General questions

1. How does Simpleware software compare with other commercial packages available?
2. What is the benefit of direct FE conversion?
3. How can I get a trial version?
4. What is the price of your software packages?
5. How can I buy a software license?
6. Is Simpleware software certified according to the Medical Device Directive?

Technical questions

1. On which operating systems can I run Simpleware software?
2. What are the minimum hardware requirements to run Simpleware software?
3. What files can I import with your software packages?
4. What files can I export with your software packages?
5. Which elements are produced by ⁺ScanFE?
6. To what extent is the process automated?
7. Can I convert scan data with various identified structures?
8. How good is the quality and accuracy of the FE models?
9. Can I model the complete internal architecture of the bone and take into account the density data?

If your have any further questions please contact info@simpleware.com.

General questions

1. How does Simpleware software compare with other commercial packages available?
Many of the basic tools provided as well as the workflow for image processing and segmentation are very similar in other software packages. However other software packages provide no or very limited facilities for generating finite element models. Essentially other software packages only generate surface meshes of a single segmented part which frequently need to be corrected for pathological and degenerate elements, and then need to be exported for remeshing and pre-processing. In some instances problems are simply intractable due to the complexity in capturing the geometry of the object. ⁺ScanFE in comparison bypasses these remeshing and pre-processing steps, and generates multi-part volumetric meshes which are direclty importable into a wide range of commercial FE and CFD solvers.

Important benefits of using Simpleware software over alternative products are:

• Save hours - produce high quality meshes in a fraction of the time taken with other approaches.
• Generate meshes of excellent quality - convert directly from scan data to leading FE and CFD solvers (no additional conversion to STL/CAD necessary).
• Generate multi-part meshes and define contact surfaces between them. Interfaces are perfectly conforming surfaces without gaps or overlaps.
• Assign continuous material properties throughout a mesh based on a user defined relationship between the image greyscale and the material property in question.
• Integrate CAD and image data - for example for inserting implants, blood stents, etc.

2. What is the benefit of direct FE conversion?
For Finite Element and CFD simulation, converting 3D scan data into STL and CAD formats require remeshing and pre-processing which is time-consuming and very often leads to inaccurate results. In some instances problems are simply intractable due to the complexity in capturing the geometry of the object. ⁺ScanFE bypasses these intermediary steps and generates FE and CFD meshes directly from scan data, which are immediately importable into Abaqus, Ansys, Comsol, Fluent, I-deas, LS-Dyna, and MSC.Patran/Nastran.

• No remeshing necessary
• No pre-processor required
• The whole process is more robust
• Produces significantly better element qualities
• Increases bio-fidelity

3. How can I get a trial version?
Please contact us with your requirments and we will send you the download instructions for a free, fully functional 30-days trial version of any of our software packages.

4. What is the price of your software packages?
Our prices depend on the usage and functionalities of the software solution. In order to find the right solution for you, please contact us with with more information on your requirements. We also offer a different pricing options for commercial, non-commercial (research only), and student licenses.

5. How can I buy a software license?
Please contact us or one of our sales partners with your requirements and we will send you a quote.

6. Is Simpleware software certified according to the Medical Device Directive?
Simpleware software is for research purposes only and therefore not FDA approved.

Technical questions

1. On which operating systems can I run Simpleware software?
Our software has been developed using cross platform libraries and code, however currently we only provide versions for Windows 9x/NT/Win2000/XP.

2. What are the minimum hardware requirements to run Simpleware software?

• Minimum hardware requirements
  • Pentium 3
  • Memory (RAM): 512 MB
  • Graphics Card: OpenGL compatible with 32 MB Ram
  • Screen Resolution: 800 x 600; High Colour (16bit)
  • Disk Space: 150 MB
• Recommended hardware requirements
  • Pentium 4 or higher
  • Memory (RAM): 1024 MB (1 GB) or higher
  • Graphics Card: OpenGL compatible with 256MB RAM
  • Screen Resolution: 1280 x 1024; True Colour (32bit)
  • Disk Space: 1 GB

3. What files can I import with your software packages?

• Image data (ScanIP)
  • 3D Formats - DICOM version 3.0 (including various encodings of JPEG, RLE), ACR-NEMA versions 1 and 2, Interfile, Analyze, Meta-Image, raw image data
  • Stack of 2D images - 2D DICOM, BMP,GIF, IFF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, PNM, TIFF, XPM
  • Raw image import
• CAD data (⁺ScanCAD)
  • STL (Binary and Ascii)
  • Iges
  • Step

4. What files can I export from your software packages?

• CAD (ScanIP or ⁺ScanFE)
  • STL (Binary and Ascii)
• FE (⁺ScanFE)
  • Abaqus (*.inp)
  • Ansys (*.ans)
  • Comsol (*.mphtxt)
  • I-deas (*.unv)
  • LS-Dyna (*.dyn)
  • MSC.Patran Neutral (*.out)
• CFD (⁺ScanFE)
  • Fluent (*.msh)

5. Which elements are produced by ⁺ScanFE?
⁺ScanFE will generate meshes of either mixed hexahedral and tetrahedral elements or all tetrahedral meshes (both linear and quadratic [mid-side noded]). In addition, or instead of the volumetric elements, shell elements (again linear and quadratic) can be generated on the surface of any of the parts segmented. Exports will be directly to a range of commercial finite element solvers and can include:
(1) nodes and elements for number of different parts,
(2) material properties for any number of parts based on signal strength (different mapping function can be applied for different parts),
(3) Contact surfaces defined at part interfaces if desired (or continuous mesh across parts.
Both finite element and finite volume meshes can be generated (e.g. for Fluent export). In addition very robust meshes for fluid-structure interaction problems (Abaqus-Fluent) can be generated.

6. To what extent is the process automated?
Once the different structures have been segmented (this will involve the most user interaction), the process of generating a finite element model within ⁺ScanFE will be fast and automated. In many cases, generating an FE mesh would take less than 15 minutes on a Windows PC including user time.

7. Can I convert scan data with various identified structures?
⁺ScanFE meshes up to seven different volumes simultaneously with a guarantee of conforming surfaces (no gaps or overlaps in the meshes) where they are in contact.

8. How good is the quality and accuracy of the FE models?
Models generated using ⁺ScanFE have exceptional mesh qualities (low distortion in the elements). In addition, minimum element qualities can be specified by the user. A number of conversion studies (generating meshes with increasing element densities) have demonstrated convergence of field parameters such as stress.

9. Can I model the complete internal architecture of the bone and take into account the density data?
⁺ScanFE can straightforwardly provide separate (but conforming and smooth) cortical and cancellous meshes. There are a number of ways to do this:

• Assign material properties based on the parent Hounsfield number
• Segment out cortical and cancellous bone as different masks
• Mesh the cancellous bone and have a cortical shell layer on the outside