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We present a straightforward
technique to prepare thin samples of planar or bulky soft tissue with very
accurate geometry. The experimental procedure includes the preparation of thin
slices of tissue by means of a surgical dermatome and specimen extraction
by die cutters. We illustrate this method in application to porcine dermal
tissue. The prepared specimens were subjected to uniaxial cyclic tension
along and across the lines of cleavage with increasing upper stretch limits.
Besides a distinct anisotropic and nonlinear behavior, cyclic loading caused
considerable preconditioning effects including softening and substantial residual
deformations. This observed behavior is well represented by a recently proposed
constitutive model accounting for the elastic and dissipative behavior of soft
tissues.