Researchers at Anhui University and the University of Science and Technology of
China used a femtosecond-laser composite manufacturing process for
fiber-integrated devices to fabricate a three-dimensional microtweezer on the
tip of a commercial optical fiber, published in Nature. The device delivers
output forces more than 100,000 times those of conventional optical tweezers and
enables high-precision, low-damage, programmable 3D manipulation of micron-scale
targets, precise assembly of complex microstructures, single-cell manipulation
and micro-sampling inside ~100-micron confined spaces. Authors cite application
relevance for micro-manipulation, microsystems assembly, life-science handling
and minimally invasive medical procedures.
