Mechanical System for Low Force Fatigue Tissue Testing

描述(由申请人提供)：本仪器建议书适用于美国马萨诸塞州诺伍德的Instron公司的电脉冲E3000电动力测试系统。电脉冲E3000是一种先进的疲劳试验研究系统。测试速度从1 mm/min到1.7m/s，区别于电脉冲系统和其他可用的测试设备。该功能将使测试范围广泛的生物材料成为可能。E3000采用全电动技术，而不是液压技术，使用更少的能源，制造更少的噪音，从而提供一个清洁的“绿色”实验室环境。关键的系统项目是控制系统、动态称重传感器、温控液浴、潜水抓手、高负荷疲劳额定抓手以及测试和分析软件。该仪器将位于宾夕法尼亚大学肌肉骨骼疾病中心的结构-功能生物力学核心中并由其管理。对于宾夕法尼亚大学的大量NIH资助和非NIH资助的研究人员来说，这个核心一直是一个关键的资源设施。该系统将极大地提高结构-功能生物力学核心的性能。该中心进行的这项研究的主要目标是测量肌肉骨骼组织的机械功能。特别是，评估骨、软骨、肌腱、韧带、椎间盘、肌肉和神经软组织样本的机械性能，并测试损伤、修复或生物治疗方式对机械功能的影响。此外，还测量了组织工程构建物、生物支架和合成植入物的机械性能。仅靠低速加载不足以确定治疗的性质或评估治疗的功能结果。需要更高的应变率和疲劳测试来了解这些组织和疗法在临床应用中的表现。随着肌肉骨骼研究界在其策略上变得更加平移，目标组织和肌肉骨骼临床前模型的机械功能必须转向与生理相关的疲劳和动态粘弹性研究。电脉冲提供的载荷和速度对于疲劳研究和肌肉骨骼组织的动态扫频粘弹性测试是必不可少的。电脉冲符合宾夕法尼亚大学肌肉骨骼疾病中心或宾夕法尼亚大学方圆200英里范围内现有机械测试设备所没有的一套独特的规格。2009年美国复苏和再投资法案：宾夕法尼亚大学医学院为当地经济做出了重大贡献。医学院在2008年为区域经济活动贡献了37,000个工作岗位和54亿美元。目前的提案将影响每个用户的研究计划，以保留或创造大费城地区的就业机会，并在全国范围内促进科学和健康。此外，它还将在与此次仪器购买相关的公司创造或保留就业机会。Instron在宾夕法尼亚州、纽约和马萨诸塞州设有制造基地。这三个工厂总共雇用了136个制造岗位和160个服务人员，他们将通过保留和/或创造就业机会，立即从电脉冲系统的销售中受益。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This instrumentation proposal is for the ElectroPuls E3000 Electrodynamic Test System (Instron Corp, Norwood, MA, USA). The ElectroPulse E3000 is a state-of-the art research system for fatigue testing. The test speed range from 1mm/min to 1.7m/second distinguishes the ElectroPuls system other available testing equipment. This feature will enable testing a wide range of biomaterials. The E3000 utilizes an all electric technology instead of hydraulics, using less energy, making less noise, thereby providing a clean "green" lab environment. Key system items are the control system, dynamic load cells, temperature controlled fluid bath, submersible grips, high load fatigue-rated grips, as well as testing and analysis software. This instrument will be located in and managed by the Structure-Function Biomechanics Core of the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders. This Core has been a critical resource facility for a large number of NIH- funded and non-NIH funded investigators at the University of Pennsylvania. The proposed system will greatly enhance the capabilities of the the Structure-Function Biomechanics Core. A primary objective of the research conducted by the Core is to measure the mechanical function of musculoskeletal tissues. In particular, mechanical properties of bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, intervertebral disc, muscle, and neural soft tissue samples are evaluated, and the effect on mechanical function of injury, repair, or biological treatment modalities is tested. Additionally, mechanical properties of tissue engineered constructs, biological scaffolds, and synthetic implants are measured. Low speed loading alone is not sufficient to determine the properties or evaluate functional outcomes of therapies. Higher strain rate and fatigue tests are needed to understand how these tissues and therapies will perform in clinical applications. As the musculoskeletal research community becomes more translational in its strategies, the mechanical function of the targeted tissue and musculoskeletal preclinical models must move toward physiologically relevant studies of fatigue and dynamic viscoelasticity. The loads and speeds provided by the ElectroPuls are essential for fatigues studies and dynamic frequency sweep viscoelastic testing of musculoskeletal tissues. The ElectroPuls meets a unique set of specifications not present in the existing mechanical testing equipment within the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders or within a 200 mile radius of the University of Pennsylvania. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine contributes substantially to the local economy. The School of Medicine contributed 37,000 jobs and $5.4 billion in regional economic activity in 2008. The current proposal will impact the research program of each user to preserve or create jobs within the greater Philadelphia area and advance science and health across the nation. Further, it will create or preserve jobs at the company associated with this instrument purchase. Instron operates manufacturing sites in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. Jointly, these three sites employ 136 manufacturing positions and 160 service personnel who will immediately benefit from the sale of an ElectroPuls system by the preservation and/or creation of jobs.