Automated measurement system for mechanical characterization of soft tissues and phantoms

Determining the mechanical properties of biological tissues is of noticeable relevance for research in biomedical engineering and biomechanics. A correct measurement of these properties could be quite useful for many purposes, for example, differentiating healthy tissue from tumor tissue. This paper presents our efforts to develop a device for measuring the mechanical properties of soft materials and biological tissues using spherical-tip indentation tests. The device is fully automated for programmable sequences of measurements. It is intended to use the device primarily for the characterization of tissue phantoms to validate their preparation. A series of nine gelatin phantoms with different concentrations of gel and a series of five plastic phantoms with different hardness were prepared and measured with our device to obtain their mechanical properties.