Automatic control of mechanical forces acting on cell biomembranes using a vision‐guided microrobotic system in computer microscopy

Abstract

A prototype for automatic control of mechanical forces acting on cell biomembranes is proposed in this paper. This prototype consists of vision-guided position control of the holder and micro-force sensor, automatic mechanical property characterization of cell biomembranes and automatic control of mechanical forces acting on cell biomembranes. A template-free calibration method and autofocusing of multiple objects are introduced in the vision-guided position control to minimize external biological contamination and position the cell, holder and micro-force sensor into the same focal plane, respectively. A third-order polynomial modified from biomembrane point-load model describing the relationship between the measured mechanical force and the deformations of biomembranes is proposed. This simplified model is easily identified and inversed to facilitate the automatic control of mechanical forces. Experimental results based on zebrafish embryos demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed prototype.