Our research in biomedical engineering

Through years of experience, engineers are very well equipped to approach medicine from an entirely different perspective, which can lift medical care to a next level. Our group specialises in the development and application of computational tools to:

  • Improve our understanding of the human physiology
  • Develop advanced diagnostic techniques
  • Optimize the design of medical devices

Finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) allows us to simulate the deformations of tissues or the flow through biological ducts (respiratory/arterial/lymphatic). This allows us to gain a more fundamental understanding of the mechanical/dynamic behaviour that can then be linked to corresponding biological responses. Scan-based modelling is an important aspect in our work where MRI/CT images are the starting point for our models. Hence, strong interactions with clinical and industrial colleagues play a vital role in the success of our area:

Research areas

Airway Modelling

The human respiratory system is a very complex organ, which spans many different scales. From an imaging and/or modelling point of view, reconstructing of the airway, finite element discretisation and solution are very challenging problems. There is in fact a huge lack of knowledge on the respiratory system either as a whole, or considering the lungs and the airways separately.

We are currently involved in a collaborative project on a very specific topic, to investigate the clinical usefulness of using objective measurements, as a tool in the septoplasty (surgical procedure to correct deformities of the nasal partition between the nostrils, thought to contribute to nasal obstruction) decision-making process.

The use of CFD should provide a detailed airflow analysis of the complex conduit shapes of the nose and help to elucidate the aerodynamic significance of septoplasty.

Aortic and lymphatic valve modelling Arterial Network Modelling CFD in Medical Devices Epidemic Modelling Endothelial Dysfunction Modelling Patient-specific aortic and carotid flows Image Segmentation