Microfabricated cantilevers for measurement of subcellular and molecular forces

Author

Fauver, Mark E. ; Dunaway, Dwayne L. ; Lilienfeld, David H. ; Craighead, Harold G. ; Pollack, Gerald H.

Author_Institution

Center for Bioeng., Washington Univ., Seattle, WA, USA

Volume

45

Issue

7

fYear

1998

fDate

7/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

891

Lastpage

898

Abstract

We present two new microfabricated cantilever-beam force transducers. The transducers were fabricated from thin silicon-nitride films, and were used respectively to measure forces generated by two small-muscle preparations: the single myofibril, and the single actin filament in contact with a myosin-coated surface. A simple resonance method was developed to characterize the transducers. Because of the high reproducibility of lever dimensions and the consistency of the modulus of elasticity, few calibration measurements sufficed to characterize the stiffness of all the levers on a single wafer.

Keywords

biological techniques; biomechanics; biosensors; cellular biophysics; force measurement; microsensors; molecular biophysics; nanotechnology; proteins; silicon compounds; thin film devices; thin films; transducers; Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/; calibration measurements; lever dimensions; microfabricated cantilever-beam force transducers; modulus of elasticity; molecular forces; myosin-coated surface; simple resonance method; single actin filament; single myofibril; single wafer; small-muscle preparations; stiffness; subcellular forces; thin Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ films; Biomedical optical imaging; Calibration; Charge carrier processes; Force measurement; Glass; Needles; Optical feedback; Optical films; Reproducibility of results; Transducers; Calibration; Cytology; Elasticity; Equipment Design; Fluorescence; Materials Testing; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Microscopy, Video; Myofibrils; Reproducibility of Results; Silicon; Surface Properties; Transducers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Biomedical Engineering, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9294

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/10.686797

Filename

686797