Applications of the ElastoSens™ Bio in biomaterials and Life Sciences
with advanced biomaterials testing and analysis.
The ElastoSens™ Bio helps biologists and material scientists unlock scientific discoveries and technological advancements thanks to advanced features and capabilities to test the mechanical properties of biomaterials.
Discover below how the ElastoSens™ Bio measures without contact and non-destructively the viscoelasticity of forming or degrading hydrogels, bioengineered tissues, hemostatic agents, blood and plasma clots, 3D bioprinted structures and biokins, and much more.
Formulation of hydrogels
Natural polymers such as collagen, fibrin, chitosan, and agarose exhibit superior biological activity when compared to synthetic materials and so, they are often used to entirely or partially compose hydrogels. The formation of a hydrogel is governed by the development of physical or chemical bonds between the polymeric chains and depends strongly on its formulation. The formulation of a hydrogel includes the selection and dosage of the polymer, solvent and crosslinking agent (when present).
Hydrogels have been widely used in biomedical research for developing engineered tissues and novel treatments such as wound dressings and drug delivery systems. Photo-crosslinkable polymers are an interesting option in the field due to the possibility of tuning its microstructure by regulating the wavelength, intensity and duration of the applied light [1, 2, 3].
Degradation of hydrogels
The ElastoSens™ Bio was used to measure the mechanical properties of different hydrogels during their enzymatically or physically induced degradation. The use of removable sample holders facilitates the study of long term and slow degradation processes.
Tissue engineering
Non-destructive, contact-free viscoelastic testing of fragile biomaterials is now possible. See how the ElastoSens™ Bio can test long-term evolution of cell-laden hydrogels on the same sterile sample with advanced biomaterials testing and analysis.
Hemostatic Agents & Blood Coagulation
ElastoSens™ Bio is the unique viscoelasticity testing instrument that measures, in real time, the formation of blood clots under the action of hemostatic agents. Test hemostatic gauzes, powders and gels in vitro to develop products, to accelerate preclinical studies or to control the quality of medical devices.
3D Bioprinting
In 3D bioprinting, the ElastoSens™ Bio is used to non-destructively test the mechanical properties of: bioinks, 3D printed hydrogels and 3D bioprinted structures. The measured mechanical properties correlates with the printability of the bioink, with the architecture of the printed structure or with the growth of cells.
Photocrosslinking
Use ElastoSens™ Bio to apply light at selected wavelengths (365 nm, 385 nm, and 405 nm) during testing to obtain the crosslinking kinetics in real time of photocrosslinkable biomaterials. The study of photocrosslinking processes of hydrogels is simplified thanks to the high flexibility of the instrument: selectable/combinable wavelengths, adjustable intensities and custom irradiation cycles.
Mechanical properties of native tissues
The ElastoSens™ Bio is used to measure ex vivo the viscoelastic or mechanical properties of soft native tissues.
Superabsorbent Polymers
The swelling and liquid absorption by superabsorbent polymers (SAP) can be tested in real time using the ElastoSens™ Bio. The SAP gel formation depends on the nature and amount of the absorbed liquid as well as the chemical composition of the polymer.