Theoretical and experimental investigation of cartilage replacement material for medical applications

Soft tissues are commonly applied in surgery to replace the injured articular cartilage. Many biological researches were carried out through mechanical and histological experiments. They focus on the function, degeneration and regeneration of the articular cartilage and fibrocartilage. The aim of the presented work is to develop a method to characterize the mechanical properties of different kinds of soft tissues and to trace the evolution of elastic properties in implants during the remodeling process. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Boundary elements and β-spline surface modeling for medical applications

The aim of this paper is to present and discuss an approach based on the integration of the boundary element method (BEM) with β-spline geometric modeling of the different surfaces involved in the external bone remodeling phenomena. The purpose of combining these two techniques is to avoid the jagged edges shapes and thus, to increase the convergence speed of the bone remodeling function. In this study, the external bone remodeling model proposed by Fridez et al. [P. Fridez, L. Rakotomanana, A. Terrier, P.F. Leyvraz, Three dimensional model of bone external adaptation, Comput. Methods Biomech. Biomed. Eng. 2 (1998) 189–196] is used. This model shows the change of the external bone surface remodeling at a boundary point, as a function of the stimulus variable Ψ. This variable is related to the stress tensor and the normal vector to that point. The β-spline surfaces were used because they are simple and reliable to smooth the contour by using the less possible number of geometric constraints. Some numerical examples are presented and discussed in order to show the versatility of the proposed approach.     

An anisotropic viscoelastic soft tissue model at large strains

Soft biological tissues represent complex inhomogeneous, and as a rule multiphase materials subjected to large strains under in vivo mechanical conditions. Apart from a number of other structural-related features they are characterized by a ratedependent material behavior which is attributed to fluid-solid interactions as well as intrinsic viscoelastic properties of the solid matrix. The authors propose to model rate-dependent phenomena of the solid phase of soft biological tissues within the context of a thermodynamically consistent phenomenological material approach resulting from an overstress concept. Due to the presence of directed fibrous constituents soft tissues should be considered as anisotropic materials. Therefore, the viscous overstress model has been completed by a transversely isotropic approach. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical Simulation of Anisotropy Directions in Soft Tissues and in Particular in Skin

Orientation of collagen fibers and their spatial distribution predefine macroscopic mechanical properties of the soft tissue and in particular its anisotropy directions. In this contribution, we apply two different procedures to automatically generate these directions for a 3D FE-model. The first procedure is based on an analogy with a heat conduction problem. Accordingly, a thermal flux under certain temperature boundary conditions is calculated by the same FE model and is further utilized for the definition of the anisotropy directions. The numerical result shows good agreement with Langer's lines data in human skin. Within the second procedure, the fiber vector field is calculated by the Laplacian smoothing method based on the user defined fiber direction sketches. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comparison of a biphasic and a multicomponent model describing viscoelastic swelling phenomena

Biological soft tissues like articular cartilage and their artificial replacement hydrogel have a multicomponent microstructure, consisting of a charged viscoelastic solid matrix saturated by a fluid, which is composed of the liquid solvent and the dissolved anions and cations. Such charged multiphasic materials exhibit a swelling behaviour under varying chemical conditions. These materials are best described by a macroscopic approach like the Theory of Porous Media (TPM). Starting from this point, a standard two-phase model is extended by dividing the fluid into the above mentioned components. Therein, the chemical relations describing the behaviour of the ions and their interaction with the other mixture constituents are incorporated. The resulting model covers mechanical as well as osmotic and electrostatic effects. For numerical and simplicity reasons, it is possible to describe the swelling phenomena by a simplified biphasic model, where the ions as a third degree of freedom and their time-dependent diffusion are neglected. Furthermore, the viscoelastic solid matrix can be replaced by an elastic material. Note that using the multicomponent model generally results in numerical problems, since the boundary conditions depend on the internal fixed charge density. It is shown that this problem can be solved by including the boundary conditions into the weak formulation. Finally, to compare the different behaviour of the above mentioned models by means of an swelling example, they are implemented into the FE tool PANDAS using stable Taylor-Hood elements for the spatial discretization. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A two-stage tandem queue attended by a moving server with holding and switching costs

We consider a two-stage tandem queue attended by a moving server, with homogeneous Poisson arrivals and general service times. Two different holding costs for stages 1 and 2 and different switching costs from one stage to the other are considered. We show that the optimal policy in the second stage is greedy; and if the holding cost rate in the second stage is greater or equal to the rate in the first stage, then the optimal policy in the second stage is also exhaustive. Then, the optimality condition for sequential service policy in systems with zero switchover times is introduced. Considering some properties of the optimal policy, we then define a Triple-Threshold (TT) policy to approximate the optimal policy in the first stage. Finally, a model is introduced to find the optimal TT policy, and using numerical results, it is shown that the TT policy accurately approximates the optimal policy. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An examination of tissue engineered scaffolds in a bioreactor

Replacement tissues, designed to fill in articular cartilage defects, should exhibit the same properties as the native material. The aim of this study is to foster the understanding of, firstly, the mechanical behavior of the material itself and, secondly, the influence of cultivation parameters on cell seeded implants as well as on cell migration into acellular implants. In this study, acellular cartilage replacement material is theoretically, numerically and experimentally investigated regarding its viscoelastic properties, where a phenomenological model for practical applications is developed. Furthermore, remodeling and cell migration are investigated. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modeling of large deformation frictional contact in powder compaction processes

In this paper, the computational aspects of large deformation frictional contact are presented in powder forming processes. The influence of powder–tool friction on the mechanical properties of the final product is investigated in pressing metal powders. A general formulation of continuum model is developed for frictional contact and the computational algorithm is presented for analyzing the phenomena. It is particularly concerned with the numerical modeling of frictional contact between a rigid tool and a deformable material. The finite element approach adopted is characterized by the use of penalty approach in which a plasticity theory of friction is incorporated to simulate sliding resistance at the powder–tool interface. The constitutive relations for friction are derived from a Coulomb friction law. The frictional contact formulation is performed within the framework of large FE deformation in order to predict the non-uniform relative density distribution during large deformation of powder die pressing. A double-surface cap plasticity model is employed together with the nonlinear contact friction behavior in numerical simulation of powder material. Finally, the numerical schemes are examined for efficiency and accuracy in modeling of several powder compaction processes.     

Numerical and experimental investigations of dynamic contact phenomena in jointed structures

Structural dynamic properties like stiffness and damping are strongly influenced by contact phenomena in jointed structures. Therefore numerical and experimental investigations are presented, in order to understand and predict the behaviour of such mechanical devices. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Analytical relationships for the mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials based on octahedral unit cells

Additively manufacturing (AM) techniques make it possible to fabricate open-cell interconnected structures with precisely controllable micro-architectures. It has been shown that the morphology, pore size, and relative density of a porous structure determine its macro-scale homogenized mechanical properties and, thus, its biological performance as a biomaterial. In this study, we used analytical, numerical, and experimental techniques to study the elastic modulus, Poisson`s ratio, and yield stress of AM porous biomaterials made by repeating the same octahedral unit cell in all spatial directions. Analytical relationships were obtained based on both Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories by studying a single unit cell experiencing the loads and boundary conditions sensed in an infinite lattice structure. Both single unit cells and corresponding lattice structures were manufactured using AM and mechanically tested under compression to determine the experimental values of mechanical properties. Finite element models of both single unit cell and lattice structure were also built to estimate their mechanical properties numerically. Differences in the bulk mechanical properties of struts built in different directions were observed experimentally and were taken into account in derivation of the analytical solutions. Although the analytical and numerical results were generally in good agreement, the mechanical properties obtained by the Timoshenko beam theory were closer to numerical results. The maximum difference between analytical and numerical results for elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio was below 6%, while for yield stress it was about 13%, both occurring at the relative density of 50%. The maximum difference between the analytical and experimental values of the elastic modulus was <15% (relative density = 50%).     

A relaxation scheme for the approximation of the pressureless Euler equations

In the present work, we consider the numerical approximation of pressureless gas dynamics in one and two spatial dimensions. Two particular phenomena are of special interest for us, namely δ‐shocks and vacuum states. A relaxation scheme is developed which reliably captures these phenomena. In one space dimension, we prove the validity of several stability criteria, i.e., we show that a maximum principle as well as the TVD property for the discrete velocity component and the validity of discrete entropy inequalities hold. Several numerical tests considering not only the developed first‐order scheme but also a classical MUSCL‐type second‐order extension confirm the reliability and robustness of the relaxation approach. The article extends previous results on the topic: the stability conditions for relaxation methods for the pressureless case are refined, useful properties for the time stepping procedure are established, and two‐dimensional numerical results are presented. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2006     

An imperfect debugging model with two types of hazard rates for software reliability measurement and assessment

We propose a software reliability model which assumes that there are two types of software failures. The first type is caused by the faults latent in the system before the testing; the second type is caused by the faults regenerated randomly during the testing phase. The former and latter software failure-occurrence phenomena are described by a geometrically decreasing and a constant hazard rate, respectively. Further, this model describes the imperfect debugging environment in which the fault-correction activity corresponding to each software failure is not always performed perfectly. Defining a random variable representing the cumulative number of faults successfully corrected up to a specified time point, we use a Markov process to formulate this model. Several quantitative measures for software reliability assessment are derived from this model. Finally, numerical examples of software reliability analysis based on the actual testing data are presented.     

Experimental and numerical study of the relaxation behavior of facial soft tissue

Challenges in computational simulation of the mechanical behavior of soft tissues and organs for clinical applications are related to the reliability of the models with respect to the anatomy, the mechanical interactions between different tissues, and the non linear (time dependent) force deformation characteristics of soft biological materials. In this paper a 3D finite element model of the face and neck, which has applications in surgical devices optimization and surgery planning, is presented. Bones, muscles, skin, fat, and superficial muscoloaponeurotic system (SMAS) were reconstructed from magnetic resonance images and their shape, constraints and interactions have been modeled according to anatomical, plastic and reconstructive surgery literature. Non linear time dependent constitutive equations are implemented in the numerical model, based on the Rubin-Bodner model. For the present calculations a simplified hyperelastic formulation has been used. The corresponding model parameters were selected according to previous work with mechanical measurements ex vivo on facial soft tissue. For determination of model parameters, in particular the ones corresponding to the time dependent behavior, an instrument for measuring the relaxation behavior of the face tissue in vivo was developed. The experimental set-up is described and results are presented for tests performed on different locations of the face (jaw, mid-face, parotid regions) and neck. The measured “long term” reaction force of the facial soft tissue is compared to numerical results. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Performance predictions in solid oxide fuel cells

The results of numerical calculations performed for planar solid oxide fuel cells are presented. Two different approaches are developed: (i) A detail numerical method and (ii) a presumed flow method. In the first approach, a commercial computational fluid dynamics code is employed, and user-defined-functions are developed to account for electro-chemical considerations. In the second approach, where the momentum equations do not require to be solved, an in-house code is developed and used to perform calculations. In both cases the following coupled physicochemical phenomena are modelled; heat and mass transfer, electrochemistry and electric potential. The polarisation curve is generally accepted as an important performance measure of the fuel cell. Performance predictions for this characteristic made by the two different approaches are compared. Results show voltage losses due activation, Ohmic resistance, and mass transfer in a typical solid oxide fuel cell, over a range of current density values. The results for the detailed numerical method are discussed in some detail with regard to the influence of different parameters on the overall performance of the device.     

Developing a Simplified Surrogate Model for Structured Sheet Metals with Numerical and Experimental Comparisons

It is important to steadily refine lightweight designs with regard to saving resources and energy in common with good economic efficiency. Thin structured sheet metals offer significantly improved component stiffnesses in addition to an upgraded buckling behavior compared to flat, unstructured sheet metals. By using a distortion energy based homogenization method it is possible to develop a mechanical surrogate model which describes effective mean properties. The accurate selection of symmetric and periodic boundaries enables to determine the required parameters. The conditions are contemplated on elementary cells whose structural mechanical behavior is representative for the elastic behavior of large structures. By doing this, the amount of elements can be reduced and thus the calculating time of large components can considerably be saved. For an efficient surrogate model it is required to analyze and compare numerical with experimental investigations. Some different versions of optimization will be tested to get better approximation of the data. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the simulation of textile reinforced composites and structures

This paper presents experimental and numerical methods to perform simulations of the mechanical behavior of textile reinforced composites and structures. The first aspect considered refers to the meso-to-macro transition in the framework of the finite element (FE) method. Regarding an effective modelling strategy the Binary Model is used to represent the discretized complex architecture of the composite. To simulate the local response and to compute the macroscopic stress and stiffness undergoing small strain a user routine is developed. The results are transfered to the macroscopic model during the solution process. The second aspect concerns the configuration of the fiber orientation and textile shear deformation in complex structural components. To take these deformations which affect the macroscopic material properties into account they are regarded in a macroscopic FE model. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A two-dimensional orthotropic model for simulating wood drying processes

Wood is a naturally occurring resource that must be dried before it can be manufactured. Drying is important for a number of reasons that include the protection of the wood against biological damage and the reduction of the moisture content to final equilibrium levels. The complexities involved in modelling this drying process consist of analyzing the heat and mass transfer phenomena that arise in an anisotropic, nonhomogeneous, and hygroscopic porous medium. In this work, a two-dimensional orthotropic mathematical model is formulated and a numerical code based on a structured mesh cell centered control volume approach is implemented in order to allow a more comprehensive numerical investigation of the convective drying of wood to be undertaken. A comparison is made between two different numerical solution techniques; the first numerical method solves the system of equations by treating each equation in an uncoupled form, while the second scheme solves the entire system as a completely coupled set. The most efficient numerical algorithm was obtained when the system was solved using the coupled procedure. In order to examine the important differences of the overall kinetics for both low and high temperature drying, simulation results for three different cases of convective drying of wood are presented. These cases include the drying of wood below the boiling point at a relatively low temperature of 50 °C, a moderate temperature of 80 °C, and above the boiling point at the high temperature of 120 °C. The two-dimensional model highlights the following two very important facts: for an anisotropic medium, where the ratio between longitudinal and transverse permeabilities is of the order of 10³, the moisture migration occurs in the longitudinal sense which is the most permeable direction in the wood; and the behavior of the internal gaseous pressure can have a substantial impact on moisture migration.     

Micro-mechanical modeling of anisotropic inelastic response of soft tissues under supra-physiological loading

Under supra-physiological loading, soft tissues exhibit many inelastic phenomena, such as stress softening, hysteresis and permanent set [1]. Knowledge of the mechanical response of soft tissues under such a large range of deformation is vital for optimizations of vascular medical devices or improvement of injury prevention techniques. In this work, a micro-mechanical model is proposed for soft collagenous tissues. Besides the anisotropy the model can also describe the aforementioned inelastic effects under extremal loadings. To this end, the dispersion of collagen fibers in the soft tissues is captured by a probability distribution of fiber orientations around preferred directions. The deformation induced damage inside the tissue is assumed to take place between collagen fibrils and is included within a statistical mechanical framework. Finally, the accuracy of the model is assessed by comparison with experimental data available in the literature. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)