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The Technology Research Report From Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Posted on: Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

WORCESTER, Mass., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- New studies in science, technology, and engineering are highlighted in the April 2006 Technology Research Report from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), one of the nation's leading science, technology, and engineering universities:

* New Coil: A Step Toward an MRI Breast Cancer Scan in Your Doctor's Office * Technology Would Help Find Miners and Others Trapped in Tough Places * Method For Studying Eardrums Will Advance Treatments for Hearing Loss * New Study Shows How To Make Roads More Resistant to Potholes * Digital Library Helps Policy Makers Connect the Dots on Fire Safety

NEW COIL: A STEP TOWARD AN MRI BREAST-CANCER SCAN IN YOUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- Currently, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is too expensive to use for routine breast cancer screening, but a new MRI coil designed by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) could make MRI breast exams far less costly and at least five times as sensitive as those done using existing MRI coils for breast exams. In addition, the researchers say the coil is the first step toward a portable MRI breast-cancer screening unit that could eventually be used in a doctor's office, instead of a hospital. Mammography is the most commonly used screening method for breast cancer, but there is growing evidence that MRI is a more accurate tool for early diagnosis, especially in young women and women with a hereditary cancer risk. The new coil technology can simultaneously image both breasts, along with the underarm lymph nodes, which are not visible in mammograms, but need to be checked for the possible spread of cancer.

TECHNOLOGY WOULD HELP FIND MINERS AND OTHERS TRAPPED IN TOUGH PLACES -- Recent mine disasters have made it painfully clear how difficult it can be to locate people lost underground. Finding firefighters in distress deep in the labyrinth of a burning structure offers an equally difficult challenge for rescuers. Research on new technology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) may provide a simple, low-cost method for pinpointing the location of people in conditions like these, where normal radio communications or GPS location devices aren't effective. The technology draws on sophisticated signal processing techniques to overcome many of the limitations of conventional systems. It will combine a small transmitter that can be embedded in a person's clothing or personal equipment, and a hand-held wand that can guide a rescuer to the transmitter's signal. The transmitter tag can be set to activate automatically in emergency conditions.

METHOD FOR STUDYING EARDRUMS WILL ADVANCE TREATMENTS FOR HEARING LOSS -- Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a new, more powerful way to study how the eardrum responds to sound, a technique that will lead to better methods for repairing damaged eardrums and diagnosing and treating hearing loss brought on by heredity, infections, or exposure to loud sounds or music. The technology, developed by Cosme Furlong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at WPI, in collaboration with Dr. John Rosowski at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, uses a real-time fiber-optic laser holography system to measure how the entire eardrum vibrates and deforms in response to sound; previous techniques could study only isolated points on the eardrum. The laser holography technique was described recently at the annual meeting of scientists and doctors interested in diseases of the ear, nose, and throat.

NEW STUDY SHOWS HOW TO MAKE ROADS MORE RESISTANT TO POTHOLES -- As the spring thaw creates a bumper crop of potholes, a new study by researchers in the Pavement Research Laboratory at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) proposes a way to make roads and runways last longer by reducing water seepage that can undermine pavement. The article, by Rajib Mallick, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at WPI, appears in the March 2006 issue of the "International Journal of Pavement Engineering." It shows that most of the water that soaks into pavement enters through the longitudinal joints, or seams, between the lanes of asphalt laid down by paving machines. It takes several lanes laid side-by-side to pave a highway or runway. When water seeps into the seams, it degrades the underlying layers of an otherwise perfect pavement, leading, ultimately, to potholes and cracks. The article suggests inexpensive ways for paving contractors to make seams watertight, extending the life of pavement by five to 10 years and saving millions of dollars nationwide.

DIGITAL LIBRARY HELPS POLICY MAKERS CONNECT THE DOTS ON FIRE SAFETY -- Recent reports on the nation's response to disasters, from 9/11 to Katrina, have pointed to problems that arise when officials are unable to "connect the dots" between related but isolated sources of vital information. The Fire and Building Educational Resource Collection (http://www.faberc.org/), a new digital library developed by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), is helping policy makers and fire protection engineers reach more informed decisions about public safety by making critical connections between a wide range of information on fire (including experimental data, simulations, research reports, and articles) located in multiple databases around the country. The new library will also lead to new life-savings advances in fire safety by enhancing research and education in fire protection engineering.

Other recent research studies from WPI: * Device That Detects Turbulence From Airplanes Could Save Travelers Time * Video Game Performance Is Improved by Increasing Scene Changes * New Way To Predict Heart Attack Risk * High-Tech Reactor Could Help Make Fuel-Cell Cars Economical * Structural Deficiencies in Harvested Eggs May Affect Their Quality

WPI professors are available to discuss recent research studies and their results by phone or in person. More information on the studies in this report can be obtained by contacting Michael Dorsey, director of research communications, at mwdorsey@wpi.edu or 508-831-5609, or Christopher Hardwick, vice president of marketing and communications, at hardwick@wpi.edu or 508- 831-5874. Learn more about research at WPI at http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Research/

ABOUT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technological universities. Its 18 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting- edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, information security, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference in communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspectives program, at more than 20 project centers located throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

CONTACT: Michael Dorsey, WPI Research Communications, +1-508-831-5609,mwdorsey@wpi.edu

Web site: http://www.wpi.edu/

Source: PRNewswire

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