Br J Ophthalmol 1999;83:1106-1111
( October )
Simulation model of an eyeball based on finite element analysis
on a supercomputer
Eiichi Uchioa, Shigeaki Ohnoa, Joju Kudoha, Koki Aokib, Lech Tomasz Kisielewiczc
a Department of
Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama,
Japan, b Aoki Eye Clinic, Sapporo, Japan, c Nihon ESI, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence to: Eiichi Uchio, MD, Department of
Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3-9 Fuku-ura, Kanazawa, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
Accepted for publication 25 June 1999
BACKGROUND/AIMS
A
simulation model of the human eye was developed. It was applied to the
determination of the physical and mechanical conditions of impacting
foreign bodies causing intraocular foreign body (IOFB) injuries.
METHODSModules of the
Hypermesh (Altair Engineering, Tokyo, Japan) were used for solid
modelling, geometric construction, and finite element mesh creation
based on information obtained from cadaver eyes. The simulations were
solved by a supercomputer using the finite element analysis (FEA)
program PAM-CRASH (Nihon ESI, Tokyo, Japan). It was assumed
that rupture occurs at a strain of 18.0% in the cornea and 6.8% in
the sclera and at a stress of 9.4 MPa for both cornea and sclera.
Blunt-shaped missiles were shot and set to impact on the surface of the
cornea or sclera at velocities of 30 and 60 m/s, respectively.
RESULTSAccording to
the simulation, the sizes of missile above which corneal rupture
occurred at velocities of 30 and 60 m/s were 1.95 and 0.82 mm. The
missile sizes causing scleral rupture were 0.95 and 0.75 mm at
velocities of 30 and 60 m/s.
CONCLUSIONSThese
results suggest that this FEA model has potential usefulness as a
simulation tool for ocular injury and it may provide useful information
for developing protective measures against industrial and traffic
ocular injuries.
© 1999 by British Journal of Ophthalmology
