[Establishment and application of mechanical strain loading system of multi-channel cells]

Based on single-chip microcomputer, we have established a mechanical strain loading system with multi-channel to study the biological behavior of cultured cells in vitro under mechanical strain. We developed a multi-channel cell strain loading device controlled by single-chip microcomputer. We controlled the vacuum pump with vacuum chamber to make negative pressure changing periodically in the vacuum chamber. The tested cells were seeded on the surface of an elastic membrane mounted on the vacuum chamber, and could be strained or relaxed by cyclic pressure. Since the cells are attached to the surface of the membrane, they presumably experience the same deformation as that was applied to the membrane. The system was easy to carry and to operate, with deformation rate (1%-21%) and frequency (0-0. 5Hz) which could be adjusted correctly according to experimental requirement, and could compare different deformation rate of three channels at the same time. The system ran stably and completely achieved design aims, and provided a method to study the biological behavior of cultured cells attached to the surface of the elastic membrane under mechanical strain in vitro.