Optical Micromachines for Biological Studies
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Date
2020-02-13
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
MDPI (Basel, Switzerland)
Rights
(c) 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access
article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
(CC BY) license.
Abstract
Optical tweezers have been used for biological studies since shortly after their inception. However, over the years research has suggested that the intense laser light used to create optical traps may damage the specimens being studied. This review aims to provide a brief overview of optical tweezers and the possible mechanisms for damage, and more importantly examines the role of optical micromachines as tools for biological studies. This review covers the achievements to date in the field of optical micromachines: improvements in the ability to produce micromachines, including multi-body microrobots; and design considerations for both optical microrobots and the optical trapping set-up used for controlling them are all discussed. The review focuses especially on the role of micromachines in biological research, and explores some of the potential that the technology has in this area.
Description
Keywords
optical tweezers, multi-component micromanipulators, radiation damage, life sciences, optical microrobots
Citation
MICROMACHINES, 2020, 11 (2)