scholarly journals Numerical Investigation on the Role of Mechanical Factors Contributing to Globe Flattening in States of Elevated Intracranial Pressure

Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 316
Author(s):  
Jafar A. Mehr ◽  
Heather E. Moss ◽  
Hamed Hatami-Marbini

Flattening of the posterior eye globe in the magnetic resonance (MR) images is a sign associated with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), often seen in people with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The exact underlying mechanisms of globe flattening (GF) are not fully known but mechanical factors are believed to play a role. In the present study, we investigated the effects of material properties and pressure loads on GF. For this purpose, we used a generic finite element model to investigate the deformation of the posterior eyeball. The degree of GF in numerical models and the significance of different mechanical factors on GF were characterized using an automated angle-slope technique and a statistical measure. From the numerical models, we found that ICP had the most important role in GF. We also showed that the angle-slope graphs pertaining to MR images from five people with high ICP can be represented numerically by manipulating the parameters of the finite element model. This numerical study suggests that GF observed in IIH patients can be accounted for by the forces caused by elevation of ICP from its normal level, while material properties of ocular tissues, such as sclera (SC), peripapillary sclera (PSC), and optic nerve (ON), would impact its severity.

Author(s):  
Sean M. Finley ◽  
J. Harley Astin ◽  
Evan Joyce ◽  
Andrew T. Dailey ◽  
Douglas L. Brockmeyer ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE The underlying biomechanical differences between the pediatric and adult cervical spine are incompletely understood. Computational spine modeling can address that knowledge gap. Using a computational method known as finite element modeling, the authors describe the creation and evaluation of a complete pediatric cervical spine model. METHODS Using a thin-slice CT scan of the cervical spine from a 5-year-old boy, a 3D model was created for finite element analysis. The material properties and boundary and loading conditions were created and model analysis performed using open-source software. Because the precise material properties of the pediatric cervical spine are not known, a published parametric approach of scaling adult properties by 50%, 25%, and 10% was used. Each scaled finite element model (FEM) underwent two types of simulations for pediatric cadaver testing (axial tension and cardinal ranges of motion [ROMs]) to assess axial stiffness, ROM, and facet joint force (FJF). The authors evaluated the axial stiffness and flexion-extension ROM predicted by the model using previously published experimental measurements obtained from pediatric cadaveric tissues. RESULTS In the axial tension simulation, the model with 50% adult ligamentous and annulus material properties predicted an axial stiffness of 49 N/mm, which corresponded with previously published data from similarly aged cadavers (46.1 ± 9.6 N/mm). In the flexion-extension simulation, the same 50% model predicted an ROM that was within the range of the similarly aged cohort of cadavers. The subaxial FJFs predicted by the model in extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were in the range of 1–4 N and, as expected, tended to increase as the ligament and disc material properties decreased. CONCLUSIONS A pediatric cervical spine FEM was created that accurately predicts axial tension and flexion-extension ROM when ligamentous and annulus material properties are reduced to 50% of published adult properties. This model shows promise for use in surgical simulation procedures and as a normal comparison for disease-specific FEMs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 155892501988640
Author(s):  
Xiao-Shun Zhao ◽  
He Jia ◽  
Zhihong Sun ◽  
Li Yu

At present, most space inflatable structures are composed of flexible inflatable fabrics with complex undevelopable surfaces. It is difficult to establish a multi-dimensional folding model for this type of structure. To solve this key technical problem, the motion folding method is proposed in this study. First, a finite element model with an original three-dimensional surface was flattened with a fluid structure interaction algorithm. Second, the flattened surface was folded based on the prescribed motion of the node groups, and the final folding model was obtained. The fold modeling process of this methodology was consistent with the actual folding processes. Because the mapping relationship between the original finite element model and the final folding model was unchanged, the initial stress was used to modify the model errors during folding process of motion folding method. The folding model of an inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, which could not be established using existing folding methods, was established by using motion folding method. The folding model of the inflatable aerodynamic decelerator showed that the motion folding method could achieve multi-dimensional folding and a high spatial compression rate. The stability and regularity of the inflatable aerodynamic decelerator numerical inflation process and the consistency of the inflated and design shapes indicated the reliability, applicability, and feasibility of the motion folding method. The study results could provide a reference for modeling complex inflatable fabrics and promote the numerical study of inflatable fabrics.


Author(s):  
X. G. Tan ◽  
R. Kannan ◽  
Andrzej J. Przekwas

Until today the modeling of human body biomechanics poses many great challenges because of the complex geometry and the substantial heterogeneity of human body. We developed a detailed human body finite element model in which the human body is represented realistically in both the geometry and the material properties. The model includes the detailed head (face, skull, brain, and spinal cord), the skeleton, and air cavities (including the lung). Hence it can be used to accurately acquire the stress wave propagation in the human body under various loading conditions. The blast loading on the human surface was generated from the simulated C4 blast explosions, via a novel combination of 1-D and 3-D numerical formulations. We used the explicit finite element solver in the multi-physics code CoBi for the human body biomechanics. This is capable of solving the resulting large system containing millions of unknowns in an extremely scalable fashion. The meshes generated for these simulations are of good quality. This enables us to employ relatively large time step sizes, without resorting to the artificial time scaling treatment. In order to study the human body dynamic response under the blast loading, we also developed an interface to apply the blast pressure loading on the external human body surface. These newly developed models were used to conduct parametric simulations to find out the brain biomechanical response when the blasts impact the human body. Under the same blast loading we also show the differences of brain response when having different material properties for the skeleton, the existence of other body parts such as torso.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 3487-3502
Author(s):  
Hossein Moravej ◽  
Tommy HT Chan ◽  
Khac-Duy Nguyen ◽  
Andre Jesus

Structural health monitoring plays a significant role in providing information regarding the performance of structures throughout their life spans. However, information that is directly extracted from monitored data is usually susceptible to uncertainties and not reliable enough to be used for structural investigations. Finite element model updating is an accredited framework that reliably identifies structural behavior. Recently, the modular Bayesian approach has emerged as a probabilistic technique in calibrating the finite element model of structures and comprehensively addressing uncertainties. However, few studies have investigated its performance on real structures. In this article, modular Bayesian approach is applied to calibrate the finite element model of a lab-scaled concrete box girder bridge. This study is the first to use the modular Bayesian approach to update the initial finite element model of a real structure for two states—undamaged and damaged conditions—in which the damaged state represents changes in structural parameters as a result of aging or overloading. The application of the modular Bayesian approach in the two states provides an opportunity to examine the performance of the approach with observed evidence. A discrepancy function is used to identify the deviation between the outputs of the experimental and numerical models. To alleviate computational burden, the numerical model and the model discrepancy function are replaced by Gaussian processes. Results indicate a significant reduction in the stiffness of concrete in the damaged state, which is identical to cracks observed on the body of the structure. The discrepancy function reaches satisfying ranges in both states, which implies that the properties of the structure are predicted accurately. Consequently, the proposed methodology contributes to a more reliable judgment about structural safety.


2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-279
Author(s):  
Thomas Wright ◽  
Imran Hyder ◽  
Mitchell Daniels ◽  
David Kim ◽  
John P. Parmigiani

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine which of the ten material properties of the Hashin progressive damage model significantly affect the maximum load-carrying ability of center-notched carbon fiber panels under in-plane tension and out-of-plane bending. Design/methodology/approach The approach used is to calculate the maximum load using a finite element model for a range of material property values as specified by a fraction factorial design. The finite element model used has been experimentally validated in prior work. Findings Results showed that for the laminates considered, at most three and as few as one of the ten Hashin material properties significantly affected the magnitude of the maximum load. Practical implications While the results of this paper only specifically apply to the laminates included in the study, the results suggest that, in general, only a small number of the Hashin material properties affect laminate load-carrying ability. Originality/value Knowing which properties are significant is of value in selecting materials to optimize performance and also in determining which properties need to be known to a high accuracy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rinchen Phuntsok ◽  
Marcus D. Mazur ◽  
Benjamin J. Ellis ◽  
Vijay M. Ravindra ◽  
Douglas L. Brockmeyer

OBJECT There is a significant deficiency in understanding the biomechanics of the pediatric craniocervical junction (CCJ) (occiput–C2), primarily because of a lack of human pediatric cadaveric tissue and the relatively small number of treated patients. To overcome this deficiency, a finite element model (FEM) of the pediatric CCJ was created using pediatric geometry and parameterized adult material properties. The model was evaluated under the physiological range of motion (ROM) for flexion-extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending and under tensile loading. METHODS This research utilizes the FEM method, which is a numerical solution technique for discretizing and analyzing systems. The FEM method has been widely used in the field of biomechanics. A CT scan of a 13-month-old female patient was used to create the 3D geometry and surfaces of the FEM model, and an open-source FEM software suite was used to apply the material properties and boundary and loading conditions and analyze the model. The published adult ligament properties were reduced to 50%, 25%, and 10% of the original stiffness in various iterations of the model, and the resulting ROMs for flexion-extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending were compared. The flexion-extension ROMs and tensile stiffness that were predicted by the model were evaluated using previously published experimental measurements from pediatric cadaveric tissues. RESULTS The model predicted a ROM within 1 standard deviation of the published pediatric ROM data for flexion-extension at 10% of adult ligament stiffness. The model's response in terms of axial tension also coincided well with published experimental tension characterization data. The model behaved relatively stiffer in extension than in flexion. The axial rotation and lateral bending results showed symmetric ROM, but there are currently no published pediatric experimental data available for comparison. The model predicts a relatively stiffer ROM in both axial rotation and lateral bending in comparison with flexion-extension. As expected, the flexion-extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending ROMs increased with the decrease in ligament stiffness. CONCLUSIONS An FEM of the pediatric CCJ was created that accurately predicts flexion-extension ROM and axial force displacement of occiput–C2 when the ligament material properties are reduced to 10% of the published adult ligament properties. This model gives a reasonable prediction of pediatric cervical spine ligament stiffness, the relationship between flexion-extension ROM, and ligament stiffness at the CCJ. The creation of this model using open-source software means that other researchers will be able to use the model as a starting point for research.


2007 ◽  
Vol 24-25 ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Jun Deng ◽  
Wei Xia ◽  
Long Sheng Lu ◽  
Yong Tang

2D finite element model with the same material for backup to minimize the burr size was developed to investigate mechanism of burr formation and burr minimization. The flowstress of the workpiece and backup material are taken as a function of strain, strain-rate and temperature. Temperature-dependent material properties are also considered. The Cockroft-Latham damage criterion has been adopted to simulate ductile fracture. The crack initiation and propagation is simulated by deleting the mesh element. The result shows putting a backup material behind the edge of the workpiece is an effective way to minimize the burr size. The effects of cutting condition, temperature and different backup material properties on the burr formation and burr size can be investigated using the developed finite element model. This model could be useful in the search for optimal tool geometry and cutting condition for burr minimization and for the modeling of a burr formation mechanism.


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