Real-time and non-invasive measurements of cell mechanical behaviour with optical coherence phase microscopy.

Cell mechanical behaviour is increasingly recognised as a central biophysical parameter in cancer and stem cell research, and methods of investigating their mechanical behaviour are therefore needed. We have developed a novel qualitative method based on quantitative phase imaging which is capable of investigating cell mechanical behaviour in real-time at cellular resolution using optical coherence phase microscopy (OCPM), and stimulating the cells non-invasively using hydrostatic pressure. The method was exemplified to distinguish between cells with distinct mechanical properties, and transient change induced by Cytochalasin D. We showed the potential of quantitative phase imaging to detect nanoscale intracellular displacement induced by varying hydrostatic pressure in microfluidic channels, reflecting cell mechanical behaviour. Further physical modelling is required to yield quantitative mechanical properties.

Post-processing of polymer foam tissue scaffolds with high power ultrasound: a route to increased pore interconnectivity, pore size and fluid transport.

The aim of this work is to demonstrate that the structural and fluidic properties of polymer foam tissue scaffolds, post-fabrication but prior to the introduction of cells, can be engineered via exposure to high power ultrasound. Our analysis is supported by measurements of fluid uptake during insonification and imaging of the scaffold microstructure via X-ray computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy and acoustic microscopy. The ultrasonic treatment is performed with a frequency of 30 kHz, average intensities up to 80,000 Wm(-2) and exposure times up to 20 h. The treatment is found to increase the mean pore size by over 10%. More striking is the improvement in fluid uptake: for scaffolds with only 40% water uptake via standard immersion techniques, we can routinely achieve full saturation of the scaffold over approximately one hour of exposure. These desirable modifications occur with negligible loss of scaffold integrity and mass, and are optimized when the ultrasound treatment is coupled to a pre-wetting stage with ethanol. Our findings suggest that high power ultrasound is highly targeted towards flow obstructions in the scaffold architecture, thereby providing an efficient means to promote pore interconnectivity and fluid transport in thick foam tissue scaffolds.

Analysis of sintered polymer scaffolds using concomitant synchrotron computed tomography and in situ mechanical testing.

The mechanical behaviour of polymer scaffolds plays a vital role in their successful use in bone tissue engineering. The present study utilised novel sintered polymer scaffolds prepared using temperature-sensitive poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) particles. The microstructure of these scaffolds was monitored under compressive strain by image-guided failure assessment (IGFA), which combined synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SR CT) and in situ micro-compression. Three-dimensional CT data sets of scaffolds subjected to a strain rate of 0.01%/s illustrated particle movement within the scaffolds with no deformation or cracking. When compressed using a higher strain rate of 0.02%/s particle movement was more pronounced and cracks between sintered particles were observed. The results from this study demonstrate that IGFA based on simultaneous SR CT imaging and micro-compression testing is a useful tool for assessing structural and mechanical scaffold properties, leading to further insight into structure-function relationships in scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.