Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Mechanical Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biomechanics and Biotransport

Purdue University

Open Access Dissertations

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

A Three Constituent Mixture Theory Model Of Cutaneous And Subcutaneous Tissue In The Context Of Neonatal Pressure Ulcer Etiology And Prevention, Anne Dye Zakrajsek Apr 2015

A Three Constituent Mixture Theory Model Of Cutaneous And Subcutaneous Tissue In The Context Of Neonatal Pressure Ulcer Etiology And Prevention, Anne Dye Zakrajsek

Open Access Dissertations

Localized ischemia, impaired interstitial fluid flow, and sustained mechanical loading of cells have all been hypothesized as mechanisms of pressure ulcer (PrU) etiology. Time-varying loading has experimentally been shown to increase fluid flow in human skin in vivo. Towards the design of prophylactic protocols and treatment modalities for PrU management there is a need for an analytical model to investigate the local fluid flow characteristics of skin tissue under time-varying loading. In this study, a triphasic mixture theory model with constituents of extracellular matrix, interstitial fluid, and blood was calibrated and validated and used to investigate stress and fluid velocity …


Understanding Preferred Leg Stiffness And Layered Control Strategies For Locomotion, Zhuohua H. Shen Oct 2014

Understanding Preferred Leg Stiffness And Layered Control Strategies For Locomotion, Zhuohua H. Shen

Open Access Dissertations

Despite advancement in the field of robotics, current legged robots still cannot achieve the kind of locomotion stability animals and humans have. In order to develop legged robots with greater stability, we need to better understand general locomotion dynamics and control principles. Here we demonstrate that a mathematical modeling approach could greatly enable the discovery and understanding of general locomotion principles. ^ It is found that animal leg stiffness when scaled by its weight and leg length falls in a narrow region between 7 and 27. Rarely in biology does such a universal preference exist. It is not known completely …