A mechatronic apparatus for shear stress application on endothelial cells: design, development and experimental tests

Mechanical stimulation is an important component in vascular cell physiology. As reported in literature, several endothelial functions are affected by cell exposure to flow of blood shear stress. Experimental studies on such topics have largely been based on the use of bioreactors and in vitro apparatus. This paper deals with the design and development of a novel mechatronic apparatus, based on the cone-and-plate configuration, for the exposure of endothelial cells to strongly time-variant shear stress. The main characteristics of the developed apparatus are the high dynamic performances and the possibility to generate whatever shear stress waveform, driving the cone with an appropriate angular speed. The paper ends with the discussion of some experimental tests performed to validate the design process and to investigate the apparatus performances.