Numerical modeling of textile-based LCE actuators for conformal cardiac surface interaction.

Abstract

Textile based actuators have emerged as promising candidates for biomedical applications such as ventricular assist systems or artificial myocardium. This study investigates the mechanical coupling between Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) fibers and a soft anatomical model of the human left ventricle (LV). In this work, a simplified LV geometry was modeled as a hyperelastic and wrapped with beam element textiles representing plain and atlas weave types. LCE contraction was simulated via thermally induced strain along the yarn axis. Simulations were performed using LS-DYNA, to evaluate surface contact coverage, mean and peak contact pressures, and resultant displacements across increasing LCE strain levels. Results show that the plain weave achieve superior conformity and more efficient force transmission. This work provides new insights into fiber geometry coupling and offers a simulation driven foundation for designing textile LCE systems tailored for soft robotic and cardiac applications.