Isolated Muscle

Trabecula muscles are chronically stretched in a custom designed tissue culture chamber.

Maintenance of Chronic Muscle Specimen

• Gas supplied to incubation Chamber: 5% CO2 (to control pH) and 95% O2

• Gas passed through warm sterile water to control humidity

• Gas passed through hydrophobic air filter to maintain sterility

• Specimen is submerged in modified cell culture media

• Media is well stirred by tiny magnetic stirring bar (provides optimal gas diffusion to specimen)

• Media is exchanged every eight hours through exit ports

• Strict thermal control accomplished by temperature controlled microscopic stage insert (maintains temp. of 37oC)

• Muscle is stimulated via two platinum leads, which enter the chamber through two water-tight ports located at opposing sides of the bath

• Muscle is positioned between force transducer, which is attached to micro-manipulating stage, and stationary hook

• Muscle is strained by micromanipulator

• Contractile forces measured by force transducer for 48 hrs