Abstract
This paper reports a monolithic, force-feedback MEMS (microelectomechanical systems) microgripper and its application to micro-scale compression testing of swollen hydrogel microcapsules during manipulation in an aqueous environment. The single-chip microgripper uses an electrothermal microactuator for grasping and integrates two capacitive force sensors, one for contact detection (force resolution: 38.5nN) and the other for gripping force measurements (force resolution: 19.9nN). Using the force-feedback microgripper and a mechanics model for assessing large deformation data, the system with a 19.9nN force resolution and a 20.5nm resolution for material deformation measurement quantified Young's modulus values of individual alginate microcapsules (15-25microm) with 1%, 2%, and 3% chitosan coating, demonstrating an easy-to-operate, accurate compression testing technique for mechanically characterizing soft, micrometer-sized biomaterials.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1845-1848 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Signal Processing
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
- Health Informatics