title: Introducing the scanning air puff tonometer for biological studies.
abstract: It is getting increasingly evident that physical properties such as elastoviscoplastic properties of living materials are quite important for the process of tissue development, including regulation of genetic pathways. Measuring such properties in vivo is a complicated and challenging task. In this paper, we present an instrument, a scanning air puff tonometer, which is able to map point by point the viscoelastic properties of flat or gently curved soft materials. This instrument is an improved version of the air puff tonometer used by optometrists, with important modifications. The instrument allows one to obtain a direct insight into gradients of material properties in vivo. The instrument capabilities are demonstrated on substances with known elastoviscoplastic properties and several biological objects. On the basis of the results obtained, the role of the gradients of elastoviscoplastic properties is outlined for the process of angiogenesis, limb development, bacterial colonies expansion, etc. which is important for bridging the gaps in the theory of the tissue development and highlighting new possibilities for tissue engineering, based on a clarification of the role of physical features in developing biological material.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Université Paris-Diderot, CNRS, Bâtiment Condorcet, 10 Rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75013 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fleury
authors.forename: Alia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Kilani
authors.forename: Olena P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Boryskina
authors.forename: Annemiek J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: Thi-Hanh
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unbekandt
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baffet
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: le Noble
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sire
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahaye
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burgaud
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D001695:Biology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004548:Elasticity; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D018878:Limb Buds / Q000502:physiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000502:physiology; D013499:Surface Properties; D014680:Veins / Q000502:physiology; D014783:Viscosity