Biophysics Core Facility

MPI-CBG > Research > Scientific Cores & Support > Scientific Services > Biophysics Core Facility > Equipment > Optics11 Chiaro Nanoindenter

Optics11 Chiaro Nanoindenter

Nanoindentation measurements of soft samples like gels, tissues, or organoids are enabled by a Chiaro Nanoindenter from Optics11. 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 shown in the table below. Cantilevers are mounted on probes with two different thicknesses, where thin probes are suited to indent samples in small well plates.
Radius Stiffness Thickness of probe
3 um 0.025 N/m thick / thin
10 um 0.025 N/m thin
10 um 0.5 N/m thick / thin
10 um 5 N/m thick
25 um 0.025 N/m thick / thin
50 um 0.025 N/m thick
  • 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 (W4).

Location

Building: MPI-CBG
Room: U50