Collaborative Research: Integration of Implantable MEMS Sensors and Computational Modeling to Assess Mechanical Regulation of Bone Regeneration

这些研究将在组织水平和局部细胞水平提供体内骨愈合力学环境的详细特征。此外，本研究中提出的传感器的小规模和无线特性将为广泛的再生工程和医学应用提供一个平台，以实现对当地机械环境的非侵入性量化。最终，这些传感器可以用于改变组织置换的方法、模式和成本，并能够对移植排斥和脊柱固定等情况进行实时评估。该项目还将把教育计划与扩大参与的三条途径结合起来：(1)面向K-12参与者的微米和纳米技术外展计划；(2)GT-Engage计划，这是一个让来自代表性不足群体的高中生沉浸在工程研究项目中的计划；以及(3)GT-Sure本科生研究机会计划。通过这种方法，从K-College到K-College的各个年龄段的学生都将被提供广泛而详细的研究和技术开发体验。该奖项的研究目标是开发一种多尺度力学方法来全面表征组织工程结构在再生过程中的体内机械环境。根据该奖项进行的研究将利用植入式无线微电子机械(MEMS)传感器、生物力学测试和基于图像的有限元建模。组织工程化结构和动态固定板将配备无线MEMS传感器；然后将在建立良好的体内临界大小节段性骨缺损模型中实施。在体内测量工程化结构内的局部应变梯度将在再生过程中实时测量，以获得加载历史。基于图像的有限元模型将建立再生骨局部机械应变的模型，并使用植入式MEMS传感器的活体数据进行验证。

These studies will provide a detailed characterization of the bone healing mechanical environment in vivo at both the tissue level and the local cell level. Additionally, the small scale and wireless properties of sensors advanced in this study will provide a platform to enable non-invasive quantification of the local mechanical environment for a broad range of regenerative engineering and medicine applications. Ultimately, these sensors could be utilized to transform the methods, modes, and costs of tissue replacements and enable the real time assessment of such cases as graft rejection and spinal fixation. This project will also combine an educational plan with three routes for broadening participation: (1) outreach programs in micro- and nanotechnology to K-12 participants; (2) GT-ENGAGE, a program which immerses high-school students from underrepresented groups in engineering research projects; and (3) the GT-SURE undergraduate research opportunity program. Through this approach, students across age ranges from K-college will be provided both a broad and detailed immersion in the research and technology development experience. The research objective of this award is to develop a multi-scale mechanics approach to comprehensively characterize the in vivo mechanical environment within a tissue engineered construct during regeneration. Studies conducted under this award will utilize implantable wireless microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors, biomechanical testing, and image-based finite element modeling. Tissue engineered constructs and dynamic fixation plates will be instrumented with wireless MEMS sensors; these will then be implemented in a well-established in vivo critically sized segmental bone defect model. In vivo measurements of the local strain gradients within the engineered constructs will be measured in real time during the course of regeneration to obtain a loading history. Image-based finite element models of the local mechanical strains in regenerating bone will be created and validated using the in vivo data from the implantable MEMS sensors.