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Real-Time Measurements of Calcium and Contractility Parameters in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes
Published on: May 26, 2023
In Situ Label-Free Quantification of Cardiomyocyte Contraction via Holographic Microplatform
Xinyi Dong1, Anping Wu1,2, Yaozhen Hou1,3
1Intelligent Robotics Institute, School of Mechatronics Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing100081, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|July 16, 2026
Summary
We developed a label-free, contactless method using digital holographic microscopy to quantify cardiomyocyte contractility in cardiac models. This technique enables precise, in situ monitoring and analysis of cardiac tissue function.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Optical Physics
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Accurate quantification of cardiomyocyte contractility is crucial for in vitro cardiac models.
- Current methods often require staining or mechanical contact, limiting longitudinal and intratissue analyses.
- Optical techniques offer potential for noninvasive assessment but require advanced methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel label-free, contactless framework for quantifying cardiomyocyte contractility in situ.
- To utilize off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM) for real-time contractility assessment.
- To establish a practical paradigm for high-precision, longitudinal evaluation of cardiac tissues.
Main Methods:
- Employed an off-axis DHM microplatform for real-time optical path difference (OPD) reconstruction.
- Extracted spatiotemporal waveforms (OPD, optical-flow, intensity) to analyze contractile dynamics.
- Validated results against immunofluorescence and demonstrated sequential pharmacological modulation and electrical pacing studies.
Main Results:
- Successfully quantified axial, directional, and direction-agnostic contractile dynamics using extracted waveforms.
- Demonstrated substrate-dependent enhancement of directional contractility on specific gelatin patterns.
- Identified optimal electrical pacing parameters (7 V, 1.5 Hz) for maximum work proxy.
Conclusions:
- The developed DHM framework provides a label-free, in situ method for contractility quantification in cardiac tissues.
- This approach enables comparative analysis under controlled perturbations and supports scalable drug screening.
- The study establishes a foundation for label-free functional phenotyping in cardiac tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
