An Automatic System for Batch Microinjection of Silkworm Eggs

摘要

In this paper, we report the development of a novel prototype micromanipulation system for automatic batch microinjection of silkworm (Bombyx mori) eggs. The automatic batch process is made possible by (i) incorporating vision feedback in the system to determine whether the penetration point is appropriate, (ii) exploiting the force trajectory associated with the microinjection process by integrating force sensing capability into the system to ascertain the success of piercing the silkworm eggshell, (iii) designing a unique microinjection procedure to improve the efficiency of the automatic batch process, and (iv) synthesizing a visual-servo control. The effectiveness of the prototype micromanipulation system has been demonstrated and quantified through a set of experiments that yielded statistically meaningful results. These results show that the proposed prototype system provides a potential practical engineering solution for high throughput microinjection.