Predicates
V-Path with ISS and RPA
Original V-Path
Archaeologists have found ancient Roman skulls with _____ pins used to repair fractures. While iron was the 'high-tech' material, it had a fatal engineering flaw when placed inside the human body. What is the electrochemical process that caused these ancient implants to fail and potentially poison the patient? (50 pt each)
Iron; Corrosion
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) or robotic catheters that use acoustic feedback to navigate through "blind" arterial pathways without piercing a vessel wall.
Bat Echolocation or Dolphin Sonar
You need to move a heavy MRI machine across a room. By placing it on "Air bearings" (a thin film of pressurized air), you are trying to reduce this coefficient to near zero.
Coefficient of Friction
You have a glass of water with a large ice cube floating in it. The water level is exactly at the brim of the glass. When the ice cube melts completely, will the water overflow, will the level drop, or will it stay exactly the same?
Exactly the Same.
A floating object displaces a weight of fluid equal to its own weight. Since the ice cube is made of water, the volume of liquid water it turns into is exactly equal to the volume of water it displaced while it was solid.
Most people think that because ice expands when it freezes, it will overflow when it melts. But since the "expanded" part is already sitting above the water line, the "displacement" remains constant.
The Da Vinci Surgical System
Manual Laparoscopic Tools
This ubiquitous clear plastic is used for everything from oxygen masks to IV tubing, but it requires "plasticizers" like DEHP to make it flexible.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
Microneedle Patches or vibrating insulin delivery systems
Mosquito.
It uses a proboscis with serrated edges and a vibrating motion to saw into the skin, touching fewer nerve endings.
What is the Renolds number threshold for a given flow to be considered a laminar flow?
Below 2000 to 2300
How many people in the U.S. have pacemakers implanted annually?
1.6 million
What is the birthday of the 510(k)? (To the closest year)
May 28, 1976
Many orthopedic implants (like knee joints) are made of _________ alloys rather than Stainless Steel.
Cobalt-Chromium (CoCr)
While Stainless Steel is easier to machine, CoCr is preferred for "bearing surfaces" because it has superior resistance to this specific type of material loss caused by repetitive sliding.
Superhydrophobic coatings for surgical tools or endoscope lenses to prevent blood and fogging from obscuring the view.
The Lotus Leaf.
Its microscopic "bumps" (papillae) are coated in wax, causing water to bead up and roll off, carrying dirt with it.
A surgical robot arm is vibrating too much at a specific motor speed. You realize the motor's frequency matches the arm's "natural frequency." This destructive phenomenon is called...
Resonance
In terms of "data transmission," nerve impulses can travel at speeds up to how many miles per hour? (+/- 10 mph)
260 mph
The Dermabrader (A high-speed rotating tool used by dermatologists to "sand" down skin for scar removal)
The Industrial Grinder / Dremel
Early regulatory filings for dermatological sanders didn't compare themselves to lasers; they compared themselves to mechanical abrasive tools. The "Substantial Equivalence" was based on the RPM (rotations per minute) and the grit of the abrasive surface.
Ancient Egyptians used ____and ____ to treat open wounds. (200 pt each)
Honey and lint
Advanced Headgear or brain-cooling systems designed to prevent TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injuries).
The Woodpecker.
Its skull has a spongy, shock-absorbing bone structure and a tongue that wraps around its brain to act as a "seatbelt" during high-velocity impacts.
In 2020, an astronaut on the ISS treated their own Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Because air bubbles don't rise in microgravity, they had to use this instead of a standard gravity drip.
Peristaltic Pump
Calculate the integral:
sin2(x)/2 + C
As of early 2026, how many 510(k)s have been cleared by the FDA? (within +/- 10000)
Over 175,000
This specific type of "wear" happens when two surfaces rub together in a small, oscillating motion, often seen in the screw-plate interface of orthopedic hardware.
Fretting (or Fretting Corrosion)
Low-Force Surgical Staples and Adhesive-Free Patches.
Porcupine.
This animal’s defense mechanism inspired a new type of surgical staple. While its backward-facing barbs make it famously hard to remove, researchers discovered those same barbs actually reduce the force required to enter the skin by 80% by concentrating stress at the barb tips.
You are standing on a spring scale inside an elevator. Your actual mass is 70 kg. The elevator begins to move, and you notice the scale reading changes. (Assume g = 9.8 m/s2)
Calculate the scale reading for the following three situations:
Starting Up: The elevator accelerates upward at 2.5 m/s2.
Cruising: The elevator moves upward at a constant velocity of 5.0 m/s2.
Slowing Down: As it reaches the top floor, the elevator decelerates at 1.5 m/s2.
F (scale reading) = ma + mg
1. 861 N
2. 686 N
3. 581 N
In honor of the lunar new year, name all the animals in the Chinese Zodiac.
Rat (2020)
Ox (2021)
Tiger (2022)
Rabbit (2023)
Dragon (2024)
Snake (2025)
Horse (2026 — Current Year)
Goat (2027)
Monkey (2028)
Rooster (2029)
Dog (2030)
Pig (2031)