Cantilever-based Hall-sensor Automated Muscle Platform

Abstract

In the field of Organ-on-Chip research, there is a desire to have an automatic and scalable system for muscle excitation and contraction measurement. In this thesis, the CHAMP is introduced, a 24-well system that uses magnets and Hall sensors to determine the deflection of cantilevers on which muscles are seated. The CHAMP allows for simultaneous four-channel measurements with a resolution in the micro-Newtons and milliseconds. The entire design can be put in an incubator, is biocompatible and 3D printed from rigid and flexible resins. The system can be read out and controlled via USB connection, with custom programs in CSV format for simple and automatic measurements. The excitation is a square wave, with variable parameters for duty cycle, frequency and amplitude in the common ranges. Future designs should replace the cantilever material to reduce nonlinearity and manufacturing problems, and improve the ADC resolution to enhance measurement accuracy.