Nondestructive micropatterning of living animal cells using focused femtosecond laser-induced impulsive force

Micropatterning of mouse NIH3T3 fibroblast cells was performed using focused femtosecond laser-induced impulsive force in a culture medium. The cells were detached from an upper substrate by the force and transferred to an underlying substrate with less than spatial resolution of 80 mu m full width at half maximum. About 80% of the cells were confirmed to be alive at 3 h after the patterning. The force exerted to the cell was investigated by high-speed imaging and estimated to be an order of micronewtons. The force origin was not only due to cavitation bubble but also due to shockwave and jet flow. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.