This document is an engineering portfolio that belongs to Kevin M. Bell, PhD. It lists his contact information and outlines several of his design projects related to biomechanics testing equipment and rehabilitation devices. It also provides brief descriptions of the purpose, methods, and outcomes of each project. The portfolio concludes with a references section that lists 15 publications related to Kevin Bell's work.

1. Kevin M. Bell, PhD
kmb7@pitt.edu
412-657-7857
Engineering Portfolio

2. Design Projects
 Robotic Testing System
 Dynamic Follower Load
 interACTION – Portable Rehabilitation
 Virtual Reality Assisted Cervical Kinematics
 Robot Mounting Fixtures
 Custom Axial Testing Machine
 Compression Chamber
 Rotational Knee Laxity Device
 Scoliosis Surgery Simulator
 Femur Fracture Finite Element Model
 Custom Furniture

3. Robotic Testing System
 Purpose – Control system to adaptively
evaluate spine mechanics
 Methods – Fuzzy logic mediated hybrid
control algorithm programmed in Matlab
 Outcomes – Publications #4, 13, 14, 15

Robot Arm
(Staubli RX90)
UFS
(JR3)
Specimen
Design Projects

4. Dynamic Follower Load
 Purpose – Force controlled linear actuators for spine compression
 Methods – Galil motion controller programmed with PID
 Outcomes – Novel active system developed for PHD dissertation
Design Projects

5. Clinician Website Patient Mobile App
 Purpose – Improve rehab compliance & outcomes
 Methods – Clinician portal guides therapy and
IMUs provide direct biofeedback to patients
 Outcomes – Option purchased by Impellia
interACTION
Design Projects

6. Blue Cross-Hair moves in real time with patients’ movement
EM
Sensors
VR Goggles
Record
Motion
Virtual Reality Assisted Cervical Kinematics
 Purpose – VR feedback for improved control of cervical motion
 Methods – Electromagnetic tracking combined with VR feedback
for improved motion repeatability
 Outcomes – Publications #3, 6, 8
Design Projects

7. Robot Mounting Fixtures
Spine Shoulder Ankle
 Purpose – Mounting fixtures to securely attach specimen to robot
 Methods – Adjustable mechanical hardware
 Outcomes – Publications #12, 15, new collaborations/projects
Design Projects

8. Custom Axial Testing Machine
 Purpose – Force controlled linear actuator
for testing axial mechanics
 Methods – PID/Fuzzy Logic linear actuator
controlled with MicroLYNX motion controller
 Outcomes – Publications #9, 10, 12
Design Projects

9. Compression Chamber
 Purpose – Hydrostatic pressure chamber for mechanobiologic
loading of nucleus pulposus cells
 Methods – Pneumatically controlled, sterilizable chamber
 Outcomes – Publication #7
Design Projects

10. Rotational Knee Laxity Device
 Purpose – Device to assess rotational
laxity of the knee joint
 Methods – UFS affixed to Aircast Foam
Walker tracked with electromagnetic
tracking system
 Outcomes – Publications #1, 2
Design Projects

11. Scoliosis Surgery Simulator
 Purpose – Testing platform to evaluate scoliosis release procedures
 Methods – Horizontal mounting system designed for mid-specimen
loading and passive elongation
 Outcomes – Publication #14
Design Projects

12. One TunnelNo Tunnels Two Tunnels
 Purpose – Assess the femur fracture risk for
double bundle ACL reconstructions
 Methods – Finite element analysis (ANSYS),
10 node tetrahedral mesh, material
properties based bone density determined
with a CT scan
 Outcomes – Publication #11
Femur Fracture Finite Element Model
Design Projects

13. Custom Furniture
Design Projects
 Purpose – Just for fun!
 Methods – My hands
 Outcomes – Form and Function
Stucco Fireplace
Dining Room Table
China ShelfBookshelf

14. References / Publications
1. Musahl V, Bell KM, Tsai AG, Costic RS, Allaire R, Zantop T, Irrgang JJ, Fu FH. “Development of a Simple Device for Measurement of Rotational Knee
Laxity.” Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy. August 2007, 15(8): 1009-12.
2. Tsai MG, Musahl V, Steckel H, Bell KM, Zantop T, Irrgang JJ, Fu FH. “Rotational Knee Laxity: Reliability of a Simple Measurement Device In-Vivo.” BMC
Musculoskeletal Disorders. March 2008, 18;9:35.
3. Bell KM, Frazier EC, Shively CM, Hartman RA, Ulibarri JA, Lee JY, Kang JD, Donaldson WF. “Assessing Range of Motion to Evaluate the Adverse Effects of
Ill-Fitting Cervical Orthoses.” The Spine Journal. May 09 2009.
4. Zantop T, Ferretti M, Bell KM, Brucker PU, Gilbertson LG, Fu FH. “Effect of tunnel-graft length on the biomechanics of ACL reconstructed knees-Intra-
articular study in a goat model.” American Journal of Sports Med. November 2009, 36(11):2158-66.
5. Agosti CD, Bell KM, Plazek DJ, Larson J, Kang JD, Gilbertson LG, Smolinski P. “Analysis of power law models for the creep of nucleus pulposus tissue”.
Biorheology. 2010;47(2):143-51.
6. Bell KM, Bechara BP, Hartman RA, Shively C, Frazier EC, Lee JY, Kang JD, Donaldson WF. “Influence of number of operated levels and postoperative time
on active range of motion following anterior cervical decompression and fusion procedures”. Spine. Feb 15 2010.
7. Sowa GA, Coehlo JP, Bell KM, Vo N, Studer R, Smolinski P, Kang JD. “Alterations in Gene Expression in Response to Compression of Nucleus Pulposus
Cells”. The Spine Journal. 2011 Jan;11(1):36-43.
8. Bechara BP, Bell KM, Hartman RA, Lee JY, Kang JD, Donaldson WF. ”In Vivo Analysis of Cervical Range of Motion after 4- and 5-level Sub-Axial
Cervical Spine Fusion”. Spine. 2011 Feb 15;36(4):263-8.
9. Leckie SK, Bechara BP, Hartman RA, Sowa GA, Woods BI, Coelho JP, Witt WT, Dong QD, Bowman BW, Bell KM, Vo NV, Wang B, Kang JD. “Injection of
AAV2-BMP2 and AAV2-TIMP1 into the nucleus pulposus slows the course of intervertebral disc degeneration in an in vivo rabbit model”. The Spine
Journal. 2012 Jan;12(1):7-20.
10. Hartman RA, Bell KM, Debski RE, Kang JD, Sowa GA. “Novel ex-vivo mechanobiological intervertebral disc culture system”. Journal of Biomechanics.
2012 Jan 10;45(2):382-5. Epub 2011 Nov 17.
11. Smolinski P, O'Farrell M, Bell KM, Gilbertson L, Fu FH. “Effect of ACL reconstruction tunnels on stress in the distal femur”. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol
Arthrosc. 2012 Apr 18.
12. Leckie SK, Sowa GA, Bechara BP, Hartman RA, Coelho JP, Witt WT, Dong QD, Bowman BW, Bell KM, Vo NV, Kramer BC, Kang JD. “Injection of human
umbilical tissue-derived cells into the nucleus pulposus alters the course of intervertebral disc degeneration in vivo”. The Spine Journal. 2013
Mar;13(3):263-72.
13. Bell KM, Hartman RA, Gilbertson LG, Kang JD. “In Vitro Spine Testing Using a Robot-Based Testing System: Comparison of Displacement Control and
‘Hybrid Control’”. Journal of Biomechanics. 2013 June 21.
14. Wang C, Bell K, McClincy M, Jacobs L, Dede O, Roach J, Bosch P. “Biomechanical Comparison of Ponte Osteotomy and Discectomy”. Spine. 2015 Feb 1.
15. Hartman RA, Bell KM, Quan B, Nuzhao Y, Sowa GA, Kang JD. “Needle Puncture in Rabbit Functional Spinal Units Alters Rotational Biomechanics”. J Spinal
Disord Tech. 2015 Apr 28.
Design Projects