations whereby paramedics require the largest obtainable amount of medical information on a particular individual in as short a time period as possible. Moreover, patients suffering from medical disorders/conditions, such as dementia, epilepsy, stroke, and cardiac arrest often find them...

Fall-related injuries, disabilities, and fatalities are known to seriously affect the healthcare and industry sectors. Nevertheless, an abled individual, as well as a trained senior citizen, is believed to be capable of withstanding and overcoming unusual environmental variations in terms of postural stability and balance. Understanding the biomech...

An abled individual is believed to be capable of withstanding and overcoming the severe tremors of an earthquake as has been ascertained in a previous study. However, the event-related physiological mechanisms of human postural stability during an earthquake are subject to further investigation. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to furthe...

Bioengineering/Biomedical engineering education has evolved since the late 1950s and is progressing in leading academic institutions around the world. Today, bioengineering/biomedical engineering is considered to be one of the most reputable fields within the global arena, and will probably be the primer for any future breakthroughs in medicine and...

This article describes the design and development of a low-cost eye tracking-based brain-computer interface system for the rehabilitation of the completely locked-in patient having an intact ocular motor control to serve as an alternative means of communication. The developed system has been designed according to the following criteria: low cost, l...

Bioengineering/biomedical engineering education has progressed since the late 1950s and is still evolving in leading academic institutions worldwide. Today, Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is acclaimed as one of the most reputable fields within the global arena, and will likely be the catalyst for any future breakthroughs in Medicine and Biol...

Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is considered amongst the most reputable fields within the global arena, and will likely be the primer for any future breakthroughs in Medicine and Biology. Bioengineering/biomedical engineering education has evolved since late 1950s and is undergoing advancement in leading academic institutions worldwide. This...

Vision loss has severe impacts on its victims, carrying with it physiological, psychological, social, and economic consequences thereby degrading the quality of life and depriving the individual from performing many of the daily living activities. This article describes the design and development of a prototype retinal prosthesis for visual stimula...

Much is still unknown about the control of posture and postural stability within the unstable environment of an earthquake. Hence, the objectives behind this study were to investigate the lower-extremity muscular response and head acceleration of human subjects in maintaining postural stability during the event of a simulated seismic activity. In o...

This article describes the design and development process of an eye tracking-based computer system that benefits from the intact ocular motor control of the completely locked-in patient to provide him or her with an alternative means of communication. A completely locked-in patient is an individual who has lost all types of motor control and commun...

While Biomedical Engineering Education is thus far undergoing advancement in leading institutions worldwide [1-3], there are many areas of the globe where it is still absent. This article depicts the experience behind the development of a premier comprehensive undergraduate program in Biomedical Engineering in Lebanon and conceivably the Arab world...

The objectives of this study were to quantitatively determine the effects of subtalar arthrodesis on the planovalgus foot using three-dimensional (3-D) gait analysis and plantar pressure measurements. Twelve children and adolescents with planovalgus foot deformity secondary to spastic cerebral palsy participated in this outcome study. The pediatric...

Fingerprint identification is broadly established as one of the most reliable identification methods for forensic and non-forensic applications. Nevertheless, due to growth in volume of fingerprint databases, performance requirements, and speed limitations of the manual process, Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) are extensively ne...

The sections in this article are

A unique light emitting diode (LED) based active marker system was developed to track the three dimensional motion of the pediatric foot and ankle. The marker system was used with a six-camera Vicon VX (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, U.K) motion analysis system which was integrated with a three-segment biomechanical model to describe the complex multiplan...

Kinematic foot and ankle data was acquired from 10 pediatric subjects using a six camera Vicon VX (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, U.K) based active marker system. The system was based on a three segment rigid body model that described the motion of the tibia, hindfoot and forefoot. Radiographic measurements were utilized to index the motion data with resp...

A Holter-type, microprocessor-based, portable, in-shoe, plantar pressure data acquisition system has been developed. The system allows continuous recording of pressure data between the sole of the foot and the shoe during the performance of daily living activities. Fourteen conductive polymer sensors acquire the plantar pressure history, which is t...

A six-camera Vicon VX motion analysis system was utilized to track the three-dimensional motion of the pediatric foot and ankle. The system was used in conjunction with a biomechanical model to describe the multi-planar motion of the tibia, hindfoot and forefoot. Radiographic measurements were used to index the motion data with reference to bony la...

Scaphoid or longitudinal arch pads are frequently prescribed pedorthics for foot and ankle rehabilitation. These pedorthics are reported to be effective in mechanically supporting the medial longitudinal arch while reducing plantar and medial soft tissue strain. The objective of this study was to measure alterations in ambulatory plantar pressure m...

A multichannel, portable data acquisition system has been developed to measure discrete plantar pressures in the rehabilitation of children who have cerebral palsy and planovalgus foot deformity. The microprocessor-based system is designed to be lightweight (350 g with batteries) and portable (no umbilicus) in order to minimize encumbrances to gait...

Planovalgus foot deformity in children with cerebral palsy is characterized by valgus of the hindfoot and a pronated posture of the midfoot with a flattened longitudinal arch. Surgical treatment focuses on subtalar joint stabilization to improve foot function. This study quantitatively evaluates the biomechanics and effects of surgery for the corre...

Software to preview long term plantar pressure data files collected during activities of daily living has been developed. Data is collected with a Holter type, microprocessor based data acquisition system from insoles instrumented with Force Sensing Resistors (FSR^TM, Interlink Electronics, Camarillo, CA). Plantar pressures are recorded f...

A Holter type, microprocessor based, portable, in-shoe, plantar pressure data acquisition system has been developed. The system offers 16M bytes of data storage capacity and allows the long term monitoring of plantar pressures during the activities of daily living. The system can collect pressure data from 14 discrete sensor locations at a 20 Hz sa...

Metatarsal pads are frequently prescribed for nonoperative management of metatarsalgia due to various etiologies. When appropriately placed, they are effective in reducing pressures under the metatarsal heads on the plantar surface of the foot. Despite the positive clinical reports that have been cited, there are no quantitative studies documenting...

We have developed software to control a Holter type microprocessor based, portable, in-shoe, plantar pressure data acquisition system. The system is used to monitor long term plantar pressures during the performance of daily living activities. The unit is able to record in continuous or intermittent modes. Real time data compression is utilized to...

A Holter type, microprocessor based, portable, in-shoe, plantar pressure data acquisition system has been developed. The system allows continuous recording of plantar pressures during normal daily activity from up to fourteen discrete sensor locations. The system was evaluated during multiple trials with adult male subjects. Results indicated that...

We have developed a small, computerdriven data-acquisition system to monitor variation in skin surface temperature during routine nerve conduction studies. The system monitors mm temperature and measures temperatures behueen 15 "C and 45 'C with a fO.l 'C accuracy at four upper extremity locations. The system was evaluated with three adult male sub...

An integrated system for the assessment of pull-to-stand joint reactions at the ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder was designed and constructed. The system was evaluated using multiple tests of three healthy adult male subjects during both sit-to-stand and pull-to-stand maneuvers. In the preliminary tests, generalized ground reaction forces in the A-P...

A biomechanical model has been developed to quantify pull-to-stand forces and torques in both the upper and lower extremities. A 2-D sagittal plane segmental model was used. Data obtained from a force plate, instrumented pull-to-stand bar and video camera was used. Results of pull-to-stand compared to no pull-to-stand indicated a decrease in net mo...

First Page of the Article

Current foot pressure monitoring systems have short data capture intervals and permit recording of only a few consecutive steps with monitoring equipment frequently tethered to the subject by cable. These contemporary systems are unable to monitor in-shoe plantar pressures for more than a few minutes. Inherent gait variability requires that large n...