There is provided a microscope comprising a micromanipulator, comprising a first electromagnet comprising a first magnetic core; a second electromagnet comprising a second magnetic core, wherein the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core are configured to generate a magnetic force on magnetic probes arranged within a biological matrix arranged in between the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core; and wherein the microscope comprises imaging means configured to capture images of the biological matrix comprising the magnetic probes for detection of displacements of the magnetic probes caused by the magnetic force.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

A resonance shear measurement device (1) of the present invention includes an upper unit (10) having a piezoelectric element (15), an upper disk substrate (16), and a spring (17), and a lower unit (11) having a lower disk substrate (14), in which a sample insertion portion (21) is formed between a lower surface of the upper disk substrate (16) and an upper surface of the lower disk substrate (14), the piezoelectric element (15) and the upper disk substrate (16) are vibratably connected to a fixed apparatus 30 via the spring (17), a strain gauge (19) is attached to the spring (17), and by applying an AC voltage to the piezoelectric element (15) while changing a frequency of the AC voltage, a response voltage at the resonance from the strain gauge (19) due to a vibration of the upper unit (10) is measured.

Systems and methods for determining a Material's (MTL) mechanical properties. The methods comprise: coupling a first end of MTL to a First Mechanical Mechanism (FMM) movable in a First Direction (FD) and coupling a second end of MTL to a Second Mechanical Mechanism (SMM) movable in a Second Direction (SD); applying a first Pulling Force (PF) to MTL; applying an Oscillating Force (OF) to MTL; applying a second PF to MTL so as to cause any undulations in MTL to be removed and to cause a loading of fibers or polymeric units that support MTL; allowing MTL to oscillate through a series of cycles of loading and unloading; measuring a strain/stress on MTL as a function of time; determining a natural frequency of MTL based on the strain/stress; and determining an elastic modulus of MTL using the natural frequency.

The invention provides for a material characterization system, method, and instrumentation for measuring the mechanical properties of nano-scale thin films. The thin film mechanical characterization system, method, and instrumentation of the present invention for ultra-thin films includes a motor and load cell. The instrumentation device includes a bath that can be filled or used with liquid so that a thin film can float via the surface tension and can be stretched until permanent deformation occurs, while recording the amount of force applied by the motor and other parameters. Further, the invention provides a process that transfers the nano-scale thin film to the tensile testing instrument and a process to obtain the physical mechanical properties of thin films that are at the nanoscale level.

An additive manufacturing system comprising at least one electronic nose (e-nose) is provided. The e-nose may comprise a housing and gas sensors. The housing may have an air channel. The active sensor portion of the sensors are positioned in the air channel. The housing may be mounted to an extruder head of an additive manufacturing device. The system may also comprise a processor. The processor may determine whether there is an abnormality in an additive manufacturing process based on one or more combinations of outputs from the gas sensors received during the additive manufacturing process input into a deployed machine learning model; and generate a report for the additive manufacturing process containing the determination.

The present invention provides an apparatus for use in viscoelastic analysis, for example in coagulation testing of sample liquids, such as blood and/or its elements. In the apparatus for use in viscoelastic analysis, the rotating means are provided below the cup, pin and cup receiving element. The present invention further provides capacitive detection means and temperature control devices, which may be used in the apparatus for use in viscoelastic analysis. The present invention further provides a method of performing viscoelastic analysis, e.g. coagulation analysis, on a sample using the devices and apparatuses.

Systems and methods for assaying the viscoelastic properties of a heterogeneous material are provided. The systems and methods allow for application of an in situ calibrated optical trap to optical trap beads within the material to assay the viscoelastic properties. In several embodiments, the material can be a biological material, such as tumor tissue or skin tissue.

Provided is an apparatus and technique for monitoring the drying, cure, film formation, and viscoelastic properties of liquids, solidifiable liquid films, and the insitu measurement of viscoelastic properties of solidified films.

The use of recycled materials can have significant economic value. With the increasing quantity of recycled material used in viscoelastic materials, especially asphalt mixture, understanding how they interact with original materials to produce a mixture that performs successfully, becomes critical. Currently, the technology to determine the effect of additives on the performance of asphalt mixture is lacking. The present invention relates to a new unified methodology for mechanical testing of asphalt mixture and other viscoelastic materials that improves the current practice in speed, convenience, and accuracy. A new improved specimen mounting method on Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), a new recovery method for fine portion of asphalt mixture, and three new tests for the performance of recovered material using DSR is disclosed. The new methods provide performance grading of asphalt mixtures that is new to the industry and provide necessary tools for determining the effect of recycled materials on performance.