skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: A needle-form 3-omega sensor for thermal characterization of cryopreserved biological tissues
Abstract Thermal properties of cryopreserved tissues are critically important to the biopreservation community, which continues to seek more effective ways to store biological samples for improved outcomes in organ transplants as well as to facilitate the preservation of a record of biodiversity. Here, we present a reusable thermal needle-type 3-omega method designed for in situ characterization of such tissues, as well as other soft materials. The 3-omega method is a classic thermal materials characterization technique, which has been integrated into a modified microfabricated neural probe. This enables the measurement to be robust to environmental and experimental factors in cryopreservation. We demonstrate the viability of such a sensor to measure thermal conductivity for amorphous and crystalline solid samples of biological tissues, as demonstrated on 3mm thick chicken liver. These measurements can also be used for differentiation of solid samples, which is of particular interest for studies involving the kinetic limits of amorphous solidification (vitrification). In this, we demonstrate the value of a packaged thermal sensor to advancing the thermal understanding of cryopreserved biological systems and other solid-liquid phase change systems.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1941543
PAR ID:
10636393
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
IOP Publishing
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Volume:
2766
Issue:
1
ISSN:
1742-6588
Page Range / eLocation ID:
012190
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract The severe mismatch between solid bioelectronics and dynamic biological tissues has posed enduring challenges in the biomonitoring community. Here, we developed a reconfigurable liquid cardiac sensor capable of adapting to dynamic biological tissues, facilitating ambulatory cardiac monitoring unhindered by motion artifacts or interference from other biological activities. We employed an ultrahigh-resolution 3D scanning technique to capture tomographic images of the skin on the wrist. Then, we established a theoretical model to gain a deep understanding of the intricate interaction between our reconfigurable sensor and dynamic biological tissues. To properly elucidate the advantages of this sensor, we conducted cardiac monitoring alongside benchmarks such as the electrocardiogram. The liquid cardiac sensor was demonstrated to produce stable signals of high quality (23.1 dB) in ambulatory settings. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract The ability to miniaturize ion‐selective sensors that enable microsensor arrays and wearable sensor patches for ion detection in environmental or biological samples requires all‐solid‐state sensors with solid contacts for transduction of an ion activity into an electrical signal. Nanostructured carbon materials function as effective solid contacts for this purpose. They can also contribute to improved potential signal stability, reducing the need for frequent sensor calibration. In this Perspective, the structural features of various carbon‐based solid contacts described in the literature and their respective abilities to reduce potential drift during long‐term, continuous measurements are compared. These carbon materials include nanoporous carbons with various architectures, carbon nanotubes, carbon black, graphene, and graphite‐based solid contacts. The effects of accessibility of ionophores, ionic sites, and other components of an ion‐selective membrane to the internal or external carbon surfaces are discussed, because this impacts double‐layer capacitance and potential drift. The effects of carbon composition on water‐layer formation are also considered, which is another contributor to potential drift during long‐term measurements. Recommendations regarding the selection of solid contacts and considerations for their characterization and testing in solid‐contact ion‐selective electrodes are provided. 
    more » « less
  3. Label-free vibrational imaging of biological samples has attracted significant interest due to its integration of structural and chemical information. Vibrational infrared photothermal amplitude and phase signal (VIPPS) imaging provide label-free chemical identification by targeting the characteristic resonances of biological compounds that are present in the mid-infrared fingerprint region (3 µm - 12 µm). High contrast imaging of subcellular features and chemical identification of protein secondary structures in unlabeled and labeled fibroblast cells embedded in a collagen-rich extracellular matrix is demonstrated by combining contrast from absorption signatures (amplitude signals) with sensitive detection of different heat properties (lock-in phase signals). We present that the detectability of nano-sized cell membranes is enhanced to well below the optical diffraction limit since the membranes are found to act as thermal barriers. VIPPS offers a novel combination of chemical imaging and thermal diffusion characterization that paves the way towards label-free imaging of cell models and tissues as well as the study of intracellular heat dynamics. 
    more » « less
  4. Experimental techniques, such as cryo-electron microscopy, require biological samples to be recovered at cryogenic temperatures ( T ≈ 100 K) with water being in an amorphous ice state. However, (bulk) water can exist in two amorphous ices at P < 1 GPa, low-density amorphous (LDA) ice at low pressures and high-density amorphous ice (HDA) at high pressures; HDA is ≈20–25% denser than LDA. While fast/plunge cooling at 1 bar brings the sample into LDA, high-pressure cooling (HPC), at sufficiently high pressure, produces HDA. HDA can also be produced by isothermal compression of LDA at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we perform classical molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of LDA, HDA, and the LDA–HDA transformation on the structure and hydration of a small peptide, polyalanine. We follow thermodynamic paths corresponding to (i) fast/plunge cooling at 1 bar, (ii) HPC at P = 400 MPa, and (iii) compression/decompression cycles at T = 80 K. While process (i) produced LDA in the system, path (iii) produces HDA. Interestingly, the amorphous ice produced in process (ii) is an intermediate amorphous ice (IA) with properties that fall in-between those of LDA and HDA. Remarkably, the structural changes in polyalanine are negligible at all conditions studied (0–2000 MPa, 80–300 K) even when water changes among the low and high-density liquid states as well as the amorphous solids LDA, IA, and HDA. The similarities and differences in the hydration of polyalanine vitrified in LDA, IA, and HDA are described. Since the studied thermodynamic paths are suitable for the cryopreservation of biomolecules, we also study the structure and hydration of polyalanine along isobaric and isochoric heating paths, which can be followed experimentally for the recovery of cryopreserved samples. Upon heating, the structure of polyalanine remains practically unchanged. We conclude with a brief discussion of the practical advantages of (a) using HDA and IA as a cryoprotectant environment (as opposed to LDA), and (b) the use of isochoric heating as a recovery process (as opposed to isobaric heating). 
    more » « less
  5. Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-destructive and non-contact optical technique to measure deformation and strain of materials. The method is based on optically tracking the displacements of a speckle pattern created on the material surface. In the case of soft tissues such as mouse aorta, there are several advantages to using DIC since it can provide local, rather than global, deformations and it is suitable for large strain measurements, typical of soft tissues taken to failure [1] [2]. For the optimal use of DIC, several requirements should be met for speckle patterning: 1) randomness, 2) high contrast, 3) appropriate size of speckle in the field of view (3-5 pixels), and 4) firm attachment of speckle to specimen during deformation. In previous DIC studies of soft tissues, the methods employed to create a speckle pattern include the use of an airbrush to spray dye or paint on the specimen, or coating the sample with toner powder. However, biological samples must be partially dehydrated before applying paint which may affect the mechanical properties of the specimen, and toner powder is too hydrophobic to adhere well on specimens when submerged in aqueous solution during mechanical testing. In addition, it is difficult to evenly distribute paint or toner powder on the surface of a hydrated biological specimen [2]. Therefore, a novel method utilizing colloidal gold particles to create a speckle pattern on mouse aorta is proposed in this work. 
    more » « less