Department of Biological Functions and Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan.
Lab Chip. 2013 Mar 21;13(6):1070-8. doi: 10.1039/c2lc41190c.
In this paper, we propose a novel, magnetically driven microrobot equipped with a frame structure to measure the effects of stimulating aquatic microorganisms. The design and fabrication of the force-sensing structure with a displacement magnification mechanism based on beam deformation are described. The microrobot is composed of a Si-Ni hybrid structure constructed using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technologies. The microrobots with 5 μm-wide force sensors are actuated in a microfluidic chip by permanent magnets so that they can locally stimulate the microorganisms with the desired force within the stable environment of the closed microchip. They afford centimetre-order mobility (untethered drive) and millinewton-order forces (high power) as well as force-sensing. Finally, we apply the developed microrobots for the quantitative evaluation of the stimuation of Pleurosira laevis (P. laevis) and determine the relationship between the applied force and the response of a single cell.
本文提出了一种新型的磁驱动微机器人，该机器人配备了框架结构，用于测量刺激水生微生物的效果。描述了基于梁变形的位移放大机构的力传感结构的设计和制造。微机器人由使用微机电系统（MEMS）技术构建的 Si-Ni 混合结构组成。带有 5μm 宽力传感器的微机器人通过永磁体在微流控芯片中被驱动，以便它们可以在封闭微芯片的稳定环境中用所需的力局部刺激微生物。它们提供厘米级的移动性（无绳驱动）和毫牛顿级的力（高功率）以及力感测。最后，我们应用所开发的微机器人对 Pleurosira laevis（P. laevis）的刺激进行定量评估，并确定施加的力与单个细胞响应之间的关系。
