Development of micromanipulation tools for biological samples by microstereolithography

Abstract

In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) micromanipulator mounted on a glass capillary is developed for handling biological samples such as spheroids and embryos. To fabricate the micromanipulator, we developed an additive manufacturing system based on high-resolution microstereolithography using a 405-nm blue laser. Using this fabrication system, the micromaniplulator mounted on a glass capillary was fabricated. We demonstrated the capture and release of a spheroid with the micromanipulator. It was confirmed that spheroids could be easily handled by a simple operation with minimal damage using a cage-like multiple finger structure. Additive manufacturing of tailor-made micromanipulators mounted on a glass capillary will be useful for biological and tissue engineering researches.