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Equipment and Accessories

Please click here for an overview of biomechanical and
cytomechanical applications using the Flexcell® equipment.

Flexcell® Cellular Biomechanical Systems

Flexcell® Tension System (FX-6000T)

  • Apply equibiaxial or uniaxial tension to cells in 2D and 3D culture.
  • Simulate in vivo tissue strains and frequencies in an in vitro setting.
  • Uses regulated vacuum pressure and positive air pressure to deform flexible-bottomed culture plates.
  • Contains state-of-the-art digital valve to automatically regulate and maintain pressure for a specified strain regimen.
  • Multiple frequency, amplitude, and waveform changes can be programmed in one regimen.
  • Drives up to four independent FlexLink® remote compression and/or tension controllers.

Flex Jr. Tension System

  • Apply equibiaxial or uniaxial tension to cells in Flexcell's® microscopy devices
    (microscopy devices sold separately).
  • Computerized, vacuum-operated system that applies a defined controlled, static or variable duraction cyclic tension to cells in the microscopy devices StagerFlexer®, StageFlexer Jr.® and Flex Flow™.
  • NEW! System now works with Single Plate Baseplate Kits (SPBK-1000)

Flexcell® Tissue Train® System
(FX-5000TT)

  • 3D cell culture in a gel matrix with or without cyclic uniaxial tension.
  • Stand-alone culture system to create 3D geometries for cell culture in a matrix gel or allows the cells to build a self-assembled matrix that connects to the anchors in a Tissue Train® culture plate.
  • Utilizes regulated vacuum to deform cells cultured on flexible-bottomed culture plates.
  • Simulate in vivo tissue strains and frequencies in cells from muscle, lung, heart, blood vessels, skin, tendon, ligament, cartilage, and bone.

Flexcell® Compression System (FX-5000C)

  • Apply cyclic or static compression to cells in 3D culture.
  • Computerized, pressure-operated instrument that applies a defined controlled, static or variable duration cyclic compression to cells growing in vitro.
  • Utilizes regulated air pressure to deflect flexible-bottomed BioPress™ culture plates compressing a tissue sample or a 3D culture between a piston and a stationary platen.
  • Simulate in vivo tissue forces and frequencies in cells from muscle, lung, heart, blood vessels, skin, tendon, ligament, cartilage, and bone.

Upgrades and Accessories

FlexLink® for Tension or Compression
(FX-6000TFL and FX-5000CFL)

  • Upgrade your existing FX-6000T or FX-5000C with a second controller that links with an FX-6000™ system computer allowing the user to simultaneously operate two different regimens on two different baseplates.
  • Expand the application area of your FX-6000T system with the possibility to apply Compression tests by adding a Compression FlexLink® FX-5000CFL.
  • Expand the application area of your FX-5000C system with the possibility to apply Tension tests by adding a Tension FlexLink® FX-6000TFL.

Flexcell® Baseplate Kits

Expand the application areas of your Tension or Tissue Train® System

Following Baseplate Kits are available:
  • BioFlex® Baseplate Kit to apply equibiaxial strain to 2D cell cultures (using the BioFlex® culture plates) or to 3D constructs (using the Tissue Train® Circular Foam culture plates).
  • Tissue Train® Baseplate Kit to apply uniaxial strain to 3D cell cultures in Tissue Train® culture plates or to monolayer cell cultures in UniFlex® culture plates.
  • UniFlex® Baseplate Kit to apply uniaxial strain to cells cultured in monolayer in UniFlex® culture plates.
  • 24-Well HT Baseplate Kit for high throughput strain tests of cells cultured in Flexcell's® 24-well HT BioFlex® culture plates, with Cell Seeders™ to place cells in the central region of the wells.

Transwell® Holder

Transwell® is a registered trademark of Corning® Inc.
  • Holds Transwells® to allow for cell migration and 
    co-culture assays to be performed in Flexcell® culture plates.
  • Analyze cell migration in response to strain.
  • Available for 6- and 24-well Flexcell® culture plates.
  • Compatible with standard Transwell® sizes for 6-well and 24- well culture plates.

BioFlex® Cell Seeders
(BFCS-1000 / BFCS-4000)

  • Provide an optimization of the biomechanical test.
  • Confine cells during plating and adhesion to the central area of the wells in a BioFlex® culture plate.
  • Prevent the growth of the cells at the edges of the wells resulting in a well defined equibiaxial strain of all seeded cells.
  • Handling is user-friendly and a Flexcell® Tension System can be upgraded easily with this new accessory.

FlexStop™ (BFS-3000)

  • Use a FlexStop™ to block stretching.
  • Reusable valved rubber stopper that inserts into the underside of a BioFlex® culture plate well to prevent vacuum-induced deformation.
  • Provides a convenient negative control when testing mechanical load effects on cells in the same BioFlex® culture plate.
  • Designed to work in conjunction with the BioFlex® culture plates and BioFlex® Loading Stations™.
  • Also works with Tissue Train® and UniFlex® culture plates.

Streamer® Shear Stress Device
(STR-4000)

  • Apply fluid shear stress to cells with laminar, pulsatile or oscillating flow.
  • Parallel-plate flow system to investigate fluid-induced shear stress to cells grown in a monolayer.
  • Includes a six-chamber laminar flow device and can be used to apply laminar, pulsatile*, or oscillating* flow to cells cultured on special matrix coated PTFE rimmed culture slips®.
    (*if used with Osci-Flow® , see below)
  • Regulation of shear stress from 0 - 35 dynes/cm² by computer controlled peristaltic pump.

Osci-Flow® Flow Controller
(STR-4000-OFS)

  • Provides regulated oscillatory and pulsatile flow control via computer controlled action.
  • Minimizes flow response lag by eliminating inertial effects of decelerating and accelerating pumps and motors.
  • Reverses fluid flow instantaneously.
  • Works with Streamer® and FlexFlow™ shear stress devices.
  • Adapts to other perfusion systems.

StageFlexer® Microscopy Device
(SF-3000)

  • A single-well embodiment of a BioFlex® culture plate well designed to strain cells in monolayer while observing the cellular activity with an upright microscope in real-time.
  • Device can be used with Flexcell's® Tension, Tissue Train®, or Flex Jr. Tension systems that allow the control of strain frequency, amplitude, waveform, and cycles
    (or time period).

StageFlexer® Jr. Microscopy Device 
(SF-4000)

  • Microscopy device for membranes removed from BioFlex®, UniFlex®, or Tissue Train® plates.
  • Designed to strain cells in monolayer while observing the cellular activity with an upright microscope in real-time.
  • Device can be used with Flexcell's® Tension, Tissue Train®, or Flex Jr. Tension systems that allow the control of strain frequency, amplitude, waveform, and cycles
    (or time period).

NEW! Inverted "StageFlexer I®" Microscopy Device (ISF-5000)

  • Observe cells strechting in real time with either an upright or inverted microscope.
  • Compatible with the FX-5000™, FX-6000™ and Flex Jr.™ Tension Systems.
  • Membrane stretch ranges from 1,6 % up to 12 %
  • Easy set-up und use.

FlexFlow™ Shear Stress Device (FF-3000)

  • Parallel plate laminar flow device designed to apply fluid shear stress and/or cyclic strain to cells in culture while providing a means for viewing cell activity under an upright microscope in real-time.
  • Strain cells using the Flexcell's® Tension, Tissue Train®, or Flex Jr. Tension systems before, during or after applying shear stress.
  • Uses a computer controlled peristaltic pump to regulate shear stress from 0 - 35 dynes/cm².

StagePresser™ Microscopy Device 
(SP-3000)

  • A single-well embodiment of the Compression apparatus designed to compress a single tissue sample or cells in a 3D culture while viewing the cellular activity under an upright microscope.
  • Works with the Compression System.

ScanFlex™ Scanning Device

  • Automated scanning device with area measurement software XyFlex™.
  • Can be used in conjunction with the Tissue Train® system to determine the compaction kinetics (change in area) of 3D cell seeded-gels.
  • Scans four 6-well or 24-well Flexcell® culture plates.
  • Measures gel compaction in 3D bioartificial tissues.
  • Automated repetitive scanning process.
Also available: Flexcell Culture Plates and Slides.
Please click here for further information.