In vitro measurement of mechanical properties of liver tissue under compression and elongation using a new test piece holding method with surgical glue

Abstract

There is a need to determine biomechanical properties of liver tissue to develop realistic elastic deformable liver model for computer aided surgery. In this report, we introduced a method to measure mechanical properties using surgical instant adhesive (surgical glue). The method made easier to define the mechanical boundary conditions for test pieces. It also makes it possible to conduct both compression and elongation test on the same test piece. In actual deformation of liver during surgical intervention, the tissue is subject both to compression and elongation. Identification of mechanical properties in the range where mechanical force changes from compression to elongation is important. We can identify the stress-strain relationship of liver samples in the transition range from compression to elongation. We also investigated viscoelastic properties by compressing the sample at different velocities. The obtained results can be applied to non linear FEM analysis of liver tissue. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.