Development of Micro-Grippers for Tissue and Cell Manipulation with Direct Morphological Comparison
TL;DR: A new approach to tissue and cell manipulation is presented, which employs a conceptually new conjugate surfaces flexure hinge (CSFH) silicon MEMS-based technology micro-gripper that solves most of the above-mentioned problems.
Abstract: Although tissue and cell manipulation nowadays is a common task in biomedical analysis, there are still many different ways to accomplish it, most of which are still not sufficiently general, inexpensive, accurate, efficient or effective. Several problems arise both for in vivo or in vitro analysis, such as the maximum overall size of the device and the gripper jaws (like in minimally-invasive open biopsy) or very limited manipulating capability, degrees of freedom or dexterity (like in tissues or cell-handling operations). This paper presents a new approach to tissue and cell manipulation, which employs a conceptually new conjugate surfaces flexure hinge (CSFH) silicon MEMS-based technology micro-gripper that solves most of the above-mentioned problems. The article describes all of the phases of the development, including topology conception, structural design, simulation, construction, actuation testing and in vitro observation. The latter phase deals with the assessment of the function capability, which consists of taking a series of in vitro images by optical microscopy. They offer a direct morphological comparison between the gripper and a variety of tissues.
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TL;DR: This paper is concentrated on reviewing the state-of-the-art research on complaint micro-/nano-positioning stage design in recent years and involves the major processes and components for designing a compliant positioning stage, e.g., actuator selection, stroke amplifier design, connecting scheme of the multi-DOF stage and structure optimization.
Abstract: Micromanipulation is a hot topic due to its enabling role in various research fields. In order to perform a high precision operation at a small scale, compliant mechanisms have been proposed and applied for decades. In microscale manipulation, micro-/nano-positioning is the most fundamental operation because a precision positioning is the premise of subsequent operations. This paper is concentrated on reviewing the state-of-the-art research on complaint micro-/nano-positioning stage design in recent years. It involves the major processes and components for designing a compliant positioning stage, e.g., actuator selection, stroke amplifier design, connecting scheme of the multi-DOF stage and structure optimization. The review provides a reference to design a compliant micro-/nano-positioning stage for pertinent applications.
59 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the fabrication of a novel class of micro grippers is demonstrated by means of bulk microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology using silicon on insulator wafer substrates and deep reactive ion etching.
Abstract: The fabrication of a novel class of microgrippers is demonstrated by means of bulk microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology using silicon on insulator wafer substrates and deep reactive ion etching. Hard masking is implemented to maximize the selectivity of the bulk etching using sputtered aluminum and aluminum–titanium thin films. The micro-roughness problem related to the use of metal mask is addressed by testing different mask combinations and etching parameters. The O2 flow, SF6 pressure, wafer temperature, and bias power are examined, and the effect of each parameter on micro-masking is assessed. Sidewall damage associated with the use of a metal mask is eliminated by interposing a dielectric layer between silicon substrate and metal mask. Dedicated comb-drive anchors are implemented to etch safely both silicon sides down to the buried oxide, and to preserve the wafer integrity until the final wet release of the completed structures. A first set of complete devices is realized and tested under electrical actuation. [2017-0039]
54 citations
Cites background or methods from "Development of Micro-Grippers for T..."
...A former prototype of MEMS-Technology based microgripper, together with the adopted design criteria [11], has been obtained by using a non-optimized fabrication process with Aluminum masking for DRIE....
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...For this type of structure, larger and more complex than that reported in [11], a process optimization must be adopted to obtain sufficient yield, a smooth patterning and a controlled release of the complete devices....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a comprehensive review on the design and development of micro displacement amplification mechanisms, including bridge type mechanism, positioning stage amplification mechanism, Scott-Russell mechanism, mechanisms with micro-lever micromechanical levers concept, multi-stage force displacement amplification mechanism and thermally actuated displacement amplification.
Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive review on the design and development of micro displacement amplification mechanisms. Micro displacement amplification mechanisms are gaining importance in MEMS applications where motion precision, reliability, accuracy, and compactness are needed. These displacement amplification mechanisms improve the sensitivity of micro-sensors and voltage stroke ratio of micro actuators. There advantages have opened doors for new and improved micro devices with unprecedented performance. In this paper, we have reviewed compliant displacement amplification mechanisms including bridge type mechanism, positioning stage amplification mechanism, Scott–Russell mechanism, mechanisms with micro-lever micromechanical levers concept, multi-stage force displacement amplification mechanism, hydraulic displacement amplification mechanism and thermally actuated displacement amplification mechanism. Different displacement amplification mechanisms incorporated with micro grippers, micro actuators especially piezoelectric are reviewed in detail.
48 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the best known elasticity data for silicon, both in depth and in a summary form, so that it may be readily accessible to MEMS designers.
Abstract: The Young's modulus (E) of a material is a key parameter for mechanical engineering design. Silicon, the most common single material used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), is an anisotropic crystalline material whose material properties depend on orientation relative to the crystal lattice. This fact means that the correct value of E for analyzing two different designs in silicon may differ by up to 45%. However, perhaps, because of the perceived complexity of the subject, many researchers oversimplify silicon elastic behavior and use inaccurate values for design and analysis. This paper presents the best known elasticity data for silicon, both in depth and in a summary form, so that it may be readily accessible to MEMS designers.
1,741 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an overview of strategies for powering MEMS via non-regenerative and regenerative power supplies, along with recent advancements, and discuss future trends and applications for piezoelectric energy harvesting technology.
Abstract: Power consumption is forecast by the International Technology Roadmap of Semiconductors (ITRS) to pose long-term technical challenges for the semiconductor industry. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide an overview of strategies for powering MEMS via non-regenerative and regenerative power supplies; (2) to review the fundamentals of piezoelectric energy harvesting, along with recent advancements, and (3) to discuss future trends and applications for piezoelectric energy harvesting technology. The paper concludes with a discussion of research needs that are critical for the enhancement of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices.
1,151 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the work presented in this paper has been largely developed in the context of the joint IEA SHC Task40/ECBCS Annex52: Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings.
771 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the design, fabrication and experimental results of lateral-comb-drive actuators for large displacements at low driving voltages are presented, and the lateral large deflection behaviour of clamped -clamped beams and a folded flexure design is modelled.
Abstract: The design, fabrication and experimental results of lateral-comb-drive actuators for large displacements at low driving voltages is presented. A comparison of several suspension designs is given, and the lateral large deflection behaviour of clamped - clamped beams and a folded flexure design is modelled. An expression for the axial spring constant of folded flexure designs including bending effects from lateral displacements, which reduce the axial stiffness, is also derived. The maximum deflection that can be obtained by comb-drive actuators is bounded by electromechanical side instability. Expressions for the side-instability voltage and the resulting displacement at side instability are given. The electromechanical behaviour around the resonance frequency is described by an equivalent electric circuit. Devices are fabricated by polysilicon surface micromachining techniques using a one-mask fabrication process. Static and dynamic properties are determined experimentally and are compared with theory. Static properties are determined by displacement-to-voltage, capacitance-to-voltage and pull-in voltage measurements. Using a one-port approach, dynamic properties are extracted from measured admittance plots. Typical actuator characteristics are deflections of about at driving voltages around 20 V, a resonance frequency around 1.6 kHz and a quality factor of approximately 3.
611 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a microgripper with integrated force feedback along two axes was used for force-controlled micro-grasping at the nanonewton force level, and the system manipulates highly deformable biomaterials (porcine interstitial cells) in an aqueous environment.
Abstract: As mechanical end-effectors, microgrippers enable the pick–transport–place of micrometer-sized objects, such as manipulation and positioning of biological cells in an aqueous environment. This paper reports on a monolithic MEMS-based microgripper with integrated force feedback along two axes and presents the first demonstration of force- controlled micro-grasping at the nanonewton force level. The system manipulates highly deformable biomaterials (porcine interstitial cells) in an aqueous environment using a microgripper that integrates a V-beam electrothermal microactuator and two capacitive force sensors, one for contact detection (force resolution: 38.5 nN) and the other for gripping force measurements (force resolution: 19.9 nN). The MEMS-based microgripper and the force control system experimentally demonstrate the capability of rapid contact detection and reliable force-controlled micrograsping to accommodate variations in size and mechanical properties of objects with a high reproducibility.
308 citations