Yihang Yu​

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Project title

Biomechanical modelling and design of personalised spinal implants.

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Supervisors

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Professor Peter Lee, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne

 

Associate Professor David Ackland, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne

 

Yihang Yu completed his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Inspired by his capstone project  “Design and Development of a Soft Prosthetic Wrist”, he became interested in the field of Biomedical Engineering. He decided to pursue this passion with Professor Peter Lee and his team, and find new ways of designing orthopaedic spinal implants.

 

Yihang’s project aims to solve some the major problems in spinal implants such failure to provide fusion. To solve this, he will be working on developing personalised 3D printed spinal implants that involves using finite element modelling tools, materials structure optimisation methods and additive manufacturing technology. The project will focus on placement of the implants, and how the implant size, porosity, density, lattice structure will affect its performance. The improved personalised implant design would help surgeons achieve the desired clinical outcome.

 

There is also a personal story to Yihang’s chosen field of research. He has high respect for people working in the medical field; his mother is an ophthalmologist.