The invention is an extensometer designed for researchers to conduct experiments of mechanical stress with large biological structures, such as nerves, tendons, muscles, in the search for neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie -tooth.

The project by the research group of Dr. Carlos Solsona, professor of the Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Barcelona and assigned to the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Dra. Ana Martin Nualart of the IDIBELL, and the engineers of FCTecnics Miquel Soler and Jaume Palou, has led to the signing of an agreement for the commercial exploitation of this technology for the company FCTecnics.

The technology developed by the UB, IDIBELL and the company FCTecnics serves to subdue tension to the nerve of experimental animals by movements of extension and relaxation, and study the physical/ chemical nerve reaction in real time.

One problem in these devices is the lack of control of the longitudinal tension force applied on the material (especially in the range 100 μN to 0.1 N). This lack of control can lead to a breakdown of biological material or undesired deformations and changes in the characteristics of deformation of biological structures. With this new technology, all these problems would be resolved.

The company FCTecnics, originally emerged as a start-up of the Salle Technova Barcelona, ​​it aims to provide solutions in the fields of biotechnology, bioengineering and microalgae as creating new devices for research laboratories.

The FBG, the IDIBELL and FCTecnics have managed the protection of this technology by filing a national patent and they negotiated a national exclusive license of the technology in the company FCTecnics.

This project was made possible thanks to funding granted by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.