This project explores how dynamic medical imaging techniques commonly used for moving organs, such as the heart, can be extended to study joint mechanics. Rather than capturing a knee in a single static position, the goal is to repeatedly flex and extend the joint during scanning so that images collected at different angles can be reconstructed into an animated 3D visualization of motion.

To enable this, a scanner-compatible continuous passive motion (CPM) device was developed to physically actuate a rat knee inside a CT imaging environment without compromising image quality. The system is designed to produce controlled and repeatable knee flexion-extension while operating within strict spatial constraints and using materials that minimize imaging artifacts.

The initial implementation focuses on a rat-scale platform as a proof of concept, with the design structured to accommodate variations in limb geometry and remain adaptable for future scaling. The work brings together mechanism design, kinematic modeling, and system integration to bridge controlled mechanical actuation with imaging-based evaluation.