The SIMULIA Abaqus Knee Simulator from Dassault Systemes
Published date : 30 April 2013
Article date : 30 April 2013
The world of medical device development moves quickly. Therefore, we were fascinated to hear about the SIMULIA Abaqus Knee Simulator. In short, this is a modelling and simulation tool which mimics the normal knee, and can fast-track the development of knee replacement prostheses. At first glance, this appears to be a very specialised tool but there is no doubt that systems such as these can accelerate the development of new prostheses and may turn out to be very time and cost-efficient. We asked Cheryl Liu, Life Sciences Senior Technical Lead, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes some questions...
Q. Can you tell us what the Abaqus Knee Simulator is used for?
A. The Abaqus Knee Simulator is a validated computational modeling tool for performing basic to advanced knee implant analyses and simulations. This tool offers five fast and easy-to-setup workflows which reduce your reliance on time consuming trials and expensive lab equipment, while still meeting regulatory requirements.
Q. Are the results validated against real world outcomes?
A. Yes, the Abaqus Knee Simulator is based on validated data derived from in vitro testing.
Q. Does the system allow for a range of normal anatomy?
A. The current release of Abaqus Knee Simulator provides one set of anatomy. If needed, the users can replace the built-in anatomy and tissue properties with their own anatomic geometry as well as tissue properties.
Q. Can it be used for applications other than the development of knee replacements, for example to model the biomechanics of the normal knee after ligament injury?
A. Not with the current release. The current release of Abaqus Knee Simulator doesn’t include cartilage and menisci which are necessary for normal knee models.
Q. Is it available to clinicians who might be interested in research in this area?
A. The Abaqus Knee Simulator offers designer and analyst user interfaces to make this technology available to a wider audience. For clinicians with limited knowledge of simulation, the Designer interface would allow them to access the technology.
Q. How expensive is the system?
A. We do not publish pricing information.
Q. Are there plans to develop systems for other joints?
A. Dassault Systemès’ SIMULIA application is dedicated to making realistic human simulation an integral part of the medical devices development process. We are actively working with researchers and customers to develop similar content to address the growing need from the industry.
Q. How can an interested clinician, researcher or implant company get in touch with you?
A. For more information, please click this link.
