CONTENTS
4 Notes from the Chair
12 Celebrating Sheila Knightly’s Career
14 From Clinical Engineering to Clinical Design: A Student’s Journey
17 Finite Element Study of Femoral Stem Geometry in Cemented Hip Arthroplasty
20 From end-user to a career in Medical Technology – a deaf student’s perspective
22 The Power of Curiosity
23 Why Biomedical Engineering Is the Most People-Centred Discipline in Engineering
26 A Hidden Challenge Across Irish Hospitals
28 ‘Hidden Optical Degradation in Laparoscopic Scopes: A Clinical Evaluation’
33 Experience at SVUH as an intern in MPCE
Notes from the Chair
Welcome to the Summer 2026 edition of Spectrum Journal. In this issue we have lots of great contributions from our colleagues and also from students on a wide range of topics.
One very important piece in this issue is from student Abigail Turner, who shares how growing up with severe hearing loss inspired her to pursue a career designing technologies that improve patients’ lives. Turn to page 20 to read Abigail’s story. Meanwhile, another student, Sarah O’Brien discusses how her work placements have shaped her journey towards a career in clinical engineering – see page 14.
A third student submission in this issue sees Ella Duggan explain how her endless curiosity led her to study BSc Physics with Medical Physics and Bioengineering (page 22). Jacob (Oyinmiebi) Ebikibina-Oti shares his findings from a Master of Engineering (Biomedical) thesis investigating how femoral stem design influences stress distribution in cemented hip prostheses and Megen Frazer reflects on the experiences that shaped her journey into biomedical engineering (pages 17 and 23).
Elsewhere, Aaron Griffin, Jakub Adamczyk and Justin Miranda explain how speaking with clinical engineers across Ireland has confirmed that medical device visibility is a national challenge, not an isolated one (page 26).
Jonathon O’Reilly and Brian Clancy highlight latest findings of a study in laparoscopic imaging; and Nadia Serbusca offers some insight into her experience with the Clinical Engineering team in St Vincent’s University Hospital (page 28).
Finally, as she retires from her role in Clinical Engineering at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore (MRHT), John Adlington reflects on Sheila Knightly’s contribution to the hospital’s Clinical Engineering department and the wider profession (page 12).
Our thanks, as always, go to Kate McDonald and Frank Kelly for co-ordinating and to all of those who contributed. If you would like to contribute to a future edition, please get in touch.
We are already gearing up for our next BEAI Annual Scientific Conference, which takes place in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on September 17th and 18th. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Eoghan Hayden, Chairperson, BEAI