Bio-mathematical Models of Aggregated Tissues & Organ Properties

Realistic surgical simulation requires a combination of representative tissue geometry, accurate tissue material properties and lifelike tool-tissue interaction forces. Recent advances in computational power and imaging modalities have provided the capability to represent the anatomical details required for surgical training; however, the mathematical models which govern the underlying tissue properties and tool tissue interactions have not reached the same level of maturity. While individual tissue types have been characterized, the boundaries and transition regions between tissue types has been typically neglected. The proposed effort aims to focus on mathematical characterization on the muscle-tendon junction (MTJ) utilizing a combination of novel experimental and simulation based techniques. The mechanical response of the MTJ will be analyzed using X-ray diffraction imaging to generate a full strain field representation of the tissue transition region. Using this information, a novel modeling approach will be developed for the MTJ. This biophysical mathematical model can then be incorporated into surgical simulation systems to improve the physical representation of the tissue deformation, enhance the tool-tissue interaction, and increase the simulation stability under large strain. This process also serves as a demonstration of the overall methodology which can be applied to other tissue transition and interaction regions.