MetaMesh: A hierarchical computational model for design and fabrication of biomimetic armored surfaces

Many exoskeletons exhibit multifunctional performance by combining protection from rigid ceramic components with flexibility through articulated interfaces. Structure-to-function relationships of these natural bioarmors have been studied extensively, and initial development of structural (load-bearing) bioinspired armor materials, most often nacre-mimetic laminated composites, has been conducted. However, the translation of segmented and articulated armor to bioinspired surfaces and applications requires new computational constructs. We propose a novel hierarchical computational model, MetaMesh, that adapts a segmented fish scale armor system to fit complex “host surfaces”. We define a “host” surface as the overall geometrical form on top of which the scale units are computed. MetaMesh operates in three levels of resolution: (i) locally—to construct unit geometries based on shape parameters of scales as identified and characterized in the Polypterus senegalus exoskeleton, (ii) regionally—to encode articulated connection guides that adapt units with their neighbors according to directional schema in the mesh, and (iii) globally—to generatively extend the unit assembly over arbitrarily curved surfaces through global mesh optimization using a functional coefficient gradient. Simulation results provide the basis for further physiological and kinetic development. This study provides a methodology for the generation of biomimetic protective surfaces using segmented, articulated components that maintain mobility alongside full body coverage.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (Contract No. W911NF-13-D-0001)United States. Army Research Office (Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB), contract no. W911NF-09-D-0001)United States. Department of Defense (National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship Program (Grant No. N00244-09-1-0064)

Quantitative assessment and mechanical consequences of bone density and microstructure in hip osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, painful, and currently incurable disease characterized by structural deterioration and loss of function of synovial joints. OA is known to involve profound changes in bone density and microstructure near to, and even distal to, the joint. The prevailing view is that these changes in density and microstructure serve to stiffen the subchondral region thereby altering the mechanical environment (stresses and strains) within the epiphyseal and metaphyseal bone, and that these alterations trigger the aberrant cellular signaling and tissue damage characteristic of the progression of OA. Critically, however, these alterations in mechanical environment have never been well documented in a quantitative fashion in hip OA. Separately, although OA is generally thought to be inversely associated with fragility fracture, recent data challenge this idea and suggest that OA may actually modulate which regions of the proximal femur are at risk of fracture. Therefore, the goal of this work was to provide a spatial assessment of bone density and microstructure in hip OA and then examine the mechanical consequences of these OA-related abnormalities throughout the proximal femur. First, micro-computed tomography and data-driven computational anatomy were used to examine 3-D maps of the distribution of bone density and microstructure in human femoral neck samples with increasing severity of radiographic OA, providing evidence of the heterogeneous and multi-faceted changes in hip OA and discussion of the implications for OA progression and fracture risk. Second, the feasibility of proton density-weighted MRI in image-based finite element (FE) modeling, to examine stress, strain, and risk of failure in the proximal femur under sideways fall, was assessed by comparison to the current standard of CT-based FE modeling. Third, phantom-less calibration for CT-based FE modeling was used with clinically available pre-operative patient scans to assess bone strength and failure risk of the proximal femur in hip OA. Overall, the results of this work provide a rich, quantitative definition of the ways in which the bone mechanical environment under traumatic loading differ in association with hip OA, and then highlight the potential for clinical image-based FE methods to be used opportunistically to assess bone strength and failure risk at the hip. This work is significant because it directly tests the long-standing premise that OA is associated with changes in the mechanical environment of the bone tissue in ways that are impactful for OA progression; further, this work examines how these changes may influence risk of hip fracture. The results can be used to identify mechanistic predictors of OA progression, to inform development of bone-targeting treatments for OA, and to more broadly understand bone damage and fracture in this population

Visual analytics methods for shape analysis of biomedical images exemplified on rodent skull morphology

In morphometrics and its application fields like medicine and biology experts are interested in causal relations of variation in organismic shape to phylogenetic, ecological, geographical, epidemiological or disease factors - or put more succinctly by Fred L. Bookstein, morphometrics is "the study of covariances of biological form". In order to reveal causes for shape variability, targeted statistical analysis correlating shape features against external and internal factors is necessary but due to the complexity of the problem often not feasible in an automated way. Therefore, a visual analytics approach is proposed in this thesis that couples interactive visualizations with automated statistical analyses in order to stimulate generation and qualitative assessment of hypotheses on relevant shape features and their potentially affecting factors. To this end long established morphometric techniques are combined with recent shape modeling approaches from geometry processing and medical imaging, leading to novel visual analytics methods for shape analysis. When used in concert these methods facilitate targeted analysis of characteristic shape differences between groups, co-variation between different structures on the same anatomy and correlation of shape to extrinsic attributes. Here a special focus is put on accurate modeling and interactive rendering of image deformations at high spatial resolution, because that allows for faithful representation and communication of diminutive shape features, large shape differences and volumetric structures. The utility of the presented methods is demonstrated in case studies conducted together with a collaborating morphometrics expert. As exemplary model structure serves the rodent skull and its mandible that are assessed via computed tomography scans

A review of image-based simulation applications in high-value manufacturing

Image-Based Simulation (IBSim) is the process by which a digital representation of a real geometry is generated from image data for the purpose of performing a simulation with greater accuracy than with idealised Computer Aided Design (CAD) based simulations. Whilst IBSim originates in the biomedical field, the wider adoption of imaging for non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT/NDE) within the High-Value Manufacturing (HVM) sector has allowed wider use of IBSim in recent years. IBSim is invaluable in scenarios where there exists a non-negligible variation between the ‘as designed’ and ‘as manufactured’ state of parts. It has also been used for characterisation of geometries too complex to accurately draw with CAD. IBSim simulations are unique to the geometry being imaged, therefore it is possible to perform part-specific virtual testing within batches of manufactured parts. This novel review presents the applications of IBSim within HVM, whereby HVM is the value provided by a manufactured part (or conversely the potential cost should the part fail) rather than the actual cost of manufacturing the part itself. Examples include fibre and aggregate composite materials, additive manufacturing, foams, and interface bonding such as welding. This review is divided into the following sections: Material Characterisation; Characterisation of Manufacturing Techniques; Impact of Deviations from Idealised Design Geometry on Product Design and Performance; Customisation and Personalisation of Products; IBSim in Biomimicry. Finally, conclusions are drawn, and observations made on future trends based on the current state of the literature

Biomechanical risk factors and reduced bone health in lower limb amputees

Bone constantly adapts to its surroundings through the formation and resorption of material, controlled by bone modelling and remodelling. Strains produced by mechanical loading are one factor that drive these processes and thus determine bone health. Lower limb amputees (LLA) adopt an asymmetrical movement pattern to compensate for the loss of a limb, resulting in a change in mechanical loading and subsequently a degradation in bone health. The aetiology of the majority of amputations is vascular diseases, which affect bone health. Therefore, it is not clear whether the asymmetrical loading, or comorbidities cause the degradation in bone health in LLA. Finite element models (FEM) are used to generate strain plots and predict the bone's response to mechanical loading. To understand the relationship between the degradation in bone health and asymmetrical loads in LLAs the asymmetrical loads can be applied to a healthy bone using FEMs, or simulated within a healthy population using restrictive devices. Therefore, the overall aim was to investigate the relationship between asymmetrical loading, as observed in LLA’s, and bone health, through the use of semi-subject specific FEMs and restrictive lower limb devices. Study one established a novel image processing method to convert peripheral quantative computed tomography (pQCT) scan images into binary and segment the tibia. The outer perimeter of the tibia was identified and sectioned to produce landmarks. The outer geometry landmarks were used to morph a base FEM, constructed from open source scan images to create semi-subject tibia FEM. Study two applied subject-specific joint reaction and muscle forces to the semi-subject tibia FEM. The strain plots output from Study two were validated against longitudinal geometrical changes from Study three. Study three, used 3D motion capture, pQCT and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to investigate gait and tibial geometry within a lower limb amputee and able-bodied population across twelve months. The coefficient of variation (CV) for able bodied subjects was less than 10% for ground reaction force (GRF) in level walking and less than 4% for bone total area. Study four, used a rigid foot orthosis and a trans-femoral prosthesis, to restrict able-bodied gait. Results showed participants walked significantly slower (p<0.01) in the restricted conditions, with a longer non-restricted step length (p<0.001). The loading rate and maximum GRF were higher in the non-restricted limb (p<0.05). Larger knee adductor moments were shown in the un-restricted leg in the trans-tibial condition (p<0.05). This thesis presents a novel method of constructing semi-subject specific FEMs from pQCT scans. This can be used to further investigate the link between asymmetrical loading and bone health in LLA's and other populations with asymmetrical gait. The use of restrictive devices allow investigation into LLA's specifically, without the interference of prosthetic variability, or comorbidities

Recent hominim cranial form and function

This thesis aims to assess if biting mechanics drives craniofacial morphology in recent hominins. To that end, a virtual functional morphology toolkit, that includes Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Geometric Morphometrics (GM), is used to simulate biting, measure bite force and quantify deformations arising due to simulated biting in Homo sapiens and its proposed ancestral species, Homo heidelbergensis. Moreover, the mechanical significance of the frontal sinus and of the brow-ridge is also assessed in Kabwe 1 (a Homo heidelbergensis specimen). The frontal sinus is examined by comparing the mechanical performance in three FE models with varying sinus morphology. A similar approach is applied to the brow-ridge study. This approach relies on the assumption that FEA approximates reality. Thus, a validation study compares the deformations experienced by a real cranium under experimental loading with those experienced by an FE model under equivalent virtual loading to verify this assumption. A sensitivity analysis examines how simplifications in segmentation impact on FEA results. Lastly, the virtual reconstruction of Kabwe 1 is described.Results show that prediction of absolute strain magnitudes is not precise, but the distribution of regions of larger and smaller (i.e. pattern of) deformations experienced by the real cranium is reasonably approximated by FEA, despite discrepancies in the alveolus. Simplification of segmentation stiffens the model but has no impact on the pattern of deformations, with the exception of the alveolus. Comparison of the biting performance of Kabwe 1 and H. sapiens suggests that morphological differences between the two species are likely not driven by selection of the masticatory system. Frontal sinus morphogenesis and morphology are possibly impacted by biting mechanics in the sense that very low strains are experienced by this region. Because bone adapts to strains, the frontal sinus is possibly impacted by this mechanism. Lastly, biting mechanics has limited impact on brow-ridge morphology and does not explain fully the enormous brow-ridge of Kabwe 1. Hence, other explanations are necessary to explain this prominent feature

Stags of the Sea or Hedgehogs of the Harbor? Inferring the Point of Sculpin Cranial Weaponry

Animal weapons are thought to have evolved to compete for reproductive opportunities within a species. Across the diverse weapon-bearing taxa, several evolutionary trends have emerged: (1) increasing complexity and relative size across ontogeny, (2) sexual dimorphism, and (3) higher levels of random deviations from symmetry (i.e., fluctuating asymmetry) than non-weaponized structures in the same individual. While the evolution of weapons in charismatic animals such as cervids and ceratopsian dinosaurs have received extensive attention, weapon evolution in fishes has received relatively little. In this dissertation, I explore the evolution of cranial weapons in a group of fishes known as sculpins (superfamily Cottoidea), specifically, the subfamily Oligocottinae. I use digital models of evolution built from computed tomography (CT) scans to quantitatively describe the shape of the weaponized preopercle bone and multivariate statistics to compare the shape across species. I examine the assumptions of common macroevolutionary techniques and make recommendations for how to accommodate natural variation in morphology. In the second chapter, coauthors and I contrast 2D vs. 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics in the fish subfamily Oligocottinae by using 3D landmarks from CT-generated models and comparing the morphospace of the 3D landmarks to one based on 2D landmarks from images. The 2D and 3D shape variables capture common patterns across taxa, such that the pairwise Procrustes distances among taxa correspond and the trends captured by principal component analysis are similar in the xy plane. We use the two sets of landmarks to test several ecomorphological hypotheses from the literature. Both 2D and 3D data reject the hypothesis that head shape correlates significantly with the depth at which a species is commonly found. However, in taxa where shape variation in the z-axis is high, the 2D shape variables show sufficiently strong distortion to influence the outcome of the hypothesis tests regarding the relationship between mouth size and feeding ecology. In the third chapter, coauthors and I address the issue that, while virtually anyone can access the wealth of open access CT data that have been deposited onto repositories such as MorphoSource, relatively few have the training to easily derive a desirable product from them. This chapter fills the gap between the data and the researcher and provides a starting point for interested readers to begin their own analyses of CT data without requiring anything more than a reasonably up to date computer and access to the internet. We outline a set of practices in the production, visualization and analysis of CT data. We focus on those often-tedious nuances of data preparation, formatting, and navigating software that commonly hinder progress in CT-based studies of anatomy, functional morphology, and macroevolution. We also emphasize tools useful for creating pedagogical aides such as 3D prints and images of anatomical structures. In the fourth chapter, I infer the primary function of preopercular spines in oligocottine sculpins. From dissuading predators to gaining an edge on intraspecific rivals, weapons have evolved to meet various needs in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Animals with the most extreme weapons use them to battle conspecifics, but some weapons are used for defense against predation, and others serve as a signal. Many fishes have evolved armaments, but the function of these structures is rarely observed. How, for example, sculpins use the horn-like spines that project from their head remains mysterious. We used previously described trends in the morphology and development of weapons in terrestrial animals to deduce the function of the weaponized preopercle in all sixteen species of sculpins in the subfamily Oligocottinae, which display a diversity of spine shapes, reproductive habits, and degrees of territoriality. We investigated three hallmarks of offensive weapons: ontogenetic change, sexual dimorphism, and fluctuating asymmetry. Geometric morphometrics of microCT scans show no sexual dimorphism in preopercular spine shape, but there is phylogenetically widespread ontogenetic shape change. Fluctuating asymmetry is low to moderate across species. Taken together, these results suggest that despite a form that evokes comparisons to bovid horns, the spines of oligocottine sculpins have evolved primarily as a defense against predators. In the fifth chapter, coauthors and I describe the assumptions made both explicitly and implicitly in many studies of comparative anatomy and macroevolution and test whether these assumptions are robust in a case study of the preopercle shape in oligocottine sculpins. For example, many studies use only one side of one individual to represent the anatomy of a species. We test: (1) the degree to which the shape of the preopercle of one side of an individual matches the shape of the preopercle on its other side, (2) whether trends in ontogenetic shape change of the preopercle are identical on the left and right sides within a species, and (3) the degree to which intraspecific variation affects the outcomes of two common tests of comparative anatomy: allometric growth and morphological character evolution. We find that the left and right side of an individual are more similar in shape to each other than to the preopercle of a different individual only about 52% of the time and that, in fact, a small number of individuals (~2%) actually have a preopercle on one side of their head that is more similar in shape to the preopercle of a member of a different species than it is to the shape of the preopercle on the other side of their own head. We find that 4/17 species show statistically-significant allometric growth of the preopercle on one side of the head but not on the other. Finally, we find that intraspecific variation leads to highly unstable results of common macroevolutionary analyses when species are represented by low (n < 5 - 8) sample sizes. Taken together, these results suggest that trait estimates for species are robust only when based on modest to high sample sizes. They further show that systematic differences in shape and development thereof may be present in left vs. right sides of individuals within a species and careful consideration should be given to whether the left, right, or symmetric component of both is used to represent the shape of each individual