Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Florida
BME 6938-Finite Element Modeling for Biological
Systems
Fall 2009
Catalog Description: This course will deal with the implementation of finite element and related
methods, drawing examples from Biomedical Engineering. Therefore the course will also cover method
of incorporating freeform biological shapes in computational models such as shape importation and image
segmentation. The course will cover the basics of Finite Element methods, such as shape functions and
sparse matrix methods, giving students enough background to allow them to intelligently operate complex
commercial software or to construct their own models. Students will also be exposed to methods such as
finite difference, boundary element and time domain modeling, adaptive meshing and other large scale
modeling techniques. A substantial portion of the course will involve students developing and solving
their own models.
Credits: 03
Prerequisites:
A knowledge of calculus and basic aspects of differential equations is required.
Instructor
Rosalind Sadleir, Ph.D. (Sadleir@ufl.edu)
BME Building 143 (352) 392-9945
Teaching Assistant
TBA
Office hours: by appointment (send email via WebCT)
Class Meetings: MWF 4th period (10:40 – 11:30 am)
Locations: TBA
Class Homepage: http://lss.at.ufl.edu (login to WebCT Vista)
Required textbook:
There is no required textbook for this course. Sections of certain textbooks will be recommended reading.
Course Objectives:
This course will present methods for constructing, understanding and interpreting finite element models
and methods, with an emphasis on applications to biological tissues. Students will learn to construct their
own code and use a commercial finite element package to complete their coursework. Students will learn
how to efficiently and appropriately model physical phenomena. The course schedule will be available
on WebCT.
Major Topics:
• Introduction to partial differential equations
• Galerkin Equations and the Finite Element Method
• Finite Difference and Boundary Element Methods
• Boundary conditions
• Model Meshing
• System Assembly and Sparse Matrix Techniques
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Florida
• Solution Methods
• Error Analysis
• Model Construction and CAD
• Biological Shape Integration and Segmentation
• Time Dependent simulations and Adaptive Meshing
• Parallel Implementations
Grade Determination:
34% Homework
33% Midterm
33% Final
Final course grades will be curved.
No make-up exams will be granted except for medical reasons
Policies:
Late policy for homework: 20% deducted per day, unless prior arrangements are made with the
instructor. All work is individual; students are encouraged to work together on the homework,
but all work handed in must be individual work.
Academic Honesty:
All students admitted to the University of Florida have signed a statement of academic honesty
committing themselves to be honest in all academic work and understanding that failure to
comply with this commitment will result in disciplinary action. This statement is a reminder to
uphold your obligation as a UF student and to be honest in all work submitted and exams taken
in this course and all others.
Students with Disabilities:
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office. That office will provide the student with documentation that he/she must provide to the
course instructor when requesting accommodation.
UF counseling services:
Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career
and academic goals. The resources include:
• University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, Personal and Career
Counseling.
• SHCC Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, Personal and Counseling.
• Center for Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery and Education (CARE), Student Health Care
Center, 392-1161, sexual assault counseling.
• Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.
Software Use:
All faculty, staff and student of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and
legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or
criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University
policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the
University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest
standards of honesty and integrity.