Automated, multifunctional, engineered cardiac tissue culture and testing bioreactor system

A bioreactor system that is configured to provide length control of engineered tissue and to measure one or more properties of the engineered tissue comprising:

• a housing that includes a culture well;
• at least one first flexible post suspended in the culture well;
• at least one second rigid post suspended in the culture well, the second post being spaced from the first post such that the engineered tissue is grown therebetween;
• a first device for measuring a contractile force of the engineered tissue, the device including the at least one first post which comprises a fiber-optic that is operatively coupled to a light source and configured to flex when the engineered tissue contracts, the first device further including a sensor for detecting a degree of movement of the at least one first post;
• and
• a second device for controlling the length of the engineered tissue, the second device including the at least one rigid second post and an actuator that is operatively coupled to the at least one second post for moving the at least one second post in a controlled manner within the culture well so as to cause a change in a distance between the at least one first post and the at least one second post and thereby control the length of the engineered tissue;
• wherein the housing includes a base which contains the culture well and a removable lid with the second device being fixedly attached to the lid;
• wherein the fiber-optic passes through the lid with an upper end of the fiber-optic proximate the lid representing a more rigid section of the first post, with a lower section thereof representing a flexible section that flexes in response to applied forces due to tissue contractions.