Lab-to-User Training and Dissemination for the FEBio Software Suite

总结 有限元分析已成为生物医学科学研究和发现不可或缺的工具。 从历史上看，缺乏一个适合该领域需求的软件环境阻碍了研究 研究进展、传播研究成果以及分享模型和成果。调查人员此前依赖于 商业软件，但这些软件包不适合生物应用，很难验证， 并且妨碍了新特征的容易添加、扩展和共享。为了解决这些问题，我们开发了 FEBio软件套件，一个专门为生物力学和生物物理学分析设计的FE框架。 FEBio采用混合物理论来解释软组织和硬组织的多组分性质， 不可逆热力学、固体力学、流体力学、质量输运、化学 反应和电动力学。尽管FEBio软件套件很受欢迎，但我们从未能够 在传播和培训方面充分满足我们用户群的需要。该项目的总体目标是 为FEBio开发集成软件环境，为数字培训提供新方法， 传播到我们的用户社区。这将通过以下具体目标来实现：1）创建一个 统一的图形软件环境，涵盖整个FEBio分析管道。2)开发一个模型 为FEbio提供共享环境。3)开发数字培训材料和虚拟培训课程， 扩大FEBio社区。我们将与已经使用FEBio的实验室合作， 在培训和传播方面取得进展。这些新的培训和传播机制将得到改善 FEBio广泛的模拟能力的可访问性，创建一个更大，更具协作性的用户组， 跨越更广泛的技术学科。

SUMMARY Finite element analysis has become an indispensable tool for research and discovery in the biomedical sciences. Historically, the lack of a software environment that was tailored to the needs of the field hampered research progress, dissemination of research and sharing of models and results. Investigators previously relied on commercial software, but these packages were not geared toward biological applications, were difficult to verify, and precluded the easy addition, extension and sharing of new features. To address these issues, we developed the FEBio software suite, a FE framework designed specifically for analysis in biomechanics and biophysics. FEBio employs mixture theory to account for the multi-constituent nature of soft and hard tissues, unifying the classical fields of irreversible thermodynamics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, mass transport, chemical reactions and electrokinetics. Despite the popularity of the FEBio software suite, we have never been able to fully address the needs of our user base in terms of dissemination and training. The overall aim of this project is to develop an integrated software environment for FEBio to deliver new approaches for digital training and dissemination to our user community. This will be accomplished through the following specific aims: 1) Create a unified graphical software environment that encompasses the entire FEBio analysis pipeline. 2) Develop a model sharing environment for FEbio. 3) Develop digital training materials and virtual training courses to serve and expand the FEBio community. We will partner with laboratories that already use FEBio to evaluate these advancements in training and dissemination. These new mechanisms for training and dissemination will improve the accessibility of FEBio’s broad simulation capabilities, creating a larger, more collaborative user group that spans a greater range of technical disciplines.