Journal: Biotechnology Letters

Article Title: A microscale anisotropic biaxial cell stretching device for applications in mechanobiology

doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1381-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Exploded cross-section of the multi-layer PDMS-based cell stretching device. Low pressure is applied to the low pressure channels ( red ) to induce a deformation in the walls located at each of the four sides of the cell stretching chamber (800 × 800 μm; 10 μm thick membrane). The top and bottom fluidic channels ( purple and blue ) are isolated from each other by a suspended membrane. The bottom fluidic channel ( blue ) serves to equilibrate pressures when seeding cells. Bottom left of a : Photographic image of the assembled device with the bottom and top fluidic channels ( blue and purple channels) connected and the four low pressure channel inlets (see arrows ). b Detailed view of the assembled device cross-section showing the cell stretching chamber along with the low pressure chambers on both sides (circled “L” indicates low pressure). c – d Schematic cross-section of the device with cells attached on the membrane and the low pressure chambers under atmospheric pressure conditions ( c ) and low pressure conditions ( d ). e – f Phase-contrast images of the device viewed from the top ; two of the four low pressure chambers are visible under atmospheric pressure conditions ( e ) and low pressure conditions ( f )

Article Snippet: Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA).

Techniques: Membrane, Isolation

Journal: Biotechnology Letters

Article Title: A microscale anisotropic biaxial cell stretching device for applications in mechanobiology

doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1381-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: a – c Fluorescent images showing the fluorescent beads embedded in the membrane, used to monitor membrane deformation. Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA). The white dashed lines in f follows the general alignment of the cells when stretched vertically. g – h Typical calibration curves illustrating the relationship between pressure and membrane deformation. The symmetry of the devices result in producing very similar calibration curves along the horizontal ( g ) and vertical direction ( h )

Article Snippet: Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA).

Techniques: Membrane

Journal: Biotechnology Letters

Article Title: A microscale anisotropic biaxial cell stretching device for applications in mechanobiology

doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1381-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: a – c Phase-contrast images of the same group of cells immobilized to the suspended membrane exposed at first to no deformation ( a ) and then exposed to a horizontal ( b ) and vertical deformation (c). Arrows indicate stretching directions. d – e Insets showing a particular group of cells exposed to the corresponding strain fields

Article Snippet: Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA).

Techniques: Membrane

Journal: Biotechnology Letters

Article Title: A microscale anisotropic biaxial cell stretching device for applications in mechanobiology

doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1381-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Cells cultured for 24 h in the device prior to perform the cyclic stretching experiment. b Cells exposed to a sinusoidal cyclic deformation along the horizontal direction with an amplitude of 20 % and a frequency of 0.5 Hz for 8 h. c Same group of cells exposed to the same strain field but this time along the vertical direction for 16 h. Insets in b and c reveal the contour map of the magnitude of the membrane deformation (finite element simulation; see Online Resource 1), and the dotted white lines highlight the transversal contours. The cells align to follow these lines as well. d Cells are randomly orientated before inducing deformation. e Cells are mostly aligned along the vertical direction after 8 h of uniaxial stretching along the horizontal direction. f Cells are mostly aligned along the horizontal direction after 16 h of stretching along the vertical directions

Article Snippet: Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA).

Techniques: Cell Culture, Membrane

Journal: Biotechnology Letters

Article Title: A microscale anisotropic biaxial cell stretching device for applications in mechanobiology

doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1381-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Deformation-pressure relationship for a standard uniaxial strain field where the principal deformation occurs along the horizontal direction (scale and low pressure chambers colored in red ) with the presence of a compressive strain along the vertical direction. Note that the low pressure chambers, along the vertical direction, are left at atmospheric pressure (scale and low pressure chambers colored in blue ). b Deformation-pressure relationship for a pure uniaxial strain field where the principal deformation occurs along the horizontal direction while applying a stretch along the vertical direction to eliminate any compressive strains

Article Snippet: Low pressure chambers are independently activated to induce deformation in the membrane along two orthogonal directions. d Typical deformation field calculated from the displacements of the embedded beads during uniaxial stretching along the vertical direction. e – f Strain map and contour map of the magnitude of the deformation in the membrane using COMSOL (Burlington, USA).

Techniques: