Texture Analysis in Research: Medical Applications

Scientists from Nantes University Hospital have been researching standardised bench test evaluation of coronary stents and their biomechanical characteristics.

The purpose of the study was to develop a standardised and global bench test protocol to evaluate the biomechanical characteristics of the most currently used drug‐eluting coronary stents. The use of coronary stents has contributed to the reduction of cardiovascular mortality but can be associated with specific complications. Improving the biomechanical matching between the stents and the coronary anatomy may reduce these complications.


Flexibility (crimped and deployed stents) and longitudinal and radial resistances were evaluated using a TA.HDplus Texture Analyser. Biomechanical characteristics were significantly different for all tested devices. This should be taken into consideration to select the most appropriate device for each clinical situation.

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Meanwhile, scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich have been performing a comparative study of cartilage engineered constructs in immunocompromised, humanised and immunocompetent mice.

Choosing the best ectopic in vivo model for cartilage engineering studies remains challenging and there is no clear consensus on how different models compare to one another. The use of xenogenic cells can often limit the choice to immunocompromised animals only and so prevents the understanding of how tissue-engineered grafts perform with potential active inflammatory and immunological responses.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chondrogenic potential of a recently developed hydrogel in four mouse strains with varying immune systems. Scaffolds were tested under unconfined compression using their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser. The results of this study showed that it is possible to engineer a cartilage-like graft subcutaneously not only in immunocompromised, but also in immunocompetent and humanised mouse models.

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Researchers from the Federal University of Pelotas have been investigating a polysaccharide-based film loaded with vitamin C and propolis as a promising device to accelerate diabetic wound healing.

Wound healing can be a painful and time-consuming process in patients with diabetes mellitus. In light of this, the use of wound healing devices could help to accelerate this process. In this research, cellulose-based films loaded with vitamin C and/or propolis, two natural compounds with attractive properties, were engineered.

Mechanical properties were investigated by tensile testing using a TA.XT2 Texture Analyser. The results of this study showed that these novel eco-friendly films may represent a new therapeutic approach to accelerate diabetic wound healing.

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Our publication ‘Using Texture Analysis as a Physical Property Tool in Regenerative Medicine’ 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. This article is available as a PDF free of charge on request.

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To find out more about Texture Analysis of pharmaceutical products, contact Stable Micro Systems today.

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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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