ANSYS > Case Studies > Optimizing Biomechanics Research with ANSYS Meshing Solution at Wayne State University

Optimizing Biomechanics Research with ANSYS Meshing Solution at Wayne State University

Applicable Industries

Automotive
Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Mesh Networks
Smart Campus

Services

Testing & Certification

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is the Biomedical Engineering Center of Wayne State University, located in the United States of America. The center has been conducting research in impact biomechanics and automotive safety for over 60 years, making it a leading institution in the field. The center is also a pioneer in the development of finite element models of the human body, which are used to understand injury mechanisms during automotive impacts and to design countermeasures. These models are also proving to be useful research tools in the field of orthopaedics biomechanics, where they can be used to better understand in-vivo loading.

The Challenge

The Biomedical Engineering Center of Wayne State University has been conducting research in impact biomechanics and automotive safety for over six decades. They are a leading institution in the development of finite element models of the human body. These models are used to understand injury mechanisms during automotive impacts and help design countermeasures. They are also useful in orthopaedics biomechanics to understand in-vivo loading. However, due to the use of explicit finite element codes, the typical meshing objective is a high-quality fully hexahedral mesh that respects minimum element size criteria. The anatomical complexity and irregularity of shapes make meshing a critical task in the development of these models. The team typically meshes bones and organs, with geometrical data reconstructed based on medical imaging (MRI or CT scans).

The Solution

The team at Wayne State University uses ANSYS ICEM CFD for basic repair of the geometry and to generate the mesh with the ANSYS ICEM CFD Hexa module. The Hexa blocking technique is extremely useful in finding an acceptable meshing topology. Once the mesh is generated based on minimum size constraints, it is optimized for quality in ANSYS ICEM CFD and exported to a format supported by their preprocessing tools. The key benefit of ANSYS ICEM CFD Hexa is the separation of the search for an acceptable meshing topology from the mesh generation itself. This, combined with the top-down approach and easy block editing, allows the team to try various meshing topologies very quickly independently from the mesh density, change the element density easily without changing the topology, and use the same or similar blocking topology for different individuals.

Operational Impact

The use of ANSYS ICEM CFD Hexa has significantly improved the meshing process at the Biomedical Engineering Center of Wayne State University. The separation of the search for an acceptable meshing topology from the mesh generation itself has allowed the team to try various meshing topologies very quickly, independent of the mesh density. This has also enabled them to change the element density easily without changing the topology. Furthermore, the team can now use the same or similar blocking topology for different individuals, making the process more efficient and versatile. The top-down approach and easy block editing have also simplified the process, making it more user-friendly and less time-consuming.