Cardiomyocyte-driven wet gel robotics chemical modulation of cardiac network pattern generator

Pattern generator for wet gel robotics was proposed as a cellular mechano-informatics network in the micro gel structure. Propagated contraction wave through cardiomyocyte network transferred information of chemical, physical, and temporal state quantities in the distance with different environmental property. Also the contraction waves were interfered on site of the cross bridge of the propagations. This mechano-informatics process was key point to understand the cardiac disease or other mechano-chemical propagation systems. Cardiomyocytes were mixed with collagen gel to construct a network of micro bio-actuators for a motion pattern generator. Calcium wave propagation and mechanical induced contraction could be utilized for signal transfer on the gel network to generate patterns of motion on the wet gel robotics. Calcium imaging of the cardiomyocyte gel indicated that compartments of calcium wave propagation were confirmed on the surface of the cardiomyocyte gel. We also demonstrated that the contraction propagated on the cardiomyocyte gel and that velocity was increased up to ~20 mm/s with increasing concentration of adrenalin. These experimental results suggested mechanical stretch induced contraction would be dominant factor of the contraction propagation. On the grid network gel, the adrenalin modulated contraction propagation was applied as variable network for signal processing. Spontaneous contraction appeared spatiotemporal contraction wave on the network of the cardiomyocyte gel. We found phase of the contraction between each intersection on the cardiac network gel could be modulated with adrenalin increasing. Synchronized contraction through the network gel became asynchronous beating on each point of the network gel with increasing concentration of adrenalin. These asynchronous beating would be induced by interference of each propagation wave through different pathways on the network gel.