Thomas J. Royston, Ph.D.
Department Head of Biomedical Engineering and Professor
University of Illinois Chicago
Title: Force, Fibers, Finiteness, Fractals and Fractional Calculus in Elastography
Abstract: Dynamic elastography attempts to reconstruct quantitative maps of the viscoelastic properties of materials by noninvasively measuring mechanical wave motion in them. The target motion is typically transversely-polarized relative to the wave propagation direction, such as bulk shear wave motion. In addition to neglecting waveguide effects caused by small lengths in one dimension or more, many reconstruction strategies also ignore nonzero, non-isotropic quasi-static preloads. Significant anisotropic prestress is inherent to the functional role of some biological materials of interest, which also are small in size relative to shear wavelengths in one or more dimensions. In our research we examine the interplay between the confounding effects of nonzero stress conditions, anisotropy and finite boundaries. A coordinate transformation approach to simplify the reconstruction of prestressed transversely isotropic material properties based on elastography measurements is introduced.
Bio: Tom Royston is Professor and Head of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago and has been a faculty member at UIC since 1995, with appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and head of Biomedical Engineering since 2009. Tom’s NIH and NSF-supported research in mechanical wave motion and imaging in porous and nonporous viscoelastic materials, and acoustics applied to medical diagnostics and therapy has been recognized with the NSF Career Award, the NIH NIBIB Nagy Award and the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Lindsay Award.