Figure 6
The process of skeletal muscle cell culture around the PEDOT/PU wire. (a) A PEDOT/PU film strip was sandwiched between the virgin PU strip films while maintaining exposure of a conductive area, followed by twisting to form a wire. (b) Set-up for cultivation of muscle cells. The PEDOT/PU wire was attached to the PDMS chamber with the myoblasts/collagen/Matrigelâ„¢ mixture. After gelation of the mixture, the cells were grown for 3 days and differentiated for an additional 7 days in the medium. (c) Setup for pre-exercise. The skeletal muscle bundle was set in the 4-well dish and electrically stimulated overnight with a pair of carbon electrodes to induce cellular contractile activity. (d) Experimental setup for electrical stimulation of the skeletal muscle bundle. Constant current pulses were applied between the internal PEDOT/PU electrode wire and the external carbon electrode to induce contraction of the myotubes.
