Non-linear modelling of breast tissue.
Previous approaches to modelling the large deformation of breast tissue, as occurs, e.g. in imaging using magnetic resonance imaging or mammography, include using linear elasticity and pseudo-non-linear elasticity, in which case the non-linear deformation is approximated by a series of small linear isotropic deformations, with the (constant) Young's modulus of each linear deformation an exponential function of the total non-linear strain. In this paper, these two approaches are compared to the solution of the full non-linear elastic problem for tissue with an exponential relationship between stress and strain. Having formulated each model and related the coefficients between the models, numerical simulations are performed on a block of incompressible material. These demonstrate that the simpler models may not be appropriate even in the case of modelling deformations of the human breast under gravity.
Whiteley
Jonathan P
JP
Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK. jonathan.whiteley@comlab.ox.ac.uk
Gavaghan
David J
DJ
Chapman
S Jonathan
SJ
Brady
J Michael
JM
D000465:Algorithms; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D018471:Hypergravity; D008954:Models, Biological; D013046:Specific Gravity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical