Towards Automated Mechanical Characterization of Biological Samples Using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

The mechanical properties of biomaterials have long been a subject of interest for researchers due to their potential in predicting biologically relevant questions, like proliferation of cancer in tissue. A popular technique of estimating material properties of biomaterials is the AFM, which consists of a probe that indents the material of interest. However, region localization for AFM indentation is challenging, especially when probing large sections of the tissue. Furthermore, identifying the point of contact between AFM tip and the specimen on the force-displacement curve involves uncertainties that are difficult to predict. In this work, we try to address these two issues. We use a vision-guided positioning system to achieve region localization, and we use a resistance based-electrical circuit to identify the point of contact between AFM tip and the specimen.