Nanoindentation measurements of soft samples like gels, tissues, or organoids are enabled by a Chiaro Nanoindenter from Optics11 which is hosted by the Light Microscopy Facility (LMF) and BCF together. The nanoindenter is mounted on a Zeiss Axiovert 200M fluorescence microscope, which enables simultaneous imaging of the probed sample. Material properties like the quasi-static Young's modulus or dynamic loss and storage modulus can be measured.
Instrument configuration
Sample Young’s modulus | Advised cantilever stiffness |
10 Pa – 18 kPa | 0.025 N/m |
100 Pa – 180 kPa | 0.25 N/m |
2 kPa – 3.6 MPa | 5 N/m |
18 kPa – 36 MPa | 50 N/m |
89 kPa – 180 MPa | 250 N/m |
Diameter | Stiffness |
3 um | 0.018 N/m |
3 um | 0.03 N/m |
8.5 um | 0.026 N/m |
11 um | 0.46 N/m |
24.5 um | 0.018 N/m |
25 um | 4.13 N/m |
26.5 um | 0.023 N/m |
27 um | 0.48 N/m |
27.5 um | 0.02 N/m |
27.5 um | 0.023 N/m |
29 um | 0.018 N/m |
See LMF website for more information on the optics of the microscope.