An Instrument for High-throughput Testing of Heart Tissue In Vitro

Cardiac trabeculae are small samples of heart muscle tissue that can be dissected and studied in vitro to better understand the underlying physiology of cardiac muscle. However, instruments for such experimentation often (1) involve delicate mounting of the muscle, (2) constrain investigations to one muscle at a time and, thus, (3) cannot retain the muscle in the same experimental configuration for post-experimental assessment including imaging analysis. Here, we present a novel device that allows trabeculae to be secured by a visible-light photo-initiated hydrogel, manipulated via a force sensor, and stimulated while being imaged. We use our robust, accurate image registration techniques to measure cantilever and gel deformation during trabecula contraction and thereby provide a measure of trabecula force production during twitches. A variety of experiments can then be conducted, with the potential for the trabecula to be fixed in place using hydrogel for further post-experiment analysis, as well as longitudinal evaluation. The device has multiple wells making it amenable to high-throughput testing.