Emerging applications of femtosecond laser fabrication in neurobiological research

Mingzhen Tian; Zhuo-Chen Ma; Qingqing Han; Qian Suo; Zhijun Zhang; Bing Han

doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.1051061

Emerging applications of femtosecond laser fabrication in neurobiological research

Front Chem. 2022 Nov 4:10:1051061. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1051061. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Mingzhen Tian^{1

2}, Zhuo-Chen Ma^{1

3}, Qingqing Han^{1

3}, Qian Suo², Zhijun Zhang², Bing Han^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
² School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Automation, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

As a typical micro/nano processing technique, femtosecond laser fabrication provides the opportunity to achieve delicate microstructures. The outstanding advantages, including nanoscale feature size and 3D architecting, can bridge the gap between the complexity of the central nervous system in virto and in vivo. Up to now, various types of microstructures made by femtosecond laser are widely used in the field of neurobiological research. In this mini review, we present the recent advancement of femtosecond laser fabrication and its emerging applications in neurobiology. Typical structures are sorted out from nano, submicron to micron scale, including nanoparticles, micro/nano-actuators, and 3D scaffolds. Then, several functional units applied in neurobiological fields are summarized, such as central nervous system drug carriers, micro/nano robots and cell/tissue scaffolds. Finally, the current challenges and future perspective of integrated neurobiology research platform are discussed.

Keywords: 3D scaffolds; drug delivery; femtosecond laser fabrication; micro/nano-robots; micro/nano-structures; two-photon polymerization.

Publication types

Review