New microtesting device at the Institute of Biomaterials
A new microtesting device is now available in our biomaterials laboratory in Ulrich Schalk Strasse. The instrument enables mechanical characterization of small biomaterial samples (specially hydrogels). The device offers a variety of testing setups for parallel plate compression, microindentation (using different sizes of indenters), puncture attached tension, and bend induced tension. The measurement can be followed and evaluated in real-time, using a high-resolution camera system. Different mechanical models can be chosen to quantify the mechanical behaviour and the instrument allows for a reproducible, fast measurement of soft biomaterials. Prof. Boccaccini said: “We are happy to have this new instrument in our laboratory, which will be very useful for the mechanical characterisation of hydrogels we are developing in the framework of our biofabrication related projects, for example in SFB/TRR 225 and EFI project on soft hydrogels”.