Characterization of pressure wave propagation in biological tissues

M. Benoit; J.H. Giovanola; A. Curnier; K. Agbeviade; M. Donnet

doi:doi:10.1051/dymat/2009124

All issues

Volume 1 (2009)

10.1051/dymat/2009124

Abstract

Issue		DYMAT 2009 Volume 1, 2009 DYMAT 2009 - 9th International Conference on the Mechanical and Physical Behaviour of Materials under Dynamic Loading


Page(s)		887 - 894
Section		Bio-Mechanics
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/dymat/2009124
Published online		15 September 2009

DYMAT 2009 (2009) 887-894
DOI: 10.1051/dymat/2009124

Characterization of pressure wave propagation in biological tissues

M. Benoit¹, J.H. Giovanola¹, A. Curnier¹, K. Agbeviade¹ and M. Donnet²

¹ École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
² E.M.S. Electro Medical Systems S.A, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland

Published online: 15 September 2009

Abstract
A measurement technique using flexible PVDF gages for characterizing the propagation of pressure waves in biological tissues is developed. We demonstrated that experimental measurements, coupled with numerical simulations, represent a promising method to obtain reliable pressure histories in biomaterials and to calibrate constitutive models for these materials. Data that can be used for such calibration include the dependence of apparent wave velocity on pressure pulse amplitude and pressure pulse attenuation (and possibly shape changes) with propagation distance. We are currently developing an appropriate nonlinear (power) viscoelastic constitutive model that we will calibrate and test using the methodology described in this paper.