Degradation of Biomaterials
Elastosens™ Bio Applications
Biomaterials—including hydrogels, biodegradable polymers, bioengineered scaffolds, and even biological tissues—are widely studied in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and therapeutic implants. Their mechanical behavior is inherently viscoelastic and evolves over time as they interact with physiological environments. During degradation or remodeling, processes such as polymer chain cleavage, hydrolysis, enzymatic breakdown, or matrix reorganization progressively alter structural integrity and the ability of the material to store and dissipate mechanical energy. This time-dependent evolution directly impacts functionality, safety, and clinical performance.
Measuring the viscoelastic properties of biomaterials during degradation or remodeling is therefore critical in the biomedical field. Mechanical characterization enables researchers to monitor structural stability, predict lifetime, and tailor degradation or regeneration profiles to specific therapeutic needs. By quantifying parameters such as storage and loss moduli over time, scientists can better understand underlying mechanisms, optimize material design, and develop biomaterials and tissue-based systems with controlled mechanical and biological performance.
Applications on Degradation of Biomaterials
Cellularized hydrogels have been widely investigated for producing in vitro models of tissues such as skin, blood vessels, bone, etc. These models can be a valuable alternative to animal models used in trials for studying physio/pathological processes and for testing new drugs and medical devices.
The thermoreversible behavior of some polymers relies on the large conformation changes in response to temperature. They have been investigated for a variety of clinical applications that demand an in situ gelation at physiological temperatures. In addition, these polymers have been widely studied for other biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering in which the thermoresponsive behavior needs to be balanced with biocompatibility and degradation kinetics.
The controlled release of drugs at precise locations within the body can prevent systemic toxicity and deliver accurate dosages to patients. Hydrogels have recently been investigated as promising drug delivery systems due to their ability to provide spatial and temporal control over the release of a number of therapeutic agents. Furthermore, the easy tunability of their physicochemical and mechanical properties allows the design of application-specific release systems.
Biodegradable hydrogels are promising candidates as drug carriers due to their biocompatibility and tunable degradation. This is particularly valuable for oral delivery systems since the polymer should respond to pH or enzymatic changes in the gastrointestinal environment to achieve a controlled drug release.
Mechanical Testing during Biomaterial Degradation
ElastoSens™ Bio enables real-time, non-contact mechanical characterization of biomaterials during degradation. Samples can be placed directly into the available sample holders (macro, micro, or membrane) and monitored over time with minimal handling, while being incubated under controlled environmental conditions to replicate physiological or accelerated aging settings. Mechanical parameters are displayed instantly on the tablet, providing immediate and quantitative insight into the evolution of viscoelastic properties throughout the degradation process.
In this example, chitosan hydrogels were placed in the macro-volume sample holder and measured before and during incubation in media (with and without lysozyme). Statistically significant differences were observed in terms of G′, whereas no significant differences in weight loss were detected from day 5 of incubation onward.
Researchers can evaluate enzymatic degradation of hydrogels or tissues by tracking changes in mechanical integrity and microstructure—using a gentle technology that maintains native architecture throughout the experiment.
Benefits of Contact-Free, Non-Invasive Measurements with the Elastosens™ Bio
- Non-destructively monitor the viscoelastic properties of biomaterials throughout the degradation process.
- Incubate samples under controlled thermal, enzymatic, and environmental conditions to mimic physiological or accelerated degradation scenarios.
- Track the same sample over time to evaluate structural stability and mechanical evolution without handling-induced artifacts.
- Access advanced Soft Matter Analytics™ for reliable and in-depth degradation profiling.
- Improve repeatability while accelerating formulation development and quality control workflows.
- Work in a sterile, cell-friendly environment suitable for bioactive or cell-laden hydrogels.
- Benefit from a modular, scalable solution tailored to your laboratory needs and budget.