Three Dimensional Polymer-based Micro/Nano Devices for Future Biomedicine

We have been developing "optically-driven micro/nano robotic devices" working in water. A real three dimensional micro fabrication process using photo curable polymer "micro/nano stereolithography " developed by the author's group is utilized. This process achieved 100 nm in 3D resolution and the freely movable micro/nano structures can be fabricated without any assembling or bonding process. Nano tweezers/needle with 2 D.O.F (degrees of freedom) and nano robot hand with 3 D.O.F. were successfully fabricated and verified to control. Several kind of "living cells" and delicate biological materials can be remotely handled. The sub-pN range real-time force sensing system has been developed and force measuring ability during micro operation of living cell was succeeded. Mechanical property of the yeast cell and red blood cell were measured successfully. Theses results bring new aspect to cellular biology, because the mechanical data became more important in that leading edge. The optical-driven micro/nano tools should contribute to cellular biology as well as biomedical tools.
The another significant contribution of the newly developed 3D nano fabrication is the Tissue Engineering micro devices. The advanced biochemical IC chip-set for "on chip cell-free protein synthesis" and "Proteomic device" to analyze protein of the cells were developed. And poison-free process was found to utilize commercial photo curable polymers for cell-compatible devices.
Next, new 3D nano fabrication process named "MeME" process family has developed. This process can make a membrane-based micro fluidics and structure using biodegradable polymers such as PLA. Various kinds of micro/nano devices for advanced tissue engineering have been developed. Some devices will be introduced.

Professor Koji Ikuta received his first B.S. in Material Science and Engineering, and his second B.S. and M.S. in Biophysical Engineering in 1977,1979 and 1981 respectively from Osaka University. He received a Ph.D in Control Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1987. He joined the Center for Robotic Systems in Microelectronics at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1987. He was an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo and an associate professor at Kyusyu Institute of Technology. He has moved to Nagoya University as a full professor at the new department of micro/nano system engineering in 1994. He have moved to the University of Tokyo to upgrade his research from April in 2010.
He was awarded more than 30 academic prizes for his outstanding research in biomedical micro machines (Bio-MEMS) and medical robotics from government and academic societies such as the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and several foundations. Outstanding Researcher Prize from Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, The Achievement award from American Association on Laboratory Automation and Best paper award from Japan Society of Robots etc. He received a Purple Medal from Japanese Emperor in 2010.