Development of an Internet Addressable Pneumatically Controlled Instrument for Applying Strain to Cells In-Vitro

Abstract

Mechanical stimulation of tissue cells is a popular technique used by tissue engineering researchers to stimulate cell growth. This research requires an instrument that applies in-vitro compression and tension to individual cells, through mechanical loading. The mechanical load in the research reported on here is generated using a vacuum system under computer control. The vacuum system consists of a pneumatic valve that is proportionally controlled from a single board computer, and a pressure transducer to monitor the waveform of the applied mechanical loading. Because the computer control is based on a single-board computer, the mechanical loading of cells can be carried remotely using a network environment and a dedicated IP address. The system is a good example of a smart mechatronic system. The research and development was carried out with support from Flexcell International, a North Carolina based biotechnology company.