Testing Terminology; Multiphase Test Cycles - CellScale BioTester 5000 User Manual

2. Testing Terminology

The BioTester 5000 is designed to apply biaxial forces to soft tissue specimens (deforms by more
than 1% in vivo) with an in-plane dimension of 3 - 15 mm. This includes biological material such
as eye tissue, heart valves, pericardium, joint capsules, large blood vessels, scaffolds, and soft
polymers.

Multiphase Test Cycles

In order to properly characterize and test a specimen, it is often necessary to load it to different
degrees and at different rates. There are three main reasons for doing this:
Preconditioning - The goal of preconditioning is to restore a specimen to its physiological or
in vivo state. During the process of specimen storage and preparation, a specimen may
swell, dry out, have its material fibers realign, or its molecules reorganize. It may take multiple
preconditioning cycles for a specimen to be restored to its natural state.
Reproducing Physiological Conditions During Testing - By applying various loads and
load rates, natural expansion and contraction of a specimen can be reproduced (for example,
the pulse pressure in an organ). In as much as the physiological conditions can be recreated,
the specimen can be tested in a more realistic state.
Varying Test Conditions - Variable loads and rates allow you to create a variety of test
profiles to best study your specimen.
BioTester 5000 User Manual
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