Home > Products > Cell & Tissue > Biomaterial Testing > MCJ1-400

MCJ1-400

MechanoCulture MCJ1 Standard (150 mL chamber) Cyclic Strain Bioreactor – Independent 6-Chamber specimen tension stimulation

A cyclic strain bioreactor with a reusable sample holder that includes six individual 150 mL chambers with large grips. Often selected for soft tissue mechanical stimulation studies and larger engineered constructs.

Overview
Specifications
Accessories
Citations
Related Products

Overview

There are 4 images available to view - click to enlarge and scroll through the product gallery.

Brochure MCJ1
/ Download as PDF

Mechanoculture J1 Standard for up to 6 specimen tension stimulation (150mL chambers)

Mechanical Stimulation Bioreactor for Tissue and Substrate Stretching

The MechanoCulture J1 (MCJ1) cyclic strain bioreactor delivers programmable uniaxial stretching to tissues, scaffolds, and engineered constructs in six independent culture chambers. Each chamber has its own actuator and force transducer, enabling parallel stimulation with per-well protocol control. The MCJ1 is designed for incubator-based studies where repeatable cyclic strain stimulation supports mechanobiology experiments and tissue engineering workflows in vitro.

Specimens are mounted with grips in a reusable chamber plate with media, placed on the controller, and run inside the incubator using a saved stimulation protocol. The system can monitor the force-displacement data in order to determine the stiffness profile of each specimen as a function of time. An optional cooling pump can be added to limit actuator heat transfer during long runs.

Researchers commonly use the MCJ1 to apply cyclic strain to flexible substrates, scaffold-based constructs, and soft tissue specimens, then relate stiffness changes and biological outcomes across treatment conditions.

Key Features

6 independently-programmed test protocols
6 force/displacement data outputs with onboard data storage
Load cell options: 10N, 20N, 50N, 100N
25mm actuator travel with grip separation up to 55mm
Spring-closure specimen grips with adjustable gripping force
Ports for fluid exchange in each well
Autoclavable chambers
Fluid-cooled incubator-compatible design
PC-independent operation
Software for specifying simple, cyclic, and intermittent stimulation protocols

What MechanoCulture J1 is designed for

In vitro parallel mechanical stimulation of up to 6 specimens with independent protocol control per chamber
Substrate stretching protocols for cell and tissue constructs, including intermittent and multi-phase stimulation sequences
Experiments where force and displacement logging supports stiffness tracking across time points
Mechanotransduction studies where consistent strain input is required across cohorts

What's Included

Programming and data download software (lifetime license)
Reusable cell culture sample holder with 6 individual chambers (150 mL volume)
Controller for up to 100 N uniaxial tension stimulation
Six load cells (10 N, 20 N, 50 N, or 100 N)

Videos

MCJ1 Introduction

Setting up a test with the MCJ1

Options

Chamber Volume

The size of culture wells can be customized to support the width and extended length of the specimens being studied. For narrow specimens, the chamber volume can be reduced to less than 20mL. For specimens up to 40mm wide with an extended length of 55mm, the chamber volume can be increased to 150mL.

Specimen Gripping

To securely grip the specimen without causing damage, the grips must have a suitable clamping surface and apply a consistent clamping force throughout the test.

Standard specimen grips have smooth clamping surfaces with squared front and back edges. Clamps with serrated, rough, and customized gripping surfaces are also available.

For most applications, a spring-closure grip preferred to apply a repeatable clamping force that does not significantly change with specimen thickness or deformation. Grips are available with spring stiffnesses that can deliver up to 150N of clamping force. Grip springs can be changed in the field as needed to successfully test a range of specimens. Screw-closure grips are also available.

Grip Style	L1	M1	S1	S2
Close Mechanism	Spring	Spring	Spring	Screw
Max Clamping Force (N)	120	55	20	150
Grip Width (mm)	40	19	12	10
Chamber Volume (mL)	150	60	30	20

The chambers, grips and associated screws, seals, and other components are made from corrosion-resistant materials that can be autoclave-sterilized.

Specifications

Dimensions	16.5 X 11.5 X 30 cm
Weight	7 kg
Stimulation Mode	Customizable tension / cyclic strain
Number of Wells	6
Chamber Volume	150 mL
Force Capacity	Up to 100 N
Available Load Cells	10, 20, 50 and 100 N
Force Accuracy	0.2% of load cell capacity
Maximum Stretch Displacement	25.4 mm
Maximum Grip Seperation	55 mm
Maximum Velocity	4 mm/s
Maximum Cycle Frequency	2 Hz