Biomechanical 3-D finite element modeling of the human breast using MRI data

Breast tissue deformation modeling has recently gained considerable interest in various medical applications. A biomechanical model of the breast is presented using a finite element (FE) formulation. Emphasis is given to the modeling of breast tissue deformation which takes place in breast imaging procedures. The first step in implementing the FE modeling (FEM) procedure is mesh generation. For objects with irregular and complex geometries such as the breast, this step is one of the most difficult and tedious tasks. For FE mesh generation, two automated methods are presented which process MRI breast images to create a patient-specific mesh. The main components of the breast are adipose, fibroglandular and skin tissues. For modeling the adipose and fibroglandular tissues, we used eight noded hexahedral elements with hyperelastic properties, while for the skin, we chose four noded hyperelastic membrane elements. For model validation, an MR image of an agarose phantom was acquired and corresponding FE meshes were created. Based on assigned elasticity parameters, a numerical experiment was performed using the FE meshes, and good results were obtained. The model was also applied to a breast image registration problem of a volunteer's breast. Although qualitatively reasonable, further work is required to validate the results quantitatively.