A computerized experimental set-up for in vitro evaluation of smooth muscle contractility

A fully automated system is designed and developed for the investigation of in vitro contractility of muscle tissue in response to dose-dependent pharmacologic and/or electrical stimulation. The heart of the set-up is a personal technical computer. It drives the experiment by selecting and changing drug concentrations, by applying electrical stimulation, by sampling the tissue's contractile response and by real-time calculation of results. Parameters of interest are derived and updated for further selection and statistical manipulation. Alpha-numerical or graphical hardcopies may be drawn at any time. Investigator's intervention is limited to preparing perfusing solutions, mounting the muscle tissue strips, deciding test condition parameters, supervising the experimental progress and leading statistical calculations.