Novel magnetic indenter for rheological analysis of thin biological sheet for regenerative medicine.

A novel method is proposed for analyzing the mechanical properties of a thin sheet of cells or extracellular matrix cultured for regenerative medicine. A steel sphere is mounted onto the center of the sheet sample, placed over a circular aperture, and a loading force is exerted via an electromagnet with well-regulated current while the displacement of the sample center is optically detected. Details of the instrument and its performance are described.