A method for continuously measuring contraction characteristics of engineered heart tissue constructs, comprising the following steps: - providing at least one engineered heart tissue construct and an apparatus comprising a base element, an electronic circuitry integrated into or disposed on the base element, at least one first support element attached to and extending from the base element, each of said at least one first support element comprising or being mechanically coupled to a piezoelectric element, which is the sensing element of a piezoelectric transducer, wherein each of said at least one first support element comprises a support portion adapted for attaching an engineered heart tissue construct thereto, and for each of said at least one first support element, at least one second support element attached to and extending from the base element, wherein each of said at least one second support element comprises a support portion adapted for attaching an engineered heart tissue construct thereto, and each support portion of each second support element is spaced from and arranged with respect to the support portion of the respective first support element, - attaching each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct to a separate first support element, such that upon contraction of the respective engineered heart tissue construct a load is transferred to the respective piezoelectric element and the respective piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate and to output a corresponding electrical sensor signal characteristic of a change of the load over time applied to the respective first support element by the respective engineered heart tissue construct due to the contraction thereof, wherein the step of attaching each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct to a separate first support element comprises, for each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct, attaching the respective engineered heart tissue construct to at least one second support element, each being spaced with at least a portion thereof from the respective first support element and each engaging the respective engineered heart tissue construct at a location spaced from a location at which the respective first support element engages the respective engineered heart tissue construct, so that it is supported between the respective first support element and the respective at least one second support element, and - analyzing, by the electronic circuitry, for each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct, the sensor signal output by the respective piezoelectric transducer and deriving, by the electronic circuitry, at least one contraction characteristic of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct on the basis of the analysis. - providing at least one engineered heart tissue construct and an apparatus comprising a base element, an electronic circuitry integrated into or disposed on the base element, at least one first support element attached to and extending from the base element, each of said at least one first support element comprising or being mechanically coupled to a piezoelectric element, which is the sensing element of a piezoelectric transducer, wherein each of said at least one first support element comprises a support portion adapted for attaching an engineered heart tissue construct thereto, and for each of said at least one first support element, at least one second support element attached to and extending from the base element, wherein each of said at least one second support element comprises a support portion adapted for attaching an engineered heart tissue construct thereto, and each support portion of each second support element is spaced from and arranged with respect to the support portion of the respective first support element, - attaching each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct to a separate first support element, such that upon contraction of the respective engineered heart tissue construct a load is transferred to the respective piezoelectric element and the respective piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate and to output a corresponding electrical sensor signal characteristic of a change of the load over time applied to the respective first support element by the respective engineered heart tissue construct due to the contraction thereof, wherein the step of attaching each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct to a separate first support element comprises, for each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct, attaching the respective engineered heart tissue construct to at least one second support element, each being spaced with at least a portion thereof from the respective first support element and each engaging the respective engineered heart tissue construct at a location spaced from a location at which the respective first support element engages the respective engineered heart tissue construct, so that it is supported between the respective first support element and the respective at least one second support element, and - analyzing, by the electronic circuitry, for each of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct, the sensor signal output by the respective piezoelectric transducer and deriving, by the electronic circuitry, at least one contraction characteristic of said at least one engineered heart tissue construct on the basis of the analysis.