An Instrument for Biomechanical Testing of Micro Organisms PROJECT SCOPE • State-of-the-art equipment with limitless potential comes with limited and vague instructions. • Develop simple-to-follow methodology for operating the ordinate micro-tensile tester. 1. Describing system components. 2. Connecting all components. 3. Calibrating the transducer. 4. Operating the micro-manipulator. 5. Configuring the software. 6. Conducting experiments with the entirety of the system. Luke Steinbach, Mechanical Engineering Undergrad Nanomotor (left) and transducer (right) with the cuvette in the middle. Logistics of signal transmission from amplifying to recording. Transduc er Nanomoto r Cuvette Calibrator/ Amplifier/Filter DAQ Output & Nanomotor Control Micro Manipulator
Transcript
An Instrument for Biomechanical Testing of Micro Organisms
PROJECT SCOPE• State-of-the-art equipment with limitless potential comes with limited and vague instructions.• Develop simple-to-follow methodology for operating the ordinate micro-tensile tester.
1. Describing system components.2. Connecting all components.3. Calibrating the transducer.4. Operating the micro-manipulator. 5. Configuring the software.6. Conducting experiments with the entirety of the system.
Luke Steinbach, Mechanical Engineering Undergrad
Nanomotor (left) and transducer (right) with the cuvette in the middle. Logistics of signal transmission from amplifying to recording.
TransducerNanomotor
Cuvette
Calibrator/Amplifier/Filter
DAQ
Output & Nanomotor Control
Micro Manipulator
An Instrument for Biomechanical Testing of Micro Organisms
BEYOND THE SCOPE• The measurement system is intended to characterize the muscle behavior in copepods to see
how it may relate to more well-know systems of larger animals. • Copepods exhibit phenomenal energy efficiency during escape motions. • This trait is expectedly due to resilin which is an elastomeric protein that rapidly contracts muscles.
• The micro tensile tester can be used to test individual muscle fibers or cells under a contraction stimuli in order to determine the work loop for that respective element.
• Before testing individual fibers, the collaboration of muscles producing power strokes with great force must be analyzed.
Luke Steinbach, Mechanical Engineering Undergrad
Calanoid copepod, Abby. The posterior leg contributes to the majority of the
escape power stroke.
Simplified example of a work loop. (Principles of Animal Locomotion. R. Alexander. 2003.)
An Instrument for Biomechanical Testing of Micro Organisms
COPEPOD FORCE GENERATION• Calanoid copepod was placed in the cuvette where the glass rod attachment bonds to the
copepod using super glue. • The copepod was held stationary in water while it tried escaping, thus measuring the power
stroke force.• Video captures the power strokes corresponding to the spikes in output.
Luke Steinbach, Mechanical Engineering Undergrad
NEXT STEPS• Confirm force data with more testing.• Order Myotak specialized glue to use with the micro tweezers for tensile testing.• Order electrical stimulus equipment to collect work stroke data.
