Brillouin confocal microscopy to determine biomechanical properties of SULEEI-treated bovine pericardium for application in cardiac surgery

Author(s):  
Anett Jannasch ◽  
Jan Rix ◽  
Cindy Welzel ◽  
Gabriele Schackert ◽  
Matthias Kirsch ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Heart valves are exposed to a highly dynamic environment and underlie high tensile and shear forces during opening and closing. Therefore, analysis of mechanical performance of novel heart valve bioprostheses materials, like SULEEI-treated bovine pericardium, is essential and usually carried out by uniaxial tensile tests. Nevertheless, major drawbacks are the unidirectional strain, which does not reflect the in vivo condition and the deformation of the sample material. An alternative approach for measurement of biomechanical properties is offered by Brillouin confocal microscopy (BCM), a novel, non-invasive and three-dimensional method based on the interaction of light with acoustic waves. OBJECTIVE: BCM is a powerful tool to determine viscoelastic tissue properties and is, for the first time, applied to characterize novel biological graft materials, such as SULEEI-treated bovine pericardium. Therefore, the methods has to be validated as a non-invasive alternative to conventional uniaxial tensile tests. METHODS: Vibratome sections of SULEEI-treated bovine pericardium (decellularized, riboflavin/UV-cross-linked and low-energy electron irradiated) as well as native and GA-fixed controls (n = 3) were analyzed by BCM. In addition, uniaxial tensile tests were performed on equivalent tissue samples and Young’s modulus as well as length of toe region were analyzed from stress-strain diagrams. The structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM), especially collagen and elastin, was investigated by multiphoton microscopy (MPM). RESULTS: SULEEI-treated pericardium exhibited a significantly higher Brillouin shift and hence higher tissue stiffness in comparison to native and GA-fixed controls (native: 5.6±0.2 GHz; GA: 5.5±0.1 GHz; SULEEI: 6.3±0.1 GHz; n = 3, p <  0.0001). Similarly, a significantly higher Young’s modulus was detected in SULEEI-treated pericardia in comparison to native tissue (native: 30.0±10.4 MPa; GA: 31.8±10.7 MPa; SULEEI: 42.1±7.0 MPa; n = 3, p = 0.027). Native pericardia showed wavy and non-directional collagen fibers as well as thin, linear elastin fibers generating a loose matrix. The fibers of GA-fixed and SULEEI-treated pericardium were aligned in one direction, whereat the SULEEI-sample exhibited a much denser matrix. CONCLUSION: BCM is an innovative and non-invasive method to analyze elastic properties of novel pericardial graft materials with special mechanical requirements, like heart valve bioprostheses.

2011 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 12-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gherissi ◽  
R.Ben Cheikh ◽  
E. Dévaux ◽  
Fethi Abbassi

In this study, we present the manufacturing process of two new composites materials in the form of long fibers of polylactic-acid (PLA) or polypropylene (PP), reinforced by cellulose whiskers micro-fibers loads. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties of these advanced materials, a several uniaxial tensile tests were carried out. The PP and the PLA have initially been spinning without the addition of cellulose whiskers micro-fibers. In order to study the effects of cellulose whiskers micro-fibers reinforcements in the Mechanical behavior of the PLA and PP filaments, we determinate the proprieties of these advanced material from the tensile results. For the PP composite filaments material case, the whiskers reinforcement increases Young's modulus and failure resistance, but it reduces the limit strength failure. For the PLA composites the addition of 1% wt of cellulose whiskers from the total volume fraction of the material, increase the Young’s modulus more than 50% and a decrease of the failure resistance and the limit strength of composite. The obtained composites fibers are very rigid and brittle. What follows, that the addition of cellulose whiskers micro fibers in PP matrix, provides mechanical properties more convenient compared to the PLA matrix.


2019 ◽  
Vol 804 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jia Qi Zhu ◽  
Qing Sheng Yang ◽  
Xia Liu

Graphene-aluminum (Gr/Al) composite laminated by aluminum (Al) and graphene sheets alternately has excellent mechanical properties thanks to the high strength, high Young’s modulus and the two-dimensional atomic structure of graphene. In this study, the uniaxial tensile properties of Gr/Al nano-laminated composite are studied by molecular dynamics (MD) method. It is found that the thickness of Al layer has a significant effect on the tensile strength and Yang’s modulus of the Gr/Al composite. Composite with a smaller thickness of Al layer shows better properties. Graphene not only block propagation of dislocations, but bear most of the loads, resulting in higher Young's modulus, tensile strength and failure strain of the composites than those of pure Al. The simulation of temperature-effect shows that the Gr/Al composite is difficult to arise plastic deformation at low temperature, which lead to a higher strength and modulus of the composite. In addition, the effect of graphene stacking on the properties of composites is investigated. Through tensile tests at the vertical and parallel interfaces, it is found that graphene stacking may lead to a reduced performance of the composite.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127
Author(s):  
Feng Dai ◽  
Dandan Zhao ◽  
Lin Zhang

The effect of vacancy defects on the structure and mechanical properties of semiconductor silicon materials is of great significance to the development of novel microelectronic materials and the processes of semiconductor sensors. In this paper, molecular dynamics is used to simulate the atomic packing structure, local stress evolution and mechanical properties of a perfect lattice and silicon crystal with a single vacancy defect on heating. In addition, their influences on the change in Young’s modulus are also analyzed. The atomic simulations show that in the lower temperature range, the existence of vacancy defects reduces the Young’s modulus of the silicon lattice. With the increase in temperature, the local stress distribution of the atoms in the lattice changes due to the migration of the vacancy. At high temperatures, the Young’s modulus of the silicon lattice changes in anisotropic patterns. For the lattice with the vacancy, when the temperature is higher than 1500 K, the number and degree of distortion in the lattice increase significantly, the obvious single vacancy and its adjacent atoms contracting inward structure disappears and the defects in the lattice present complex patterns. By applying uniaxial tensile force, it can be found that the temperature has a significant effect on the elasticity–plasticity behaviors of the Si lattice with the vacancy.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee ◽  
Chu ◽  
Lin ◽  
Kung ◽  
Lin ◽  
...  

Frequent earthquakes, monsoon torrential rains and typhoons cause severe landslides and soil erosion in Taiwan. Hibiscus taiwanensis, Macaranga tanarius, and Mallotus paniculatus are major pioneer tree species appearing on landslide-scarred areas. Thus, these species can be used to restore the self-sustaining native vegetation on forest landslides, to control erosion, and to stabilize slope. However, their growth performance, root traits and biomechanical properties have not been well characterized. In this study, root system and root traits were investigated using the excavation method, and biomechanical tests were performed to determine the uprooting resistance, root tensile strength and Young’s modulus of 1-year-old Hibiscus taiwanensis, Macaranga tanarius, and Mallotus paniculatus seedlings. The results reveal that relative to H. taiwanensis, M. tanarius and M. paniculatus seedlings had significantly larger root collar diameter, longer taproot length, higher root biomass, higher root density, higher root length density, heavier root mass, larger external root surface area, higher root tissue density, larger root volume, longer total root length, and a higher root tip number. Additionally, the height of M. paniculatus seedlings was significantly higher than those of H. taiwanensis and M. tanarius. Furthermore, the uprooting resistance and root tensile strength of M. paniculatus seedlings was significantly higher than those of H. taiwanensis and M. tanarius. Young’s modulus of M. paniculatus and M. tanarius seedlings was also significantly higher than that of H. taiwanensis. These growth characteristics and biomechanical properties demonstrate M. paniculatus and M. tanarius are superior than H. taiwanensis, considering growth performance, root anchorage capability, tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Taken as a whole, the rank order for species selection of these pioneer species for reforestation comes as: M. paniculatus M. tanarius H. taiwanensis. These results, along with knowledge on vegetation dynamics following landslides, allow us to better evaluate the effect of selective removal management of pioneer species on the resilience and sustainability of landslides.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Radim Kudělka ◽  
Lukáš Václavek ◽  
Jan Tomáštík ◽  
Sabina Malecová ◽  
Radim Čtvrtlík

Knowledge of mechanical properties of thin films is essential for most of their applications. However, their determination can be problematic for very thin films. LAW (Laser-induced acoustic waves) is a combined acousto-optic method capable of measuring films with thickness from few nanometers. It utilizes ultrasound surface waves which are excited via short laser pulses and detected by a PVDF foil. Properties such as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and density of both the film and the substrate as well as film thickness can be explored.Results from the LAW method are successfully compared with nanoindentation for Young’s modulus evaluation and with optical method for film thickness evaluation and also with literature data. Application of LAW for anisotropy mapping of materials with cubic crystallographic lattice is also demonstrated.


2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan C. Locke ◽  
John M. Peloquin ◽  
Elisabeth A. Lemmon ◽  
Adrianna Szostek ◽  
Dawn M. Elliott ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aimed to experimentally track the tissue-scale strains of the tendon–bone attachment with and without a localized defect. We hypothesized that attachments with a localized defect would develop strain concentrations and would be weaker than intact attachments. Uniaxial tensile tests and digital image correlation were performed on rat infraspinatus tendon-to-bone attachments with defects (defect group) and without defects (intact group). Biomechanical properties were calculated, and tissue-scale strain distributions were quantified for superior and inferior fibrous and calcified regions. At the macroscale, the defect group exhibited reduced stiffness (31.3±3.7 N/mm), reduced ultimate load (24.7±3.8 N), and reduced area under the curve at ultimate stress (3.7±1.5 J/m2) compared to intact attachments (42.4±4.3 N/mm, 39.3±3.7 N, and 5.6±1.4 J/m2, respectively). Transverse strain increased with increasing axial load in the fibrous region of the defect group but did not change for the intact group. Shear strain of the superior fibrous region was significantly higher in the defect group compared to intact group near yield load. This work experimentally identified that attachments may resist failure by distributing strain across the interface and that strain concentrations develop near attachment defects. By establishing the tissue-scale deformation patterns of the attachment, we gained insight into the micromechanical behavior of this interfacial tissue and bolstered our understanding of the deformation mechanisms associated with its ability to resist failure.


2001 ◽  
Vol 702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeyasu Amada

ABSTRACTBamboo is a typical composite material which is axially reinforced by very strong fibers. So that, the fibers play an important role for the bamboo structure. The elastic properties of the bamboo culm have been measured only by tensile test so far, which needs a large specimen. Recently ultra-sonic technique, which has a simple procedure and uses a small specimen, has been applied to woods as well as metals. This report reviews about the elastic properties of bamboo and Hemp palm fibers. The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the bamboo fibers are measured by ultra-sonic method with a transmitting wave. On the other hand, the strength of the bamboo and Hemp palm fibers are measured by the tensile tests. Using the volume fraction of fibers in the specimen and mixture principle, the Young's modulus and strength of the fibers and parenchyma were obtained. The fiber has a high strength up to 1GPa and an strong anisotropic property because its axial Young's modulus has 7 times higher than the one in the transverse direction.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangchen Tao ◽  
Haiqun Yu ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Zhiwei Li ◽  
Vishal Jhanji ◽  
...  

Purpose. To evaluate the role of corneal epithelium in riboflavin/ultraviolet-A (UVA) mediated corneal collagen cross-linking treatment.Methods. Fifty New Zealand rabbits were divided into 5 groups: UVA treatment with or without corneal epithelium, UVA+riboflavin treatment with or without corneal epithelium, and control without any treatment. All rabbits were sacrificed after irradiation and subsequently 4 mm × 10 mm corneal strips were harvested for biomechanical evaluation.Results. UVA irradiation alone did not enhance the maximal stress and Young’s modulus of corneal specimens with (3.15 ± 0.56 mpa, 1.00 ± 0.09 mpa) or without (3.53 ± 0.85 mpa, 0.94 ± 0.21 mpa) the corneal epithelium, compared to specimens in the control group (4.30 ± 0.68 mpa, 1.03 ± 0.24 mpa). However, UVA irradiation combined with riboflavin significantly increased the maximal stress and Young’s modulus of corneal specimens with (5.27 ± 1.09 mpa, 1.23 ± 0.23 mpa,P<0.05) or without (7.16 ± 1.88 mpa, 1.42 ± 0.16 mpa,P<0.05) corneal epithelium when compared to the control group. The maximal stress and Young’s modulus of cornea in UVA+riboflavin and “epithelium-off” group were 35.9% and 15.4% higher compared to the UVA+riboflavin and “epithelium-on” group, respectively (P<0.05).Conclusions. Our study shows that UVA+riboflavin treatment significantly affects the biomechanical properties of the cornea with and without epithelial removal. However, corneas without epithelium seem to benefit more compared to corneas with the epithelium.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Zhang ◽  
Zhiwei Li ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Xuguang Han ◽  
Xiaomin Zhao ◽  
...  

Purpose. To compare the biomechanical properties of porcine, rabbit, and human sclera before and after riboflavin/ultraviolet-A (UVA) collagen cross-linking (CXL).Methods. Eight rabbits, 8 porcine eyeballs, and 8 human eyeballs were included. One rabbit eye and half of each bisected human and porcine eyeball were treated with riboflavin/UVA CXL. Untreated fellow rabbit eyes and eyeball halves served as controls. A 10 mm × 20 mm scleral band was harvested from each specimen. From this band, two 3.5 mm × 15.0 mm strips were prepared for biomechanical testing. The biomechanical parameters were ultimate stress, stress and Young’s modulus.Results. Values of stress, and Young’s modulus showed that human sclera was 4 times stiffer than porcine sclera and 3 times stiffer than rabbit sclera. In rabbit sclera, both the stress and Young’s modulus were significantly increased by CXL (P<0.05). In porcine sclera, only the ultimate stress was significantly increased by CXL (P<0.05). The biomechanical properties of human sclera were not statistically affected by CXL (P>0.05).Conclusions. Human sclera has higher biomechanical stiffness than porcine and rabbit sclera. With the same irradiation dose, riboflavin/UVA CXL increases the biomechanical stiffness of rabbit sclera but not porcine or human sclera.


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