A specialist medical device engineer delivered a speech to an audience of engineers and scientists at Salisbury College on Tuesday, as part of the Salisbury Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Annual General Meeting.

Alexandra Knight is a consultant at engineering company Frazer-Nash and was requested by the IMechE to talk about her role in the development of an exercise bike that is supporting the rehabilitation of service personnel at Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey.

The audience composed of a number of key figures in the engineering community, as well as young engineers from the Salisbury region, keen to understand how engineering innovation can support the work of medical teams across the UK.

The audience learnt of how the engineering consultancy has designed and manufactured an exercise bike that will specifically aid victims of blast injuries whose rehabilitation is restricted by external fixator cages. External fixators are used to set complex bone fractures but the structures often restrict the patient’s ability to access existing equipment and exercise effectively during the rehabilitation process. The bike has been designed to give patients an increased range of different movements.

Alexandra Knight commented at the event:
“We are delighted to be able to share our experiences in the medical engineering field with the Salisbury engineering community; and to be able to highlight how engineering can help to enhance the vital training regime of patients undergoing rehabilitation. We hope this project inspires more engineers in the region to look at innovative ways to support medical workers across the UK.”