NanoTweezer Transforms Microscopes into Nanomanipulation Devices

NanoTweezer is an award winning microscope add-on developed by Optofluidics Inc. This new add-on allows researchers to capture and manipulate small particles in the range of few nanometers to few microns to transform the microscope into a nanomanipulation engine.

Optofluidics’ patented chip based photonic resonance trapping technology allows manipulation of particles using light from microchip based waveguides, enabling NanoTweezer to manipulate particles smaller than 100nm in size unlike conventional optical tweezers which can’t capture and manipulate dielectric objects smaller than 100nm. NanoTweezer’s latest technology in integrated photonics, exploits evanescence and resonance effects to achieve the necessary bright and tightly focused spots.

The NanoTweezer system includes a custom benchtop instrument with patented optically resonant NanoTweezer chips and a specially designed microscope mount to achieve direct interface between the chips and existing microscope equipment. NanoTweezer System enables reversible nanomanipulation and trapping of individual cells, viruses, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and certain proteins to track their movements or characterize their sizes.

Optofluidic’s NanoTweezer was displayed at the recently concluded PITTCON 2013 and was awarded the best new product silver award.

Source: Optofluidics