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

该RTI提案旨在通过一种新型定制高精度体内组织测试（HITT）系统，在生物组织的机械特性方面实现范式转变，该系统可部署到床边以测试活生物组织。 西蒙弗雷泽大学的组织表征设施支持多个研究项目，其材料测试设备能力从单细胞到整个骨骼。然而，生物组织测试中的一个关键缺失环节是准确测试体内活组织的能力。所提出的HITT系统将高精度定位平台与自动化工具跟踪相集成，以在用户在三维空间中指示的位置移动冲击器系统。该系统可移动到床边，并将精密机械致动器悬挂在受试者上方，以表征组织对负载的反应。一个可以进入手术室的可部署系统首次使许多组织的精确力学表征成为可能。能够测试体内的活组织，而不是测试孤立的材料样本，将为了解底层支撑结构、连接组织和体液对组织行为的影响提供重要的新见解。当采集样品进行测试时，这些效应将消失。该便携式系统可以跨校园部署到合作研究者的实验室以及当地，区域和国家合作机构，诊所和动物护理中心，以便在可用时访问活组织，以最大限度地利用该系统。 拟议的设备是至关重要的推进卡罗琳Sparrey博士的研究计划量化脊髓损伤力学和映射患者的具体反应的伤害。该设备将得到充分利用，并将支持共同申请人的研究计划，量化福尔斯中软组织吸收的能量（Robinovitch博士），上肢外骨骼和机器人矫形器的开发（Menon博士），以及癌症对组织力学的影响（Park博士）。这种可部署的HITT系统将改善访问和扩大我们的能力，培养学生的实验研究。对人体活组织的准确表征为理解损伤力学、开发损伤预防设备以及设计与人体集成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.