Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
The New Approach: B
OSS
-Procedure
Abstract A new approach (B
OSS
-Procedure) to mechanical soft tissue character-
ization and the generation of human body models (B
OSS
-Models) is introduced.
A stepwise procedure is presented to evaluate the mechanical properties of tech-
nical support device materials, such as bedding or seating systems or shoes, and to
evaluate in vivo properties of human soft tissue materials. Tissue properties are
assigned to the human B
OSS
-Models and their interaction with technical support
devices is investigated.
2.1 Introduction
An adequate method to quantify and qualify mechanical tissue interaction to
determine whether a technical support device (tSD) may negatively effect tissue
has, up to the present, not been developed. The newly developed B
OSS
-Procedure
combines all relevant data required to realistically, mechanically describe the
interaction of single human body regions and any tSD. The data are compiled from
three main areas, ''experiments'', ''imaging techniques'' and ''constructional
data'', Fig.
2.1
. Whereas experiments were used to determine the mechanical
properties of the tSD material, as well as the biomechanical in vivo properties of
human
soft
tissue
(fat-muscle
compounds),
imaging
techniques
provided
anatomical
information
for
human
body
modeling
(B
OSS
-Models)
using
3 D-reconstruction tools.
Experimental procedures to test tSD materials are common in engineering,
unproblematic and can be carried out in the regular laboratory environment. In
vivo testing of living tissue is a greater challenge since, due to ethical reasons, it
must be non-invasive. The testing must also be performed in a defined and
reproducible manner.
