Force analysis and path planning of the trapped cell in robotic manipulation with optical tweezers

Abstract

Laser trapping in the near infrared regime is a noninvasive and convenient manipulation tool, which can be utilized as micromanipulator for a large number of biological applications. Increasing demands for both accuracy and efficiency in cell manipulation highlight the need for automation process that integrates robotics and tweezers technologies. In this paper, we propose a robotic manipulation system with optical tweezers, and analyze the force applied on the trapped cell for design of an optimal trapping strategy. The dynamic motion of the cell with consideration of both the trapping and the viscous forces is analyzed, based on which the motion profile of the motorized stage is designed to ensure both safety and efficiency of the cell delivery. A modified A-star algorithm is used for path planning in transporting cells. Experiments are performed on manipulating the yeast cells to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.