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Biophys J, May 2000, p. 2270-2279, Vol. 78, No. 5
and
*Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics,
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA, and
Kinematic Cell Research Group, Biocentre, J. W. Goethe University, D 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Among the methods for the determination of mechanical
properties of living cells acoustic microscopy provides some
extraordinary advantages. It is relatively fast, of excellent spatial
resolution and of minimal invasiveness. Sound velocity is a measure of
the stiffness or Young's modulus of the cell. Attenuation of cytoplasm is a measure of supramolecular interactions. These parameters are of
crucial interest for studies of cell motility, volume regulations and
to establish the functional role of the various elements of the
cytoskeleton. Using a phase and amplitude sensitive modulation of a
scanning acoustic microscope (Hillman et al., 1994, J. Alloys Compounds. 211/212:625-627) longitudinal wave speed, attenuation and thickness profile of a biological cell are obtained from the voltage versus frequency or V(f) curves. A series of pictures, for
instance in the frequency range 980-1100 MHz with an increment of 20 MHz, allows the experimental generation of V(f) curves for each pixel
while keeping the lens-specimen distance unchanged. Both amplitude and
phase values of the V(f) curves are used for obtaining the cell
properties and the cell thickness profile. The theoretical analysis
shows that the thin liquid layer, between the cell and the substrate,
has a strong influence on the reflection coefficient and should not be
ignored during the analysis. Cell properties, cell profile and the
thickness of the thin liquid layer are obtained from the V(f) curves by
the simplex inversion algorithm. The main advantages of this new method
are that imaging can be done near the focal plane, therefore an optimal
signal to noise ratio is achieved, no interference with Rayleigh waves occurs, and the method requires only an approximate estimate of the
material properties of the solid substratum where the cells are growing on.
Biophys J, May 2000, p. 2270-2279, Vol. 78, No. 5
© 2000 by the Biophysical Society 0006-3495/00/05/2270/10 $2.00
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