Cell Injury Controller II
The Cell Injury Controller II is an electronically controlled pneumatic device that provides all the control and measurement functions necessary
for producing strain-induced trauma to in vitro cell cultures. The CIC II facilitates the study of morphologic, physiologic and biochemicalresponses of cultured cells to strain-induced trauma.
Tissue cultures are grown in a commercially available tissue culture system from Flexcell Int'l. Corp. Controlled gas pressure is used to
induce a physiologically rapid deformation of the tray’s Silastic bottom resulting in quantifiable biaxial stretch of the cells adhered to the Silastic
surface. Injury severity is determined by controlling the flow of gas in and out of the sealed culture well. The peak culture well pressure is
captured providing an accurate indicator of the resulting biaxial stretch.
The CIC II accepts both the Flex I® 29.45cm2 culturing trays (used with the earlier CIC Model 94A) and the BioFlex® 57.75cm2 culturing trays.
Depending on the cell type, the degree of injury, and the culture conditions the injured cells may die or repair. Therefore, the system can
be employed to study the responses to trauma, including cell injury, repair, death or pharmacologic intervention.
See publications dealing with biaxial strain induced injury of brain derived cells in culture at:
The (Electric) “Cortical Contusion Impactor” (E_CCI) device offers a dramatic enhancement, which is fast becoming a favorite in the Neurotrauma research community worldwide. The CCI is constructed with a sturdy aluminum frame to maximize rigidity thereby ensuring impact accuracy. The support base, animal platform, and impactor head are anodized to prevent oxidation and to ensure equipment longevity. The assembly includes the base and support frame, adjustable animal positioner with an aluminum animal platform to be used in conjunction with a variety of stereotactic mounts. This model utilizes the enhanced linier motor driven impactor, and controller. The enhanced impact head also houses a photo-optics sensor to determine velocity, impact depth, and dwell and is extremely reproducible.
Fluid Percussion Injury (FPI)
The “Fluid Percussion Injury” (FPI) device is built by Custom Design & Fabrication, Inc. and has become an icon in the Neurotrauma research community worldwide. The FPI is constructed with a sturdy aluminum frame. The basic structure is finished with a state of the art powder coating process. The balance of the aluminum components are anodized to prevent oxidation and to guarantee longevity. The assembly includes the base, pendulum mast, graduated protractor, ball bearing enhanced impact hammer assembly, acrylic fluid cylinder and bracketry, transducer housing, transfer tube, digital transducer and is finished off with a self calibrating Trauma Inducer Pressure Inducer Amplifier.