Non-Contact Quantification of Swelling-Induced Deformation in Polymer Hydrogels Using Image Analysis

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Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | 02 | Page :
    By

    R Arangasamy,

  • C Sridhathan,

  • Mohandass G,

  • B Ram Priya,

  • NMG Kumar,

  • D Harika,

  1. Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  2. Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, KCG College of Technology, Karapakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  3. Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  4. Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  5. Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, School of Engineering, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
  6. Associate Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication, School of Engineering, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Swelling of polymer hydrogels governs transport, mechanics, and functional performance in biomedical systems, yet it is often reported using bulk ratios that conceal spatially heterogeneous deformation and boundary-driven instabilities. This study presents a non-contact image-analysis framework to quantify swelling-induced deformation by tracking shape and boundary evolution from time-lapse imaging. The approach segments the hydrogel region, extracts a sub-pixel refined contour, and computes boundary displacement descriptors including mean and upper-percentile normal displacement, anisotropy of boundary expansion, and curvature variability. In parallel, geometry-based swelling measures are computed using area and perimeter ratios and compactness to capture both volumetric expansion and boundary complexity. A diffusion-driven deformation model is then fitted directly to image-derived boundary and geometry observables to estimate physically interpretable transport parameters and equilibrium deformation scales. Example results demonstrate stable boundary recovery (IoU ≈ 0.92–0.95; contour RMSE ≈ 18–30 µm), monotonic growth of mean boundary displacement to ~1.16 mm over 120 min, and consistent evolution of swelling ratios (area ratio up to ~1.61; perimeter ratio up to ~1.26), with low model fit error (~0.03 mm) and an effective diffusivity on the order of m²/s. The framework enables reproducible, instrumentation-free swelling quantification suitable for comparative evaluation of hydrogel formulations and conditions.

Keywords: Hydrogel swelling; Non-contact deformation measurement; Boundary displacement; Area–perimeter ratio; Diffusion-driven modeling.

How to cite this article:
R Arangasamy, C Sridhathan, Mohandass G, B Ram Priya, NMG Kumar, D Harika. Non-Contact Quantification of Swelling-Induced Deformation in Polymer Hydrogels Using Image Analysis. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):-.
How to cite this URL:
R Arangasamy, C Sridhathan, Mohandass G, B Ram Priya, NMG Kumar, D Harika. Non-Contact Quantification of Swelling-Induced Deformation in Polymer Hydrogels Using Image Analysis. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=242544


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Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
02
Received 25/02/2026
Accepted 14/03/2026
Published 01/05/2026
Publication Time 65 Days
2

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