Description:
Reference #: 01370
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Methods of Digital Image Correlation for Biological Samples
Background:
Digital image correlation (DIC) originally was developed at the University of South Carolina in the 1980s as a nondestructive technique to accurately measure small strains and deformations in engineering materials such as metals and ceramics. This technique relies on optically tracking displacements of a random, high-contrast “speckle pattern” on the specimen surface during loading.
In comparison to typical engineering materials, soft biological tissues present a number of challenges in creating a surface speckle pattern suitable for DIC, such as maintaining hydration of the tissue and the deformations that soft tissues can experience under loading.
Invention Description:
The invention provides a means to measure strains on biological soft tissues (for example, blood vessels) by providing a patter than can be tracked optically, in a non-contacting and non-destructive manner, using appropriate camera systems and software.
The invention is used to create a speckle pattern for measuring mechanical strain or displacement by means of digital image correlation.
Potential Applications:
This invention is useful for the application of digital image correlation to soft biological tissues of various sizes while using a variety of imaging systems.
Advantages and Benefits:
Creation of the pattern does not change the mechanical behavior of the material being tested, and the pattern remains stable when the specimen is submerged in aqueous solutions. This approach does not require that the specimen be dehydrated to apply the pattern. Dehydration can alter the mechanical properties of a specimen and produce inaccurate results, and this new approach is expected to provide superior accuracy in measuring mechanical strain on soft biological tissues.
The gold particle size can be controlled, allowing for the production of a speckle pattern that can be varied depending on the specimen to be imaged and the imaging system in use.
Additionally, this approach requires minimal operator skill while current approaches often use a spray painted speckle pattern that is difficult to control.