Adjustable gravity simulator for tissue and organ culturing
AssigneeThe University of Toledo
InventorsEda Yildirim-Ayan, Halim Ayan, Charles Wade
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Abstract
Adjustable gravity simulators, mechanical loading devices, and methods for simulating gravitational loads and cell culturing are described. Further provided is an adjustable gravity simulator having a simulator chamber and a mechanical loading device configured to apply a mechanical load to samples in the simulator chamber while the simulator chamber experiences a microgravity or partial gravity simulation. Advantageously, the adjustable gravity simulator as described herein can address the challenges associated with cell culturing in simulated microgravity or partial gravity.
Claims16
An adjustable gravity simulator comprising:
- a simulator chamber configured to house a sample and rotate independently around a first axis and a second axis;
- a rotating arm rotatably connected to a mount and having side members extending toward the simulator chamber, wherein rotation of the rotating arm around the first axis in turn causes rotation of the simulator chamber around the first axis;
- a belt tensioner on one of the side members and connected to the simulator chamber, wherein the belt tensioner comprises a belt configured to move in a loop thereby driving the rotation of the simulator chamber around the second axis;
- and
- one or more motors configured to drive (i) the rotation of the rotating arm around the first axis, and thereby the rotation of the simulator chamber around the first axis, and (ii) movement of the belt in the loop, and thereby the rotation of the simulator chamber around the second axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.