Tissue mechanics syllabus
BE4850- Soft Tissue Mechanics
Biomedical Engineering
Fall 2018
Instructor Information
Instructor: Sangyoon Han, PhD, Assistant Professor
Office Location: 403 M&M Building
Telephone: Office – (906) 487-2897
E-mail: sjhan@mtu.edu
Office Hours: T,Th 1:50pm – 3:10pm or by appointment
Course Identification
Course Number: BE4850
Course Name: Soft Tissue Mechanics I
Course Location: Electrical Energy Resources 214
Class Times: T,Th 12:35 – 1:50 pm
Prerequisites: BE3350 – Human Biomechanics
Course Description/Overview
Soft Tissue Mechanics understands biomechanics of tissue, especially cardiovascular tissue and organ, based upon the continuum mechanics approach. We will learn how specific cells and tissues and organs respond to applied loads differently and how we can formulate those responses in terms of constitutive equations. For a half of the course, we will cover solid mechanics including theory, experimental methods and numerical solution techniques. For the second half of the course, we will apply the framework to normal arterial wall, diseased blood vessels and a heart, in which we will learn how biomechanical analysis can help “improved understanding of normal structure-function relations, interpretation of pathological findings, guidance for the surgical repair of damaged valves, and the design of replacement valves” – quotation from Jay Humphrey, pp 696.
Course Resources
Course Website(s)
· Canvas <http://www.courses.mtu.edu>
Required Course Text
· Cardiovascular Solid Mechanics: Cells, Tissues, and Organs, 1st Edition, by Humphrey, Jay D., ©Springer-Verlag New York, ISBN:
o eBook ISBN: 978-0-387-21576-1
o Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-387-95168-3
o Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4419-2897-9
Other references
· Biomechanics: Mechanical Properties of Living Tissues by Fung, Y.C., 2nd edition, Springer, 1993
· Continuum Mechanics by Spencer, A.J.M., 2nd edition, Dover Publications, Inc., 2004, ISBN=13: 978-0-486-43594-7
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
· present the basic laws and associated physical concepts in cardiovascular solid mechanics.
· Design experiments for soft tissues that leads to new biomechanical findings.
· Formulate experimental results into constitutive equations.
Grading Scheme
Grading Policy
Grades will be based on the following:
Homework and quizzes
10 %
Topical review report and presentation
30 %
Midterm and Final Examination (30% each)
60 %
Total Points
100 %
Homework Assignments:
· The assignments are due by 11:59 pm of the posted due date.
· No late assignments will be accepted.
· Your lowest homework assignment and quiz score will be dropped.
· Students are encouraged to work with one another to solve the problems in the assignment. However, all submitted work must not be a simple copy of someone else’s work but be original.
· Homework problems can be used for in-class quizzes (to be scheduled).
· Students are encouraged to submit assignments directly to Canvas.
· The assignments will not be thoroughly graded.
· Quizzes will be graded manually; this is so we can make sure that you are thinking about and approaching problems correctly.
· You MUST present your solutions in a neat and easy to follow format on exams. Therefore, you should practice this on ALL homework problems.
Topical review paper and presentation
· Two to four students form a group, choose a topic (e.g. aneurysm) and a specific focus (e.g. extracelluar matrix’s role in the wall of aneurysm wall), and write a report and make a presentation.
· The report should include sufficient physiological background about the topic, experimental designs, theoretical analysis and the interpretation of the data, which are focuses of the class (Ch. 2-6)
· The information can be from the Humphrey’s textbook, but there should be at least one article from recent literature such that newer finding/technology can be highlighted.
· One paragraph (and one slide during presentation) should be dedicated to your thoughts about what would be a good research direction out of your review.
· Topics are, but not limited to: hypertension, atherosclerosis, intracranial aneurysms, aortic aneurysm, balloon angioplasty, arterial response to blood flow, vessel response to injury, etc.
Course Policies
1. All tests are OPEN Book and Notes.
2. No make-up quizzes, tests and final exam.
Diversity statement: “We are all members of an academic community where it is our shared responsibility to cultivate a climate where all students/individuals are valued and where both they and their ideas are treated with respect.” – quote from Adrianne Minerick (Prof. in Chem Eng, MTU)
Academic Integrity Rules
Students may discuss homework assignments (if authorized), but are expected to individually work/write/solve any and all submitted work. All authorized resources used, including but not limited to internet sites (i.e. Chegg, Study Soup, Course Hero, etc.), should be appropriately cited. Please restrict all use of cell phones and/or other electronic devices during class to course-related activities. The focus of class time should be interaction between students, and with the instructor. Any other unauthorized activities are likely to be distracting to other students and the instructor. Because it’s important to everyone at Michigan Tech that academic standards be maintained, academic misconduct may result in an appropriate conduct sanction/educational condition(s) imposed by the Office of Academic and Community Conduct and/or in an academic penalty (lower grade/failing grade) imposed by the faculty.
For more details on academic integrity, please check the Academic Integrity Policy of Michigan Tech.
University Policies
Student work products (exams, essays, projects, etc.) may be used for purposes of university, program, or course assessment. All work used for assessment purposes will not include any individual student identification.
Michigan Tech has standard policies on academic misconduct and complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For more information about reasonable accommodation for or equal access to education or services at Michigan Tech, please call the Dean of Students Office (906-487- 2212) or go to http://www.mtu.edu/ctl/instructional-resources/syllabus/syllabus_policies.html
General evacuation procedure
Use the nearest safe exit route to exit the building. Close all doors on the way out to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. After exiting, immediately proceed to a safe location at least 100 feet from the building. Do not re-enter the building until the all-clear is given by Public Safety or the fire department.
Course Schedule
This is a tentative schedule. This may change as we progress through the semester and will be updated on Canvas. A detailed schedule can also be found at Canvas – Files/BE4930 S2018
Week 1-9: Foundations
Week 1
T 9/4 Course introduction
Chapter 1.1. – Brief History of Biomechanics
R 9/6 Chapter 1.2. – Basic Cell Biology
Chapter 1.3. – The Extracellular Matrix
Week 2
T 9/11 Chapter 1.4. – Soft Tissue Behavior
W 9/12 Last day to drop full semester courses with a refund
Last day to add full semester courses or change a section
R 9/13 Chapter 1.5. – Clinical Motivations
Week 3
T 9/18 Chapter 2 – Mathematical Preliminaries
R 9/20 Chapter 2 – Mathematical Preliminaries (cont.)
F 9/21 Last day to drop full semester courses without a grade appearing on the academic record - No Refund
Week 4
T 9/25 Chapter 2 – Mathematical Preliminaries (cont.)
R 9/27 Chapter 3 – Continuum Mechanics
Week 5
T 10/2 Chapter 3 – Continuum Mechanics (cont.)
W 10/3 Career Fair
R 10/4 Chapter 3 – Continuum Mechanics (cont.)
Week 6
T 10/9 Chapter 4 – Finite Elasticity
R 10/11 Chapter 4 – Finite Elasticity (cont.)
Week 7
T 10/16 Chapter 5 – Experimental Methods
R 10/18 No Class – BMES Annual Meeting
Week 8
T 10/23 Chapter 5 – Experimental Methods (cont.)
R 10/25 Chapter 5 – Experimental Methods (cont.)
Week 9
T 10/30 Chapter 6 – Finite Elements
R 11/1 Chapter 6 – Finite Elements (cont.)
Week 10-15: Vascular Mechanics
Week 10: Vascular Mechanics
T 11/6 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall
HW Due: pg. 50 #1-6
R 11/8 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall (cont.)
F 11/9 Last day to drop full semester courses with a grade of 'W'
Week 11
T 11/13 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall (cont.)
R 11/15 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall (cont.)
Week 12
T 11/20 Thanksgiving week
R 11/22 Thanksgiving Day
Week 13
T 11/27 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall (cont.)
R 11/29 Chapter 7 – The Normal Arterial Wall (cont.)
Week 14
T 12/4 Student Presentation 1
R 12/6 Student Presentation 2
Week 15
T 12/11 Student Presentation 3
R 12/13 Student Presentation 4
Finals Week
12/17-21 Final exam as scheduled by registrar’s office, schedule TBD.