Issue 10, 2009

SU-8 force sensing pillar arrays for biological measurements

Abstract

The generation and sensation of mechanical force plays a role in many dynamic biological processes, including touch sensation. This paper presents a two-axis micro strain gauge force sensor constructed from multiple layers of SU-8 and metal on quartz substrates. The sensor was designed to meet requirements for measuring tactile sensitivity and interaction forces exerted during locomotion by small organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The device is transparent and compatible with light microscopes, allowing behavioral experiments to be combined with quantitative force measurements. For the first time, we have characterized the scale of interaction forces generated in wild-type C. elegans in probing and responding to their environment during locomotion. The device features sub-µN force resolution from 1 Hz to 1 kHz, >25 µN range, kHz acquisition rates and biocompatibility.

Graphical abstract: SU-8 force sensing pillar arrays for biological measurements

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Oct 2008
Accepted
04 Feb 2009
First published
27 Feb 2009

Lab Chip, 2009,9, 1449-1454

SU-8 force sensing pillar arrays for biological measurements

J. C. Doll, N. Harjee, N. Klejwa, R. Kwon, S. M. Coulthard, B. Petzold, M. B. Goodman and B. L. Pruitt, Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 1449 DOI: 10.1039/B818622G

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