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Simulating bones, bronchi, and exotic stent materials: finite-element analysis helps identify better materials for fixing broken jaws, positioning intra-medullary pins, and more.
- Article from:
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Medical Design News
- Article date:
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July 1, 2004
- Author:
- Dvorak, Paul
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2004 Penton Media, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Finite-element analysis has worked its way into medical research to simulate the unusual materials of the human body, and for medical products as well. For example, a few linear-static analyses of bone are providing useful information to design teams. Even exotic metals, such as the shape-memory alloy Nitinol, now have accurate material models that should prompt its wider use. And nonlinear codes, once the domain of aerospace PhDs, are being tamed for use by design engineers. Before examining a few applications of FEA to human physiology and medical equipment, it's instructive to examine trends shaping the technology.
A few trends
Applying FEA to medical tasks mirrors ...