Colloquia

Samenvatting

Researchers are able to grow small muscle tissues between two attachment points and make them contract using electrical stimulation. Currently, these attachment points are static. However, a core function of muscle tissues is being able to change length; current devices to investigate in vitro 3D engineered human skeletal muscle tissues are not able to assess how this core function is affected during the experiment, for example, after adding a drug or having applied electrical stimulation to the tissue. To be able to perform this function, a system was designed which is able to change the distance between the attachment points. Being able to do this opens up countless possibilities for investigating tissue behaviour, from eccentric training (lengthening the tissue while electrically stimulated), to immobilisation of the tissue at a certain length. To assess how the tissue reacts to this, the force it can generate is an important metric, so the designed system is able to determine this force.

A list of functions and requirements for such a system is composed, after which it is used to design a system which should be able to fulfil them. The design is based on two 2 parallel flexure guides; one is responsible for measuring the force, and the other for altering the attachment point separation. Actuating the motion is done using a micro stepper linear actuator.  A prototype of the system was made, which was shortly tested to verify mechanical performance.