# US 10,288,541 B2 · System and method for measurements of viscoelastic parameters in soft materials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,288,541 B2 - Document ID: US10288541B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/915,020 - Filed: 2014-08-27 - Published: 2016-09-22 - Granted: 2019-05-14 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-27 - Assignees: Rheolution Inc. - Applicants: Rheolution Inc. - Inventors: Anis Redha Hadj Henni; Cédric René Schmitt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10288541B2 ## CPC - G01N 11/16: by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body - G01N 3/32: by applying repeated or pulsating forces - G01N 3/34: generated by mechanical means, e.g. hammer blows - G01N 11/10: by moving a body within the material - G01N 2011/0026: {Investigating specific flow properties of non-Newtonian fluids} - G01N 2203/0005: Repeated or cyclic - G01N 2203/0019: Compressive - G01N 2203/0023: Bending - G01N 2203/0094: Visco-elasticity - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract There is provided a system and method for the measurements of viscoelastic properties of a soft sample in which the system incorporates a sample holder that has a membrane with a flexural rigidity that is less than the flexural rigidity of the main body and allowing vibration of the membrane-sample vibration unit in response to a vibration excitation to create resonance vibration modes that are detected to derive the viscoelastic properties. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sample holder for measuring viscoelastic parameters of a soft sample, the holder comprising: a main body comprised of material having a flexural rigidity, the main body having a peripheral wall and a bottom to define therewith a closed sample-containing cavity; and an impermeable membrane having a flexural rigidity lower than the main body flexural rigidity, said membrane extending at least along a portion of the bottom and having an inner face exposed in the sample-containing cavity, such as to retain said soft sample in said holder, and wherein the soft sample is in contact with the membrane to form a vibration unit that is configured to allow vibrations when in the vibrations measurement mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sample holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane has a shear elastic modulus and a flexural rigidity allowing the vibration unit to exhibit resonances when excited to vibrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sample holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shear elastic modulus of the membrane is from about 1 kPa to about 100 GPa and wherein said flexural rigidity is between about 1×10− and 5×10−4 Pa*m3. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sample holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration unit has a known thickness when the soft sample is in the sample holder, and wherein the sample holder is configured to hold liquids. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sample holder as claimed in claim 4 wherein the soft sample has a thickness when in the sample holder and the membrane has a thickness of from about 1/1000 to 1 times the thickness of the soft sample. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The sample holder as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sample holder has a length of 1 to 100 times the thickness of the vibration unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sample holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane is selected from elastomers, silicon rubbers and gels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sample holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the soft sample is selected from: biological sample, food, polymer, silicone, pharmaceutical product, pharmaceutical excipient, resin, elastomer, gel and plastic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sample holder as claimed in claim 8 wherein the biological sample is blood or a biomaterial. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sample holder as claimed in claim 9 wherein the sample holder is adapted to allow growth of a biomaterial. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The sample holder as claimed in claim 8 wherein the food is milk, cheese, curd, yogurt, or tofu. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sample holder of claim 1 wherein said main body peripheral wall comprises an inner face and wherein said inner face comprises sample displacement stabilizing structures to prevent said sample from slipping during measurements. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sample holder of claim 1 further comprising an attachment configured to secure said holder in a position within a system for measuring viscoelasticity, said position allowing vibration actuation and detection of vibrations of the vibration unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A system for measuring viscoelasticity of a soft sample comprising: a sample holder as claimed in claim 1, a vibration actuator configured to communicate a force to the vibration unit to generate vibrations therein, a vibration detector configured to acquire measurements of vibrations of the vibration unit, and a processor for analyzing the measurements of vibrations obtained from the vibration detector to calculate viscoelasticity parameters of the soft sample. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the vibration actuator communicates the force by direct contact with a part of the vibration unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the vibration actuator communicates the force to the vibration unit indirectly by inducing vibration in a member in vibrational contact with the sample holder. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the member is a flexible arm and wherein the vibration actuator communicates a bending force to the flexible arm thereby creating a vibration of the arm and sample holder. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14 comprising: a plurality of sample holders, a sample holder filler to automatically dispense the soft samples in the plurality of sample holders; and at least one sample holder displacement actuator to provide automated measurement of soft samples contained in sample holders. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method for measuring viscoelastic parameters of a soft sample, the method comprising: providing a sample in the sample holder as claimed in claim 1, applying a force to induce vibrations in the vibration unit, detecting the vibrations from the vibration unit to provide vibration measurements, and deriving at least one viscoelastic parameter of the soft sample based on the vibration measurements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A process for manufacturing a product comprising: providing a manufacturing system configured to transform an input material into the product, wherein the transformation comprises one or more stages at which one or more viscoelastic properties of the material are required, and measuring the viscoelastic properties using the method as claimed in claim 19.