MicroSquisher
Legacy Product

The MicroSquisher is a legacy micro-scale testing platform that still appears in peer-reviewed biomaterials and mechanobiology studies. While it has been succeeded by the MicroTester, many MicroSquisher legacy product units are still running in active labs. CellScale provides support for legacy instruments to help groups keep existing workflows consistent, especially when studies span multiple years or cohorts.

For new projects or expanded capability, the upgrade path to MicroTester is the recommended current platform for comparable micro-scale mechanical testing. This page is here for researchers who find the MicroSquisher in the literature and want practical notes for continued use, service decisions, and translating protocols from legacy mechanical testing systems to the current lineup.

MicroSquisher Overview

The MicroSquisher was developed for mechanical testing of small, compliant specimens where conventional materials frames can be limited by handling, alignment, and force resolution. Typical tests load a hydrated specimen between platens and apply deformation using displacement control or force control. Force is determined from microbeam deflection paired with image-based tracking of the microbeam tip.

In the literature, the MicroSquisher is most often used for micro-compression tests on small biological or biomaterial samples. Many papers also show simple hold steps, where the deformation is applied and then held to watch the load change over time (for example, creep-style and relaxation-style runs). If you are pulling a MicroSquisher method from a publication, the same test logic can be carried over through the MicroTester, while keeping specimen preparation and reporting conventions consistent.

Legacy Mechanical Testing Systems

The MicroSquisher is part of a broader set of legacy mechanical testing systems that remain in circulation because they were widely adopted in early and mid-stage biomaterials research. Many labs continue to rely on these systems for longitudinal studies, comparison to historical datasets, or direct replication of published protocols.

Researchers typically arrive on this page with one of three needs:

Support for the MicroSquisher

If your lab is still running a MicroSquisher system, support for legacy instruments usually focuses on replacement parts, software help, repeatability, signal quality, and defensible data export for publications and internal comparisons.

Legacy MicroSquisher support depends on the specific configuration. Share your system details and the issue you are seeing for next-step guidance.

Research Applications Supported by the MicroSquisher

The MicroSquisher appears in publications that require mechanical readouts from delicate, small-volume specimens. The sections below reflect common patterns seen in MicroSquisher studies and are useful when mapping methods to current platforms.

Microtissue and Spheroid Mechanics

Used to quantify stiffness changes during spheroid formation, maturation, or treatment, including mechanical shifts linked to ECM remodeling and phenotype.

Explore Microtissue & Spheroid Mechanics

Mechanotransduction Studies

Applied when mechanical phenotype is correlated with signaling, differentiation, or pathway activation in micro-scale constructs.

Explore Mechanotransduction

Hydrogel Mechanical Testing

Used for hydrated testing of compliant hydrogel constructs and microstructured gels where handling and scale limit conventional testers.

Explore Hydrogel Mechanical Testing

Organoid and Tissue Mimetic Systems

Used for mechanical characterization of organoids and engineered tissue analogs where geometry and scale constrain gripping or strain measurement approaches.

Explore Organoid & Tissue Mimetic Systems

Injectable & Regenerative Biomaterials

Used in studies evaluating compliant regenerative constructs and small, hydrated formulations after gelation or curing in buffered conditions.

Explore Injectable & Regenerative Biomaterials

Testing Methods Associated with the MicroSquisher Legacy Product

Across the literature, the MicroSquisher is most often tied to a core set of methods that are well matched to small, hydrated specimens:

Compression Testing

For micro-scale tissues and biomaterials

Viscoelastic and Time-Dependent Testing

Using step-and-hold sequences

Stress Relaxation Testing

Using displacement steps with sustained holds

Creep Testing

Using force holds to quantify time-dependent deformation

Hydrated & Temperature-Controlled Testing

To maintain physiologic-like conditions

Ultra-Low Force Testing

When subtle mechanical differences are important

Upgrade Path to MicroTester for MicroSquisher Users

An upgrade path to MicroTester is available for researchers and MicroSquisher users. If your lab needs hardware support, expanded configuration options, or improved imaging and analysis tooling, the MicroTester is your solution.

A clean upgrade plan starts with the protocol requirements.

With that information, the MicroTester can be configured to support the same experimental intent as the MicroSquisher.

FAQs About the MicroSquisher

Is the MicroSquisher legacy product discontinued?

Sort of. The MicroSquisher legacy product is no longer in production, but the system has been replaced and upgraded to the MicroTester.

What replaced the MicroSquisher legacy product?

For comparable micro-scale mechanical testing workflows, the current CellScale platform is the MicroTester which has the same capabilities and more.

Can I reproduce MicroSquisher methods on the MicroTester?

Yes. The MicroTester has the same capabilities and more.

What sample types were commonly tested with the MicroSquisher?

Typical samples: spheroids, microtissues, hydrogels, cell-laden constructs, and other small, hydrated specimens.

Does the MicroSquisher support hydrated testing and temperature control?

Yes, many MicroSquisher workflows are performed in a fluid bath to keep specimens hydrated, with temperature control used when experiments require stable conditions near physiologic temperature.

Can the MicroSquisher be used for stress relaxation and creep testing?

Yes. These appear frequently in MicroSquisher publications, typically using displacement holds for relaxation and force holds for creep, depending on the protocol.

Do you provide support for legacy instruments like the MicroSquisher?

We provide support for legacy instruments including the MicroSquisher in many active labs. Service feasibility depends on configuration and system condition.

Get MicroSquisher Support or Plan a MicroTester Replacement

If you are maintaining an active MicroSquisher system, need help matching a published method, or want a clear upgrade path to MicroTester, contact CellScale and share your specimen type and protocol goals. We can recommend the most direct route to maintain continuity in your mechanical data and reporting.