Unveiling the strain uniformity challenge: design and evaluation of a PDMS membrane for precise mechanobiology studies

Mechanotransduction and mechanosensing enable cells to respond to mechanical stimuli, essential in various physiological functions. Specialized cell stretching devices use stretchable, transparent, and biocompatible elastomeric membranes to study these responses. However, achieving strain uniformity is a key challenge, affecting data accuracy and reliability. This study designed a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane with optimized uniformity for electromechanical cell stretching. Finite element analysis optimized membrane size and shape, achieving a 90% strain uniformity index-a 233% improvement over commercial membranes. By tailoring material properties like cross-linker ratio and curing time, membrane failure issues were resolved, enhancing applications in tissue engineering and mechanobiology research.