Cylindrical Single-Degree-of-Freedom Spatial Mechanisms for Cell Restraint

Many transgenic animal production techniques require egg cells to be held in place during injection of the transgene. This paper presents a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mechanism that provides cell support, self-centers the cell, and requires a single linear input for actuation. This restraint device uses an innovative spatial mechanism, termed a cylindrical mechanism. The kinematics and design of the restraint are discussed. The MEMS cell restraints were fabricated using a surface micromachining process, after which the mechanism's cell support, self-centering of the cell, and motion were verified. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4006189]