Abstract
To mimic in vivo vibration of vocal fold cells, we studied the controllability and range of frequency, acceleration, duration, and shear stress in a new bioreactor attachment. The custom multiwell disc appliance fits into a commercially built rheometer, together termed a torsional rheometer bioreactor (TRB). Previous attachments to the TRB were capable of 50–100 Hz vibrations at relatively high strains but were limited to single-sample experiments. The TRB-multiwell disc system accommodates 20 samples in partially fluid-filled wells in an aseptic environment delivering three different acceleration conditions to different samples simultaneously. Frequency and amplitude used to calculate acceleration along with duration and shear stress were controllable and quantifiable using a combination of built-in rheometer sensors, manufacturer software, and smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations. Computed shear stresses at the well bottom using SPH in two and three dimensions were verified with analytical approximations. Results demonstrate capabilities of the TRB-multiwell disc system that, when combined with computational modeling, provide quantifiable vibration parameters covering frequencies 0.01–250 Hz, accelerations of 0.02–300 m/s2, and shear stresses of 0.01–1.4 Pa. It is well-suited for studying cell function underlying vocal fold lamina propria homeostasis, inflammation, and wound healing under differential vibration conditions.
Highlights
When speaking or singing, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells of the vocal fold lamina propria experience forces from oscillation and collision [1,2]
torsional rheometer bioreactor (TRB)-multiwell system vibration is achieved by securing the multiwell assembly to a torsional rheometer (Malvern Instruments), lowering it onto a three-dimensional recoil material (Figure 1)
Smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) results showed that shear stresses reached steady state after a single vibration cycle (Figure 5)
Summary
Klemuk 1,*, Sarah Vigmostad 2,†, Kalyan Endapally 2,†, Andrew P. National Center for Voice and Speech, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Received: 13 September 2013; in revised form: 25 November 2013 / Accepted: 20 December 2013 /
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