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Quantifying fluid shear stress in a rocking culture dish
Xiaozhou Zhou1, Dawei Liu, Lidan You
1Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, 126 Spencer Laboratory, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
Journal of Biomechanics
|February 27, 2010
Summary
A novel rocking "see-saw" system provides controlled fluid shear stress (FSS) for cell cultures. This method offers advantages over traditional systems, enabling dynamic FSS with manageable spatial variations for research applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Fluid shear stress (FSS) is a critical factor influencing cellular functions.
- Existing FSS systems (parallel-plate, cone-and-plate) have limitations.
- Rocking systems offer potential advantages like ease of use and high throughput but lack quantified FSS patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the fluid shear stress (FSS) spatiotemporal pattern in a rocking rectangular culture dish.
- To identify key parameters controlling FSS distribution and behavior.
- To establish optimal conditions for achieving temporally oscillating and spatially uniform FSS.
Main Methods:
- Development of a lubrication-based model to analyze FSS in a rocking rectangular dish.
- Identification of the critical flip angle as a key parameter governing FSS.
- Simulation of FSS magnitude based on fluid viscosity, rocking angle, depth-to-length ratio, and rocking period.
Main Results:
- The critical flip angle determines whether the dish bottom remains covered by medium.
- Spatial variations in peak FSS are limited (e.g., 17% within the central 50% of the dish).
- Calculated FSS magnitude for a standard dish rocked at 5 degrees/1 Hz is approximately 0.9 dyn/cm².
Conclusions:
- The rocking 'see-saw' system can generate dynamic FSS with controlled spatial uniformity.
- Optimal rocking parameters (e.g., angle < critical flip angle) ensure consistent medium coverage.
- This system presents a viable alternative for applying low-magnitude, dynamic FSS to cell cultures.
