Uni-directional cell stretching device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsDaniel L. Feeback, Mark S. F. Clarke
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying various degrees of linear, mechanical loads on mammalian tissues, and in particular, for effecting linear stretching of tissue and simulating changes in hydrostatic pressures encountered during tissue contraction in vivo. The apparatus is useful for the study of mechanical loading in human tissue, and specifically, for permitting the evaluation of the effects of mechanical loading of skeletal or cardiac tissue and of the effects of removal of mechanical loading due to inactivity or the like, and the subsequent reapplication of load to these tissues.
Claims24
A uni-directional cell stretching device capable of mimicking linear tissue loading profiles, comprising:
- a tissue culture vessel;
- an actuator assembly, including a relatively fixed structure and an axially translatable ram within said vessel;
- at least one elastic strip having one end portion removably connected to said ram and another, opposite end portion removably connected to said relatively fixed structure, said elastic strip being coated with an extra-cellular matrix;
- and
- driving means for axially translating said ram relative to said relatively fixed structure, and for axially translating said one end portion of said elastic strip affixed to said ram relative to said another, opposite end portion, for longitudinally stretching said at least one elastic strip.
A uni-directional cell stretching device capable of mimicking linear loading profiles, comprising:
- a ram having distal and proximal end portions and a piston chamber portion receiving said ram proximal end portion;
- at least one elastic strip, wherein said at least one strip is connected to said distal end portion of said ram;
- driving means for axially translating said ram while said strip is connected thereto, and for stretching said strip longitudinally by movement of said ram;
- a tissue culture vessel containing said strip;
- optical ports formed in said culture vessel;
- and
- medium exchange/medium sampling ports communicating through said culture vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.