Real-Time Finite-Element Simulation of Linear Viscoelastic Tissue Behavior Based on Experimental Data

We propose an end-to-end solution to real-time and realistic finite-element modeling and simulation of viscoelastic soft tissue behavior. We provide an efficient numerical scheme for solving a linear viscoelastic FEM model derived from the generalized Maxwell solid, and present methods for measuring and integrating experimental data on the viscoelastic material properties of soft tissues into the model for realistic display of visual deformations and interaction forces. Our precomputation scheme and multilayer computational architecture enable the model´s real-time execution with visual and haptic feedback to the user. Our approach includes time- and rate-dependent effects, which requires considering a node´s loading history in our displacement computations at each cycle of the simulation