I have worked on the problems of disc brake and prosthetic socket. Both of these problmes involve contact interactions which make it complicated and challenging to investigate. In adition to working on these problems, I have been also involved in the investigation of new contact algorithms.
Understanding of the interaction between the
residual limb and the prosthetic socket is very important for
designing a comfortable socket. The distribution of contact pressure
at the skin has been a major consideration for the purpose of socket
design. Despite the improved designs of prosthetic sockets, skin
problems are reported by the considerable number of lower limb
amputees. Pressure ulcers is considered the most common skin
problem. In addition to the superficial skin problems, a subject
using a prosthetic socket can also suffer from deep tissue injury
(DTI). Thus, it is also important to investigate the internal
mechanical conditions in the soft tissues while considering a socket
design.
This research aims to investigate the internal mechanical conditions
and interface stresses while modeling the soft tissues in detail in
relation to the anatomical features. Skin, fat, bones, fascia, blood
vessels and muscles are represented separately, which is novel in
this research. It is observed from the FEA simulation that the
internal mechanical conditions are significantly different when
separate material models are used for the soft tissues as compared
to when the tissues are lumped. Furthermore it is also observed
that blood pressure influences internal mechanical conditions.