A new device for dynamic ventilation-analogue mechanostimulation of pliant tissue layers

The experimental mechanostimulation of biological cell and tissue test samples has become a standard method in biomechanics research. In order to apply a static or a dynamic mechanical load on biological tissue a variety of different devices for the mechanostimulation have been developed. While cyclic load applications are typically restricted to sinusoidal or rectangular stimulation patterns, a device for more complex dynamic stimulation patterns which would simulate, for instance, the dynamics during mechanical ventilation does not exist. The dynamic alveolar recruitment/derecruitment has been identified as one of the main causes of ventilator-induced lung injury. Therefore, there is a demand for an experimental ventilation-analogue mechanostimulation of the pulmonary cells and tissue. Here, we present our mechanostimulator combined with a new driving system which is able to produce the ventilation-analogue patterns of a dynamic mechanostimulation. In an experimental setting where the test samples were simulated by silicone-membranes in single-, double- and fourfold membrane configuration, we varied the stimulation amplitude from 5% to 60% surface increase and stimulation frequencies ranging from 15/min to 2000/min. Furthermore, the frequency components of mechanical load applied to the sample at sinusoidal, rectangular and ventilation- analogue mechanostimulations were analyzed by means of a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The system allows for a homogeneous mechanostimulation with various temporal profiles which may include frequency components of up to 20 Hz. The relative amount of mechanical load applied to the sample at the main stimulation frequency was 76% during sinusoidal stimulation, 35% during the rectangular stimulation, and 29% to 42% during ventilation analogue stimulation.