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Integrated Anatomical and Physiological Modeling

The TrauMAP project aims to link physiological models that express mechanical behavior (and ultimately chemical and neurological functions) with a visually- and structurally-accurate anatomical model. Work to date has focussed on modeling respiratory mechanics, in order to demonstrate both quiet, normal breathing and pathologies in the form of pneumothoraces. If one were only interested in such demonstrations per se, scripted animation might suffice. However, since the aim is to simulate and ultimately predict interactions among body systems, physical object models are needed that respond to and transmit forces. Because the anatomical components are principally soft tissue, that response must include object deformation. Thus, the work to date has involved integrating a 3D deformable simulation of the lungs and thoracic space with physiological process equations, expressed as ordinary differential equations. This work is described in more detail in [9].