Author: Hans Gregersen

Clinical Mechanics in the Gut: An Introduction

eBook: US $39 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $191
Printed Copy: US $171
Library License: US $156
ISBN: 978-1-68108-119-9 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-68108-118-2 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2016
DOI: 10.2174/97816810811821160101

Introduction

The gastrointestinal tract is a series of organs each with distinct mechanical functions. Each organ within the system brings food contents in the gut lumen to the site of absorption through separate mechanical functions. These mechanical functions are generated by a fine-tuned interaction between neuronal networks and active muscle layers. The passive components of the gastrointestinal wall such as the collagen-rich submucosa also play an important role in these mechanical actions.

Clinical Mechanics in The Gut provides a thorough understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the physiological function and pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The book first gives an introduction to readers about the physical geometry of the gastrointestinal tract followed by a detailed explanation of biomechanical theory and its application to approximating and modeling gut mechanics. This is expanded further by detailed explanations of gut muscle and motor nerve functions in proceeding chapters. A biomechanical evaluation of disorders of regulatory mechanisms such as achalasia and Hirschsprung disease and disorders of effector mechanisms such as reflux disease, systemic sclerosis of the gastrointestinal tract and colonic diverticular disease are also included. Readers will, therefore, gain an understanding about clinical problems in gastroenterology from a bioengineering and modeling perspective.

Clinical Mechanics in The Gut is a useful reference for gastroenterology researchers, biomedical engineers and systems biologists seeking to understand the physiology of the gut and applying this knowledge to surgical procedures, computer-based modeling systems and robotics.

Foreword

Bioengineering and biomechanics have impacted on orthopedics and cardiovascular science for years for the benefit of basic scientists, developers, health care personnel and patients. However, it never gained widespread impact in gastroenterology. There may be many reasons for the lack of use of bioengineering principles and biomechanics theory in gastroenterology, some may relate to ignorance and lack of recognition, others to difficulties changing the way of thinking. This is about to change and the book entitled Biomechanics of the Gastrointestinal Tract from 2002 by Hans Gregersen and the present book on clinical biomechanics in gastroenterology by Gregersen and Christensen will certainly change this.

Bioengineering in its present concept was introduced by Professor YC Fung from University of California San Diego more than 40 years ago and Professor Fung is truly considered one of the founding notabilities of bioengineering and the father of modern biomechanics. Fung authored several books on continuum mechanics and biomechanics, and he tutored many students including Hans Gregersen, one of the authors of this book, and myself. Good ideas spread with the wind which certainly has been the case with Fung´s ideas. The present book is an example of how basic bioengineering principles can be used to change the look on gastrointestinal diseases. I sincerely hope that the ideas and concepts in this book will spread and that bioengineering principles will come into the mind of gastroenterologists.

2nd, December 2014

Zhuang Fengyuan
Emeritus Professor and Founder of Department of Bioengineering (Now School of Bioscience and Medical Engineering), Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Adjunct Professor, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, China.
Trustee and Member of International Academy of Astronautics.



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