Optics11 Chiaro Nanoindenter: MPI-CBG

Optics11 Chiaro Nanoindenter

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

Advised stiffness ranges for expected Young’s Moduli:

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

Available cantilevers have a spherical tip with diameters and stiffnesses:

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

Indentation measurements can be performed in the following modes:
- D-mode: controlled displacement of cantilever
- I-mode: controlled indentation into sample
- P-mode: controlled load onto sample
- PLP-mode: controlled poke into sample
- DMA-mode: dynamic measurement with sinusoidal indentation for frequencies of 0.05 Hz – 20 Hz

See LMF website for more information on the optics of the microscope.

Biophysics Core Facility

Location