Soft micro-fingers integrated with fiberscope for both manipulation and in-situ observation of bio-particle

In this study, soft micro-fingers for the manipulation of bio-particle, such as cellular aggregates, were investigated. To ensure the reliability of biological products, the micro-fingers were integrated (for the first time ever) with a fiberscope for in-situ observation of an object captured by the micro-fingers. As a result, the cell activity and the viability of cell aggregates can be observed. The soft micro-fingers were driven by a pneumatic balloon actuator composed of polydimethylsiloxane. The designed dimensions of a single micro-finger were 600 μm × 1000 μm. A socket-like interconnection for the fiberscope was integrated between two micro-fingers. Cellular aggregates in a micro-well plate was successfully manipulated and observed using the developed micro-fingers. The viability of the cellular aggregates was evaluated using fluorescence staining. Furthermore, an array of micro-fingers was also designed and implemented for high throughput manipulation of bio-particle.