A press-to-contact acoustic sensor for measuring elasticity and ageing of extracellular matrix

We report an acoustic approach to measure the elastic properties of an extracellular matrix (ECM). This approach uses a short range evanescent waves to inject sound into the test material over a short distance using an electroded quartz crystal, also known as a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). These measurements are applied with a press-to-contact approach to determine the elastic properties reliably and rapidly. The elasticity of ECM is connected to material chemistry which is linked to the tissue type and history. Measuring the minimum relative amplitude of the signal from the QCM shows that the acoustic response is strongly correlated to tissue type and age.