A testbed for mechanical and thermal stimulation in studies of somatosensory functions

To conduct studies on the somatosensory system, different physical stimuli, typically mechanical and thermal, are applied to in-vivo or ex-vivo samples. This paper presents a testbed able to produce both mechanical and localized hot/cold thermal stimuli in versatile conditions for studies on somatosensory functions. The paper describes the components of the testbed, which mainly includes a 3-axis positioning system, with a resolution of 0.5 µm and a total workspace of 150 × 150 × 150 mm3, a force- or position-controlled mechanical stimulator, that can deliver up to 5 N with a minimum resolution of 0.3 mN, and a thermal stimulator that can reach desired temperatures from 5 up to 60 °C. The testbed has been used for preliminary tests on a skin substitute, demonstrating the capability to mechanically and thermally stimulate the sample accurately.