Simultaneous assessment of radial and axial myocyte mechanics by combining atomic force microscopy and carbon fibre techniques.

Cardiomyocytes sense and shape their mechanical environment, contributing to its dynamics by their passive and active mechanical properties. While axial forces generated by contracting cardiomyocytes have been amply investigated, the corresponding radial mechanics remain poorly characterized. Our aim is to simultaneously monitor passive and active forces, both axially and radially, in cardiomyocytes freshly isolated from adult mouse ventricles.

An ECG simulator with a novel ECG profile for physiological signals.

This work introduces a low-cost open-source electrocardiography (ECG) simulator comprising both MATLAB software for signal generation and a dedicated circuit board for signal output via a commercial sound card. Synthetic, rate-dependent ECG simulation is based on third-order polynomials that are calculated in sections for the main waves and spikes, respectively. Besides the heart rate, the output profile is fully adjustable with respect to Einthoven lead signals I-III, the amplitudes of the individual ECG waves and spikes, as well as the constitution and intensity of common distortions.

A novel measurement strategy to evaluate the human head as a transition medium for inductive ear-to-ear communication.

This manuscript introduces a novel concept for measuring coil coupling for extremely loose-coupled coils (coupling factors k<10-6; mutual inductance values M<10-10 H). Such a coupling is found everywhere where the ratio of solenoid diameter to coil spacing is >50. Measuring these quantities with a low-power technology requires a sophisticated setup that goes beyond the sensitivity of state-of-the art approaches.

A Bioreactor to Apply Multimodal Physical Stimuli to Cultured Cells.

Cells residing in the cardiac niche are constantly experiencing physical stimuli, including electrical pulses and cyclic mechanical stretch. These physical signals are known to influence a variety of cell functions, including the secretion of growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins by cardiac fibroblasts, calcium handling and contractility in cardiomyocytes, or stretch-activated ion channels in muscle and non-muscle cells of the cardiovascular system. Recent progress in cardiac tissue engineering suggests that controlled physical stimulation can lead to functional improvements in multicellular cardiac tissue constructs.