Tianjin Key Laboratory for Advanced Mechatronic System Design and Intelligent Control, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Education, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2023 Oct;248(20):1708-1717. doi: 10.1177/15353702231198079. Epub 2023 Oct 14.
Mechanical signals influence the morphology, function, differentiation, proliferation, and growth of cells. Due to the small size of cells, it is essential to analyze their mechanobiological responses with an mechanical loading device. Cells are cultured on an elastic silicone membrane substrate, and mechanical signals are transmitted to the cells by the substrate applying mechanical loads. However, large areas of non-uniform strain fields are generated on the elastic membrane, affecting the experiment's accuracy. In the study, finite-element analysis served as the basis of optimization, with uniform strain as the objective. The thickness of the basement membrane and loading constraints were parametrically adjusted. Through finite-element cycle iteration, the "M" profile basement membrane structure of the culture chamber was obtained to enhance the uniform strain field of the membrane. The optimized strain field of culture chamber was confirmed by three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) technology. The results showed that the optimized chamber improved the strain uniformity factor. The uniform strain area proportion of the new chamber reached 90%, compared to approximately 70% of the current chambers. The new chamber further improved the uniformity and accuracy of the strain, demonstrating promising application prospects.
机械信号会影响细胞的形态、功能、分化、增殖和生长。由于细胞体积小，因此必须使用机械加载装置来分析它们的力学生物学响应。细胞被培养在弹性硅膜基质上，通过基质向细胞施加机械载荷来传递机械信号。然而，在弹性膜上会产生大面积的非均匀应变场，从而影响实验的准确性。在该研究中，有限元分析作为优化的基础，以均匀应变作为目标。调整基底膜的厚度和加载约束作为参数。通过有限元循环迭代，获得培养室的“M”型基底膜结构，以增强膜的均匀应变场。通过三维数字图像相关（3D-DIC）技术对培养室的优化应变场进行了验证。结果表明，优化后的培养室提高了应变均匀性系数。新型培养室的均匀应变面积比例达到 90%，而目前的培养室约为 70%。新型培养室进一步提高了应变的均匀性和准确性，具有广阔的应用前景。
