MEMS electrothermal actuators for underwater manipulation and mechanical characterisation of human red blood cells

Abstract

This work presents two MEMS electrothermal actuators with novel end-effector configurations for potential use in micromanipulation and mechanical characterisation procedures of soft, temperature-sensitive micro-objects such as biological cells. The intended function is for the devices to operate in aqueous solutions, therefore making them also attractive for biomedical applications. The designs incorporate an electrothermal driver consisting of a cascaded V-shaped mechanism and are manufactured using commercially available silicon-on-insulator fabrication processes. Their potential for use in fully submerged conditions within the biomedical industry is verified with the use of numerical models consisting of finite element solvers.