Experimental Continuum Mechanics
Soft Tissue Biomechanics
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Overview
Head of laboratory:
Edoardo Mazza
The study of the mechanical behavior of living tissues is a fascinating and
challenging application of continuum mechanics: soft biological tissues are
inhomogeneous, viscoelastic, anisotropic and are typically subjected to large
deformations. The definition of mathematical models for the description of their
mechanical behavior requires the application of sophisticated experimental
techniques. The construction, execution, analysis and interpretation of advanced
experiments for the characterization and understanding of the mechanical
behaviour of soft biological tissue represent our main contribution to this
field.
We use the “aspiration
device” for quasi-static measurements in-vivo, the “torsional
resonator device” for in-situ high frequency shear testing, the “inflation
device” and the biaxial materials
testing machine for multiaxial experiments with bio-membranes (e.g.
liver capsule, fetal membranes). Our studies are motivated by medical
applications:
(i) diagnosis (detection of liver pathologies [5t];
malfunctioning, “incompetent” uterine cervix; premature rupture of fetal membranes
(1)(2)(3),
(ii) surgery planning (facial tissue models for plastic surgery simulations,
transapical aortic valve implantation),
(iii) tissue replacement and implant development (e.g. supportive
implant
meshes for hernia or laxity, stents for cardiovascular applications).
Intra-operative application of our devices provides information on the in
vivo mechanical behavior of human organs (as opposed to more common observations
on specimen from animal organs or extracted from the human body). We have
performed a large number of in vivo aspiration experiments on human liver, thus
building a unique set of quantitative data on the in vivo mechanical response of
this organ. Our measurements on the uterine cervix of pregnant women provided
first objective data on the evolution of the compliance of the
cervix
during the gestation. These measurements
might represent the starting point for a new medical procedure for predicting
pre-term delivery.
The experimental observations are analyzed using nonlinear viscoelastic
constitutive models (inverse problem).
Different model formulations are evaluated in their capability of describing
soft tissue response under uniaxial and multiaxial loading states. Recent
efforts were towards a correlation between mechanical parameters and
histological observations or biochemical indices characterizing tissues
microstructure (e.g. for human liver and fetal membranes). In-situ experiments
in the multi-photon microscope provide information on distribution and
orientation of collagen fibers to inform the formulation of corresponding
random network models.
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Methods
Tissue aspiration
experiment
Torsional resonator
Membrane inflation
experiment
Biaxial materials
testing machine
Inverse problem
Histology/biochemistry/microscopy
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Group
Members and Projects
Barbara Roehrnbauer, Mechanical characterization and
modeling of prosthetic meshes
Wilfried Bürzle, Mechanics, Failure and Repair of Human
Fetal Membranes
Marc Farine, Nanoindentation of Soft materials and
Biological Tissues
Johannes Weickenmeier, Finite Element Modeling of the
Face
Sabrina Badir, Mechanical Characterization of the Human
Uterine Cervix during Pregnancy
Manfred Maurer, 3D Finite Element Pelvic Floor Modeling
Arabella Mauri, Microstructural Model of Fetal Membranes
Michela Perrini, Sealing and Healing of
Fetal Membrane
Raoul Hopf, Stent Induced Loading of the Aortic Valve
Complex
Nikolaos Karathanasopoulos, Planar Model of Helical
Structures
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Financial
support given by
ETH Zurich
NCCR Co-Me (Swiss National
Science Foundation)
KTI
Swiss National Science
Foundation
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Partners
Dr. Mahmood Jabareen, Technion, Haifa, Israel,
http://cee.technion.ac.il/eng/
Dr. Martin Ehrbar, USZ, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
http://www.geburtshilfe.usz.ch/
PD Dr. Michael Bajka, USZ, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
http://www.geburtshilfe.usz.ch/
Prof. Dr. R. Zimmermann, USZ, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
http://www.geburtshilfe.usz.ch/
MD Nicole Ochsenbein, USZ, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
http://www.geburtshilfe.usz.ch/
Dr. David Scheiner USZ, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
http://www.gynaekologie.usz.ch/
Prof. Dr. Jan Deprest, K. University Leuven,
http://www.kuleuven.be/cst/
NCCR Co-Me (Swiss National Science Foundation),
http://co-me.ch/
Prof. Dr. Volkmar Falk, USZ, Herz- und
Gefässchirurgie,
http://www.herzgefaesschirurgie.usz.ch/Seiten/default.aspx
Prof. Dr. Simon Hoerstrup, USZ,
Regenerative Medicine,
http://www.remedi.uzh.ch/index.html
Prof. Dr. Alex Dommann, CSEM Neuchatel,
http://www.csem.ch/site/
Prof. Dr. Caroline Maake, UZH, Anatomisches Institut,
http://www.anatom.uzh.ch/research/researchgroupmaake_en.html
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Publications
PhD theses
Peer reviewed papers
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Alumni
Pham, Minh Son, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2012
Winkler, Michael, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2012
Schläpfer, Benjamin, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2012
Mayer, Thomas, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2012
Jähne, Rene, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2012
Schifferle, Andreas, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Schmidt, Arne, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Radosavljevic, Marko, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Papes, Ondrej, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Hollenstein, Marc, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Helfenstein, Jörg, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Barbarino, Giuseppe, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2011
Egger, Julien
Julien has worked with us in 2009.
Binda, Luca, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2009
Jabareen, Mahmood, Dr.
Postdoc from 2007 to 2009
Wissler, Michael , Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2007
Weiss, Stephan, Dr.
Postdoc from 2006 to 2007
Valtorta, Davide, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2007
Colombo, Francesco, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2007
Nava, Alessandro, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2007
Masserey, Bernard, Dr.
Dissertation finished: 2006
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