STRETCH Lab

Customer Application

The STRETCH lab uses a custom biaxial tensile testing apparatus made using Zaber T-NA Linear Actuators to investigate the mechanical properties of female pelvic tissues, including the vagina and the supportive structures of this organ. The digital image correlation method is used to perform high accuracy strain measurements while the specimens are being pulled along two axes. By combining these testing methods and state-of-the-art computational tools, the STRETCH Lab characterizes the mechanics of these understudied pelvic organs and their supportive structures.

Custom-built biaxial tensile machine consisting of four linear Zaber actuators, two load cells, four 3-D printed clamps, and a tissue bath developed for testing pelvic organs and tissues from small animals such as mice and rats.	Example of normal Lagrangian strain maps computed along the longitudinal direction (LD) and the circumferential direction (CD) of a rat vaginal specimen during a chemically-induced isometric contraction. .

About the STRETCH Lab

Research in the STRETCH Lab focuses on characterizing the mechanical properties of biological systems ranging from cellular components to tissues, with special emphasis on the development of mathematical models and experimental methods. By advancing fundamental and mechanistic knowledge of biological systems, effective interventions for preventing and treating illness and disability can be developed.

Visit the STRETCH Lab at https://www.vtstretchlab.com/