Cell image recognition and visual servo control for automated cell injection

This paper presents a micro-robotic bio-manipulation system for automated cell injection, addressing two key challenges. First, this paper reports a human interference-free determination of material deposition destinations based on image processing of the cell structures. Depending on the applications, foreign materials could be deposited inside the nucleus of the cell or outside but still inside the cytoplasm of the cell. Recognition of the nucleoli boundary brings us basic cell structure information, which consequently provides high flexibility to determine the deposition destinations, with no need of the destinations to be selected by an operator. Second, the paper presents a visual servo control design which moves the micropipette tip to the targeted position and deposits foreign materials to that point autonomously. The visual servo control allows the motion settle time within 0.5 sec., with an accuracy of one pixel, which are highly desirable in automated cell injection applications.