CROMBES Annual Award for the Best University Diploma Thesis in the Field of BMEThe Croatian Society for Medical and Biological Engineering founded an annual award for the best university diploma thesis in the field of medical engineering. An award committee of senior members of the Society was set up to consider the theses put forward for the award. This year two theses have been considered in the shortlist, that is: "Accuracy and reproducibility of measurements of impedance of skeletal muscles" by Igor Blazek at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb and "Determination of the limits of mechanical stress in microtubules" by Branimir Lukic at the Faculty of Science in Zagreb In "Accuracy and reproducibility of measurements of impedance of skeletal muscles" by Igor Blazek, the author theoretically and experimentally tests the significance of the changing electrical impedance components measured in large muscles with the compartment syndrome. The compartment syndrome is a pathological state of large injured muscles with much increased pressure and a serious hazard to the health of the patient. The results of the experiments are directly applicable to the timely diagnostics of the compartment syndrome and the author has shown that in realistic circumstances the impedance module is much more significant that the phase angle. In the "Determination of the limits of mechanical stress in microtubules" by Branimir Lukic, the author first describes the nature and physical properties of the microtubules that are a kind of "cell skeleton" in living cells. The structures have been studied with an atomic microscope and appropriate micromanipulators. The measurements are very sensitive due to the extremely small dimensions of the microtubules. The results of the study are some mechanical properties of these basic structural elements of living beings. The study is a very good quality fundamental work. The committee decided that both shortlisted diploma theses were worthy an award and the first prize went to Mr. Igor Blazek while the second award was given to Mr. Branimir Lukic for his work.
Branko Breyer
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