Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
PZT
(XYZ motion
control)
Laser light source
Photo
detecting sensor
Cantilever beam
Sharp tip
Bone cell
(a)
Rigid substrate
Highly focused laser beam
(optical tweezers)
Attached
microbead
Bone cell
before stretching
(b)
Translational
stage
Force
transducer
arm
Indenter with
a sharp tip
Bone cell
Petri dish with media
Microscope stage
Microscope stage
Visualization position
(c)
Figure 7.2
Advanced instruments for applying force on
single cells: (a) AFM; (b) optical tweezers; and (c) nanoin-
dentation.
7.2.3
Mechanotransduction
Mechanotransduction is to study the mechanisms involved in the translation
of mechanical stimulus into biochemical activity when biological cells are
subjected to mechanical forces. More specifically, bone cell under mechanical
forces will normally induce complex biochemical/biophysical cascades. These
