Applications of the ElastoSens™ Bio
in biomaterials and life Sciences
Bringing soft matter to life one application at a time 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
ElastoSens Bio tests smarter and gives you the power of Soft Matter Analytics™ to accelerate the formulation and testing of hydrogels. Test the formation, stability and degradation of your material using the same sample, over long periods of time and under fully controled environmental conditions.
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.
Soft Polymers Library
ElastoSens™ Bio is used to non-destructively test the mechanical properties of Soft Polymers.
Elastin hydrogels are soft, water-swollen polymer networks derived from elastin or its soluble precursors. Elastin is a highly elastic extracellular matrix protein responsible for the resilience and recoil of tissues such as blood vessels, skin, and lungs. Native elastin is extremely insoluble due to extensive crosslinking, so hydrogel systems are typically formed from soluble elastin derivatives, including elastin peptides, α-elastin, or recombinant human tropoelastin—the natural soluble monomer of elastin.
Dextran hydrogels are three-dimensional, water-swollen polymer networks derived from dextran, a naturally occurring polysaccharide composed primarily of α-1,6-linked glucopyranose units with a low degree of α-1,3 branching. Dextran is biosynthesized extracellularly by bacteria such as Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus in sucrose-rich environments and is available over a wide range of molecular weights.
A collagen hydrogel is a hydrated, three-dimensional polymer network formed from collagen, the most abundant structural protein in mammalian extracellular matrices. Collagen molecules consist of three polypeptide α-chains arranged in a characteristic triple-helical structure stabilized by hydrogen bonding and specific amino acid motifs rich in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
Cellulose hydrogels are three-dimensional, water-rich polymer networks derived from cellulose, a linear polysaccharide composed of β-(1→4)-linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is the most abundant natural biopolymer and is primarily sourced from plant biomass such as wood and cotton, but it can also be produced by bacteria, algae, fungi, and tunicates. Native cellulose is insoluble in water; therefore, hydrogel formation typically relies on chemical modification, dissolution–regeneration processes, or the use of cellulose derivatives.
Alginate hydrogels are water-rich, three-dimensional polymer networks derived from alginate, a naturally occurring anionic polysaccharide. Alginate is primarily extracted from the cell walls of brown seaweeds belonging to the Phaeophyceae class, although it can also be biosynthesized by certain bacterial species such as Azotobacter and Pseudomonas. Structurally, alginate is a linear copolymer composed of β-D-mannuronic acid (M units) and α-L-guluronic acid (G units) linked via 1→4 glycosidic bonds.
Agarose is a natural, linear polysaccharide extracted primarily from marine red algae. Structurally, it is composed of repeating agarobiose units, a disaccharide consisting of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose. When dissolved in hot aqueous solutions and subsequently cooled, agarose chains undergo self-assembly into a three-dimensional network stabilized by hydrogen bonding and helix formation, entrapping large volumes of water and forming a physically crosslinked hydrogel.