Marta Silva Carvalho
@fct.unl.pt
Assistant Professor - UNIDEMI FCT-NOVA & LASI
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Assistant Professor at FCT-NOVA Lisboa
Researcher member at the UNIDEMI and LASI
EDUCATION
PhD in Mechanical Engineering (2009) Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Crashworthiness
Impact Biomechanics
Multibody Systems Dynamics
Finite Element Analysis
Optimization
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Henrique V. Silva, Ana P. Martins, Miguel A. Machado, Telmo G. Santos, and Marta S. Carvalho
Elsevier BV
Hugo C. Biscaia, Ana P. Martins, Wan-Yang Gao, and Marta S. Carvalho
Elsevier BV
Pedro M. Ferreira, Miguel A. Machado, Marta S. Carvalho, and Catarina Vidal
Elsevier BV
Hugo Biscaia, Miguel Machado, Marta Carvalho, Telmo Santos, and Yongming Yang
Springer Nature Switzerland
Pedro M. Ferreira, Miguel A. Machado, Marta S. Carvalho, and Catarina Vidal
MDPI AG
Sensing Technology (ST) plays a key role in Structural Health-Monitoring (SHM) systems. ST focuses on developing sensors, sensory systems, or smart materials that monitor a wide variety of materials’ properties aiming to create smart structures and smart materials, using Embedded Sensors (ESs), and enabling continuous and permanent measurements of their structural integrity. The integration of ESs is limited to the processing technology used to embed the sensor due to its high-temperature sensitivity and the possibility of damage during its insertion into the structure. In addition, the technological process selection is dependent on the base material’s composition, which comprises either metallic or composite parts. The selection of smart sensors or the technology underlying them is fundamental to the monitoring mode. This paper presents a critical review of the fundaments and applications of sensing technologies for SHM systems employing ESs, focusing on their actual developments and innovation, as well as analysing the challenges that these technologies present, in order to build a path that allows for a connected world through distributed measurement systems.
Hugo C. Biscaia, Marta S. Carvalho, Ana P. Martins, and Rui Micaelo
Elsevier BV
Jorge Ambrósio, Marta Carvalho, João Milho, Susana Escalante, and Roberto Martín
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Miguel A. Machado, Maria I. Silva, Ana P. Martins, Marta S. Carvalho, and Telmo G. Santos
Elsevier BV
Marta Carvalho, Bruno Sepodes, and Ana Paula Martins
BMJ
BackgroundGene therapies have the potential to be a curative approach to a large number of genetic diseases. However, granting of a positive marketing authorisation does not equal patient access to therapy.ObjectivesThe purpose of this paper is to identify a full set of hurdles potentially preventing patient access to gene therapies based on the available literature.MethodsA review of the literature using systematic approach in two distinct databases was performed by identifying relevant, peer-reviewed publications, between 2012 and 2018.ResultsSeven major topics were identified as potential patient access hurdles, namely affordability, assessment of value, development of therapy, ethical/social factors, evidence generation, operational implementation and regulatory hurdles. From these, 25 additional subthemes were further identified. The most frequently mentioned obstacle in the literature is related to the affordability aspect especially focusing on high cost of therapy (84%) and therapy payment/reimbursement (51%). Importantly, the evidence generation focusing on limited trial outcomes (81%) seems as a strong obstacle in patient access to these therapies.ConclusionsA growing number of gene therapies are expected to be developed and made available to patients and healthcare professionals. Improvement of patient access to gene therapies can only be achieved by understanding all hurdles, in a complete and integrated fashion, so that strategies are timely established to ensure gene therapies’ benefits are provided to patients and to the society.
M. S. Carvalho, A. P. Martins, and J. Milho
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT A validated framework developed to analyse railway occupant safety is presented here. The inexistence of restraints and the larger distance between contact features for the railway cabin interior decreases the predictability on the kinematics of its occupants. Simulation results are evaluated considering the severity of the injuries, assessed and quantified using the relevant criteria. It was introduced a head padding that conducted to a reduction of the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) but worsening the value of neck-bending moment in extension (NBME). Finally, the multi-objective optimization procedures are applied to achieve a relevant reduction in injuries. With the implementation of a pad with 42 mm thickness and with a reduction of 8.2% of the backseat plate thickness, is obtained a 41% reduction of the HIC but at the cost of an increase of 49% of the NBME index, though this design allows keeping all injury indices below moderate threshold value.
Telmo G. Santos, J. P. Oliveira, Miguel A. Machado, Patrick L. Inácio, Valdemar R. Duarte, Tiago A. Rodrigues, Rui A. Santos, Carlos Simão, Marta Carvalho, Ana Martins,et al.
Springer International Publishing
Composites are finding increased use in structural high demanding and high added value applications in advanced industries. A wide diversity exists in terms of matrix type, which can be either polymeric or metallic and type of reinforcements (ceramic, polymeric or metallic). Several technologies have been used to produce these composites; among them, additive manufacturing (AM) is currently being applied. In structural applications, the presence of defects due to fabrication is of major concern, since it affects the performance of a component with negative impact, which can affect, ultimately, human lives. Thus, the detection of defects is highly important, not only surface defects but also barely visible defects. This chapter describes the main types of defects expected in composites produced by AM. The fundamentals of different non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques are briefly discussed, as well as the state of the art of numerical simulation for several NDT techniques. A multiparametric and customized inspection system was developed based on the combination of innovative techniques in modelling and testing. Experimental validation with eddy currents, ultrasounds, X-ray and thermography is presented and analysed, as well as integration of distinctive techniques and 3D scanning characterization.
Marta S. Carvalho, Ana P. Martins, and Telmo G. Santos
Elsevier BV
D. Teixeira, J. Milho, M. S. Carvalho, and M.A.R. Loja
IEEE
Modelling and simulation of human movement has the potential to improve the design of medical devices and rehabilitation process by enabling the identification of cause-effect relationships in individuals suffering from neurological and musculoskeletal issues. The main goal of this work was to provide a simulation-based stiffness design for an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) that can help to mitigate the risk of a sprain by ankle inversion during the landing in freefall which is known to occur for subtalar angles higher than 25 degrees. Computational simulations were performed using human movement models with and without a passive AFO, to access the AFO sensitivity for the translational stiffness that prevents the cuff from translating with respect to the footplate. The Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology was used to access sensitivities between the three principal directions of the AFO stiffness.Results revealed that the ankle inversion angle was less than 25 degrees when increasingly larger values of translational stiffness were used, although a nonlinear behaviour was observed between the three principal directions of the AFO stiffness, for which injury safe design configurations were obtained.
Marta Carvalho, Ana Paula Martins, and Bruno Sepodes
Elsevier BV
Marta Carvalho, Ana Martins, and João Milho
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT This paper presents the validation of a finite element model in LS-DYNA of the interior inline seating layout simulating a frontal rail impact event for which the experimental test results provide the reference for the injury biomechanics of the occupants. The representative layout consists in two rows of seats and its supporting structures modelled with nonlinear finite elements and the crash acceleration pulse that represents the impact of the railway vehicle structure is imposed in the floor of the coach. For the appropriate identification of the injury mechanisms to the occupant associated to the frontal crash analysis is used the Hybrid III 50th percentile Anthropomorphic Testing Device, being the interaction between the occupant model and the structure characterised via penalty contact force models. The validity of the numerical model is discussed to ensure the representativeness of the analysis procedure and to identify the most relevant injury indices of the occupants. In particular, the head injury criterion is the most critical injury index for the inline seating layout, with a relative deviation of 6.2% of the simulation result with respect to the experimental test.
M. Carvalho, J. Milho, J. Ambrosio, and N. Ramos
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT This work presents a systematic approach to the railway occupant passive safety improvement of seating layouts using optimisation methods for the identification of the best design options. The numerical model of this layout is developed using multibody models for the dummies and finite element models for the vehicle interiors, such as seats and any structural part considered as potential target surface during impact being the crash scenario is analysed using the MADYMO code. The objective is the minimisation of the injuries as represented by all relevant injury criteria identified for railway passengers, particularly head and neck, chest and leg. The design variables are seat structural characteristics, easily modified during manufacturing or maintenance without influencing cost. The methodology starts by using a meta-modelling method that supports the definition of a surrogate objective function obtained by fitting a n-dimensional surface to the results of a collection of analysis in which the values of the design variables are varied inside specific domains. A standard deterministic optimisation method is then used to solve the surrogate problem implemented in a Matlab environment. The results show that an optimum design of the interior seating layout is obtained with relevant decreases of the most critical injury criteria.
Marta Carvalho, Bruno Sepodes, and Ana Paula Martins
Frontiers Media SA
Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) have a massive potential to address existing unmet medical needs. Specifically, gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs) may potentially provide cure for several genetic diseases. In Europe, the ATMP regulation was fully implemented in 2009 and, at this point, the Committee for Advanced Therapies was created as a dedicated group of specialists to evaluate medicinal products requiring specific expertise in this area. To date, there are three authorized GTMPs, and the first one was approved in 2012. Broad research has been conducted in this field over the last few decades and different clinical applications are being investigated worldwide, using different strategies that range from direct gene replacement or addition to more complex pathways such as specific gene editing or RNA targeting. Important safety risks, limited efficacy, manufacturing hurdles, or ethical conflicts may represent challenges in the success of a candidate GTMP. During the development process, it is fundamental to take such aspects into account and establish overcoming strategies. This article reviews the current European legal framework of ATMPs, provides an overview of the clinical applications for approved and investigational GTMPs, and discusses critical challenges in the development of GTMPs.
M. Carvalho and J. Ambrosio
Informa UK Limited
The multibody (MB) vehicle models, used in crash analysis, reduce calculation time by several orders of magnitude, when compared with the finite element models. The drawback of the use of MB models for crashworthiness is the cumbersome model development process and the difficulty of their validation. The uncertainty on the model development resides, mostly, on the constitutive behaviour of the plastic hinges typically used in the MB modelling approaches to structural design. By using an optimisation procedure based on the minimisation of the deviation between the observed response of the MB vehicle model and a reference response, the uncertainty on the plastic hinge functional characteristics is used as design variables. The proposed procedure is demonstrated by the identification of the MB model of a small city car suitable for side and frontal impact.
M. Carvalho, J. Ambrosio, and J. Milho
Informa UK Limited
The aim of this work is to present a systematic approach to the improvement in the passive safety in railway interiors. During the primary collision, the vehicle is subjected to an abrupt deceleration, causing the unrestrained occupants to continue their original motion. The occupants are then projected through the vehicle until the secondary collision occurs, i.e., until they come in contact with some part of the interior of the vehicle or with other occupants. Due to its importance, in terms of railway vehicle interiors, the inline seating is investigated with the objective of identifying the potential sources of injury for railway occupants and suggesting directions for the improvement in interior arrangements. The numerical model of this layout is developed using a multibody description for the dummies and a finite element approach for the seats and structural features of the vehicle interior. The crash scenario is studied using the MADYMO code, for which models of the dummies are already validated and which has all features necessary to handle finite element and multibody models in a common simulation environment. The crash pulse used for the virtual testing corresponds to that accepted by the industry and operators as being representative of the most relevant accidents. Of particular importance is the identification of the relevant injuries for this type of scenario and their variability with occupant size and seating position. It is shown here that depending on the type of fixing of the seat to the railway coach, the position of the occupant can play a role in his/her exposure to injury. Furthermore, it is shown that the injuries in the neck region occur in those occupants who exhibit higher risks. Femoral injuries, not being as severe as neck injuries, also have a high potential to develop for the scenarios considered.