A portable tool positioning system for the mechanical testing of in vivo tissues

这项RTI建议旨在通过一种新的定制高精度活体组织测试(HITT)系统来改变生物组织的机械特性，该系统可以部署到床边测试活的生物组织。 西蒙·弗雷泽大学的组织表征设备支持几个研究项目，拥有从单个细胞到整个骨骼的材料测试设备能力。然而，生物组织检测中一个关键的缺失环节是准确检测体内活组织的能力。建议的HITT系统将高精度定位平台与自动工具跟踪相结合，以移动用户在三维空间中指示的冲击器系统。该系统滚动到床边，并将一个精密的机械执行器悬挂在测试对象上方，以表征组织对负载的反应。可以进入手术室的可展开系统首次使许多组织的准确机械特征成为可能。能够测试体内的活组织而不是测试孤立的材料样本，将为了解潜在的支撑结构、连接组织和体液对组织行为的影响提供重要的新见解。当采集样本进行检测时，这些影响就会消失。该便携式系统可以跨校园部署到协查实验室以及地方、地区和国家合作机构、诊所和动物护理中心，以便在活体组织可用时访问它们，从而最大限度地利用该系统。 拟议中的设备对于Carolyn Sparrey博士量化脊髓损伤机制和绘制患者对损伤的特定反应的研究计划的推进至关重要。这些设备将得到充分利用，还将支持合作者的研究项目，这些项目包括量化跌倒时软组织吸收的能量(Robinovitch博士)、上肢外骨骼和机器人矫形器的发展(Menon博士)以及癌症对组织力学的影响(Park博士)。这个可部署的HITT系统将改善访问并扩大我们培训学生进行实验研究的能力。人体活体组织的准确表征为理解损伤机理、开发损伤预防设备和设计与人体融合的技术解决方案奠定了基础。 加拿大没有类似的测试设备。

This RTI proposal aims to create a paradigm shift in the mechanical characterization of biological tissues with a novel custom high-precision in vivo tissue testing (HITT) system that can be deployed to the bedside to test live biological tissues. The Tissue Characterization Facility at the Simon Fraser University supports several research programs with material test equipment capacity from single cells to whole bones. However, a critical missing link in biological tissue testing is the ability to accurately test live tissues in the body. The proposed HITT system integrates high-precision positioning stages with automated tool tracking to move an impactor system where the user indicates in three dimensional space. The system wheels to the bedside and will suspend a precision mechanical actuator over the test subject to characterize tissue responses to loading. A deployable system that can go into the operating room makes accurate mechanical characterization of many tissues possible for the first time. Being able to test live tissues in the body instead of testing isolated material samples will provide important new insights into the effects of the underlying supporting structures, connecting tissues, and body fluids on tissue behaviour. These effects are lost when samples are harvested for testing. The portable system can be deployed across campus to co-investigators’ labs as well as to local, regional, and national collaborator facilities, clinics, and animal care centres to access live tissues as they become available to maximize use of the system. The proposed equipment is critical for the advancement of Dr. Carolyn Sparrey’s research program quantifying spinal cord injury mechanics and mapping patient specific responses to injury. The equipment will be fully utilized and will also support co-applicants’ research programs quantifying the energy absorbed by soft tissues in falls (Dr. Robinovitch), the development of upper limb exoskeletons and robotic orthoses (Dr. Menon), and the effects of cancer on tissue mechanics (Dr. Park). This deployable HITT system will improve access and expand our capacity to train students in experimental research. Accurate characterization of living tissues in the body lays the foundation for understanding injury mechanics, developing injury prevention equipment, and designing technology solutions that integrate with the human body. There is no comparable test equipment available in Canada.