Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) and Low Load Mechanical Tester (LLMT)

 

In this lecture two different techniques will be explained. QCM is a very sensitive balance which can accurately measure attached mass on a surface both in dry and wet conditions (having a mass sensitivity of 18 pg/mm2). Under wet conditions adsorption of polymers such as proteins on surfaces is a very relevant phenomenon with regard to biomaterials placed inside the human body. QCM not only measures the adsorbed mass but also tells us about the mechanical properties of the adhered mass which is connected to the polymer configuration and arrangement. During the lecture, applications regarding polymer and cellular adhesion will be discussed. LLMT is a self-assembled mechanical tester capable of performing tension, compression and shear tests on samples of biological interest, e.g. tissue, tissue replacement polymers such as artificial eye lenses, artificial skin, bio-films etc. Since most of the biological material is visco-elastic in nature, specialized tests like stress relaxation and creep tests can be performed. Models can then be fitted to the measured data to evaluate the visco-elastic parameters. Examples will be given using bio-film and lenses.

 

Study load

0.25 ECTS credit point

 

Calendar

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Registration

P.K. (Prashant) Sharma, PhD (p.k.sharma@med.umcg.nl)

Department of Biomedical Engineering, W.J. Kolff Institute

Phone: +31 50 363 3160

 

Coordinator
P.K. (Prashant) Sharma, PhD

Department of Biomedical Engineering, W.J. Kolff Institute

 

Additional information

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