SINGLE LIVING CELL MANIPULATION AND MICRORHEOLOGICAL STUDY WITH LASER-INDUCED CAVITATION BUBBLES

In this paper, a new method for measuring the pure mechanical responses of single living cells is proposed using laser-induced cavitation bubbles. An optical system with a high speed Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera is built to generate cavitation bubbles in a chamber with sample fluid and capture the ultra fast process of the deformation of the living cells. A Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) in cochineal color food dye solution is squeezed by the pressure field generated by a pair of cavitation bubbles and the deformation process is recorded and analyzed. This method has great potential applications in cell manipulations and measurement of rheological response of single living cell.