ITR: Representation and Design of Heterogeneous Structures

这笔赠款为开发用于表示和设计三维异质对象的建模数据结构提供资金，并特别应用于组织工程结构。利用一种新颖的构造性非均质立体几何代数和非均质边界表示数据结构实现了三维实体模型的表示。异质结构设计是通过采用离散优化技术来完成的，当给定一组单元元胞结构基元时，确定满足工程要求的三维实体的最佳(或令人满意的)内部构型。该方法引入了图论优化框架，该框架利用异质表示元素的特性来创建满足解剖适配性、结构完整性、生物功能和可制造性的多个标准的结构。如果成功，该研究将为表示、设计和开发异质组织支架提供新的技术和工具。它将导致基础的和综合的计算机科学和工程进步，跨越工程设计、实体建模、计算几何和算法、计算机辅助设计和制造以及组织工程。该项目积极与业界和政府合作，包括与国际标准和异质结构数据传输协议的开发商、一家主要的计算机辅助设计软件供应商、一家领先的生物制药制造商以及一家在组织支架和替代应用方面具有专业知识的主要医疗中心的合作。这项研究将最先进的几何计算和商业计算机辅助设计和制造软件与生物医学组织工程中发现的非传统材料的需求联系起来。因此，它将支持新的应用程序。这项研究还编制了跨越数学、计算机科学和工程的联合课程，以培养未来一代将为不同材料应用设计、制造和开发软件的学生。

This grant provides funding for the development of modeling data structures for representation and design of three-dimensional heterogeneous objects, with special application to tissue engineered structures. Representation of three-dimensional solid models is accomplished with a novel constructive heterogeneous solid geometry algebra and a heterogeneous boundary representation data structure. Heterogeneous structure design is accomplished by an adaptation of discrete optimization techniques that, when given a set of unit cellular structure primitives, determines the optimal (or satisfying) internal configuration of the three-dimensional solid that achieves engineering requirements. The approach introduces a graph theoretic optimization framework that exploits properties of heterogeneous representation elements to create structures that satisfy multiple criteria of anatomical fitting, structural integrity, biological function, and manufacturability.If successful, this research will deliver new techniques and tools to represent, design and develop heterogeneous tissue scaffolds. It will lead to fundamental and integrative computer science and engineering advances that span engineering design, solid modeling, computational geometry and algorithms, computer-aided design and manufacturing, and tissue engineering. This project actively engages industry and government, including collaborations with the developers of international standards and the data transfer protocols for heterogeneous structures, a major computer-aided design software vendor, a leading biopharmaceutical manufacturer, and a major medical center with expertise in tissue scaffold and replacement application. This research links the state-of-the-art in geometric computing and commercial computer-aided design and manufacturing software with the needs of the non-traditional materials found in biomedical tissue engineering. Therefore, it will enable new applications. This research also produces joint curricula, spanning mathematics, computer science and engineering to educate future generations of students who will design, manufacture and develop software for heterogeneous material applications.