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French Technology Transfer Office offers a new haptic interface useful in micro-manipulation for biology and micro-electronics sector

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: TOFR20180223003
Publication Date: 15 March 2018

Summary

A French Technology Transfer Office (TTO) offers a new haptic interface useful in biology, micro-electronics or watchmaking sectors for getting a very precise manipulation in cell handling, assembly or micro-injection.The efficiency of the process has been demonstrated. The French TTO is looking for industrial partners for a technical cooperation or a license agreement.

Description

The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) is acting on behalf of an established public laboratory of the leading French scientific based in the Paris region. 



High dexterity is required for manual assembly of micro elements. To perform their tasks, workers rely entirely on vision through optical enlargement. This situation could result stress leading to blurred vision, repeated stress injury disorders for these workers who are conscientious.

Haptic interfaces could be a solution to these issues, in guarantying a reliable manipulation in this micro world.

Haptic interface is a device that allows a human to interact with a computer through bodily feedbacks and movements.



The French laboratory has developed a new haptic interface where experimental tests have shown an extremely smooth and comfortable haptic feeling of manipulation.

In eliminating any parasitic forces due to friction, this device allows the feeling of the texture of an environment or the difference between an environment to an other one.



This new device is useful to :

- feel that a cell is penetrated thoroughly by syringes (for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for example)

- feel the hardness or elasticity of a cell (thanks to the membrane rigidity, a normal red blood cell could be distinguished to an unhealthy red blood cell; such as a cancer cell and a non-tumour cell)

- have a perceptual vibrations feedback (attraction strengths and adhesion effects felt)

- know better the micro world phenomena



Several type of applications could be planned:

-cells manipulation,

-surgical operations simulation (in ophthalmology for example)

-microinjection

-micro assembly (for microelectronics or for watchmaking sector)



The partner sought could be a company interested in :

- a license agreement as the TTO is ready to negociate directly the patents rights for specific applications, or

- a technical cooperation agreement

Advantages and Innovations

Currently no solution available on the market permits to have a haptic feedback in the microworld. The existing haptic interfaces are able to give a feedback in centimetres or in millimetres not in micrometres.



The advantages of this technology:

- very low friction force (<5mN)

- precise feeling inertia of few grams and forces about mN

- excellent dynamic of feedback (latency: 0,5 ms)

- high fidelity

Stage Of Development

Prototype available for demonstration

Stage Of Development Comment

A functional prototype has been developed.

Requested partner

The partner sought could be a company interested in a license agreement or a technical cooperation agreement. 

the industrial partner could be a manufacturer of haptic systems or medical devices (for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for example)

The partner should have a clear industrial application in mind, and should have a strong technical background to co-develop the product with the laboratory.

The haptic interface could be tested in Paris and a laboratory visit could be organised to have a better understanding of this technology.