Mobile Microrobots for <i>In Vitro</i> Biomedical Applications: A Survey

Abstract

The demand in the biomedical field for fast and precise devices for <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in vitro</i> applications has increased in recent years. Mobile microrobots are significantly suitable for such applications and are developing rapidly. These microrobots offer untethered actuation toward a contamination-free environment while allowing for fast and precise handling of biological entities for applications such as positioning, sensing, delivery, and cell surgery that are highly effective for new drug discoveries and improving our understanding of cells’ behavior on the single-cell level. Here, we present a review of the recent state of the art in the actuation and implementation of mobile microrobots for <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in vitro</i> applications. We first explore the widely used methods of wireless actuation. Next, we address the challenge of implementing an on-board interaction technique to handle the target biological entity without affecting the actuation of the microrobot. Finally, we discuss the future directions that would draw the basic outline for the next generation of mobile microrobots for <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in vitro</i> applications.