Micro-Biomechanics Labs

• subjectSkills

  Laboratory mechanical tests on small size specimens:

  • Uniaxial tensile/compressive tests
  • peeling test on coating/substrate systems
  • micro-bending tests
  • biaxial tensile tests
  • Micro/Nanoindentation
  • Micro/Nanoscratch
  • Buldge tests

   

  Surface analyses:

  • high resolution profilometry and roughness (through laser confocal microscopy)
  • Morphology (Stereo-microscopy)

  In-situ testing and Digital Image Correlation (DIC)

   

  Numerical modeling complementing micromechanical testing: finite element modeling, homogenization approaches for mechanical and physical properties, numerical simulation of laboratory mechanical tests to determine deformation mechanisms at the small scale, micro-Computer-Tomography based finite element modeling, multigrid codes for computational micromechanics on micro-CT based models, multi-physics modeling.

• subjectResearch activities

  Development of new in-situ experimental techniques at sub-millimetre length scale, integration of mechanical tests and imaging (optical microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy).

  The application contexts are the micromechanics of tissues and (bio)materials: relationship between structure and property. Assessment of the mechanical behaviour of materials and tissues on the basis of the micro-scale composition and of the relevant deformation mechanisms of the single constituents. Application of the micromechanics concepts and methods to biological tissues and (bio)materials.

  As representative examples, tissues of the musculoskeletal system are characterized such as articular cartilage and bone tissue. Among the biomaterials, representative examples are: glass ceramic scaffolds, polyurethane scaffolds, micro- and nano-silk based vascular grafts, bovine pericardial tissue for heath valves, materials and structures obtained through Additive Manufacturing techniques.

  Some of the laboratory facilities belong to the inter-department laboratory (IS-MicroLab) in which other industrial applications can be considered, es: MEMS.

• peoplePhD

  LUCA D'ANDREA

  ILARIA GUIDETTI

  DEEPTHISHRE GUNASHEKAR

  ILARIA ROTA

• linkKeywords

  Additive Manufacturing

  Biodegradable/Bioresorbable Polymers

  Biomaterials

  Biomechanics

  Biomedical Engineering

  Composites

  Corrosion

  Failure Analysis

  Fatigue Resistance

  Fracture

  Health

  Materials modelling

  Mechanics of Materials

  Medical Device and Endoprostheses

  Multi-Scale Modeling

  Regenerative Medicine Scaffolds

  Smart Materials

  Structure-property Relationship

  Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

  Tissue Mechanics