Advanced platform to characterize the mechanical and structural properties of natural and engineered soft biomaterials

我们多伦多大学的跨学科工程师和科学家团队正在创造新的策略来创造活组织来取代患病或受损的组织。我们的许多靶组织在体内发挥机械或结构功能，包括心脏瓣膜、血管、心脏组织、软骨和皮肤。这些组织具有复杂的微结构组织和机械性能，这是正常功能所必需的。为了使工程组织成功发挥作用，它们必须在结构和机械上与它们想要取代的天然组织相似。我们目前无法获得对软组织和生物材料进行定量、准确的机械和结构表征所需的工具。这减缓了我们的进展，扼杀了对我们发现的验证和翻译。在这个方案中，我们要求一个双轴机械测试系统和一个多模偏光显微镜系统来满足这一迫切的需求。这些互补的工具将建立一个在加拿大独一无二的软组织表征平台。数十名学员将接受这种设备的专家技术培训，获得生物力学、显微镜、图像分析及其应用方面的跨学科专业知识。

Our interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientists at the University of Toronto is creating novel strategies to create living tissues to replace diseased or damaged tissues. Many of our target tissues serve mechanical or structural functions in the body, including heart valves, blood vessels, heart tissue, cartilage, and skin. These tissues have complex microstructural organization and mechanical properties that are essential for proper function. For engineered tissues to function successfully, they must be structurally and mechanically similar to the native tissues that they aim to replace. We currently do not have access to the tools required for quantitative, accurate mechanical and structural characterization of soft tissues and biomaterials. This has slowed our progress and stifles validation and translation of our discoveries. In this proposal, we request a biaxial mechanical test system and a multi-mode polarizing microscope system to address this urgent need. These complementary tools will establish a platform for soft tissue characterization that is unique in Canada. Dozens of trainees will receive expert technical training on this equipment, gaining interdisciplinary expertise in biomechanics, microscopy, image analysis, and their applications.