State University of New York (SUNY) College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, 257 Fuller Rd., Albany, NY 12203, USA; E-Mail:
Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA; E-Mails:
Biosensors (Basel). 2014 Feb 27;4(1):18-27. doi: 10.3390/bios4010018. eCollection 2014 Mar.
The ability to characterize the microscale mechanical properties of biological materials has the potential for great utility in the field of tissue engineering. The development and morphogenesis of mammalian tissues are known to be guided in part by mechanical stimuli received from the local environment, and tissues frequently develop to match the physical characteristics (i.e., elasticity) of their environment. Quantification of these material properties at the microscale may provide valuable information to guide researchers. Presented here is a microfluidic platform for the non-destructive ex vivo microscale mechanical characterization of mammalian tissue samples by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The device was designed to physically hold a tissue sample in a dynamically controllable fluid environment while allowing access by an AFM probe operating in force spectroscopy mode to perform mechanical testing. Results of measurements performed on mouse submandibular gland samples demonstrate the ability of the analysis platform to quantify sample elasticity at the microscale, and observe chemically-induced changes in elasticity.
表征生物材料微观机械性能的能力在组织工程领域具有很大的实用潜力。已知哺乳动物组织的发育和形态发生部分受到来自局部环境的机械刺激的指导，并且组织经常发展以匹配其环境的物理特性（即弹性）。在微观尺度上量化这些材料特性可能为研究人员提供有价值的信息。本文提出了一种基于微流控的平台，通过原子力显微镜（AFM）对哺乳动物组织样品进行非破坏性的体外微观机械特性分析。该装置旨在物理地将组织样品固定在动态可控的流体环境中，同时允许操作在力谱模式下的 AFM 探针进入以进行机械测试。对小鼠颌下腺样品进行的测量结果表明，该分析平台能够在微观尺度上定量样品的弹性，并观察到化学诱导的弹性变化。
