Automated Biomimetic Design Integration
The combined use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems and layer manufacturing techniques allows the creation of complex trabecular architectures with few limitations in terms of achievable complexity. However, the design of complex and intricate networks of channels required in CAD is extremely time consuming since manually modelling hundreds of different geometrical elements, all with different parameters, may require several days to design individual scaffold structures.
An automated design methodology is presented by this research to overcome these limitations. This approach involves the investigation of novel software algorithms, which is able to interact with a conventional CAD program and permit the automated design of several geometrical elements, each with a different size and shape.
Funding body
HEFCE (HR2), 2005-2009, Grant award £46,898
Project duration
36 months
Project team (researchers)
- Dr. Russell Harris (Principle Investigator)
- Mr. Ettore Ramin (Research Student)
Industrial collaborators
Contact details
Dr Russell Harris, R.A.Harris@lboro.ac.uk, 01509 227571
Project output / results
- Advanced Computer Aided Design for Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, E.Ramin and R.A.Harris
- Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Part H Journal of Engineering in Medicine - ISSN 0954-4119, Issue Volume 223, Number 3 / 2009, Pages 289-301, DOI 10.1243/09544119JEIM452