David Thompson

The time I spent with my students was exceptionally rewarding. I am shown on the left with a team of senior students during my tenure at LSU along with the econorail dragster they designed and built in 1991. They had to predict the dragster's performance using a mathematical model for drag, friction, engine performance, tire growth with speed, gear ratios, and other factrors. According to their model, the dragster was capable of accelerating to 150mph in the 1/4-mile in 8.85 seconds. To their astonishment (and delight), on its third run and the first under full power, the vehicle was clocked at the dragstrip at 149mph, 8.89 seconds. Their trust in engineering principles was made firm that night!

At University of Idaho, I was honored to serve as one of the faculty advisors on the Formula SAE , design program. These race vehicles compete nationally, and I remain extremely proud of our student's accomplishments.

Much of my research involved modeling and analysis of systems.

One of these relates to the study of the modern human hand. Hands as machines have interested me for at least the past two decades. In 1995, I did some collaborative work on ancient hands (50-70,000 year old Neanderthal bone specimens).

I have collaborated in Public Health Service funded projects on the effects of repetitive mechanical stress on soft tissues as well as an NIH-funded project studying the physiological response of tendons to such stresses.

The following journal publications cover the past ten years. Those marked with an `*' are publications with students.

*Van Sint Jan, Serge, Marcel Rooze, D.J. Giurintano, and D.E. Thompson: `Three-Dimensional Computer Simulation of Joint Kinematics: A New Tool in Orthopaedics,' J. Bone and Joint Surgery, in press.
*Van Sint Jan, Serge, D.J. Giurintano, D.E. Thompson, and M. Rooze: `Joint Kinematics Simulation from Medical Imaging Data,' IEEE Trans. Biomedical Engineering, Vol.44, pp.1175-84, Dec, 1997.
Thompson, D.E.: `Dynamic Properties of Soft Tissues and Their Interface with Materials,' Invited Paper, J. Hand Therapy, Vol.8, No.2, Apr-Jun, 1995.
*Kwon, Sunggyu and D.E. Thompson, `Neighborhood and Random Training Techniques for CMAC Systems,' IEEE Trans. on Neural Networks, Vol.6, No.1, January, 1995.
*Dani, S., J. Tohline, W.N. Waggenspack, and D.E. Thompson: `Parallel Rendering of Curvilinear Volume Data,' Computers & Graphics: An International Journal, Vol.18, N0.3, pp.363-372, 1994.
Evans, R.B. and D.E. Thompson: `The Application of Force to the Healing Tendon,' J. Hand Therapy, Vol.6, No.4, pp.262-280, Oct-Dec, 1993.
*Odesanya, O.S. and W.N. Waggewnspack Jr, D.E. Thompson: `Construction of Biological Surface Models from Cross-Sections,'' IEEE Trans. Biomedical Engineering, Vol.40, No.4, April, 1993.
Evans, Rosalyn and D.E. Thompson: `Early Active Short Arc Motion for the Repaired Central Slip,' J. Hand Therapy, Vol.5, No.4, pp.187-196, Oct-Dec, 1992.
*Yoon, I. and D.E. Thompson: `Planning Tendon Paths Using an Interactive Graphic Workstation,' ASME J. Biomechanical Engineering, Vol.12, No.4, pp.387-391, November, 1990.
*Giurintano, D.J. and D.E. Thompson: `A Flexor Tendon Model of the Hand,' J. Automedica, Vol.11, pp.53-70, 1989.
*Thompson, D.E., W.L. Buford, L.M. Myers, and D.J. Giurintano: `Advances in Hand Biomechanics Simulation,' J. Hand Therapy, Vol.2, No.2, pp.142-147, April/June, 1989.
*Thompson, D.E. and D.J. Giurintano: `A Kinematic Model of the Flexor Tendons of the Human Hand,' J. Biomechanics (ASME), Vol.22, No.4, pp.327-334, 1989.
*Thompson, D.E., W.L. Buford, L.M. Myers, D.J. Giurintano, J.A. Brewer: `A Hand Biomechanics Workstation,' Computer Graphics, Vol.22, No.4, pp.335-343, Aug. 1988.

Book Contributions

`Design Analysis: Mathematical Modeling of Nonlinear Systems,' by D.E. Thompson, Cambridge University Press, Manuscript in galley proofs, July, 1998, New York, NY.
`Immediate Short Arc Motion Following Tendon Repair,' by Rosalyn Evans and D.E. Thompson, Chapter 43, Tendon and Nerve Surgery of the Hand: A Third Decade, eds. Hunter, Schneider, & Mackin, Mosby-Year Book, Inc., St. Louis, MO, 1996.
`Mechanical Resistance' by P.W. Brand and D.E. Thompson, Chapter 6, Clinical Mechanics of the Hand, P.W. Brand, Anne Hollister, C.V. Mosby Publishing, 1993.
`An Experimental Investigation into the Forces Internal to the Human Hand' by L.D. Ketchum and D.E. Thompson, Appendix B, Clinical Mechanics of the Hand, P.W. Brand, Anne Hollister, C.V. Mosby Publishing, 1993.
`Mechanical Losses' by D.E. Thompson, Chapter 5, Clinical Mechanics of the Hand, P.W. Brand, C.V. Mosby Publishing, 1993.
`The Effects of Stress on Soft Tissues' by D.E. Thompson, Chapter 6, The Diabetic Foot, ed. by Marvin Levin and L.W. O'Neal, C.V. Mosby Publishing, Fourth Edition, pp.91-103, 1988.
`The Biomechanics of the Interphalangeal Joints' by P.W. Brand, D.E. Thompson, and J.E. Micks, Chapter 3, The Interphalangeal Joint, ed. by W.H. Bowers, Volume I, Churchill Livingstone Publishers, 1987.
`An Experimental Investigation into the Forces Internal to the Human Hand' by L.D. Ketchum and D.E. Thompson, Appendix B, The Biomechanics of the Hand, P.W. Brand, C.V. Mosby Publishing, 1985.
`Soft Tissues: Their Behavior in Compressive Loading' by D.E. Thompson, Chapter 6, The Diabetic Foot, ed. by Marvin Levin and L.W. O'Neal, C.V. Mosby Publishing, Third Edition, pp.148-161, 1983.
`Point Impedance Measurement of Human Soft Tissues, in vivo' by D.E. Thompson, H.M. Hussein, and R.Q. Perritt, Chapter 13, Bioengineering and the Skin, ed. by R. Marks and P.A. Payne, pp.103-111, 1981.