Artificial intelligence-driven design and fatigue life prediction of 3D printed bone scaffolds

Descrizione del progetto

Progettazione tramite IA di impalcature ossee resistenti

Il processo di guarigione delle fratture ossee richiede solitamente l’uso di impalcature, ma quelle attualmente progettate e stampate in 3D presentano una scarsa resistenza meccanica e non dispongono di una durata sufficiente per sopportare le sollecitazioni continue esercitate dal corpo. Sostenuto dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto AID-Bone mira a utilizzare la tecnologia di IA nella progettazione della prossima generazione di impalcature ossee stampate in 3D per conferire loro resistenza meccanica e maggiore resistenza alla fatica del corpo ai fini dell’ingegneria dei tessuti ossei. Ciò comporta lo sforzo congiunto di scienziati specializzati in IA, esperti di stampa 3D, biomeccanici e scienziati dei materiali, che lavoreranno per sviluppare nuove impalcature ossee con proprietà simili a quelle delle ossa naturali.

Obiettivo

"Fracture is a common orthopedic condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing severe impairment of motor functions and significantly reducing quality of life. As a structural framework that supports and guides bone regeneration, the design and fabrication of bone scaffolds has emerged as a key in bone tissue engineering, offering an alternative to conventional bone grafting approaches. However, current 3D printed bone scaffolds continue to exhibit insufficient mechanical performance and fatigue durability, limiting their ability to withstand long-term physiological loading. In response to this need, Dr Haijei Wang, an experienced researcher from East China University of Science and Technology in China, moving to the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom to collaborate on the project titled ""Artificial intelligence-driven design and fatigue life prediction of 3D printed bone scaffolds (AID-Bone)"" under supervision of Dr Xijin Hua. The objective of this project is to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to develop the next generation of structurally optimized, fatigue-resistant 3D printed bone scaffolds, addressing the current challenges in scaffold design and fatigue performance evaluation. The project will leverage the fellow's expertise in 3D printing, AI, structural integrity assessment, and materials science, in conjunction with the supervisor's proficiency in biomechanics, scaffold modelling and simulation. This initiative seeks to establish a knowledge-sharing platform that enables the fellow to acquire new skills while fostering the exchange of expertise between the fellow and the host in the domains of biomechanics, scaffold modelling and simulation, 3D printing, AI, structural integrity assessment, and materials science."