65--Medical Equipment

Minimum Essential Characteristics (MEC) Brand Name or Equal Medical Equipment 1) Simultaneous characterization of the changes in specimen material properties as it is being stimulated 2) Dynamic mechanical motions for specimen stimulation/characterization replicating the motions found in the human body 3) Sterile specimen environment for long term testing (weeks to months) 4) Ability to easily modify chambers to accommodate disc-shaped specimens (e.g., cartilage, meniscus, spinal discs) and thin elongated specimens (e.g., tendons, ligaments). 5) Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) software available to determine specimen viscoelastic material properties during stimulation 6) Ability to place the instrument with the entire flow loop inside a suitable cell culture incubator. 7) All materials in contact with nutrients/specimens are biocompatible, non-cytotoxic, and autoclavable (pressure transducers can be sterilized by ethylene oxide or ethanol) 8) Transparent doors for viewing, monitoring and video capturing 9) Chamber compatibility with optional video extensometer used to measure two-dimensional strains in soft materials 10) Ability to continuously measure cellular metabolic activity by real-time monitoring of pH, dissolved oxygen, and lactate/glucose