DIY Micro Dispensing and Bio Printing

Robotics, Pipettes Medias and more for Micro Dispensing and Bio Printing
Automatic liquid handling or microdispensing of small liquid amounts is useful in the production of biochips, Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC), biosensors and for tissue engineering. Crucial elements are: - Precise manipulation / XY(Z) robotics - Micro-dispensing and other formes liquid manipulation - Printing medias



Robotic Stage


Small and precise mechanical manipulator made from recycled material and using open hard and software.

Basic principle: - Two CD / DVD drives with stepper motor mounted cross wise - Both drives are mounted fix, one is the object carrier the other is the manipulator - Two stepper motor drivers (ex. pololu 4988) with micro stepping - RepRap driver-software teacup on an arduino board - G-Code may be generated with InkScape and G-Code plugin - Controlled by ReplicatorG using G-Code

Printer in action video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E39qfKR-5s4

Calibration Measurement. With a micro stepping motor driver a precision of less than 60 um can be achieved.

Screenshot with ReplicatorG and WebCam image "Printed" sample

Comercial Dispensing Robot from MicroDrop at Ecole Polytechnique Federal Lausanne (EPFL)

Can be used for: - Laser cutting masks or light materials using a DVD-laser-diode Here an istruction on how to make a laser cutter: DIY Micro Laser Cutter - Manipulate organisms or material - Stage for microscopy - Tissue engineering (yeah yeah we print some fungi :-) - Mini extruder - SMD pick and place / stencil cutter

Some link to sources:

RepRap G-Code: http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#T:_Select_Tool Teacup Firmware: http://reprap.org/wiki/Teacup_Firmware Pololu Motor Driver: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1201 InkScape to G-Code: http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?InkscapeHowto ReplicatorG Printing Program http://replicat.org/

Micro-Dispensing


First try printing tip made from glas tubing First try DIY piezo nozzle (does not work properly) Tip holding mechanism

Printing medias


Funghi growing on polyvinyl with LB-Medium



Related Links
DIY Laser Cutter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imajilon/2210335514/in/photostream/ RepRap Laser Sintering: http://builders.reprap.org/2010/08/selective-laser-sintering-part-8.html RepRap Tissue Engineering: http://forums.reprap.org/list.php?194 DIY Piezo Printhead http://reprap.org/wiki/Scratchbuilt_Piezo_Printhead Comercial dispensing robots and piezo nozzles http://www.microdrop.de/ Growing Body Parts in the Lab Becomes Reality http://www.worldhealth.net/news/growing_body_parts_in_the_lab_becomes_re/ Controlling FIAlab Devices for Microfluidics http://88proof.com/synthetic_biology/blog/archives/407 Are Mushrooms The New Plastic http://www.ted.com/talks/eben_bayer_are_mushrooms_the_new_plastic.html easy-to-use atomic force microscopes (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) http://www.nanosurf.com/ Hollow cantilever for liquid dispensing http://www.cytosurge.com/ General cell printing using an ink-jet http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120316112648.htm