Non-regularised inverse finite element analysis for 3D traction force microscopy

The tractions that cells exert on a gel substrate from the observed displacements is an increasingly attractive and valuable information in biomedical experiments. The computation of these tractions requires in general the solution of an inverse problem. Here, we resort to the discretisation with fi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Muñoz Romero, José|||0000-0002-0083-3673
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/99311
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/99311
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Numerical analysis
Finite element method
Anàlisi numèrica
Elements finits, Mètode dels
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Anàlisi numèrica
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Anàlisi numèrica::Mètodes en elements finits
Descripción
Sumario:The tractions that cells exert on a gel substrate from the observed displacements is an increasingly attractive and valuable information in biomedical experiments. The computation of these tractions requires in general the solution of an inverse problem. Here, we resort to the discretisation with finite elements of the associated direct variational formulation, and solve the inverse analysis using a least square approach. This strategy requires the minimisation of an error functional, which is usually regularised in order to obtain a stable system of equations with a unique solution. In this paper we show that for many common threedimensional geometries, meshes and loading conditions, this regularisation is unnecessary. In these cases, the computational cost of the inverse problem becomes equivalent to a direct finite element problem. For the non-regularised functional, we deduce the necessary and sufficient conditions that the dimensions of the interpolated displacement and traction fields must preserve in order to exactly satisfy or yield a unique solution of the discrete equilibrium equations. We apply the theoretical results to some illustrative examples and to real experimental data. Due to the relevance of the results for biologists and modellers, the article concludes with some practical rules that the finite element discretisation must satisfy.