An apparatus for creep indentation of individual adherent cells was designed, developed, and experimentally validated. The creep cytoindentation apparatus (CCA) can perform stress-controlled experiments and measure the corresponding deformation of single anchorage-dependent cells. The apparatus can resolve forces on the order of 1 nN and cellular deformations on the order of 0.1 μm. Experiments were conducted on bovine articular chondrocytes using loads on the order of 10 nN. The experimentally observed viscoelastic behavior of these cells was modeled using the punch problem and standard linear solid. The punch problem yielded a Young’s modulus of 1.11±0.48 kPa. The standard linear solid model yielded an instantaneous elastic modulus of 8.00±4.41 kPa, a relaxed modulus of 1.09±0.54 kPa, an apparent viscosity of 1.50±0.92 kPa-s, and a time constant of 1.32±0.65 s. To our knowledge, this is the first time that stress-controlled indentation testing has been applied at the single cell level. This methodology represents a new tool in understanding the mechanical nature of anchorage-dependent cells and mechanotransductional pathways.
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June 2003
Technical Papers
Creep Indentation of Single Cells
Eugene J. Koay,
Eugene J. Koay
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
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Adrian C. Shieh,
Adrian C. Shieh
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
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Kyriacos A. Athanasiou
Kyriacos A. Athanasiou
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
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Eugene J. Koay
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
Adrian C. Shieh
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
Kyriacos A. Athanasiou
Rice University, Department of Bioengineering, Houston, TX 77005
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Bioengineering Division March 14, 2002; revised manuscript received December 18, 2002. Associate Editor: C. Dong.
J Biomech Eng. Jun 2003, 125(3): 334-341 (8 pages)
Published Online: June 10, 2003
Article history
Received:
March 14, 2002
Revised:
December 18, 2002
Online:
June 10, 2003
Citation
Koay, E. J., Shieh , A. C., and Athanasiou, K. A. (June 10, 2003). "Creep Indentation of Single Cells ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. June 2003; 125(3): 334–341. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1572517
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