Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Biomed Microdevices. 2013 Feb;15(1):117-23. doi: 10.1007/s10544-012-9693-0.
Mechanical forces are among important factors that drive cellular function and organization. We present a microfabricated device with on-chip actuation for mechanical testing of single cells. An integrated immersible electrostatic actuator system is demonstrated that applies calibrated forces to cells. We conduct stretching experiments by directly applying forces to epithelial cells adhered to device surfaces functionalized with collagen. We measure mechanical properties including stiffness, hysteresis and visco-elasticity of adherent cells.
机械力是驱动细胞功能和组织的重要因素之一。我们提出了一种具有片上致动器的微制造设备，用于对单细胞进行机械测试。展示了一种集成的可浸入式静电致动器系统，该系统可向细胞施加校准力。我们通过直接向附着在胶原蛋白功能化的设备表面上的上皮细胞施加力来进行拉伸实验。我们测量了附着细胞的机械性能，包括刚性、滞后和粘弹性。
