Design and Fabrication of Multi-Functional Optical Microbots

Microrobotics has evolved as an interesting research area with the development of new microfabrication techniques and the applicability of these micro units to real-world applications. Among the other types of micro-robotics, the light-actuated microbot is widely studied for its promise of biocompatibility, real-time control, live feedback, etc. With regards to optically controlled microbots, they utilize tightly focused laser beams for micro/nano-scale motion. A microbot that can perform different tasks improves the applicability of these micro-agents to different applications from micro-manipulation to some interesting biomedical applications. Many researchers believe that, with proper engineering, these microbots can be used for cancer treatment and diagnosis in a non-invasive manner. In this study, multi-functional microbots have been developed mainly focusing on biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery, cell characterization, and cell manipulation. Two-photon polymerization has been utilized for fabricating three-dimensional microbots using bio-compatible materials. Multiple optical traps were generated using a low-cost modular optical tweezer system and time-shared optical trapping is used to control the microbots. This study gives a glimpse into the future possibilities of using light-actuated microbots to perform complex therapeutic tasks.