Complete Real-Time Liver Model Including Glisson's Capsule, Vascularization and Parenchyma

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics
• Surgical Simulation

Background:

• Accurate liver biomechanical modeling is crucial for surgical planning and guidance.
• The liver's complex structure, comprising parenchyma, vascularization, and Glisson's capsule, presents simulation challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive, efficient, and realistic biomechanical model of the liver.
• To integrate different finite element types for each liver component.
• To enable real-time liver simulation for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a complete liver model with distinct finite element types for parenchyma, vascularization, and Glisson's capsule.
• Coupled different element types via mechanical mapping in the global stiffness matrix.
• Validated Glisson's capsule simulation against a detailed non-real-time model and published aspiration tests.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the importance of Glisson's capsule in liver biomechanics through simulations.
• Successfully simulated Glisson's capsule using constant-strain triangular elements.
• Validated the proposed complete liver model for real-time simulation capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-component finite element model accurately represents liver biomechanics.
• The model facilitates efficient and realistic real-time liver simulations.
• This approach supports advancements in pre-operative planning and computer-aided surgical guidance.