生物软组织切割过程建模

自行设计和制造了一台可对切割力和刀具位移进行实时测量的生物软组织切割装置,并对猪主动脉壁组织开展了切割实验,对其切割特性进行了分析。切割力在组织未被切破之前随刀具位移非线性增大,呈典型的J形曲线关系;当切割力增大到一定程度时,组织被切破,切割力迅速减小;随后切割过程相对比较平稳,切割力在较小的范围内波动,呈现增大-减小的波浪形式。整个切割过程可被分为三个阶段：变形阶段、破裂阶段和切割阶段。根据能量平衡对切割过程中各个阶段能量之间的转换关系进行分析,并建立了各个切割阶段的切割力模型。在变形阶段,切割力表现为典型的非线性J形曲线关系,一个指数函数被用于拟合变形阶段的切割力;在切割阶段,根据能量平衡方程建立了切割力模型;而对于破裂阶段,由于时间非常短,切割力由破裂时的切割力直线减小。比较发现,模型所得切割力能够很好地与实验所得切割力吻合,证明切割力模型是正确的。     

Regenerative engineering and bionic limbs

Amputations of the upper extremity are severely debilitating, current treatments support very basic limb movement, and patients undergo extensive physiotherapy and psychological counseling. There is no prosthesis that allows the amputees near normal function. With increasing number of amputees due to injuries sustained in accidents,natural calamities, and international conflicts, there is a growing requirement for novel strategies and new discoveries. Advances have been made in technological, material,and in prosthesis integration where researchers are now exploring artificial prosthesis that integrate with the residual tissues and function based on signal impulses received from the residual nerves. Efforts are focused on challenging experts in different disciplines to integrate ideas and technologies to allow for the regeneration of injured tissues,recording on tissue signals and feedback to facilitate responsive movements and gradations of muscle force. A fully functional replacement and regenerative or integrated prosthesis will rely on interface of biological process with robotic systems to allow individual control of movement such as at the elbow, forearm, digits, and thumb in the upper extremity. Regenerative engineering focused on the regeneration of complex tissue and organ systems will be realized by the cross-fertilization of advances over the past 30 years in the fields of tissue engineering, nanotechnology, stem cell science, and developmental biology. The convergence of toolboxes crated within each discipline will allow interdisciplinary teams from engineering, science, and medicine to realize new strategies, mergers of disparate technologies,such as biophysics, smart bionics, and the healing power of the mind. Tackling the clinical challenges, interfacing the biological process with bionic technologies, engineering biological control of the electronic systems, and feedback will be the important goals in regenerative engineering over the next two decades.