Density-equalizing maps for simply-connected open surfaces

In this paper, we are concerned with the problem of creating flattening maps of simply-connected open surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Using a natural principle of density diffusion in physics, we propose an effective algorithm for computing density-equalizing flattening maps with any prescribed density distribution. By varying the initial density distribution, a large variety of mappings with different properties can be achieved. For instance, area-preserving parameterizations of simply-connected open surfaces can be easily computed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method. Applications to data visualization and surface remeshing are explored

A new procedure to smooth and untangle meshes on parameterized surfaces

We present a technique to extend any distortion (quality) measure for planar meshes to meshes on parameterized surfaces. The resulting distortion (quality) measure is expressed in terms of the parametric coordinates of the nodes. This extended distortion (quality) measure can be used to check the quality and validity of both triangle and quadrilateral surface meshes. We also apply it to simultaneously smooth and untangle surface meshes by minimizing the extended distortion measure. The minimization is performed in terms of the parametric coordinates of the nodes and therefore, the nodes always lie on the surface. Finally, we include several examples to illustrate the applicability of the proposed technique. Specifically, we extend several Jacobian-based measures, and we us them to smooth and untangle triangle and quadrilateral meshes on CAD surfaces.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

CAD-Based Porous Scaffold Design of Intervertebral Discs in Tissue Engineering

With the development and maturity of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology over the past decade, 3D printing has been widely investigated and applied in the field of tissue engineering to repair damaged tissues or organs, such as muscles, skin, and bones, Although a number of automated fabrication methods have been developed to create superior bio-scaffolds with specific surface properties and porosity, the major challenges still focus on how to fabricate 3D natural biodegradable scaffolds that have tailor properties such as intricate architecture, porosity, and interconnectivity in order to provide the needed structural integrity, strength, transport, and ideal microenvironment for cell- and tissue-growth. In this dissertation, a robust pipeline of fabricating bio-functional porous scaffolds of intervertebral discs based on different innovative porous design methodologies is illustrated. Firstly, a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) based parameterization method, which has overcome the integrity problem of traditional TPMS method, is presented in Chapter 3. Then, an implicit surface modeling (ISM) approach using tetrahedral implicit surface (TIS) is demonstrated and compared with the TPMS method in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, we present an advanced porous design method with higher flexibility using anisotropic radial basis function (ARBF) and volumetric meshes. Based on all these advanced porous design methods, the 3D model of a bio-functional porous intervertebral disc scaffold can be easily designed and its physical model can also be manufactured through 3D printing. However, due to the unique shape of each intervertebral disc and the intricate topological relationship between the intervertebral discs and the spine, the accurate localization and segmentation of dysfunctional discs are regarded as another obstacle to fabricating porous 3D disc models. To that end, we discuss in Chapter 6 a segmentation technique of intervertebral discs from CT-scanned medical images by using deep convolutional neural networks. Additionally, some examples of applying different porous designs on the segmented intervertebral disc models are demonstrated in Chapter 6

Currents and finite elements as tools for shape space

The nonlinear spaces of shapes (unparameterized immersed curves or submanifolds) are of interest for many applications in image analysis, such as the identification of shapes that are similar modulo the action of some group. In this paper we study a general representation of shapes that is based on linear spaces and is suitable for numerical discretization, being robust to noise. We develop the theory of currents for shape spaces by considering both the analytic and numerical aspects of the problem. In particular, we study the analytical properties of the current map and the $H^{-s}$ norm that it induces on shapes. We determine the conditions under which the current determines the shape. We then provide a finite element discretization of the currents that is a practical computational tool for shapes. Finally, we demonstrate this approach on a variety of examples

Unstructured and semi-structured hexahedral mesh generation methods

Discretization techniques such as the finite element method, the finite volume method or the discontinuous Galerkin method are the most used simulation techniques in ap- plied sciences and technology. These methods rely on a spatial discretization adapted to the geometry and to the prescribed distribution of element size. Several fast and robust algorithms have been developed to generate triangular and tetrahedral meshes. In these methods local connectivity modifications are a crucial step. Nevertheless, in hexahedral meshes the connectivity modifications propagate through the mesh. In this sense, hexahedral meshes are more constrained and therefore, more difficult to gener- ate. However, in many applications such as boundary layers in computational fluid dy- namics or composite material in structural analysis hexahedral meshes are preferred. In this work we present a survey of developed methods for generating structured and unstructured hexahedral meshes.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version