Floating Platform for Soft Tissue Mechanical Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mechanical testing systems struggle to accurately measure the low forces and deformations of small, soft biological tissues and gels while maintaining sample hydration and allowing for simultaneous imaging.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical testing system that submerges deformable samples in a liquid-filled container, using a floatable platform to apply unidirectional tension and minimize vibration, while enabling granular force measurement and simultaneous imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional mechanical testing systems are used, then testing capability is provided, but measurement precision for low forces is poor and sample hydration is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A liquid-filled container serves as an intermediary medium that submerges the sample during testing, maintaining physiological hydration conditions while allowing force application through the liquid environment. The floatable platform acts as another intermediary that transmits force while minimizing direct mechanical contact with the sample.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes hydraulic principles by submerging the sample in a liquid-filled container, where the liquid medium transmits and maintains hydration of the sample during mechanical testing. The floatable platform floats upon the liquid to apply unidirectional tension while the liquid environment preserves sample hydration.
2Force
If conventional mechanical testing systems are used, then force application is possible, but vibration and movement increase affecting imaging quality
Solution Approach 1:
The floatable platform uses buoyancy force to counteract the weight of the sample and testing apparatus, creating a balanced system that minimizes vibration and unwanted movement during force application. The buoyant force offsets gravitational effects, reducing mechanical noise and improving imaging quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid medium acts as a damping intermediary that absorbs and dissipates vibrations generated during force application. The floatable platform further mediates force transmission while isolating the sample from direct mechanical contact, reducing vibration propagation to the imaging system.
3Strength
If conventional mechanical testing systems are used, then structural strength is provided, but device complexity increases and customization is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a floatable platform for force application, a liquid-filled container for hydration and vibration damping, and a force sensor assembly for measurement. This modular segmentation simplifies the overall system while maintaining structural integrity and enabling easy customization for different sample types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains sample hydration, allows for precise measurement of low forces, and enables high-resolution imaging during mechanical testing, addressing the limitations of conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
a floatable platform disposed within the container and configured to float upon a liquid placed within the container
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanical testing system for deformable samples, such as gels or tissues, is disclosed. The system includes a container for holding a liquid, and a floatable platform configured to float on the liquid. The platform includes attachments for connecting to a deformable sample and a force sensor assembly. The system allows for the application of unidirectional tension to the sample and the measurement of the resulting force by the force sensor assembly. The design of the system minimizes off-target forces and sample vibration, and allows for submerged testing and simultaneous imaging of the sample. The system is particularly suitable for testing small, soft materials such as extracellular matrix polymers.