The integration of optical stimulation in a mechanically dynamic cell culture substrate
Date
2022
Authors
Imboden, Matthias
Chen, Sophia
Gudozhnik, Olexandr
Pollock, Corey
Javor, Josh
Bishop, David
Shea, Herbert
Rosset, Samuel
Version
Published version
OA Version
Citation
M. Imboden, S. Chen, O. Gudozhnik, C. Pollock, J. Javor, D. Bishop, H. Shea, S. Rosset. 2022. "The Integration of Optical Stimulation in a Mechanically Dynamic Cell Culture Substrate." Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Volume 10, pp.934756-. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.934756
Abstract
A cell culture well with integrated mechanical and optical stimulation is presented. This is achieved by combining dielectric elastomer soft actuators, also known as artificial muscles, and a varifocal micro-electromechanical mirror that couples light from an optical fiber and focuses it onto the transparent cell substrate. The device enables unprecedented control of in vitro cell cultures by allowing the experimenter to tune and synchronize mechanical and optical stimuli, thereby enabling new experimental assays in optogenetics, fluorescent microscopy, or laser stimulation that include dynamic mechanical strain as a controlled input parameter.
Description
License
Copyright © 2022 Imboden, Chen, Gudozhnik, Pollock, Javor, Bishop, Shea and Rosset. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.