Engineering Commons^™

Novel Device To Quantify The Mechanical Properties Of Electrospun Nanofibers, Timothy John Fee

All ETDs from UAB

Electrospun biomaterials are gaining popularity as scaffolding for engineered tissues. These fibrous scaffolds of natural or synthetic polymers can mimic the nano-scale properties of the natural extra-cellular matrix. It is becoming clear that the mechanical deformation of any electrospun matrix plays an important role in cell signaling. However, electrospun biomaterials have inherently complex geometries due to the random deposition of fibers during the electrospinning process. This complex fiber geometry complicates any attempt at quantifying forces exerted on adherent cells during electrospun matrix deformation. In order to quantify the mechanical properties of arrays of individual electrospun fibers in physiological conditions, a …