FEBio - Finite Elements for Biomechanics and Biophysics

描述(申请人提供)：生物力学中的计算建模已成为一种标准的方法，用于解释实验结果的生物力学和生物物理基础，并在实验研究困难或不可能的情况下作为一种本身的研究方法。有限元(FE)方法是迄今为止最常用的数值离散和求解技术。然而，缺乏适合该领域需要的软件环境阻碍了研究进展、研究成果的传播以及模型和成果的分享。为了解决这些问题，在最初的资助期间，我们开发了FEBio，这是一个专门为生物力学和生物物理学分析而设计的非线性隐式有限元框架。在这一竞争性的延续应用中，我们建议通过利用反应混合物的连续介质力学的最新进展来显著扩展FEBio的能力，以模拟活组织的生物力学和生物物理。我们还建议通过创建便于与定制代码交互的工具来扩大FEBio的目标受众。为了帮助优化与这些高级建模技术相关的计算成本，我们还建议将并行处理在FEBio中的应用扩展到解算器例程之外。计算生物力学和生物物理学的应用跨越了生物医学科学的所有领域，包括分子动力学、细胞运动学和力学、心血管力学、肌肉骨骼生物力学和组织工程等多个领域。FEBio软件套装将促进这些领域的进展，这反过来将有助于更好地了解基本的生物学和医学问题，以及改进疾病诊断和治疗的战略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Computational modeling in biomechanics has become a standard methodology, both for interpreting the biomechanical and biophysical basis of experimental results and as an investigative approach in its own right when experimental investigation is difficult or impossible. The finite element (FE) method is by far the most common numerical discretization and solution technique that has been used. However, the lack of a software environment that is tailored to the needs of the field has hampered research progress, dissemination of research and sharing of models and results. To address these issues, over the initial funding period, we developed FEBio, a nonlinear implicit FE framework designed specifically for analysis in biomechanics and biophysics. In this competing continuation application, we propose to considerably expand the capabilities of FEBio - to model the biomechanics and biophysics of living tissues by capitalizing on recent advances in the continuum mechanics of reactive mixtures. We also propose to broaden the target audience of FEBio by creating tools that facilitate interfacing with custom code. To help optimize the computational costs associated with these advanced modeling techniques, we also propose to extend the application of parallel processing in FEBio beyond the solver routines. Applications of computational biomechanics and biophysics span all fields of the biomedical sciences, including areas as diverse as molecular dynamics, cell motility and mechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, musculoskeletal biomechanics and tissue engineering. The FEBio software suite will facilitate advances in these fields, which in turn will contribute to improved understanding o basic biological and medical questions as well as improved strategies for diagnosis and treatment of disease.