Figure 3.

Experimental Load Protocols A and B. (A) First, creep tests were performed (30 minutes each) at 1, 3, and 5 g. At the end of the third creep test, the loading was reduced to 1 g for 30 minutes and three subsequent load-displacement tests were performed from 0 to 50 g at 60 seconds per cycle. The results of the creep test were previously published.²³ Only the loading path of the load-displacement tests were used in this study. All strips that were tested under Load Protocol A were processed and mechanically tested in the same way. (B) To investigate the preconditioning effect of the tree shrew scleral strips, 50 load-displacement cycles were performed at physiological (0 to 5 g, 30 seconds per cycle) and subsequently at supraphysiological loading conditions (0 to 50 g, 60 seconds per cycle). All strips that were tested under loading Protocol B were processed and mechanically tested in the same way.