Cell injection plays an important role in genetics,
transgenics, molecular biology, drug discovery, reproductive
study, and other biomedical fields. Compared with manual cell
microinjection and robotic cell microinjection with sole position
feedback, force-assisted robotic cell microinjection can improve
the success rate and survival rate of cell injection. In this paper,
the state-of-the-art research on microinjection of both adherent
cells and suspended cells with microforce sensing techniques is
reviewed. The significance of force sensors in the robotic cell
injection system is also discussed. Five types of prevalent force
sensing methods and their applications in cell microinjection are
reviewed. The challenges and promising solutions in automating
the cell microinjection process are addressed.
