From the 63rd International Symposium and Exhibition of AVS

Microgripper "Hand"

Researchers will explain the effort to develop “microgripper hand” that can travel through the circulatory system

EMBARGOED for release until 10a.m. Eastern Time on November 10, 2016

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Newswise — Washington, D. C., November 10, 2016— It has taken over a decade to develop the “microgripper hand,” but this tiny, star-shaped hand will do more than just grab hold or things. This "hand" is the size of a speck of dust, can travel within the circulatory system, can fold around a targeted tissue or cell, and even biopsy it.

During the AVS 63rd International Symposium and Exhibition being held November 6-11, 2016 , in Nashville, Tennessee, David Gracias of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore will explain the decade-long effort of his laboratory to develop a “microgripper hand” that can do all of these tasks.

“We fabricate the star-shaped grippers from biocompatible metals or polymers, and even bioresorbable [that can be absorbed by the body] silicon-based materials, using techniques similar to those that produce microchips,” Gracias said. “Our grippers require no batteries, wires, or tethers to operate; physiological stimuli such as body temperature causes their ‘fingers’ to close around tissue or even a single cell.”

Gracias and his colleagues have demonstrated the feasibility of their grippers by using them to capture single mouse fibroblast cells (which produce collagen) in culture, collect individual red cells from blood samples and biopsy cells from the colon and esophagus of a live pig.

###Presentation MN+BI-ThM10, "Biopsy with Untethered Microgrippers," by David Gracias is at 11:00 a.m. CDT, Nov. 10, 2016, in Room 102BMORE ABOUT THE AVS 63rd INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM & EXHIBITIONThe symposium is being held November 6-11, 2016, in Nashville, Tennessee

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ABOUT AVS As an interdisciplinary, professional Society, AVS supports networking among academic, industrial, government, and consulting professionals involved in a variety of disciplines - chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, all engineering disciplines, business, sales, etc. through common interests related to the basic science, technology development, and commercialization of materials, interfaces, and processing area.

Founded in 1953, AVS is organized into technical divisions and technical groups that encompass a range of established as well as emerging science and technology areas. There are also regional chapters, international chapters and affiliates, and student chapters that promote communication and networking for professionals and students within a geographical region. AVS is comprised of approximately 4,500 members worldwide.

AVS is a member society of the American Institute of Physics with additional benefits for our members. For more information about AVS, visit our website at http://www.avs.org