Showing papers by "Gerhard Holzapfel published in 2007"

Layer-Specific 3D Residual Deformations of Human Aortas with Non-Atherosclerotic Intimal Thickening

Abstract: Data relating to residual deformations in human arteries are scarce. In this paper we investigate three-dimensional residual deformations for intact strips and for their separate layers from human aortas in their passive state. From 11 abdominal aortas with identified anamnesis, 16 pairs of rings and axial strips were harvested, and the rings cut open. After 16 h images of the resulting geometries were recorded, and the strips were separated into their three layers; after another 6 h images were again recorded. Image processing and analysis was then used to quantify residual stretches and curvatures. For each specimen histological analysis established that the intima, media and adventitia were clearly separated, and the separation was atraumatic. Axial in situ stretches were determined to be 1.196 ± 0.084. On separation, the strips from the adventitia and media shortened (between 4.03 and 8.76% on average), while the intimal strips elongated on average by 3.84% (circumferential) and 4.28% (axial) relative to the associated intact strips. After separation, the adventitia from the ring sprang open by about 180° on average, becoming flat, the intima opened only slightly, but the media sprang open by more than 180° (as did the intact strip). The adventitia and intima from the axial strips remained flat, while the media (and the intact strip) bent away from the vessel axis. This study has shown that residual deformations are three dimensional and cannot be described by a single parameter such as ‘the’ opening angle. Their quantification and modeling therefore require consideration of both stretching and bending, which are highly layer-specific and axially dependent.

Penetration-Enhanced Ultrasharp Microneedles and Prediction on Skin Interaction for Efficient Transdermal Drug Delivery

Abstract: This paper presents penetration-enhanced hollow microneedles and an analysis on the biomechanical interaction between microneedles and skin tissue. The aim of this paper is to fabricate microneedles that reliably penetrate the skin tissue without using penetration enhancers or special insertion tools that were used in the previous studies. The microneedles are made of silicon and feature ultrasharp tips and side openings. The microneedle chips were experimentally tested in vivo by injection of dye markers. To further investigate the penetration, the insertion progression and the insertion force were monitored by measuring the electrical impedance between microneedles and a counter electrode on the skin. The microneedle design was also tested using a novel simulation approach and compared to other previously published microneedle designs. The purpose of this specific part of the paper was to investigate the interaction mechanisms between a microneedle and the skin tissue. This investigation is used to predict how the skin deforms upon insertion and how microneedles can be used to create a leak-free liquid delivery into the skin. The fabricated microneedles successfully penetrated dry living human skin at all the tested sites. The insertion characteristic of the microneedle was superior to an earlier presented type, and the insertion force of a single microneedle was estimated to be below 10 mN. This low insertion force represents a significant improvement to earlier reported results and potentially allows a microneedle array with hundreds of needles to be inserted into tissue by hand.

Stress-driven collagen fiber remodeling in arterial walls.

Abstract: A stress-driven model for the relation between the collagen morphology and the loading conditions in arterial walls is proposed We assume that the two families of collagen fibers in arterial walls are aligned along preferred directions, located between the directions of the two maximal principal stresses For the determination of these directions an iterative finite element based procedure is developed As an example the remodeling of a section of a human common carotid artery is simulated We find that the predicted fiber morphology correlates well with experimental observations Interesting outcomes of the model including local shear minimization and the possibility of axial compressions due to high blood pressure are revealed and discussed

Transversely isotropic membrane shells with application to mitral valve mechanics. constitutive modelling and finite element implementation

Abstract: The present study addresses constitutive modelling and implementation of transversely isotropic hyperelastic material models for the analysis of the mitral valve. This valve separates the left atri ...

A continuum model for remodeling in living structures

Abstract: A new remodeling theory accounting for mechanically driven collagen fiber reorientation in cardiovascular tissues is proposed. The constitutive equations for the living tissues are motivated by phenomenologically based microstructural considerations on the collagen fiber level. Homogenization from this molecular microscale to the macroscale of the cardiovascular tissue is performed via the concept of chain network models. In contrast to purely invariant-based macroscopic approaches, the present approach is thus governed by a limited set of physically motivated material parameters. Its particular feature is the underlying orthotropic unit cell which inherently incorporates transverse isotropy and standard isotropy as special cases. To account for mechanically induced remodeling, the unit cell dimensions are postulated to change gradually in response to mechanical loading. From an algorithmic point of view, rather than updating vector-valued microstructural directions, as in previously suggested models, we update the scalar-valued dimensions of this orthotropic unit cell with respect to the positive eigenvalues of a tensorial driving force. This update is straightforward, experiences no singularities and leads to a stable and robust remodeling algorithm. Embedded in a finite element framework, the algorithm is applied to simulate the uniaxial loading of a cylindrical tendon and the complex multiaxial loading situation in a model artery. After investigating different material and spatial stress and strain measures as potential driving forces, we conclude that the Cauchy stress, i.e., the true stress acting on the deformed configuration, seems to be a reasonable candidate to drive the remodeling process.

Modeling Plaque Fissuring and Dissection during Balloon Angioplasty Intervention

Abstract: Balloon angioplasty intervention is traumatic to arterial tissue. Fracture mechanisms such as plaque fissuring and/or dissection occur and constitute major contributions to the lumen enlargement. However, these types of mechanically-based traumatization of arterial tissue are also contributing factors to both acute procedural complications and chronic restenosis of the treatment site. We propose physical and finite element models, which are generally useable to trace fissuring and/or dissection in atherosclerotic plaques during balloon angioplasty interventions. The arterial wall is described as an anisotropic, heterogeneous, highly deformable, nearly incompressible body, whereas tissue failure is captured by a strong discontinuity kinematics and a novel cohesive zone model. The numerical implementation is based on the partition of unity finite element method and the interface element method. The later is used to link together meshes of the different tissue components. The balloon angioplasty-based failure mechanisms are numerically studied in 3D by means of an atherosclerotic-prone human external iliac artery, with a type V lesion. Image-based 3D geometry is generated and tissue-specific material properties are considered. Numerical results show that in a primary phase the plaque fissures at both shoulders of the fibrous cap and stops at the lamina elastica interna. In a secondary phase, local dissections between the intima and the media develop at the fibrous cap location with the smallest thickness. The predicted results indicate that plaque fissuring and dissection cause localized mechanical trauma, but prevent the main portion of the stenosis from high stress, and hence from continuous tissue damage.

A Numerical Model to Study the Interaction of Vascular Stents with Human Atherosclerotic Lesions

Abstract: A methodology is proposed that identifies optimal stent devices for specific clinical criteria. It enables to predict the effect of stent designs on the mechanical environment of stenotic arteries. ...

A constitutive model for fibrous tissues considering collagen fiber crimp

Abstract: A micromechanically based constitutive model for fibrous tissues is presented. The model considers the randomly crimped morphology of individual collagen fibers, a morphology typically seen in photomicrographs of tissue samples. It describes the relationship between the fiber endpoints and its arc-length in terms of a measurable quantity, which can be estimated from image data. The collective mechanical behavior of collagen fibers is presented in terms of an explicit expression for the strain-energy function, where a fiber-specific random variable is approximated by a Beta distribution. The model-related stress and elasticity tensors are provided. Two representative numerical examples are analyzed with the aim of demonstrating the peculiar mechanism of the constitutive model and quantifying the effect of parameter changes on the mechanical response. In particular, a fibrous tissue, assumed to be (nearly) incompressible, is subject to a uniaxial extension along the fiber direction, and, separately, to pure shear. It is shown that the fiber crimp model can reproduce several of the expected characteristics of fibrous tissues.

Finite Element Modeling of Balloon Angioplasty by Considering Overstretch of Remnant Non-diseased Tissues in Lesions

Abstract: The paper deals with the modeling of balloon angioplasty by considering the balloon-induced overstretch of remnant non-diseased tissues in atherosclerotic arteries. A stenotic artery is modeled as a heterogenous structure composed of adventitia, media and a model plaque, and residual stresses are considered. The constitutive models are able to capture the anisotropic elastic tissue response in addition to the inelastic phenomena associated with tissue stretches beyond the physiological domain. The inelastic model describes the experimentally-observed changes of the wall during balloon inflation, i.e. non-recoverable deformation, and tissue weakening. The contact of the artery with a balloon catheter is simulated by a point-to-surface strategy. The states of deformations and stresses within the artery before, during and after balloon inflation are computed, compared and discussed. The 3D stress states at physiological loading conditions before and after balloon inflation differ significantly, and even compressive normal stresses may occur in the media after dilation.

A procedure to simulate coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Abstract: In coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery the involved tissues are overstretched, which may lead to intimal hyperplasia and graft failure. We propose a computational methodology for the simulation of traditional CABG surgery, and analyze the effect of two clinically relevant parameters on the artery and graft responses, i.e., incision length and insertion angle for a given graft diameter. The computational structural analyses are based on actual three-dimensional vessel dimensions of a human coronary artery and a human saphenous vein. The analyses consider the structure of the end-to-side anastomosis, the residual stresses and the typical anisotropic and nonlinear vessel behaviors. The coronary artery is modeled as a three-layer thick-walled tube. The finite element method is employed to predict deformation and stress distribution at various stages of CABG surgery. Small variations of the arterial incision have relatively big effects on the size of the arterial opening, which depends solely on the residual stress state. The incision length has a critical influence on the graft shape and the stress in the graft wall. Stresses at the heel region are higher than those at the toe region. The changes in the mechanical environment are severe along all transitions between the venous tissue and the host artery. Particular stress concentrations occur at the incision ends. The proposed computational methodology may be useful in designing a coronary anastomotic device for reducing surgical trauma. It may improve the quantitative knowledge of vessel diseases and serve as a tool for virtual planning of vascular surgery.

A method for the approximation of non-uniform fiber misalignment in textile composites using picture frame test

Abstract: Due to the complexity of woven structures, the assumption of perfectly aligned fibers for some textile composites is unrealistic. In more sophisticated material models, therefore, possible fiber misalignment is accounted for. On the other hand, non-uniformity of the misalignment distribution in a fabric may become a second but important problem. This paper presents an inverse methodology from which a reliable approximation of the non-uniform misalignment state in a woven fabric may be made. Basically, the approximation requires a representative constitutive model and a set of picture frame tests where fiber misalignment plays a key role. Uniaxial and bias-extension tests are also used to identify the constitutive model parameters independently. The detail procedure is shown for a typical 2 x 2 twill weave fabric as an illustrative example. Results are discussed and compared to other approaches to reveal the benefits and limitations of the proposed method.

In vivo characterization of the mechanics of human uterine cervices

Abstract: The uterine cervix has to provide mechanical resistance to ensure a normal development of the fetus. This is guaranteed by the composition of its extracellular matrix, which functions as a fiber-reinforced composite. At term a complex remodeling process allows the cervical canal to open for birth. This remodeling is achieved by changes in the quality and quantity of collagen fibers and ground substance and their interplay, which influences the biomechanical behavior of the cervix but also contributes to pathologic conditions such as cervical incompetence (CI). We start by reviewing the anatomy and histological composition of the human cervix, and discuss its physiologic function and pathologic condition in pregnancy including biomechanical aspects. Established diagnostic methods on the cervix (palpation, endovaginal ultrasound) used in clinics as well as methods for assessment of cervical consistency (light-induced fluorescence, electrical current, and impedance) are discussed. We show the first clinical application of an aspiration device, which allows in vivo testing of the biomechanical properties of the cervix with the aim to establish the physiological biomechanical changes throughout gestation and to detect pregnant women at risk for CI. In a pilot study on nonpregnant cervices before and after hysterectomy we found no considerable difference in the biomechanical response between in vivo and ex vivo. An outlook on further clinical applications during pregnancy is presented.

A numerical framework to model 3-D fracture in bone tissue with application to failure of the proximal femur

Abstract: Bone can be regarded as a quasi-brittle material. Under excessive loading nonlinear fracture zones may occur ahead the crack tips, where, typically, cohesive mechanisms are activated. The finite element method provides a powerful tool to analyze fracture formations on a numerical basis, and to better understand failure mechanisms within complex structures. The present work aims to introduce a particular numerical framework to investigate bone failure. We combine the partition of unity finite element method with the cohesive crack concept, and a two-step predictor-corrector algorithm for tracking 3-D non-interacting crack paths. This approach renders a numerically efficient tool that is able to capture the strong discontinuity kinematics in an accurate way. The prediction of failure propagation in the proximal part of the femur under compressive load demonstrates the suitability of the proposed concept. A 3-D finite element model, which accounts for inhomoge-neous fracture properties, was used for the prediction of the 3-D crack surface. The achieved computational results were compared with experimental data available in the literature.

Characterizing the mechanical response of soft human tissue for medical applications

Abstract: Intra-operative experiments are performed for mechanical characterization of human organs using the so called "aspiration test". Mechanical parameters are determined from the experimental data that are useful for medical simulation as well as for diagnostic purposes. The inverse problem is solved in order to determine the parameter of constitutive equations that account for viscoelastic or viscoplastic tissue response at large deformations. The results of clinical studies with measurements of the mechanical response of human liver and uterine cervix are summarized.

Mechanical stresses in abdominal aortic aneurysm. Material anisotropy a parametric study

Abstract: Biomechanical studies suggest that one determinant of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is related to the stress in the wall. To date, stress analysis conducted on AAA is mainly driven by isotropic tissue models. However, recent biaxial tensile tests performed on AAA tissue samples demonstrate the anisotropic nature of this tissue. The purpose of this work is to study the influence of geometry and material anisotropy on the magnitude and distribution of the peak wall stress in AAAs. Three-dimensional computer models of symmetric and asymmetric AAAs were generated. A five parameter exponential type structural strain-energy function was used to model the anisotropic behavior of the AAA tissue. The anisotropy is determined by the orientation of the collagen fibers (one parameter of the model). The results suggest that shorter aneurysms are more critical when asymmetries are present. They show a strong influence of the material anisotropy on the magnitude and distribution of the peak stress.

A Theoretical Model for Saccular Cerebral Aneurysm Growth: Deformation and Stress Analysis

Abstract: A Theoretical Model for Saccular Cerebral Aneurysm Growth : Deformation and Stress Analysis