MechE Colloquium: A short story from soft tissues dissipation to the development of hydrogels for medical applications
Event details
| Date | 13.04.2021 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Dominique Pioletti, Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics (LBO), EPFL School of Engineering (STI), Interschool Institute of Bioengineering (IBI-STI) |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract:
To quote Prof Clifford Truesdell, “dissipation is the rule rather than the exception”. The study of this phenomenon is therefore of prime importance if we want to obtain a precise description of the mechanical behavior and the biological functions of soft tissues. As example, we previously showed that the dissipation arising in knee cartilage during physical activities was responsible for a local temperature increase in this tissue favoring chondrogenesis. Dissipation is however a general term that does not discriminate between the different dissipation sources at play in soft tissues submitted to dynamic loading. The dissipation sources can be of reversible or irreversible nature which have fundamental different physical properties. In this talk, I will present the way we consider and control the dissipative phenomena in the development of materials such as hydrogels to increase their mechanical properties. In particular, I will highlight the central aspect of dissipation in developing highly adhesive hydrogels or soft materials that could be used in the prevention of concussion in sport contact.
Bio:
After an undergraduate study in Physics at EPFL, Dominique Pioletti pursued his education in the same Institution and obtained his PhD in biomechanics in 1997. He developed original constitutive laws for soft tissues taking into account viscoelasticity in large deformation situations. Then he spent two years at UCSD as a post-doc fellow and was interested in particular to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to peri-implant osteolysis. He developed at that time the pioneer idea to use orthopedic implant as drug delivery system and has since proposed different solutions relevant for clinical applications. Since his return at EPFL, he combined biomechanical, biological and materials science aspects to developed new solutions for clinical problems related to the musculoskeletal system. In particular, he co-founded a start-up (flowbone.com) to translate the development of an injectable hydrogel use to prevent osteoporotic fracture. His research topics include biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system, mechanobiology in bone and cartilage, drug delivery system for bone and cartilage, and functional tissue engineering. His close collaboration with different hospital departments has resulted in research output oriented toward applications.
To quote Prof Clifford Truesdell, “dissipation is the rule rather than the exception”. The study of this phenomenon is therefore of prime importance if we want to obtain a precise description of the mechanical behavior and the biological functions of soft tissues. As example, we previously showed that the dissipation arising in knee cartilage during physical activities was responsible for a local temperature increase in this tissue favoring chondrogenesis. Dissipation is however a general term that does not discriminate between the different dissipation sources at play in soft tissues submitted to dynamic loading. The dissipation sources can be of reversible or irreversible nature which have fundamental different physical properties. In this talk, I will present the way we consider and control the dissipative phenomena in the development of materials such as hydrogels to increase their mechanical properties. In particular, I will highlight the central aspect of dissipation in developing highly adhesive hydrogels or soft materials that could be used in the prevention of concussion in sport contact.
Bio:
After an undergraduate study in Physics at EPFL, Dominique Pioletti pursued his education in the same Institution and obtained his PhD in biomechanics in 1997. He developed original constitutive laws for soft tissues taking into account viscoelasticity in large deformation situations. Then he spent two years at UCSD as a post-doc fellow and was interested in particular to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to peri-implant osteolysis. He developed at that time the pioneer idea to use orthopedic implant as drug delivery system and has since proposed different solutions relevant for clinical applications. Since his return at EPFL, he combined biomechanical, biological and materials science aspects to developed new solutions for clinical problems related to the musculoskeletal system. In particular, he co-founded a start-up (flowbone.com) to translate the development of an injectable hydrogel use to prevent osteoporotic fracture. His research topics include biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system, mechanobiology in bone and cartilage, drug delivery system for bone and cartilage, and functional tissue engineering. His close collaboration with different hospital departments has resulted in research output oriented toward applications.
Practical information
- General public
- Free