Using texture analysis as a physical property tool in regenerative medicine

Regenerative Medicine is providing opportunities to replace, repair, maintain and/or enhance tissue function for clinical use.  

Imagine a world where you could heal a wound without scarring, where mind-degenerating disorders don’t exist, or where no one waits on a transplant list. 

Sensory and neuronal-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatic diseases, osteoporosis, and others have become all too common in the ageing population of industrial countries. Injuries and trauma to the human body not only leave physical scarring but can also prohibit you from doing the things you enjoy.
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine research is poised to change the way we know health care. This cutting-edge technology demands new tools and solutions that are able to keep up with the development in personalised medicine.

Texture analysis, which has long been used by the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, is increasingly used to evaluate properties of medical devices. Texture analysis refers to calculating properties such as firmness, adhesiveness, compressive strength, swelling/absorption, in addition to relaxation behaviour, fatigue and brittleness.  

Regulatory agencies including the FDA have used the TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to evaluate medical devices. In addition, the patent literature increasingly relies on texture analysis to validate claims. 

In its most basic configuration, the instrument consists of load cells ranging from 500g to 750kg which provide the force measurement for compression or tensile testing of samples. The arm of the instrument moves up or down at very precise resolution at speeds from 0.01-40mm/s collecting data at 500 points per second.

The mechanical function of engineered tissues is a primary endpoint for the successful regeneration of many biological tissues. It is critical that the mechanical function be characterised and compared to initial benchmark function to determine quality control standards for the next generation of health care.

Our recent publication examines new findings in this emerging field of medical research and development and looks at how texture analysis can be applied to its specific challenges. 

To read more, this article is available free of charge as a PDF on request from our special Resource Request page. 

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For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

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