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Tapered Pillar Design for High-Precision Force Readout in Miniaturized Engineered Heart Tissues From Human
Milica Dostanić1, Maury Wiendels1, Laura M Windt1
1Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZC, The Netherlands.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|August 30, 2025
Summary
Novel tapered pillars enhance engineered heart tissue (EHT) devices for more accurate myocyte contraction force measurements. This innovation reduces variability and improves sensitivity in drug response and disease modeling using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac cells.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular Research
- Stem Cell Technology
Background:
- Engineered heart tissues (EHTs) using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) model cardiac physiology and drug responses.
- Variability in tissue positioning on flexible pillars causes inconsistent contractile force measurements in EHTs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce novel tapered pillars for spatial confinement of tissues in EHT devices.
- To improve the accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility of contractile force measurements in EHTs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of EHT devices using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molded into micromachined tapered silicon cavities.
- Investigation of tapered pillar design and stiffness for optimal mechanical environments and long-term EHT culture.
- Quantification of tissue confinement efficiency and correlation with pillar geometry and stiffness.
Main Results:
- Tapered pillars achieved over 90% confinement efficiency, significantly outperforming straight pillars (30%).
- Tissue confinement was primarily dependent on pillar geometry, not stiffness.
- Optimized tapered pillars enhanced precision in force readouts and enabled sensitive detection of drug/disease effects.
Conclusions:
- Tapered pillars effectively confine tissues in EHT devices, reducing variability and improving measurement accuracy.
- This technology enhances the utility of hiPSC-derived EHTs for in vitro cardiac research and drug screening.
- Optimized EHT devices with tapered pillars offer a more sensitive platform for studying cardiac contractility.
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