Duchenne and Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophies affect one in 3,500 males and one in 15,000 people in the United States, respectively. Currently, developing therapeutics for these diseases is hindered by the inability to test on human tissue in beginning trials and the genetic limitations of animal models. The purpose of the project was to create a device that would allow for the formation of a functional unit of human skeletal muscle tissue in vitro, by providing mechanical actuation and electrical stimulation to mimic stimuli found in the body. The device, utilizing a hydraulic system and integrated conducting rods, provides positive and negative cyclic strain at 5%, 9%, and 15%, along with 3V/cm electrical stimulation to mature self-assembled mouse skeletal muscle tissue.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Pawelski, Kellie Elizabeth
• Cole, Keegan Ethan
• Henao Arango, Natalia
• Miller, Tori Lynn

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042815-120352

Advisor

• Page, Raymond L.

Year

• 2015

Date created

• 2015-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biomedical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright