A first-of-its-kind 3D biomimetic artificial mouth capable of reproducing the oral processing of soft foods.

With a growing global population and ageing demographics, the food industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, necessitating bespoke solutions and groundbreaking innovations. In vitro experiments can help understanding food oral processing and formulating products meeting the specific needs of different populations. However, current in vitro models do not reproduce well human oral anatomy and tongue biomechanics, essential for assessing the behaviour of novel and texturized foods under physiologically relevant oral conditions. In response, we unveil a novel 3D biomimetic artificial mouth, showcasing a pneumatic multi-degree-of-freedom artificial tongue meticulously crafted to mirror the mechanical properties and wettability of the human tongue. This cutting-edge technology, featuring tongue surface papillae, is capable of performing lifelike movements. The comparison with in vivo data demonstrates that it accurately reproduces oral processing of three, vastly different, soft foods. Textural characteristics (firmness, adhesive and cohesive properties) and shear viscosities-measured at oral and oropharyngeal-relevant shear rates-of in vitro food boli closely mirrored those observed in vivo. This in vitro device presents unprecedented opportunities for studying the dynamics of food transformation in the mouth, to adapt texture towards food that can be swallowed with ease and to improve food palatability, accommodating specific health needs critical for older adults (e.g., reduced salivary secretion, tongue weakness or poor coordination).

A comprehensive overview of the spatial and temporal variability of apple bud dormancy release and blooming phenology in Western Europe.

In the current context of global warming, an analysis is required of spatially-extensive and long-term blooming data in fruit trees to make up for insufficient information on regional-scale blooming changes and determinisms that are key to the phenological adaptation of these species. We therefore analysed blooming dates over long periods at climate-contrasted sites in Western Europe, focusing mainly on the Golden Delicious apple that is grown worldwide. On average, blooming advances were more pronounced in northern continental (10 days) than in western oceanic (6-7 days) regions, while the shortest advance was found on the Mediterranean coastline. Temporal trends toward blooming phase shortenings were also observed in continental regions. These regional differences in temporal variability across Western Europe resulted in a decrease in spatial variability, i.e. shorter time intervals between blooming dates in contrasted regions (8-10-day decrease for full bloom between Mediterranean and continental regions). Fitted sequential models were used to reproduce phenological changes. Marked trends toward shorter simulated durations of forcing period (bud growth from dormancy release to blooming) and high positive correlations between these durations and observed blooming dates support the notion that blooming advances and shortenings are mainly due to faster satisfaction of the heating requirement. However, trends toward later dormancy releases were also noted in oceanic and Mediterranean regions. This could tend toward blooming delays and explain the shorter advances in these regions despite similar or greater warming. The regional differences in simulated chilling and forcing periods were consistent with the regional differences in temperature increases.

Nanoindentation measurements of biomechanical properties in mature and newly formed bone tissue surrounding an implant.

The characterization of the biomechanical properties of newly formed bone tissue around implants is important to understand the osseointegration process. The objective of this study is to investigate the evolution of the hardness and indentation modulus of newly formed bone tissue as a function of healing time. To do so, a nanoindentation device is employed following a multimodality approach using histological analysis. Coin-shaped implants were placed in vivo at a distance of 200 µm from the cortical bone surface, leading to an initially empty cavity of 200 µm * 4.4 mm. Three New Zealand White rabbits were sacrificed after 4, 7, and 13 weeks of healing time. The bone samples were embedded and analyzed using histological analyses, allowing to distinguish mature and newly formed bone tissue. The bone mechanical properties were then measured in mature and newly formed bone tissue. The results are within the range of hardness and apparent Young's modulus values reported in previous literature. One-way ANOVA test revealed a significant effect of healing time on the indentation modulus (p < 0.001, F = 111.24) and hardness (p < 0.02, F = 3.47) of bone tissue. A Tukey-Kramer analysis revealed that the biomechanical properties of newly formed bone tissue (4 weeks) were significantly different from those of mature bone tissue. The comparison with the results obtained in Mathieu et al. (2011, "Micro-Brillouin Scattering Measurements in Mature and Newly Formed Bone Tissue Surrounding an Implant," J. Biomech. Eng., 133, 021006). shows that bone mass density increases by approximately 13.5% between newly formed bone (7 weeks) and mature bone tissue.

Micro-Brillouin scattering measurements in mature and newly formed bone tissue surrounding an implant.

The evolution of implant stability in bone tissue remains difficult to assess because remodeling phenomena at the bone-implant interface are still poorly understood. The characterization of the biomechanical properties of newly formed bone tissue in the vicinity of implants at the microscopic scale is of importance in order to better understand the osseointegration process. The objective of this study is to investigate the potentiality of micro-Brillouin scattering techniques to differentiate mature and newly formed bone elastic properties following a multimodality approach using histological analysis. Coin-shaped Ti-6Al-4V implants were placed in vivo at a distance of 200 µm from rabbit tibia leveled cortical bone surface, leading to an initially empty cavity of 200 µm×4.4 mm. After 7 weeks of implantation, the bone samples were removed, fixed, dehydrated, embedded in methyl methacrylate, and sliced into 190 µm thick sections. Ultrasonic velocity measurements were performed using a micro-Brillouin scattering device within regions of interest (ROIs) of 10 µm diameter. The ROIs were located in newly formed bone tissue (within the 200 µm gap) and in mature bone tissue (in the cortical layer of the bone sample). The same section was then stained for histological analysis of the mineral content of the bone sample. The mean values of the ultrasonic velocities were equal to 4.97×10(-3) m/s in newly formed bone tissue and 5.31×10(-3) m/s in mature bone. Analysis of variance (p=2.42×10(-4)) tests revealed significant differences between the two groups of measurements. The standard deviation of the velocities was significantly higher in newly formed bone than in mature bone. Histological observations allow to confirm the accurate locations of the velocity measurements and showed a lower degree of mineralization in newly formed bone than in the mature cortical bone. The higher ultrasonic velocity measured in newly formed bone tissue compared with mature bone might be explained by the higher mineral content in mature bone, which was confirmed by histology. The heterogeneity of biomechanical properties of newly formed bone at the micrometer scale may explain the higher standard deviation of velocity measurements in newly formed bone compared with mature bone. The results demonstrate the feasibility of micro-Brillouin scattering technique to investigate the elastic properties of newly formed bone tissue.

Numerical simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation for the evaluation of dental implant biomechanical stability.

Osseointegration of dental implants remains poorly understood. The objective of this numerical study is to understand the propagation phenomena of ultrasonic waves in prototypes cylindrically shaped implants and to investigate the sensitivity of their ultrasonic response to the surrounding bone biomechanical properties. The 10 MHz ultrasonic response of the implant was calculated using a finite difference numerical simulation tool and was compared to rf signals taken from a recent experimental study by Mathieu et al. [Ultrasound Med. Biol. 37, 262-270 (2011a)]. Reflection and mode conversion phenomena were analyzed to understand the origin of the different echoes and the importance of lateral wave propagation was evidenced. The sensitivity of the ultrasonic response of the implant to changes of (i) amount of bone in contact with the implant, (ii) cortical bone thickness, and (iii) surrounding bone material properties, was compared to the reproducibility of the measurements. The results show that, either a change of 1 mm of bone in contact with the implant, or 1.1 mm of cortical thickness or 12% of trabecular bone mass density should be detectable. This study paves the way for the investigation of the use of quantitative ultrasound techniques for the evaluation of bone-implant interface properties and implant stability.

Texture contrast: Ultrasonic characterization of stacked gels' deformation during compression on a biomimicking tongue.

When undergoing compression during oral processing, stacked gels display different mechanical properties that shape perceptions of texture contrasts (Santagiuliana et al., 2018). However, to date, characterizing the mechanical responses of individual gel layers has been impossible. In this study, an ultrasound (US) technique was developed, that allowed such deformation dynamics to be visualized in real time. Stacked gels were created using layers (height: 5 mm) of brittle agar and elastic gelatin in different combinations. In a series of experimental tests, different stacked gel combinations were placed on a rough, deformable artificial tongue model (ATM) made of polyvinyl alcohol; a texture analyzer was used to apply uniaxial force, and deformation was monitored by an US transducer (5 MHz) located under the ATM. From the obtained results, it was observed that the deformation of ATM surface during compression was in accordance with the force recorded by the texture analyzer, suggesting a collaborative response of different layers under compression. Moreover, US imaging revealed that differences in Young's modulus values between layers led to heterogeneous strain distributions, which were more pronounced for the agar layers. Biopolymer elasticity was also a key factor. Regardless of combination type, the gelatin layers never fractured; such was not the case for the agar layers, especially those with lower Young's modulus values. The results of this US study have thus paved the way for a better understanding of the mechanical deformation that occurs in heterogeneous foods, a phenomenon that has been difficult to examine because of the limitations of conventional techniques.

Using ultrasound to characterize the tongue-food interface: An in vitro study examining the impact of surface roughness and lubrication.

We measured the apparent reflection coefficient of a 1-MHz ultrasound compressional wave at the interface between rough and lubricated tongue mimicking surfaces and various food gels, composed of agar or gelatin. For the smoothest mimicking surface, when a lubricating layer was present, the apparent reflection coefficient was fairly similar for the different food gels (33.6% on average). The apparent reflection coefficient was significantly larger in the following situations: (i) tongue asperities were high and dense; (ii) lubrication levels were low; and (iii) gels were less rigid (range for the different gels-45.9-84.3%). The apparent reflection coefficient conveys the ability of food gels to mold themselves to surface asperities or to form a coupling film of liquid at the interface. This study demonstrates that ultrasound methods can and should be used to explore the physical phenomena that underlie the texture perceptions resulting from tongue-palate interactions.

Spin-dependent operators in correlated Gaussian bases.

In their textbook, Suzuki and Varga [(Springer, Berlin, 1998)] present the stochastic variational method with the correlated Gaussian basis in a very exhaustive way. The matrix elements for central potentials are expressed in an elegant form, but the elements for spin-dependent operators, when treated, are given as very cumbersome expressions. We find many formulas for those elements. Their expressions are given in terms of the same geometrical functions that appear in the case of central potentials. These functions obtain therefore a universal status; this property is very useful for numerical applications.

An experimental model to investigate the biomechanical determinants of pharyngeal mucosa coating during swallowing.

The development of innovative experimental approaches is necessary to gain insights in the complex biomechanics of swallowing. In particular, unraveling the mechanisms of formation of the thin film of bolus coating the pharyngeal mucosa after the ingestion of liquid or semi-liquid food products is an important challenge, with implication in dysphagia treatment and sensory perceptions. The aim here is to propose an original experimental model of swallowing (i) to simulate the peristaltic motions driving the bolus from the oral cavity to the esophagus, (ii) to mimic and vary complex physiological variables of the pharyngeal mucosa (lubrication, deformability and velocity) and (iii) to measure the thickness and the composition of the coatings resulting from bolus flow. Three Newtonian glucose solutions were considered as model food boli, through sets of experiments covering different ranges of each physiological parameter mimicked. The properties of the coatings (thickness and dilution in saliva film) were shown to depend significantly on the physical properties of food products considered (viscosity and density), but also on physiological variables such as lubrication by saliva, velocity of the peristaltic wave, and to a lesser extent, the deformability of the pharyngeal mucosa. The biomechanical peristalsis simulator developed here can contribute to unravel the determinants of bolus adhesion on pharyngeal mucosa, necessary both for the design of alternative food products for people affected by swallowing disorders, and for a better understanding of the dynamic mechanisms of aroma perception.

Few-body problem in terms of correlated Gaussians.

In their textbook, Suzuki and Varga [ (Springer, Berlin, 1998)] present the stochastic variational method with the correlated Gaussian basis in a very exhaustive way. However, the Fourier transform of these functions and their application to the management of a relativistic kinetic energy operator are missing and cannot be found in the literature. In this paper we present these interesting formulas. We also give a derivation for formulations concerning central potentials.

Kinetics of bread crumb hydration as related to porous microstructure.

During oral processing and throughout the digestion process, hydration mechanisms have a key influence on the functional properties of food. This is the case with bread, for which hydration may affect the kinetics of starch hydrolysis as well as taste, aroma and texture perceptions. In this context, the aim of the present study is to understand how crumb porous micro-architecture impacts hydration kinetics. Four types of French baguettes were considered, varying in structure and/or compositions. An experimental set-up was developed for the real-time measurement of water uptake in crumb samples. Mathematical models were then fitted to extract quantitative parameters of use for the description and the understanding of experimental observations. Finally, bread crumb samples were analyzed before and after hydration through X-ray micro-computed tomography for the assessment of crumb micro-architectural properties. Distinct hydration behaviors were observed for the four types of bread. Higher hydration rates and capacities were reported for industrial baguettes (highest porosity) compared to denser semi-industrial, whole wheat and traditional baguettes. However, crumb porosity alone is not sufficient to predict hydration behavior. This study made it possible to point out the importance of capillary action in crumb hydration mechanisms, with a strong role of cells with diameters of 2 mm and below. The high density of these small cells generates high interconnection probabilities that may have an impact both on crumb hydration duration and capacity. As a consequence, accounting for microstructural features resulting from bread formulation may provide useful leverages for the control of functional properties.

Assessment of in vitro dental implant primary stability using an ultrasonic method.

Dental implants are used for oral rehabilitation. However, there remain risks of failure that depend on the implant stability. The objective of this study is to investigate whether quantitative ultrasound technique can be used to assess the amount of bone in contact with dental implants. Ten implants are first inserted in the bone samples. The 10 MHz ultrasonic response of each implant is measured using a dedicated device and an indicator I is derived based on the amplitude of the signal. Then, the implant is unscrewed by 2 π radians and the measurement is realized again. A statistical analysis of variance was carried out and revealed a significant effect of the amount of bone in contact with the implant on the values of I (p value < 10⁻5). The results indicates the feasibility of quantitative ultrasound techniques to assess implant primary stability in vitro.

Monitoring the press-fit insertion of an acetabular cup by impact measurements: influence of bone abrasion.

Press-fit procedures used for the insertion of cementless hip prostheses aim at obtaining optimal implant primary stability. We have previously used the measurement of impact duration to follow the insertion of the acetabular cup implant within bone tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation of the value of the impact momentum due to successive insertions of the acetabular cup into bone tissue. The results obtained with impact momentum and contact duration measurements were compared. A total of 10 bovine bone samples were subjected to three successive procedures consisting of 10 reproducible impacts (3.5 kg falling 40 mm). Each procedure aimed at inserting the acetabular cup implant into the same bone cavity. The time variation of force during each impact was recorded by a force sensor, allowing the measurement of the impact duration (I 1) and momentum (I 2). The value of I 2 increased as a function of the impact number and reached a constant value after N 2 = 5.07 ± 1.31 impacts. Moreover, statistical analyses show that N 2 decreased significantly as a function of the number of experiments, which may be due to abrasion phenomena at the bone-implant interface. Abrasion phenomena led to a faster insertion of the acetabular cup when the implant had been previously inserted into the same bone cavity. An empirical analytical model considering a flat punch configuration to model the bone-implant contact conditions was used to understand the trend of the variation of I 2 during the insertion of the acetabular cup. The measurement of the force during impacts is useful to assess the bone-implant interface properties, but needs to be validated in the clinic to be useful for orthopaedic surgeons intra-operatively.

Biomechanical determinants of the stability of dental implants: influence of the bone-implant interface properties.

Dental implants are now widely used for the replacement of missing teeth in fully or partially edentulous patients and for cranial reconstructions. However, risks of failure, which may have dramatic consequences, are still experienced and remain difficult to anticipate. The stability of biomaterials inserted in bone tissue depends on multiscale phenomena of biomechanical (bone-implant interlocking) and of biological (mechanotransduction) natures. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the biomechanical behavior of the bone-dental implant interface as a function of its environment by considering in silico, ex vivo and in vivo studies including animal models as well as clinical studies. The biomechanical determinants of osseointegration phenomena are related to bone remodeling in the vicinity of the implants (adaptation of the bone structure to accommodate the presence of a biomaterial). Aspects related to the description of the interface and to its space-time multiscale nature will first be reviewed. Then, the various approaches used in the literature to measure implant stability and the bone-implant interface properties in vitro and in vivo will be described. Quantitative ultrasound methods are promising because they are cheap, non invasive and because of their lower spatial resolution around the implant compared to other biomechanical approaches.

Evolution of bone biomechanical properties at the micrometer scale around titanium implant as a function of healing time.

The characterization of the biomechanical properties of newly formed bone tissue around implants is important to understand the osseointegration process. The objective of this study is to investigate the evolution of elastic properties of newly formed bone tissue as a function of healing time. To do so, nanoindentation and micro-Brillouin scattering techniques are coupled following a multimodality approach using histological analysis. Coin-shaped implants were placed in vivo at a distance of 200 µm from the cortical bone surface, leading to an initially empty cavity. Two rabbits were sacrificed after 7 and 13 weeks of healing time. The histological analyses allow us to distinguish mature and newly formed bone tissue. The bone mechanical properties were measured in mature and newly formed bone tissue. Analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer tests reveals a significant effect of healing time on the indentation modulus and ultrasonic velocities of bone tissue. The results show that bone mass density increases by 12.2% (2.2% respectively) between newly formed bone at 7 weeks (13 weeks respectively) and mature bone. The dependence of bone properties on healing time may be explained by the evolution of bone microstructure and mineralization.

Radial anatomic variation of ultrasonic velocity in human cortical bone.

Quantitative ultrasound techniques can be used to retrieve cortical bone quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomic variations in speed of sound (SOS) in the radial direction of cortical bone tissue. SOS measurements were realized in 17 human cortical bone samples with a 3.5-MHz transverse transmission device. The radial dependence of SOS was investigated in a direction perpendicular to the periosteum. For each sample, bone porosity was measured using an X-ray micro-computed tomography device. The mean SOS was 3586 ± 255 m/s. For 16 of 17 specimens, similar radial variations in SOS were observed. In the periosteal region, SOS first decreased in the direction of the endosteum and reached a minimum value approximately in the middle of the cortical bone. SOS then increased, moving to the endosteal region. A significant negative correlation was obtained between SOS and porosity (R = -0.54, p = 0.02).

Variation of the ultrasonic response of a dental implant embedded in tricalcium silicate-based cement under cyclic loading.

The use of tricalcium silicate-based cement (TSBC) as bone substitute material for implant stabilization is promising. However, its mechanical behavior under fatigue loading in presence of a dental implant was not reported so far because of the difficulty of measuring TSBC properties around a dental implant in a nondestructive manner. The aim of this study is to investigate the evolution of the 10 MHz ultrasonic response of a dental implant embedded in TSBC versus fatigue time. Seven implants were embedded in TSBC following the same experimental protocol used in clinical situations. One implant was left without any mechanical solicitation after its insertion in TSBC. The ultrasonic response of all implants was measured during 24 h using a dedicated device deriving from previous studies. An indicator I based on the temporal variation of the signal amplitude was derived and its variation as a function of fatigue time was determined. The results show no significant variation of I as a function of time without mechanical solicitation, while the indicator significantly increases (p<10(-5), F=199.1) at an average rate of 2.2 h(-1) as a function of fatigue time. The increase of the indicator may be due to the degradation of the Biodentine-implant interface, which induces an increase of the impedance gap at the implant surface. The results are promising because they show the potentiality of ultrasonic methods to (i) investigate the material properties around a dental implant and (ii) optimize the conception of bone substitute materials in the context of dental implant surgery.

Variation of the impact duration during the in vitro insertion of acetabular cup implants.

The acetabular cup (AC) is an implant impacted into a bone cavity and used for hip prosthesis surgery. Initial stability of the AC is an important factor for long term surgical success. The aim of this study is to determine the variations of the impact duration during AC implant insertion. Twenty-two bone samples taken from bovine femurs were prepared ex vivo for the insertion of an acetabular cup implant, following the surgical procedure used in the clinic. For each bone sample, ten impacts were applied using reproducible mass falls (3.5 kg) in order to insert the AC implant. Each impact duration was recorded using a wide bandwidth force sensor. For all bone samples, the impact duration was shown to first decrease as a function of the impact number, then reaching a stationary value equal in average to 4.2±0.7 ms after an average number of 4.1±1.7 impacts. The impact duration may be related to variations of the bone-implant interface contact rigidity because of an increase the amount of bone tissue in contact with the AC implant. Measurements of impact duration have a good potentiality for clinical application to assist the surgeon during the insertion of the AC implant, providing valuable information on the bone-implant interface contact properties.

Influence of healing time on the ultrasonic response of the bone-implant interface.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of bone healing on the ultrasonic response of coin-shaped titanium implants inserted in rabbit tibiae. The ultrasound response of the interface was measured in vitro at 15 MHz after 7 and 13 weeks of healing time. The average value of the ratio r between the amplitudes of the echo of the bone-implant interface and of the water-implant interface was determined. The bone-implant contact (BIC) was measured by histomorphometry and the degree of mineralisation of bone was estimated qualitatively by histologic staining. The significant decrease of the ultrasonic quantitative indicator r (p = 2.10⁻4) vs. healing time (from r = 0.53 to r = 0.49) is explained by (1) the increase of the BIC (from 27% to 69%) and (2) the increase of mineralization of newly formed bone tissue, both phenomena inducing a decrease of the gap of acoustical impedance.