Low-intensity ultrasound stimulation of living cells in vitro: an automated device for serial stimulation in an incubator

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound is a therapeutic modality used to promote bone regeneration through a process known as mechanotransduction. However, the underlying mechanisms by which ultrasound triggers biological responses remain poorly understood. To gain insight on this phenomenon, in vitro studies are essential, as they provide a controlled environment to correlate acoustic mechanisms with biological responses. In this work, we propose an automated low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulator designed for experiments on living cells. This device delivers a controlled acoustic dose to cells cultured in an incubator. Its configuration enables serial stimulation and facilitates parametric studies in order to investigate the physical mechanisms that induce mechanotransduction. The characteristics of the system allow for reproducible experiments with a large number of replicates to perform downstream biological analysis. This device is an essential tool to better understand mechanotransduction and for the development of optimized ultrasound based therapy.