Strain-Sensing Flexible Substrates for High-Throughput Muscle Tissue Force Readouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current devices for measuring contractile force of muscle tissue rely on data-heavy and low-throughput optical microscopy techniques, limiting their value for high-throughput biomedical studies.
Innovation Solution
Development of devices with flexible substrates incorporating strain-sensitive electrical elements and tissue supporting layers that promote anisotropic muscle tissue growth, allowing for electronic readout of contractile force through strain measurement, enabling high-throughput assays and multiplexed apparatuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical microscopy-based techniques are used to measure contractile force, then measurement precision is maintained, but productivity is reduced due to data-heavy and low throughput nature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical microscopy-based measurement systems with an electrical sensing system. Strain-sensitive electrical elements (such as piezoresistive sensors, capacitive sensors, or conductive polymer sensors) are integrated into the flexible substrate to directly measure the strain caused by muscle tissue contraction. This substitution of optical measurement with electrical measurement enables high-throughput, automated data collection without the data-heavy processing requirements of optical microscopy, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from optical signals to electrical signals. By incorporating strain-sensitive electrical elements that convert mechanical strain into electrical signals (resistance changes, capacitance changes, or voltage changes), the system enables rapid, automated measurement of contractile force. This parameter change from optical to electrical domain allows for high-throughput screening and multiplexed measurements, resolving the throughput limitation of optical methods.
2Productivity
If flexible substrate with strain-sensitive electrical elements is used, then productivity is improved through high throughput measurement, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the substrate structure with the sensing function by integrating strain-sensitive electrical elements directly into the flexible substrate. This integration combines the mechanical support function and the sensing function into a single unified structure, reducing the number of separate components needed. The flexible substrate serves both as the structural base for muscle tissue attachment and as the sensing element that measures contraction-induced strain, thereby simplifying the overall device architecture despite enabling high-throughput measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible substrate with integrated strain-sensitive elements serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support for muscle tissue, enables anisotropic growth guidance through its structural design, and simultaneously acts as the sensing element for measuring contractile force. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate support structures and sensing components, while still enabling high-throughput measurement capability.
3Reliability
If anisotropic muscle tissue layer is grown on tissue supporting layer, then measurement reliability is improved through proper tissue alignment, but manufacturing precision is required for layer configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue supporting layer incorporates localized structural features (such as microgrooves, patterns, or varying stiffness regions) that guide muscle tissue to grow in specific orientations. These local structural variations create preferred growth directions that align muscle fibers anisotropically, ensuring reliable measurement of contractile force in the desired direction. The local quality modifications to the substrate structure enable controlled tissue alignment without requiring high-precision manufacturing of the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate structure is pre-configured with guiding features (microgrooves, patterns, or stiffness gradients) before tissue culture begins. These preliminary structural arrangements guide muscle cell alignment and tissue organization as the tissue grows, ensuring proper anisotropic orientation without requiring post-growth manipulation or high-precision assembly. The preliminary action of structuring the substrate enables reliable tissue alignment to be achieved through natural tissue growth processes.
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
Enables efficient and high-throughput measurement of contractile force in muscle tissue layers, facilitating biomedical and pharmaceutical studies with integrated electrical force sensing, reducing the need for optical recordings and allowing for long-term studies in controlled environments.
Implementation Method 1
The one or more strain-sensitive electrical elements may be configured to change resistance in response to strain from contraction of the muscle tissue layer
Implementation Method 2
The one or more strain-sensitive electrical elements may be configured to generate a voltage in response to strain from contraction of the muscle tissue layer
Implementation Method 3
a capacitance of the one or more strain-sensitive electrical elements changes in response to strain from contraction of the anisotropic muscle tissue layer
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein are directed to devices for supporting growth of anisotropic muscle tissue layers and in vitro readout and quantification of force generated by the tissue layers using one or more strain-sensing elements integrated into the device. Embodiments also include multiplexed apparatuses of multiple independent devices, methods of fabricating the devices and apparatuses, and methods of using the devices and apparatuses.