Jenny Lynch
Home Institution:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Major/Minor:
Mechanical Engineering/Spanish
Anticipated
Graduation: 05/2004
MRSEC Mentor Ð Mark
Nicosia
Fundamental understanding of the behavior of the muscle tissue in the esophagus can be a valuable and useful tool to determine better cures for such diseases as gastroesophageal reflux, i.e. heartburn. The goal of the research is to develop insight into the esophageal muscle mechanics. The esophagus is composed of ttwo distinct types of muscle: circular and longitudinal. These types of muscle tissue will be tested both separately and together using uniaxial and biaxial testing. The stretch of the muscle tissue on each axis will be closely monitored along with the load and displacement to determine the mechanical properties.