Low-Cost Manipulator and Mini-Tool System for Submillimeter Biomedical Samples

描述（由申请人提供）：优点：总体目标是开发一种低成本的全机械手动操作器和微型工具系统，以满足生物医学研究中对0.01至1 mm大小的小型生物标本进行动态操作的需求。从植物或动物的组织样本（细胞组合）;从电泳凝胶或染色体的一部分分离条带;分类和挑选纳米化石;从复杂的环境样品中分离单个小生物，用于基因组分析。其目标是建立一个有效的、强大的系统，使广大用户受益，并负担得起。总的办法是利用以下商业技术：用于人眼内玻璃体视网膜手术的商业小型工具，包括多种样式的毫米级剪刀和镊子;驱动玻璃体视网膜微型工具的微型遥控液压致动器的金属波纹管;在动态操作方面具有特殊优势的缩放式手动显微操作器;以及使用2个弧形轨道的可移动基座，将样品和工具放置在球坐标空间的中心，从而允许工具的姿态在大范围的角度上重新定向。这些工具，致动器，机械手和基地一起将形成一个完整的低成本的全机械系统，用于执行常见的动态操作的显微标本从几个领域的生物医学研究。价格低于2000美元是一个目标。PI开发了一种创新的方法来改进缩放仪操纵器，使其能够将手部运动减少50倍，比目前仅允许4倍运动减少的设计提高了> 10倍。项目管理：PI将执行具体目标#1和6，以评估不同类型和品牌的商业玻璃体视网膜仪器尖端，并在生物组织上测试产品的功能。评价将纳入优化产品。目标2，3，4，&5，涉及设计和制造特定的机械部件，根据本申请中包括的设计，将由商业合同工程公司，或由校内机械车间在部门进行。俄亥俄州大学物理学和天文学系。更广泛的影响：该项目可能会产生可商业化的专利产品。另一个目的是延长那些可能因年龄等原因而失去进行涉及人工操作生物样品的研究能力的熟练研究人员的职业生涯。该项目将为工程或物理本科生提供有吸引力的跨学科教育和培训机会。 公共卫生相关性：（申请人提供）：该项目可能会产生可商业化的专利产品。另一个目的是延长那些可能因年龄等原因而失去进行涉及人工操作生物样品的研究能力的熟练研究人员的职业生涯。该项目将提供有吸引力的跨学科的教育和培训机会，工程或物理本科生被录用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Merits: The general aim is to develop a low-cost all-mechanical manual manipulator & mini-tool system that addresses demonstrated needs in biomedical research for dynamic operations on small biological specimens in the size range of 0.01 to 1 mm. Examples include: dissecting small organs (cell assemblages) of tissue samples from plants or animals; isolating bands from electrophoresis gels, or parts of chromosomes; sorting and picking nanofossils; separation of single small organisms from complex environmental samples, for genomic analysis. The goal is to produce an effective robust system that would benefit a broad user community, and would be affordable. The general approach will be to exploit commercial technologies for: commercial small tools for vitreoretinal surgery inside human eyes, including millimeter-scale scissors & forceps of many styles; metal bellows, to drive a miniature remote control hydraulic actuator for the vitreoretinal mini-tools; pantograph manual micromanipulators, which have special advantages for dynamic operations; and a movable base that uses 2 arc-shaped tracks, places the specimen and tool at the center of a spherical-coordinate space, and thereby allows the pose of a tool to be reoriented over a large range of angles. These tools, actuator, manipulator, and base together will form a complete low-cost all-mechanical system for performing common dynamic operations on microscopic specimens from several realms of biomedical research. A price tag below $2000 is a goal. The PI has developed an innovative approach to improving pantograph manipulators, to make them capable of 50x reduction of hand motion, a >10x improvement over current designs which allow only 4x motion reduction. Project Management: The PI will carry out specific aims #1 & 6, to evaluate different styles & brands of commercial vitreoretinal instrument tips, and to test on biological tissues the functionality of products. Evaluations would be incorporated into optimized products. Aims 2,3,4,&5, involving design and fabrication of specific mechanical parts, according to the designs included in this application, will be carried out by commercial contract engineering firms, or by the on-campus mechanical shop in the Dept. of Physics & Astronomy at Ohio University. Broader Impacts: This project may lead to patentable products that could be commercialized. Another aim is to extend the careers of skilled researchers who may lose the ability to carry out research involving manual manipulation of biological samples, e.g. with age. 7 The project will provide attractive interdisciplinary educational and training opportunities for the engineering or physics undergraduate student to be hired. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: (provided by applicant): This project may lead to patentable products that could be commercialized. Another aim is to extend the careers of skilled researchers who may lose the ability to carry out research involving manual manipulation of biological samples, e.g. with age. The project will provide attractive interdisciplinary educational and training opportunities for the engineering or physics undergraduate student to be hired.