Manufacture of cell fusion device utilizing mechanical fabrication and FIB fabrication

We manufactured preliminary cell fusion device utilizing mechanical fabrication and FIB (Focused-Ion Beam) fabrication instead of PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) stamp fabrication. In general, bio devices are made in several days utilizing the PDMS stamp fabrication. The purpose of this study is to manufacture micro bio device precisely and rapidly. In this paper, we tried to apply mechanical fabrication and FIB fabrication for making a cell fusion device. We made micro channels utilizing the mechanical fabrication. The material of the device in this case was acryl. Because acryl was elastic in room temperature, it was difficult to make a device precisely by mechanical fabrication in room temperature. So, the channels were made in cooling condition. The depth and the width of the channels were about 50 μm. After the process of mechanical fabrication was completed, the process of FIB fabrication was carried out to make the part of cell fusion. This combined fabrication method has good merits. Those are rapid and easy fabrication and possibility of re-fabrication. The latter merit is positive for ecology because error devices have possibility of availability instead of waste.