Time-shared optical tweezers with a microlens array for dynamic microbead arrays

Dynamic arrays of microbeads and cells offer great flexibility and potential as platforms for sensing and manipulation applications in various scientific fields, especially biology and medicine. Here, we present a simple method for assembling and manipulating dense dynamic arrays based on time-shared scanning optical tweezers with a microlens array. Three typical examples, including the dynamic and simultaneous bonding of microbeads in real-time, are demonstrated. The optical design and the hardware setup for our approach are also described. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America