The Effect of Measurement Parameters on Cellular Mechanics Detection

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an advanced nanotechnology that can image and measure the mechanical properties of living cells in liquid environment. However, the measurement parameters will affect the mechanics data. In this work, the effects of indentation force, indentation speed, lifting height, and probe shape on the cellular mechanics detection were studied. The results showed that the indentation depth increased alongside the indentation force, while the baseline separation distance also showed an increase corresponding to the higher indentation speed, and the lifting height and cantilever shape had a significant effect on the force curves measurements. This is important for studying the measurement of cellular mechanical properties at the nanoscale.