This study proposes a novel strategy for cross-scale position of robotic micromanipulation. The strategy utilizes multiple-scale augmented reality (AR) markers for locating the robotic manipulator on different scales. The macro-marker (3.0 cm-per side, 5 mm×5 mm each square) is applied to position the robot to the microscopic manipulation area. The micro-marker (2.4 mm-per side, 400 μm×400 μm each square) is used for positioning the end-effector under microscopic view. After the fabrication of the markers, the camera's internal parameter matrix was first calibrated. Subsequently, we conducted the detection effect of macro- and micro-markers. Since the observation effect of micro-markers is different under the microscope, the detection distance of the micro-marker was corrected and compensated, and the fixed reference marker was introduced for the correction in different focus heights. Finally, based on detection markers, a robotic manipulator, integrated with a microfluidic chip as an end-effector, was employed to demonstrate the micromanipulation of loading oocytes. The proposed strategy has a potential application in the biology laboratory automation.

This study proposes a novel movable microfluidic chip in which a microfluidic chip is integrated into a robotic manipulator for manipulating oocytes. The microfluidic device has the ability to release a single oocyte with a gap effect. The robotic manipulator can control the position of the microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip with a pipette tip is directly fabricated using 3D printing. Xenopus oocyte was used in the experiment. When oocytes move from the back side of the channel to the front side, they generate gaps between each other. The gap distance can reach about 16 times the diameter of the oocyte. In addition, a capacitive sensor was used to detect oocytes in the manipulation processes. The results showed that oocytes were successfully released one by one with no deformation in shape using the movable microfluidic chip. The method has significant advantages in biomedicine engineering and micro-nano-manipulation.

This paper presented the three-dimensional oocyte manipulation system for the two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) experiment under stereomicroscopy. We firstly developed a sequential calibration method to correlate the workspace of the stereomicroscopy with the image and the micromanipulator. Even though the focal depth of the microscopy was limited, the proposed method functioned the three-dimensional position detection and calculated the homogeneous transformation matrix. We secondly employed hybrid use of the image-based manipulation and the quartz crystal resonator (QCR) force sensor. The imaging technique was used to detect the tip of the glass capillary and the contact to the cell membrane, whereas the QCR force sensor was incorporated to detect the force interaction between the sample and the glass capillary. Using the system and proposed technique, we demonstrated the automatic capillary insertion for TEVC experiment, at which the low insertion depth was preferable. The results indicated that the coordination calibration technique provided the positioning accuracy of the capillary tip on the order of 10 μm. The imaging technique could detect the contact to the elastic objects and cell membrane. QCR force sensor achieved quite small force measurement and feedback control at the control frequency of 100 Hz without latency.

This paper proposed a technique to introduce the membrane protein into the lab-on-chip analysis system having a planar lipid bilayer. The proposed technique utilized a dielectrophoretic(DEP) force generated by the asymmetric configuration of the solid electrodes on the aqueous buffer separator. By applying the alternating current to the separator and the counter electrode, we manipulated liposomes that could host the membrane proteins on the surface. The key point for the dielectrophoretic manipulation on this system was the effective configuration of the droplet separator having the taperedge on the contour of the micropore. This configuration made a strong interpenetrating DEP force at the lipid bilayer, and prompted the fusion of liposome into the lipid bilayer. The separator was fabricated by micromachining techniques. Using the separator, we formed the lipid bilayer without evading the solid electrode on the surface. Finally, we elucidated the introduction of the liposome by monitoring with the optical microscopy.

This paper proposes the method for mechanical characterization of floating cells on a microfluidic chip. We measured the reactive force of cells on the chip by applying mechanical deformation to the cells. Particularly we focused on the method to improve the sensing resolution of the probe position by using the phase detection of moiré fringe. This method realized approximately ten times higher resolution compared to the previous method. The detailed data suggest some unique characteristics of cells. We discussed the phenomenon seen on the data with a mechanical model, which is based on Heltzian contact theory in the light of stiff nucleus.