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Robotic cell transportation system based on micropipette resistance modeling
Qili Zhao1,2, Mengya Liu1,2, Ripeng Zhu1,2
1National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Engineering Research Center of Trusted Behavior Intelligence, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotic (tjKLIR), Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System (IRAIS), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
A new robotic system uses micropipette resistance to move cells without a microscope. This breakthrough enables automated cell engineering by transporting common-sized cells efficiently and safely.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Robotics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell transportation is crucial for cell engineering but typically requires microscope guidance.
- Existing automated systems are limited to giant cells due to micropipette design.
- Microscopic views are often unavailable in integrated, automated applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microscopic view-free robotic cell transportation system for common-sized cells.
- To enable automated cell engineering applications by overcoming current limitations.
- To establish a reliable method for cell handling without visual feedback.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a narrow-necked micropipette (NNM) for cell containment.
- Development of micropipette resistance models (gap, aspiration, injection) for precise cell manipulation.
- Establishment of a robotic process for landing, picking, and releasing cells without microscopic views.
Main Results:
- The system achieved a 100% success rate in landing on the cell plane.
- Common-sized cells (HeLa, porcine oocytes) were transported efficiently.
- Cell survival rates were maintained, comparable to microscope-guided methods.
Conclusions:
- The developed system successfully transports common-sized cells without microscopic vision.
- This technology is suitable for automated cell engineering and can be scaled for high-throughput applications.
- The micropipette resistance modeling approach offers a viable alternative to vision-based cell manipulation.
