A Low-Cost Mechanical Stretching Device for Uniaxial Strain of Cells: A Platform for Pedagogy in Mechanobiology
| Autor: | Sara Anis, Zachery R. Robinson, Hamza Atcha, Wendy Liu, Anna Grosberg, Chase T. Davis, Nicholas R. Sullivan, Tim D. Smith, Waleed Z. Dahbour |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
Flexibility (anatomy) Computer science Cells 0206 medical engineering Biophysics Biomedical Engineering Bioengineering 02 engineering and technology Servomotor Stress Biomechanical Phenomena Stress (mechanics) 03 medical and health sciences Acceleration Mechanobiology Physiology (medical) Pedagogy medicine Shear stress Animals Assistive Technology Mechanical Engineering Teaching Mechanical Research Papers 020601 biomedical engineering Rats Quality Education 030104 developmental biology medicine.anatomical_structure Costs and Cost Analysis Stress Mechanical Engineering design process |
| Zdroj: | Journal of biomechanical engineering, vol 140, iss 8 |
| ISSN: | 1528-8951 0148-0731 |
| Popis: | Mechanical cues including stretch, compression, and shear stress play a critical role in regulating the behavior of many cell types, particularly those that experience substantial mechanical stress within tissues. Devices that impart mechanical stimulation to cells in vitro have been instrumental in helping to develop a better understanding of how cells respond to mechanical forces. However, these devices often have constraints, such as cost and limited functional capabilities, that restrict their use in research or educational environments. Here, we describe a low-cost method to fabricate a uniaxial cell stretcher that would enable widespread use and facilitate engineering design and mechanobiology education for undergraduate students. The device is capable of producing consistent and reliable strain profiles through the use of a servomotor, gear, and gear rack system. The servomotor can be programmed to output various waveforms at specific frequencies and stretch amplitudes by controlling the degree of rotation, speed, and acceleration of the servogear. In addition, the stretchable membranes are easy to fabricate and can be customized, allowing for greater flexibility in culture well size. We used the custom-built stretching device to uniaxially strain macrophages and cardiomyocytes, and found that both cell types displayed functional and cell shape changes that were consistent with the previous studies using commercially available systems. Overall, this uniaxial cell stretcher provides a more cost-effective alternative to study the effects of mechanical stretch on cells, and can therefore, be widely used in research and educational environments to broaden the study and pedagogy of cell mechanobiology. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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