Giancarlo Pennati received his master degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano in 1989 and his PhD in Bioengineering from the Politecnico di Milano in 1995. Research fellows at the Department of Chemical Engineering in the period 1990-1992 and at the Department of Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano since 1991. In the period 1994-1999 he collaborated with the “Bioengineering Center for Innovation in Cardiac Surgery” at the San Raffaele Hospital. At present he is Full Professor in Industrial Bioengineering. His research activity is in the area of the mechanical modelling and testing of natural and engineered tissues, and biomaterials, the biomechanics of the cardiovascular system (in particular, the foetal and neonatal blood circulations) and the design of artificial organs and prostheses. Other topics concerns the optimisation of some surgical techniques as well as the diagnostic use of ultrasound techniques. is author of more than 180 scientific works, of which about 70 on peer-reviewed international journals.

Keywords: biomechanical design - ultrasounds – fatigue of medical devices