Development of Micro Tensile Tester to Analyze Senscent Musscle Tissue

Abstract

To understand the mechanical behavior of sarcopenia and their response to external stimuli at the micro-scale, the development of a testing system specifically tailored for this purpose is required. MEMS fabrication techniques which include photolithography, reactive ion etching (RIE) and wet etching are employed to fabricate custom-designed silicon specimens for the culturing of freestanding skeletal muscle cells. Skeletal muscle cells are exposed to advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) to make acquired senescence. The specimens are loaded onto the micro tensile tester, and the mechanical response of the muscle cells towards tensile deformation is evaluated. Mechanical characterization of the muscle cells will be beneficial towards a better understanding of the muscle cell behaviors and simulation of a 3D skeletal muscle model to predict its performance of contraction.