We conducted an internal study to determine which grips and grip faces were the best for testing soft, biological tissues in tension to failure and achieve repeatable and reliable results. Based on the fact that slipping and premature failure are the most common challenges, we found that
250 N capacity pneumatic grips with serrated faces or smooth faces with sandpaper provide the best results.
The most important feature of the test configurations is pneumatic grips. By providing adjustable gripping pressure, the clamping force may be reduced in cases where jaw breaks occur or increased if samples continually slip or as the specimen thickness changes. We recommend the use of low-grit sandpaper as an inexpensive method to improve testing results. We found that the sandpaper interface not only provided more friction to the surface but also aided in the loading process, by holding the shape of the tissue, while also preventing the tissue from sticking to the grips.