Multifunctional robotic micromanipulation system for automated cardiovascular disease therapy using zebrafish

This paper proposes a multifunctional robotic micromanipulation system for automated microinjection and cardiac rhythm monitoring of zebrafish larvae. An indirect localization method for zebrafish larval hearts is introduced, and a visual algorithm based on modulo operation is devised to locate the zebrafish atrium and ventricle accurately. For the first time, a batch of zebrafish larval yolk is injected and their cardiac rhythm is monitored during the entire developmental stages of zebrafish larvae, which is enabled by the developed robotic system. The system has been applied to investigate the effects of different concentrations of Tricaine (MS222) on zebrafish larvae and the influences of Aspirin on cardiovascular activities. It decreases the dosage by over 60% for heart disease treatment compared to traditional water-based administration. Experimental results verified the functionality and accuracy of the reported system, suggesting that the robotic micromanipulation system can effectively liberate human labor from complex and repetitive tasks.