A Comparison between the Results from Linear Analysis and Nonlinear Analysis in the Context of Simulation of Biological Materials

Abstract

Surgical simulations require fast and accurate simulation of biological materials. In general, linear analysis is faster but less accurate, whereas nonlinear analysis is more accurate but slower. In this work, a kidney is simulated by using both linear analysis and nonlinear analysis, the results are compared, and the errors quantified. The software package ANSYS is used for the purpose. This work presents detailed results and comparison of linear and nonlinear analysis in the context of simulation of a human kidney, which is not easily found in the literature. The results reinforce the idea that linear analysis is a useful tool for simulating biological materials when solution time is as much important as the accuracy of solutions.