Cell fixation and release by noncontact pressure control of untethred on-chip robot

Abstract

We have developed an on-chip micro-robot, which has ability of pipetting such as cell injection, local regent blow, enucleation, air bubble generator, piercing cells, and micro-manipulation, made by SU-8 photoresist for cloning, chimera technology, cell assays, and artificial lipid bilayer membrane making. We used the property of SU-8 which has a sufficient stiffness enough to penetrate cells as well as a sufficient softness enough to provide pumping functions, which is unlike a glass or silicon materials. Using this material, we improved our magnetically-driven micro-tool (MMT) as a multifunctional micro-tool.