All-silicon microforce sensor for bio applications

It is well known that for precise biological cell injection the applied forces should be exactly controlled in any specific case. In this paper we present design, prototyping, calibration and testing of a microforce sensor, which fulfils the requirements for injection monitoring of biological cells. It is an axial all-silicon piezoresistive Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device. The layout of the all-silicon force sensor is adapted for operation at partial dipping in biochemical solutions. A prototype of this sensor is investigated and its parameters are measured. To verify the applicability of the MEMS for bio-applications, it was used in force monitoring injection of Xenopus Oocyte cells. Force measurements during the injection process and interpretation of the force-penetration curve are presented and discussed. Thus, it has been experimentally proved that the developed all-silicon force sensor can be successfully applied for force monitoring in different bio-applications.