ElastoSens Bio
시편범위 | 25 Pa to 100 MPa |
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정밀도 | 0.1 Pa |
시편수 | Maxium 3 samples at a time |
온도 | 2°C to 65°C |
첨부1 | Soft hydrogels |
첨부2 | Bone graft substitutes |
첨부3 | Collagen Gelation |
첨부4 | Cell-Seeded Hydrogels |
첨부5 | Formation of hydrogels |
첨부6 | Degradation of hydrogels |
Soft and injectable biomaterials are increasingly used in medical treatments, drug delivery and cell encapsulation for tissue engineering. These applications require rigorous investigation and testing of biomaterials. In particular, the precise evaluation of mechanical properties is a key element for success because of the important role of elasticity in the functionality and compatibility of the biomaterial. Current mechanical testing instruments A major limitation of current mechanical testing methods is that measurement of hydrogels is made in contact and destructively. This make impossible to analyse the mechanical evolution of a single hydrogel sample over long time periods and even to keep it sterile. Rheolution Inc. has developed ElastoSensTM Bio2, a unique instruments which non-destructively measures viscoelastic (complex Young modulus) properties of detachable hydrogel samples without contact. Contactless and non-destructive tests |
ElastoSensTM Bio2 has been designed for biologists and chemists. Its use is simple and straightforward. The use of detachable sample-holders in ElastoSensTM BIO2 allows measuring the same hydrogel sample over long periods of time to observe long-term changes. This means less material consumption, fast set-up & measurement protocols and more statistically relevant data to be analysed. Save time and materials with ElastoSensTM Bio2. ElastoSensTM Bio2 is ideal for mechanical characterization of gel formation and degradation kinetics. It’s versatility and unique technical features make it a must have for the modern pharmacology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine lab. | Gelation Kinetics of Agarose Samples |
Applications
Technology
ElastoSensTM Bio2 is a mechanical testing instrument that enables contactless and non-destructive analysis of the Young viscoelastic modulus as a function of time or temperature. Measurements may be made during fast (few minutes) or slow (few days) gelation/degradation kinetics on a single and unique sample contained into a detachable sample holder. As opposed to rheometry and indentation technologies, ElastoSens Bio2 uses vibrations to non-destructively measure viscoelasticity without any contact. The patented technological principle behind ElastoSensTM Bio2 is purely mechanical. A small amount of gel is poured (in its initial liquid state) into a cylindrical disposable cuvette having a flexible bottom membrane. A small and gentle vibration of only a few micrometers is applied to the sample triggering a slight perturbation in the sample creating a response signal. This response signal is measured without contact by a laser probe. The sample’s response is processed using specialized models to obtain the storage and loss parts of the gel’s Young modulus. This process is continuously repeated depending on the number of measurements, time and temperature steps, which are selected by the user. Induction of Vibrations | Dynamic Response | Data Processing & Display |
Physically, once the sample is poured into the detachable sample holder, the material and the flexible membrane form a composite and soft body able to react to external vibrations. This is made possible by the nature of the membrane that is mechanically flexible.
When a test is started, a low frequency-amplitude vibration is transmitted to the sample holder firmly attached to the vibrating unit. The composite body formed by the sample-membrane system freely vibrates in response to this dynamic excitation. The only unknown variable in the system, the viscoelasticity, can be deduced since all other parameters are known. The composite body’s vibrational response to the stimulus are affected by the material’s viscoelasticity, a physics which is exploited by ElastoSensTM Bio2 to measure the sample’s during a phase changing kinetics or at a steady physical state.