Three-dimensional high-resolution reconstruction of the human gastro-oesophageal junction.

The aim of this study was to obtain detailed information regarding the three-dimensional structure of the gastro-oesophageal region, and, in particular, the fiber orientation of the different muscle layers of the junction. This was achieved by a study of an en bloc resection of the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) harvested from a human cadaver. The excised tissue block was suspended in a cage to preserve anatomical relationships, fixed in formalin and embedded in wax. The tissue block was then processed by a custom-built extended-volume imaging system to obtain the microstructural information using a digital camera which acquires images at a resolution of 8.2 microm/pixel. The top surface of the tissue block was sequentially stained and imaged. At each step, the imaged surface was milled off at a depth of 50 microm. The processing of the tissue block resulted in 650 images covering a length of 32.25 mm of the GOJ. Structures, including the different muscle and fascial layers, were then traced out from the cross-sectional images using color thresholding. The traced regions were then aligned and assembled to provide a three-dimensional representation of the GOJ. The result is the detailed three-dimensional microstructural anatomy of the GOJ represented in a new way. The next stage will be to integrate key physiological events, including peristalsis and relaxation, into this model using mathematical modeling to allow accurate visual tools for training health professionals and patients.

Biophysically based mathematical modeling of interstitial cells of Cajal slow wave activity generated from a discrete unitary potential basis.

Spontaneously rhythmic pacemaker activity produced by interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) is the result of the entrainment of unitary potential depolarizations generated at intracellular sites termed pacemaker units. In this study, we present a mathematical modeling framework that quantitatively represents the transmembrane ion flows and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics from a single ICC operating over the physiological membrane potential range. The mathematical model presented here extends our recently developed biophysically based pacemaker unit modeling framework by including mechanisms necessary for coordinating unitary potential events, such as a T-Type Ca2+ current, Vm-dependent K+ currents, and global Ca2+ diffusion. Model simulations produce spontaneously rhythmic slow wave depolarizations with an amplitude of 65 mV at a frequency of 17.4 cpm. Our model predicts that activity at the spatial scale of the pacemaker unit is fundamental for ICC slow wave generation, and Ca2+ influx from activation of the T-Type Ca2+ current is required for unitary potential entrainment. These results suggest that intracellular Ca2+ levels, particularly in the region local to the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, significantly influence pacing frequency and synchronization of pacemaker unit discharge. Moreover, numerical investigations show that our ICC model is capable of qualitatively replicating a wide range of experimental observations.

Effects of electrical stimulation on isolated rodent gastric smooth muscle cells evaluated via a joint computational simulation and experimental approach.

Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) involves the delivery of electrical impulses to the stomach for therapeutic purposes. New GES protocols are needed that are optimized for improved motility outcomes and energy efficiency. In this study, a biophysically based smooth muscle cell (SMC) model was modified on the basis of experimental data and employed in conjunction with experimental studies to define the effects of a large range of GES protocols on individual SMCs. For the validation studies, rat gastric SMCs were isolated and subjected to patch-clamp analysis during stimulation. Experimental results were in satisfactory agreement with simulation results. The results define the effects of a wide range of GES parameters (pulse width, amplitude, and pulse-train frequency) on isolated SMCs. The minimum pulse width required to invoke a supramechanical threshold response from SMCs (defined at -30 mV) was 65 ms (at 250-pA amplitude). The minimum amplitude required to invoke this threshold was 75 pA (at 1,000-ms pulse width). The amplitude of the invoked response beyond this threshold was proportional to the stimulation amplitude. A high-frequency train of stimuli (40 Hz; 10 ms, 150 pA) could invoke and maintain the SMC plateau phase while requiring 60% less power and accruing approximately 30% less intracellular Ca(2+) concentration during the plateau phase than a comparable single-pulse protocol could in a demonstrated example. Validated computational simulations are an effective strategy for efficiently identifying effective minimum-energy GES protocols, and pulse-train protocols may also help to reduce the power consumption of future GES devices.

A biophysically based mathematical model of unitary potential activity in interstitial cells of Cajal.

Unitary potential (UP) depolarizations are the basic intracellular events responsible for pacemaker activity in interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), and are generated at intracellular sites termed "pacemaker units". In this study, we present a mathematical model of the transmembrane ion flows and intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics from a single ICC pacemaker unit acting at near-resting membrane potential. This model quantitatively formalizes the framework of a novel ICC pacemaking mechanism that has recently been proposed. Model simulations produce spontaneously rhythmic UP depolarizations with an amplitude of approximately 3 mV at a frequency of 0.05 Hz. The model predicts that the main inward currents, carried by a Ca(2+)-inhibited nonselective cation conductance, are activated by depletion of sub-plasma-membrane [Ca(2+)] caused by sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase Ca(2+) sequestration. Furthermore, pacemaker activity predicted by our model persists under simulated voltage clamp and is independent of [IP(3)] oscillations. The model presented here provides a basis to quantitatively analyze UP depolarizations and the biophysical mechanisms underlying their production.

Rapid construction of a patient-specific torso model from 3D ultrasound for non-invasive imaging of cardiac electrophysiology.

One of the main limitations in using inverse methods for non-invasively imaging cardiac electrical activity in a clinical setting is the difficulty in readily obtaining high-quality data sets to reconstruct accurately a patient-specific geometric model of the heart and torso. This issue was addressed by investigation into the feasibility of using a pseudo-3D ultrasound system and a hand-held laser scanner to reconstruct such a model. This information was collected in under 20 min prior to a catheter ablation or pacemaker study in the electrophysiology laboratory. Using the models created from these data, different activation field maps were computed using several different inverse methods. These were independently validated by comparison of the earliest site of activation with the physical location of the pacing electrodes, as determined from orthogonal fluoroscopy images. With an estimated average geometric error of approximately 8 mm, it was also possible to reconstruct the site of initial activation to within 17.3 mm and obtain a quantitatively realistic activation sequence. The study demonstrates that it is possible rapidly to construct a geometric model that can then be used non-invasively to reconstruct an activation field map of the heart.

The computational performance of a high-order coupled FEM/BEM procedure in electropotential problems.

This paper presents a thorough analysis of the computational performance of a coupled cubic Hermite boundary element/finite element procedure. This C1 (i.e., value and derivative continous) method has been developed specifically for electropotential problems, and has been previously applied to torso and skull problems. Here, the behavior of this new procedure is quantified by solving a number of dipole in spheres problems. A detailed set of results generated with a wide range of the various input parameters (such as dipole orientation, location, conductivity, and solution method used in each spherical shell [either finite element or boundary elements]) is presented. The new cubic Hermite boundary element procedure shows significantly better accuracy and convergence properties and a significant reduction in CPU time than a traditional boundary element procedure which uses linear or constant elements. Results using the high-order method are also compared with other computational methods which have had quantitative results published for electropotential problems. In all cases, the high-order method offered a significant improvement in computational efficiency by increasing the solution accuracy for the same, or fewer, solution degrees of freedom.

An anatomical model of the gastric system for producing bioelectric and biomagnetic fields.

Between 60 and 70 million people in the United States are affected by gastrointestinal disorders. Many of these conditions are difficult to assess without surgical intervention and accurate noninvasive techniques to aid in clinical assessment are needed. Through the use of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) gradiometer, the weak magnetic field generated as a result of muscular activity in the digestive system can be measured. However, the interpretation of these magnetic recordings remains a significant challenge. We have created an anatomically realistic biophysically based mathematical model of the human digestive system and using this model normal gastric electrical control activity (ECA) has been simulated. The external magnetic fields associated with this gastric ECA have also been computed and are shown to be in qualitative agreement with recordings taken from normal individuals. The model framework thus provides a rational basis from which to begin interpreting magnetic recordings from normal and diseased individuals.

Circumferential and functional re-entry of in vivo slow-wave activity in the porcine small intestine.

BACKGROUND: Slow-waves modulate the pattern of small intestine contractions. However, the large-scale spatial organization of intestinal slow-wave pacesetting remains uncertain because most previous studies have had limited resolution. This study applied high-resolution (HR) mapping to evaluate intestinal pacesetting mechanisms and propagation patterns in vivo. METHODS: HR serosal mapping was performed in anesthetized pigs using flexible arrays (256 electrodes; 32 × 8; 4 mm spacing), applied along the jejunum. Slow-wave propagation patterns, frequencies, and velocities were calculated. Slow-wave initiation sources were identified and analyzed by animation and isochronal activation mapping. KEY RESULTS: Analysis comprised 32 recordings from nine pigs (mean duration 5.1 ± 3.9 min). Slow-wave propagation was analyzed, and a total of 26 sources of slow-wave initiation were observed and classified as focal pacemakers (31%), sites of functional re-entry (23%) and circumferential re-entry (35%), or indeterminate sources (11%). The mean frequencies of circumferential and functional re-entry were similar (17.0 ± 0.3 vs 17.2 ± 0.4 cycle min(-1) ; P = 0.5), and greater than that of focal pacemakers (12.7 ± 0.8 cycle min(-1) ; P < 0.001). Velocity was anisotropic (12.9 ± 0.7 mm s(-1) circumferential vs 9.0 ± 0.7 mm s(-1) longitudinal; P < 0.05), contributing to the onset and maintenance of re-entry. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: This study has shown multiple patterns of slow-wave initiation in the jejunum of anesthetized pigs. These results constitute the first description and analysis of circumferential re-entry in the gastrointestinal tract and functional re-entry in the in vivo small intestine. Re-entry can control the direction, pattern, and frequency of slow-wave propagation, and its occurrence and functional significance merit further investigation.

A physiologically based, multi-scale model of skeletal muscle structure and function.

Models of skeletal muscle can be classified as phenomenological or biophysical. Phenomenological models predict the muscle's response to a specified input based on experimental measurements. Prominent phenomenological models are the Hill-type muscle models, which have been incorporated into rigid-body modeling frameworks, and three-dimensional continuum-mechanical models. Biophysically based models attempt to predict the muscle's response as emerging from the underlying physiology of the system. In this contribution, the conventional biophysically based modeling methodology is extended to include several structural and functional characteristics of skeletal muscle. The result is a physiologically based, multi-scale skeletal muscle finite element model that is capable of representing detailed, geometrical descriptions of skeletal muscle fibers and their grouping. Together with a well-established model of motor-unit recruitment, the electro-physiological behavior of single muscle fibers within motor units is computed and linked to a continuum-mechanical constitutive law. The bridging between the cellular level and the organ level has been achieved via a multi-scale constitutive law and homogenization. The effect of homogenization has been investigated by varying the number of embedded skeletal muscle fibers and/or motor units and computing the resulting exerted muscle forces while applying the same excitatory input. All simulations were conducted using an anatomically realistic finite element model of the tibialis anterior muscle. Given the fact that the underlying electro-physiological cellular muscle model is capable of modeling metabolic fatigue effects such as potassium accumulation in the T-tubular space and inorganic phosphate build-up, the proposed framework provides a novel simulation-based way to investigate muscle behavior ranging from motor-unit recruitment to force generation and fatigue.

Reconstruction of multiple gastric electrical wave fronts using potential-based inverse methods.

One approach for non-invasively characterizing gastric electrical activity, commonly used in the field of electrocardiography, involves solving an inverse problem whereby electrical potentials on the stomach surface are directly reconstructed from dense potential measurements on the skin surface. To investigate this problem, an anatomically realistic torso model and an electrical stomach model were used to simulate potentials on stomach and skin surfaces arising from normal gastric electrical activity. The effectiveness of the Greensite-Tikhonov or the Tikhonov inverse methods were compared under the presence of 10% Gaussian noise with either 84 or 204 body surface electrodes. The stability and accuracy of the Greensite-Tikhonov method were further investigated by introducing varying levels of Gaussian signal noise or by increasing or decreasing the size of the stomach by 10%. Results showed that the reconstructed solutions were able to represent the presence of propagating multiple wave fronts and the Greensite-Tikhonov method with 204 electrodes performed best (correlation coefficients of activation time: 90%; pacemaker localization error: 3 cm). The Greensite-Tikhonov method was stable with Gaussian noise levels up to 20% and 10% change in stomach size. The use of 204 rather than 84 body surface electrodes improved the performance; however, for all investigated cases, the Greensite-Tikhonov method outperformed the Tikhonov method.

Influence of body parameters on gastric bioelectric and biomagnetic fields in a realistic volume conductor.

Electrogastrograms (EGG) and magnetogastrograms (MGG) provide two complementary methods for non-invasively recording electric or magnetic fields resulting from gastric electrical slow wave activity. It is known that EGG signals are relatively weak and difficult to reliably record while magnetic fields are, in theory, less attenuated by the low-conductivity fat layers present in the body. In this paper, we quantified the effects of fat thickness and conductivity values on resultant magnetic and electric fields using anatomically realistic torso models and trains of dipole sources reflecting recent experimental results. The results showed that when the fat conductivity was increased, there was minimal change in both potential and magnetic fields. However, when the fat conductivity was reduced, the magnetic fields were largely unchanged, but electric potentials had a significant change in patterns and amplitudes. When the thickness of the fat layer was increased by 30 mm, the amplitude of the magnetic fields decreased 10% more than potentials but magnetic field patterns were changed about four times less than potentials. The ability to localize the underlying sources from the magnetic fields using a surface current density measure was altered by less than 2 mm when the fat layer was increased by 30 mm. In summary, results confirm that MGG provides a favorable method over EGG when there are uncertain levels of fat thickness or conductivity.

Rapid high-amplitude circumferential slow wave propagation during normal gastric pacemaking and dysrhythmias.

BACKGROUND: Gastric slow waves propagate aborally as rings of excitation. Circumferential propagation does not normally occur, except at the pacemaker region. We hypothesized that (i) the unexplained high-velocity, high-amplitude activity associated with the pacemaker region is a consequence of circumferential propagation; (ii) rapid, high-amplitude circumferential propagation emerges during gastric dysrhythmias; (iii) the driving network conductance might switch between interstitial cells of Cajal myenteric plexus (ICC-MP) and circular interstitial cells of Cajal intramuscular (ICC-IM) during circumferential propagation; and (iv) extracellular amplitudes and velocities are correlated. METHODS: An experimental-theoretical study was performed. High-resolution gastric mapping was performed in pigs during normal activation, pacing, and dysrhythmia. Activation profiles, velocities, and amplitudes were quantified. ICC pathways were theoretically evaluated in a bidomain model. Extracellular potentials were modeled as a function of membrane potentials. KEY RESULTS: High-velocity, high-amplitude activation was only recorded in the pacemaker region when circumferential conduction occurred. Circumferential propagation accompanied dysrhythmia in 8/8 experiments was faster than longitudinal propagation (8.9 vs 6.9 mm s(-1) ; P = 0.004) and of higher amplitude (739 vs 528 µV; P = 0.007). Simulations predicted that ICC-MP could be the driving network during longitudinal propagation, whereas during ectopic pacemaking, ICC-IM could outpace and activate ICC-MP in the circumferential axis. Experimental and modeling data demonstrated a linear relationship between velocities and amplitudes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: The high-velocity and high-amplitude profile of the normal pacemaker region is due to localized circumferential propagation. Rapid circumferential propagation also emerges during a range of gastric dysrhythmias, elevating extracellular amplitudes and organizing transverse wavefronts. One possible explanation for these findings is bidirectional coupling between ICC-MP and circular ICC-IM networks.

Reconstruction of multiple gastric electrical wave fronts using potential based inverse methods.

The ability to reconstruct gastric electrical activity (termed slow waves) non-invasively from potential field measurements made on the torso surface would be a useful tool to aid in the clinical diagnosis of a number of gastric disorders. This is mathematically akin to the inverse problem of electrocardiography. To investigate this problem, an anatomically realistic torso model and an electrical stomach model were used to simulate potentials on the stomach and skin surfaces arising from normal gastric electrical activity. Gaussian noise was added to the torso potentials to represent experimental signal noise. The stomach potentials, activation profiles and gastric slow wave velocities were inversely reconstructed from the torso potentials, using the Tikhonov-Greensite inverse method with regularisation determined using an L-curve method. The inverse solutions were then compared with the known input solutions. The reconstructed solutions were able to represent the presence of multiple propagating wave fronts, determine average activation times to within 5 s and average velocities to within 1 mm/s. When more virtual body surface electrodes were used in the inverse calculations, the accuracy of the reconstructed activity improved.

Anatomical registration and three-dimensional visualization of low and high-resolution pan-colonic manometry recordings.

BACKGROUND: Colonic propagating sequences (PS) are important for the movement of colonic content and defecation, and aberrant PS patterning has been associated with slow transit constipation. However, because these motor patterns are typically recorded over long periods (24 h +), the visualization of PS spatiotemporal patterning is difficult. Here, we develop a novel method for displaying pan-colonic motility patterns. METHODS: A 3D mesh representing the geometry of the human colon was created as follows: (i) Human colon images from the Visible Human Dataset were digitized to create a 3D data cloud, and (ii) A surface mesh was fitted to the cloud using a least-squares minimization technique. Colonic manometry catheters were placed in the ascending colon of healthy controls and patients with slow transit constipation (STC), with the aid of a colonoscope. The colonic manometry data were interpolated and mapped to the model according to the following anatomical landmarks: cecum, hepatic flexure, splenic flexure, sigmoid-descending junction, and anus. KEY RESULTS: These 3D images clearly and intuitively communicate characteristics of normal and abnormal colonic motility. Specifically we have shown the reduced amplitude of the antegrade propagating pressure waves (PPW) throughout the colon and reduced frequency of PPWs at the mid-colon in patients with STC. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: A novel method for the 3D visualization of PS is presented, providing an intuitive method for representing a large volume of physiological data. These techniques can be used to display frequency, amplitude or velocity data, and will help to convey regions of abnormally in patient populations.

A comparison of gold versus silver electrode contacts for high-resolution gastric electrical mapping using flexible printed circuit board arrays.

Stomach contractions are initiated and coordinated by electrical events termed slow waves, and slow wave abnormalities contribute to gastric motility disorders. Recently, flexible printed circuit board (PCB) multi-electrode arrays were introduced, facilitating high-resolution mapping of slow wave activity in humans. However PCBs with gold contacts have shown a moderately inferior signal quality to previous custom-built silver-wire platforms, potentially limiting analyses. This study determined if using silver instead of gold contacts improved flexible PCB performance. In a salt-bath test, modestly higher stimulus amplitudes were recorded from silver PCBs (mean 312, s.d. 89 µV) than those from gold (mean 281, s.d. 85 µV) (p < 0.001); however, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was similar (p = 0.26). In eight in vivo experimental studies, involving gastric serosal recordings from five pigs, no silver versus gold differences were found in terms of slow wave amplitudes (mean 677 versus 682 µV; p = 0.91), SNR (mean 8.8 versus 8.8 dB; p = 0.94) or baseline drift (NRMS; mean 12.0 versus 12.1; p = 0.97). Under the prescribed conditions, flexible PCBs with silver or gold contacts provide comparable results in vivo, and contact material difference does not explain the performance difference between current-generation slow wave mapping platforms. Alternative explanations for this difference and the implications for electrode design are discussed.

High-resolution spatial analysis of slow wave initiation and conduction in porcine gastric dysrhythmia.

BACKGROUND: The significance of gastric dysrhythmias remains uncertain. Progress requires a better understanding of dysrhythmic behaviors, including the slow wave patterns that accompany or promote them. The aim of this study was to use high-resolution spatiotemporal mapping to characterize and quantify the initiation and conduction of porcine gastric dysrhythmias. METHODS: High-resolution mapping was performed on healthy fasted weaner pigs under general anesthesia. Recordings were made from the gastric serosa using flexible arrays (160-192 electrodes; 7.6mm spacing). Dysrhythmias were observed to occur in 14 of 97 individual recordings (from 8 of 16 pigs), and these events were characterized, quantified and classified using isochronal mapping and animation. KEY RESULTS: All observed dysrhythmias originated in the corpus and fundus. The range of dysrhythmias included incomplete conduction block (n=3 pigs; 3.9±0.5cpm; normal range: 3.2±0.2cpm) complete conduction block (n=3; 3.7±0.4cpm), escape rhythm (n=5; 2.0±0.3cpm), competing ectopic pacemakers (n=5, 3.7±0.1cpm) and functional re-entry (n=3, 4.1±0.4cpm). Incomplete conduction block was observed to self-perpetuate due to retrograde propagation of wave fragments. Functional re-entry occurred in the corpus around a line of unidirectional block. 'Double potentials' were observed in electrograms at sites of re-entry and at wave collisions. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Intraoperative multi-electrode mapping of fasted weaner healthy pigs detected dysrhythmias in 15% of recordings (from 50% of animals), including patterns not previously reported. The techniques and findings described here offer new opportunities to understand the nature of human gastric dysrhythmias.

Characterization of gastric electrical activity using magnetic field measurements: a simulation study.

Gastric disorders are often associated with abnormal propagation of gastric electrical activity (GEA). The identification of clinically relevant parameters of GEA using noninvasive measures would therefore be highly beneficial for clinical diagnosis. While magnetogastrograms (MGG) are known to provide a noninvasive representation of GEA, standard methods for their analysis are limited. It has previously been shown in simplistic conditions that the surface current density (SCD) calculated from multichannel MGG measurements provides an estimate of the gastric source location and propagation velocity. We examine the accuracy of this technique using more realistic source models and an anatomically realistic volume conductor model. The results showed that the SCD method was able to resolve the GEA parameters more reliably when the dipole source was located within 100 mm of the sensor. Therefore, the theoretical accuracy of SCD method would be relatively diminished for patients with a larger body habitus, and particularly in those patients with significant truncal obesity. However, many patients with gastric motility disorders are relatively thin due to food intolerance, meaning that the majority of the population of gastric motility patients could benefit from the methods developed here. Large errors resulted when the source was located deep within the body due to the distorting effects of the secondary sources on the magnetic fields. Larger errors also resulted when the dipole was oriented normal to the sensor plane. This was believed to be due to the relatively small contribution of the dipole source when compared to the field produced by the volume conductor. The use of three orthogonal magnetic field components rather than just one component to calculate the SCD yielded marginally more accurate results when using a realistic dipole source. However, this slight increase in accuracy may not warrant the use of more complex vector channels in future superconducting quantum interference device designs. When multiple slow waves were present in the stomach, the SCD map contained only one maximum point corresponding to the more dominant source located in the distal stomach. Parameters corresponding to the slow wave in the proximal stomach were obtained once the dominant slow terminated at the antrum. Additional validation studies are warranted to address the utility of the SCD method to resolve parameters related to gastric slow waves in a clinical setting.

Origin, propagation and regional characteristics of porcine gastric slow wave activity determined by high-resolution mapping.

BACKGROUND: The pig is a popular model for gastric electrophysiology studies. However, its normal baseline gastric activity has not been well characterized. High-resolution (HR) mapping has recently enabled an accurate description of human and canine gastric slow wave activity, and was employed here to define porcine gastric slow wave activity. METHODS: Fasted pigs underwent HR mapping following anesthesia and laparotomy. Flexible printed-circuit-board arrays were used (160-192 electrodes; spacing 7.62 mm). Anterior and posterior surfaces were mapped simultaneously. Activation times, velocities, amplitudes and frequencies were calculated, and regional differences evaluated. KEY RESULTS: Mean slow wave frequency was 3.22 ± 0.23 cpm. Slow waves propagated isotropically from the pacemaker site (greater curvature, mid-fundus). Pacemaker activity was of higher velocity (13.3 ± 1.0 mm s(-1)) and greater amplitude (1.3 ± 0.2 mV) than distal fundal activity (9.0 ± 0.6 mm s(-1), 0.9 ± 0.1 mV; P < 0.05). Velocities and amplitudes were similar in the distal fundus, proximal corpus (8.4 ± 0.8 mm s(-1), 1.0 ± 0.1 mV), distal corpus (8.3 ± 0.8 mm s(-1), 0.9 ± 0.2 mV) and antrum (6.8 ± 0.6 mm s(-1), 1.1 ± 0.2 mV). Activity was continuous across the anterior and posterior gastric surfaces. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: This study has quantified normal porcine gastric slow wave activity at HR during anesthesia and laparotomy. The pacemaker region was associated with high-amplitude, high-velocity slow wave activity compared to the activity in the rest of the stomach. The increase in distal antral slow wave velocity and amplitude previously described in canines and humans is not observed in the pig. Investigators should be aware of these inter-species differences.

Automatically generating subject-specific functional tooth surfaces using virtual mastication.

High-accuracy geometrical models of a subject's mandibular and maxillary teeth are combined with recordings of natural chewing trajectories of the same subject to obtain a subject-specific virtual model of mastication-the virtual masticator. The virtual masticator and a shape-optimization algorithm, which is based on removing collisions occurring between a generic maxillary tooth/teeth and the mandibular antagonists during mastication, is used to automatically reconstruct functional tooth surfaces. The process was tested using a chewing trajectory stemming from recordings made of an individual while eating elastic-type foods, a generic maxillary tooth, and the mandibular second molar of that individual. Comparing the obtained results with the actual tooth, the errors within the occlusal and functional regions of the the right second maxillary molar range between -90 and 200 mum and these errors do not change any more after three chewing cycles. These results indicate that a small number of chewing cycles is sufficient to remove occlusal interferences in the virtual tooth model. Such automatically reconstructed tooth surfaces can provide guidance during the design stage of dental fixed restorations manufactured using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems and provide additional information for the design of dental implants or bridges.

Modeling of the mechanical function of the human gastroesophageal junction using an anatomically realistic three-dimensional model.

The aim of this study was to combine the anatomy and physiology of the human gastroesophageal junction (the junction between the esophagus and the stomach) into a unified computer model. A three-dimensional (3D) computer model of the gastroesophageal junction was created using cross-sectional images from a human cadaver. The governing equations of finite deformation elasticity were incorporated into the 3D model. The model was used to predict the intraluminal pressure values (pressure inside the junction) due to the muscle contraction of the gastroesophageal junction and the effects of the surrounding structures. The intraluminal pressure results obtained from the 3D model were consistent with experimental values available in the literature. The model was also used to examine the independent roles of each muscle layer (circular and longitudinal) of the gastroesophageal junction by contracting them separately. Results showed that the intraluminal pressure values predicted by the model were primarily due to the contraction of the circular muscle layer. If the circular muscle layer was quiescent, the contraction of the longitudinal muscle layer resulted in an expansion of the junction. In conclusion, the model provided reliable predictions of the intraluminal pressure values during the contraction of a normal gastroesophageal junction. The model also provided a framework to examine the role of each muscle layer during the contraction of the gastroesophageal junction.