Design of a novel mems-based microgripper with hybrid actuation to determine circulating tumor cell (CTC) progression

Abstract

Cancer is the second greatest cause of death worldwide in 2018. Metastasis is the stage of a cancer when the tumor cells parted from a static tumor spreads around the body through blood. These traveling vessels are known as CTCs, and they are found to be softer compared to cells which aren’t malignant. This paper proposes a microgripper system with a hybrid actuation mechanism to determine CTC progression. Piezoelectric and electrostatic actuation is combined to generate the desired motion of the microgripper. A sensing system based on a piezoresistive sensor and an electrostatic comb drive is embedded into the system to determine the stiffness of the CTC. A fabrication method for the microgripper system is further proposed through the research.