MEMS Based Microneedle Actuator with Piezoresistive Force Feedback System for Biomedical Applications

This paper presents a novel design of MEMS based microneedle actuator with force feedback system which can be used for biomedical applications such as cell manipulation, drug delivery and DNA injection. The actuation mechanism of microneedle is driven by two electrostatic comb actuators. Since the manipulated objects are very sensitive, and can be easily damaged, it’s essential to have a force feedback system in the micro actuator to avoid unnecessary deformations. Piezoresistive sensing elements are used for the force feedback of the system. The proposed system was simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software considering the anisotropic material properties and the nonlinear behavior of coupled physics. Different configurations of force sensing elements were simulated to identify most suitable configuration with higher resolution.