Multiscale computation for bioartificial soft tissues with complex geometries

Abstract

The mechanical function of soft collagenous tissues is inherently multiscale, with the tissue dimension being in the centimeter length scale and the underlying collagen network being in the micrometer length scale. This paper uses a volume averaging multiscale model to predict the collagen gel mechanics. The model is simulated using a multiscale component toolkit that is capable of dealing with any 3D geometries. Each scale in the multiscale model is treated as an independent component that exchanges the deformation and average stress information through a scale-linking operator. An arterial bifurcation was simulated using the multiscale model, and the results demonstrated that the mechanical response of the soft tissues is strongly sensitive to the network orientation and fiber-to-fiber interactions. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2008.