Characterisation of wear debris from UHMWPE on zirconia ceramic, metal-on-metal and alumina ceramic-on-ceramic hip prostheses generated in a physiological anatomical hip joint simulator

There is currently much interest in the characterisation of wear debris from different types of artificial hip joints. There have been numerous studies on the wear of UHMWPE in hip joint simulators, but relatively few studies on the wear of alternative materials such as metal-on-metal (MOM) and ceramic-on-ceramic (COC). The aim of this study was to compare the wear volumes and wear debris generated from zirconia ceramic-on-UHMWPE, MOM and COC hip joints under identical conditions in the same hip joint simulator.

All prostheses showed an initial higher ‘bedding in’ wear rate, which was followed by a lower steady state wear rate. The zirconia ceramic-on UHMWPE prostheses showed the highest wear rates (31±4.0 mm³/million cycles), followed by the MOM (1.23±0.5 mm/million cycles), with the COC prostheses showing significantly (P<0.01) lower wear rates at 0.05±0.02 mm³/million cycles. The mode (±95% confidence limits) of the size distribution of the UHMWPE wear debris was 300±200, 30±2.25 nm for the metal particles, and 9±0.5 nm for the ceramic wear particles. The UHMWPE particles were significantly larger (P<0.05) than the metal and ceramic wear particles, and the metal particles were significantly larger (P<0.05) than the ceramic wear particles. A variety of morphologies and sizes were observed for the UHMWPE wear particles, including submicrometer granules and large flakes in excess of 50 μm. However, the wear particles generated in both the MOM and COC articulations were very uniform in size and oval or round in shape.

This investigation has demonstrated substantial differences in volumetric wear. The in vitro wear rates for the zirconia-on-UHMWPE and MOM are comparable with clinical studies and the UHMWPE and metal wear particles were similar to the wear debris isolated from retrieved tissues. However, the alumina/alumina wear rate was lower than some clinical retrieval studies, and the severe wear patterns and micrometer-sized particles described in vivo were not reproduced here.

This study revealed significant differences in the wear volumes and particle sizes from the three different prostheses. In addition, this study has shown that the alternative bearing materials such as MOM and COC may offer a considerable advantage over the more traditional articulations which utilise UHMWPE as a bearing material, both in terms of wear volume and osteolytic potential.     

Computational model of asperity contact for the prediction of UHMWPE mechanical and wear behaviour in total hip joint replacements

The effect of sliding friction on the size of yielding region in the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene asperity in contact with metal was investigated. The main objective of this work was to gain an understanding of wear particle generation mechanism from the two-dimensional finite element model. To assess the influence of the parameters of interest, different friction coefficients and loading conditions were used in the numerical simulations. Results from the finite element analysis show that the increase of the yielding region is strongly influenced by the friction coefficient and the rise in the tangential force, which is related to the generation of wear particles. Finite element wear particle generation model, based on strain discontinuities, was therefore proposed. The results obtained in this study can lead to the development of an accurate finite element particle generation model that would be of use in the assessment of an artificial implant performance and their development.     

Experimental extrapolation model for friction and wear of polymers on different testing scales

The friction and wear behaviour for polyoxymethylene homopolymers (POM-H) and polyethylene terephthalate with teflon additives (PET/PTFE) is compared on small-scale cylinder-on-plate tests (50-200 N normal loads) and large-scale flat-on-flat tests (190-3880 kN normal loads). A common parameter to characterise tribological data is the contact pressure×sliding velocity (pv-value), but its use seems restricted to a single testing scale. Four experimental models are presented to extrapolate tribological data from one to another testing scale, based on (i) one single mechanical parameter (normal load or contact pressure), (ii) two mechanical parameters (normal load and sliding velocity), (iii) the contact pressure-sliding velocity model (pv-temperature limit), (iv) macroscopic geometry model. The latter model is most extensive, considering the influences of thermal effects (frictional heat generation and dissipation), sample geometry (geometry factor G) and visco-elastic contact (critical contact pressure p₀). For unfilled polymers, the introduction of macroscopic scaling factors allows for the extrapolation of coefficients of friction obtained on different testing scales. Specific or volumetric wear rates cannot be extrapolated because they strongly depend on the sample geometry, while linear wear rates are in better agreement when considering the transitions between mild wear, softening and melting. For internally lubricated polymers, extrapolation is more difficult. The differences depending on the testing scale are attributed to contact stress concentrations near the sample borders and limited wear debris mobility within large contact areas, promoting a homogeneous film formation onto the polymer surface.     

汽车磁流变减振器的设计及多项式模型的研究

通过对汽车磁流变减振器的工作模式的分析,利用ANSYS电磁场模块和流体动力学模块,建立减振器磁路有限元模型。采用序惯耦合法,计算得出阻尼力-速度关系曲线,完成了汽车磁流变减振器结构优化设计及磁路分析。将所设计的磁流变减振器在MTS849减振器试验台上进行试验,测得磁流变减振器的示功图和速度特性,利用试验数据,进行多项式拟合,精确的建立了该减振器的阻尼力模型,与理论计算曲线比较,说明多项式模型能较好的描述减振器非线性特性和滞回特性。     

基于联合像素模型和WAVES的频InSAR相位融合

提出了一种基于联合像素模型和信号子空间加权平均方法(weighted average of signal subspaces,WAVES)的多频带InSAR自适应相位融合方法.首先,采用联合像素模型对各频带InSAR信号建模,然后,借鉴WAVES的思想对多频带信号子空间进行聚焦和加权,获得通用协方差矩阵,最后,利用窄带估计方法估计出绝对干涉相位.该方法可以在图像配准精度很差(可以允许达到一个分辨单元)的条件下获得稳健的干涉相位估计性能,仿真数据和SIR-C实际雷达数据验证了此方法的有效性.     

考虑能力演化的研发项目组合进度仿真模型

针对产品研发项目共享资源冲突导致组合进度难以估计的问题,改进了基于市场的资源竞标与价格更新机制,基于能力演化模型及效率转化函数构建资源占用时长动态模型,进而以资源成本和拖期惩罚为目标构造了子项目竞标策略效用函数,并提出改进遗传模拟退火算法进行求解;为模拟多项目资源竞争给组合进度带来的影响,基于上述研究引入Repast平台构建了项目组合进度多Agent仿真模型;通过一个仿真示例验证了该方法的可行性与有效性。     

基于ISA-95的管控一体化数据交换模型研究

基于标准的互操作是未来解决生产和业务系统集成成本高和难以实现等问题的良好解决方案.ISA-95标准制定了拥有语义独立性和稳定性的数据交换B2MML规范,为企业应用系统提供了语义集成的支持.基于Web Service、XML技术标准、ISA-95业务标准提出了一种企业管控一体化数据交换模型,对模型中间层的中间格式进行了详细研究.最后以线束行业为例分析了遵循B2MML规范制定企业应用系统间数据交换中间格式的方法.