Soft tissue elastometer.
We have developed a device entitled the 'Tissue Elastometer' (TE) for evaluating the Young's modulus of soft tissues. Soft tissue specimens are compressed between the object plate of an electronic balance and a linearly actuated indenter with a small rounded tip. The hardware of the device was designed such that a deformation model for semi-infinite media is applicable for calculating the Young's modulus of test specimens from their collected force-displacement data. Force-elongation measurements were performed on long strips of cured silicone mixtures to produce calibrated, tissue-mimicking test samples for the TE in a Young's modulus range of 10-400 kPa. When tested with the TE, the Young's moduli of the silicone samples demonstrated accuracy to within 1-10% of their calibrated values. Testing on excised tissue samples (fresh store-bought poultry breast; bovine liver, kidneys, hind shanks; porcine) was also performed, and a repeatability of elasticity measurements was demonstrated in the range of 8-14%. Results indicate that the TE can be effectively used in laboratory and clinical environments to evaluate the elasticity modulus of tissues.
Egorov
V
V
Artann Laboratories, Trenton, NJ, USA.
Tsyuryupa
S
S
Kanilo
S
S
Kogit
M
M
Sarvazyan
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002417:Cattle; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D011200:Poultry; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D034421:Sus scrofa
D012826:Silicone Elastomers