Three-dimensional electronic scaffold for cardiac applications
Disclosed here is a three-dimensional electronic scaffold, comprising a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold, wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to detect contraction force. Also disclosed is a method comprising detecting and mapping intra-tissue cardiac contraction force of one or more cardiac cells or tissues disposed in a three-dimensional electronic scaffold, wherein the three-dimensional electronic scaffold comprises a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold and in contact with the cardiac cells or tissues, and wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to detect contraction force of the cardiac cells or tissues.
1. A three-dimensional electronic scaffold, comprising a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold, wherein the micro-strain gauges comprise a conductive silicone composite and are adapted to detect cardiac contraction force by detecting resistance change of each micro-strain gauge caused by the cardiac contraction force.
2. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the porous scaffold comprises silicone.
3. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the porous scaffold has a Young's modulus of about 10 kPa to about 15 kPa.
4. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the micro-strain gauges comprise a conductive silicone composite loaded with carbon nanofiber.
5. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the micro-strain gauges comprise a conductive silicone composite loaded with at least about 1.5 wt. % of carbon nanofiber.
6. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to endure a strain of at least about 5%.
7. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to detect deformation in all directions.
8. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to map intra-tissue cardiac contraction force.
9. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , further comprising one or more microelectrodes adapted for detecting cardiac electrophysiology.
10. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , further comprising cardiomyocytes, cardiac stem cells and/or cardiac progenitor cells disposed inside the porous scaffold and in contact with the micro-strain gauges.
11. The three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 , further comprising a beating cardiac tissue disposed inside the porous scaffold and in contact with the micro-strain gauges.
12. A method for culturing a cardiac tissue, comprising seeding one or more cardiac cells into the three-dimensional electronic scaffold of claim 1 .
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cardiac cells comprise cardiac stem cells and/or cardiac progenitor cells.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising differentiating the cardiac stem cells and/or cardiac progenitor cells into cardiomyocytes.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising differentiating the cardiac stem cells and/or cardiac progenitor cells into a beating cardiac tissue.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising stimulating the cardiac cells with a drug compound.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting contraction force of the cardiac cells by the micro-strain gauges.
18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting cardiac electrophysiology of the cardiac cells by one or more microelectrodes.
19. A method comprising detecting and mapping intra-tissue cardiac contraction force of one or more cardiac cells or tissues disposed in a three-dimensional electronic scaffold, wherein the three-dimensional electronic scaffold comprises a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold and in contact with the cardiac cells or tissues, and wherein the micro-strain gauges comprise a conductive silicone composite and are adapted to detect contraction force of the cardiac cells or tissues.