An air pressure-machine vision based system for measuring a rheological property of a viscoelastic material includes a machine body, a lifting experiment table system, an air pressure generation control system, an image collection system, and a controlling and information processing system, where the lifting experiment table system, the air pressure generation control system, the image collection system and the controlling and information processing system are mounted on the machine body; the lifting experiment table system includes a lifting table stepping motor, an L-shaped lifting table and a lifting table motor driver, and the lifting table motor driver is connected to the lifting table stepping motor and configured to drive the lifting table stepping motor; and the lifting table stepping motor is connected to the L-shaped lifting table and configured to control lifting of the L-shaped lifting table.

Described is a device for removal of excess material from a test sample. The test sample may be used in an instrument for measurement of rheological and mechanical properties sample properties. The device includes a test geometry and a trimming ring. The test geometry includes a lower geometry and upper geometry each having a circular outer edge and being centered on an axis of rotation. The trimming ring has a sidewall, a ring axis coincident with the axis of rotation and at least one cutting edge disposed along at least a portion of a circumference of the trimming ring at a diameter that is at least as great as a diameter of one or both the lower geometry and the upper geometry. The device further includes an actuator coupled to the trimming ring and configured to translate the trimming ring in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

A system for determining parameters of porous media or material, which in an embodiment is biological tissue, includes an actuator and a displacement monitor. The actuator is adapted to apply a displacement to tissue at a particular frequency selected from a range of frequencies, and the force monitor adapted to monitor a mechanical response of tissue. The system also has a processor coupled to drive the actuator and to read the mechanical response, the processor coupled to execute from memory a poroelastic model of mechanical properties of the material, and a convergence procedure for determining parameters for the poroelastic model such that the model predicts mechanical response of the tissue to within limits.

Viscosity assemblies may be used to determine the viscosity of a sample fluid at a surface location under one or more downhole conditions prior to pumping or flowing of the sample fluid downhole. A viscosity assembly may include a bob assembly disposed in a container that includes a bob disposed about a magnet rotor that rotates when a shear force is applied by the flow of the sample fluid in the container. A stator coil may receive a control signal that induces a force or a voltage that causes the magnet rotor to rotate the bob by a predetermined distance to position the bob from the rotated position back to the initial position.

A device and method for the non-invasive measurement of state of tension, biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of surfaces of soft biological tissues includes electronic, digital and mechanical elements and sensors, and a testing end. The elements within the housing can subject the testing end to a mechanical impulse force, and can sense the movement of the testing end. The testing end has a contact surface which can be adhered to the surface of the soft biological tissue, and subjected to a mechanical force in a direction parallel to the surface.

The present invention relates to a method for the quality control of a component at least partially made of elastomer, particularly for a joint, comprising: a) carrying out at least one accommodation cycle on the component, the accommodation cycle involving applying a progressive compression force to the component and progressively releasing the compression force without pulling; b) applying a progressive compression force to the component in quasi static state according to a given component deformation predetermined profile; c) measuring the deformation of the component and the compression force applied while the compression force is applied; d) determining the conformity of the component under a loading other than that of the compression force of step b) from the measurement of the deformation of the component and the compression force applied.

The present document relates to a heterodyne scanning probe microscopy (SPM) method for subsurface imaging, and includes: applying, using a transducer, an acoustic input signal to the sample, wherein the acoustic input signal has a frequency of at least 1 gigahertz; sensing an acoustic output signal using a probe, the probe including a cantilever and a probe tip, wherein the probe tip is in contact with the surface, wherein the acoustic output signal is representative of acoustic waves responsive to the acoustic input signal that are measurable at the surface; wherein the acoustic input signal is applied to the sample comprising a distinct pulse of acoustic energy followed by a relaxation period, wherein an acoustic power of the acoustic input signal during the pulse is at least twice as large as an acoustic power during the relaxation period. The present document further relates to a scanning probe microscopy method.

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.

Water-absorbent resin particles 10a having a gel surface elasticity measured by the following (1) to (5) is 0.35 to 2.00 N: (1) preparing a gel of the water-absorbent resin particles, (2) bringing a jig into contact with the gel, (3) performing an operation of pressing the jig into the gel and thereafter pulling the jig back to obtain a maximum value and a minimum value of loads applied to the jig during the operation, (4) repeating twice an operation of pressing the jig into the gel and thereafter pulling the jig back to obtain a maximum value and a minimum value of loads applied to the jig during each of operations, and (5) obtaining an average value of maximum values obtained in (3) and (4) and an average value of minimum values obtained in (3) and (4) to obtain a difference between these values as the gel surface elasticity.

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.