Rheometer: Discovery Hybrid 20 Rheometer – TA Instruments

For characterizing bulk viscoelastic properties, e.g. of hydrogels and tissues

Equipped with UV unit for photoswitching of samples

Interfacial Rheology: Double Wall Ring

Tensile test device: 2.5kN Zwicki – Zwick&Roell

Tensile testing of materials

Special setup for compression test

Equipped with 3 load cells for soft materials (5N, 100N, 500N)

Nanoindenter: Pavone – Optics11Life

Spatially and mechanically highly precise indentor system based on precalibrated cantilevers: cell stiffness, viscoelasticity, adhesion, contraction, mechanosensing in near-physiological conditions

Equipped with a fluorescence imaging module to improve usage of the system with biological systems

To come: environmental module

3D-Modelling: Inventor- Autodesk

Results: files (part, assembly or drawing) as ipt, step, iges, stl and pdf

Possibility to work on Solidworks

Further Instruments

Bareiss DigiTest II

• Hardness tester for soft tissue and polymers according to shore, IRHD and VLRH. Used for characterizing connective tissue, such as cartilage, soft, and synthetic materials. The setup includes a test stand, a receiving arm with the measuring device for forces up to 20 N, and the electronic measurement and recording unit. The samples are placed on a metal sample holder with a milled edge.

Home-built Indentation System

• Calibrated indentation system with a mm-sized indenter sphere, suitable for the mechanical characterization of bulk materials.

Cryo-ball mill

The ball mill will be applied for preparation of soft, hard and cryogenic samples for chemical extraction, radical measurement or electron microscopy. The milling cups of metal, ceramic or agate can be used for instance for breaking down hard tissue or polymer samples, and further milling to powder in micrometer size.

Cryotome

For cutting specimens (0.5 μm-500 μm) (such as tissue, organoids or hydrogels) prior to histological and optical characterization.

Tissue Slicer

For cutting alive tissue and hydrogel samples (150 μm) prior to mechanical and optical characterization.