Characterization of the passive mechanical properties of large intestine

This paper presents experimental data obtained from the in vivo compression of the large intestine of goat and describes its non-linear and viscoelastic mechanical properties. Data were obtained from compression tests on the large intestine of an anesthetized goat using a stress-strain acquisition equipment. The tissue was first compressed with a constant rate then hold at a maximum strain for 300 seconds. All the results demonstrated highly non-linear stress-strain behavior during the compression phase. The stress versus time curve during the relaxation phase was obtained and the reduced-stress relaxation function was applied. This paper serves as a preliminary report on the mechanical properties of large intestine based on in vivo experimental data.