Image Copyright University Hospital Muenster 2021
‘As an electrical engineer I only had a little experience of biomechanical testing using an industrial robot. The support I have received from Simsol and simVITRO has given me a good understanding of how the software works and Simsol are able to answer any questions quickly. The installation was smooth and meant that we could begin to integrate simVITRO into our research right away’
Jens Wermers, Electrical Engineer, University hospital Muenster
University Hospital Muenster are well established in conducting biomechanical research across the range of joint types for over 15 years, the biomechanics research team invested in a new Kuka robot to perform efficient and repeatable kinematic and kinetic testing of cadaveric joints. The original intention was to create their own ‘in house’ software to control the robot during testing of a range of joints, but the research team realised that using Cleveland Clinics prebuilt simVITRO software would be faster, cheaper in the long run and make it faster to set up tests and publish results.
As part of their commitment to biomechanics research and testing across a range of specialities, the organisation invested in specialist simVITRO modules for testing shoulder, spine, knee, plus foot and ankle. The Simsol team were to provide installation and system commissioning for simVITRO and the robot, as well as simVITRO training and how to make the most of the data from the high volume of tests the software enables
Muenster already owned and had a KUKA robot installed which meant that Simsol engineers had to integrate simVITRO into an existing installation whilst causing minimal disruption to the lab. A team from Simsol and Cleveland Clinic were able to conduct a smooth installation of the system, coming in under the projected 5 days, meaning that there was more time available for one to one coaching on how to use the software.
The research team at University Hospital Muenster have been able to get up to speed quickly with the simVITRO system, new non-expert users were performing tests within a week of installation and have found that it enables them to gather data from testing more efficiently which has meant that simVITRO has been an important component in their recently published shoulder stability study and several more knee studies that are in the submission process.
For the research group at University Hospital Muenster simVITRO is a great facilitator for their continued research in orthopedics since simVITRO has allowed the Muenster team to focus on biomechanics research and leave robotics and control to simVITRO.
If you would like to learn more about simVITRO please get in touch with us at support@simsol.co.uk
Unit 10, Rugby Park,
Bletchley Road,
Stockport,
SK4 3EJ
T: 0161 947 9113
F: 0161 947 9099
contact@simsol.co.uk
T: 0161 947 9113
F: 0161 947 9099
