Conclusions

The project’s goal of developing a planar biaxial testing apparatus that is capable of simultaneously being used with a multiphoton microscope was achieved. The device itself met all of the requirements set forth by the project mentors, as well as the organization that owns the microscope. Although the design meets the requirements that were established, some limitations were created. Since the working space underneath the objective is relatively small, the device is only capable of stretching in a single direction in each principal axis. The device itself is also controlled by manually turning 3D-printed gears, which are only accurate to a measurement of 0.543 mm. Due to this, the actual length the tissue is stretched is limited. This also means that stretch testing using the camera setup is not as accurate as the current planar biaxial setup being used in the DVJ Lab. The device usability is also limited, as the components were all uniquely designed and manufactured. Therefore, any broken parts needing replacement would have to be individually printed and then reassembled.

Throughout this project, we developed technical skills such as CAD modeling with Autodesk Fusion360 and resin printing while leveraging collaborative skills such as consistent communication, efficient time management, and adaptability to successfully work in a team environment. This allowed us to reach our project goals and set a strong foundation for future work studying collagen fiber reorientation in pulmonary arterial hypertension in the DVJ Lab.