University of Waterloo

Mechanical Characterization of Soft Tissues

Prof. Tais Sigaeva, Systems Design Engineering

Oct 7, 2022, 11:30am EC4-2101A

Most of the human body is composed of soft tissues, many of which have key mechanical functions. Movement is enabled by connective tissues, blood flow is regulated by cardiovascular tissues, and the body is shielded from the outside environment by skin. The normal mechanical function of such tissues can be compromised due to injury or disease, negatively affecting quality of life, causing debility and, in some cases, fatality. A deep understanding of the mechanical behaviour of both healthy and pathological tissue, enabled by comprehensive mechanical characterization, is paramount to restoring nearly normal function through treatment and therapy.

The presentation will focus on a typical workflow used to mechanically characterize tissues: mechanical testing, material modelling and numerical/analytical modelling simulating in vivo. Special attention will be given to the role of imaging and image analysis to advance the field of mechanical characterization.