Rheological Study of Collagen Gel With Different Surface Conditions

Most biological soft tissues are known to be viscoelastic. Storage and loss moduli measured by rheological tests are commonly used to characterize the mechanical properties of viscoelastic material [1]. During rheological measurements, samples are sandwiched between two parallel plates with an appropriate compression. The top plate is oscillated and the torque transmitted through the sample is measured. Due to compression, the fluid inside the biological samples is likely to be squeezed out and can be regarded as a lubricant between the sample and plates, which may lead to slippage between sample and plates. As a result, the measured mechanical properties can significantly misestimate the actual properties of the sample [2].