US Patent 7736893 - Nanobio devices of imitative anatomy structure

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7736893.html

This patent from SII Nanotechnology teaches an interesting method to culture artificial internal organs using optical trapping to manipulate individual cells. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of producing a nanobio device of imitative anatomy structure, comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a substrate for a nanobio device by focused ion beam processing, the substrate having an array of chambers with walls formed as partitions that separate the chambers; and
arranging individual cells, from among a plurality of types of cultured cells, in individual chambers using optical tweezers to permit interaction among the cells to produce a nanobio device of imitative anatomy structure.

US Patent 7489143 - Nanogripper with hold detection

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7489143.html

Nanogrippers (aka nanotweezers) have been implemented by a variety of materials including nanotubes and silicon. In order to assure proper gripping an optical feedback system has been used. This patent teaches an alternative solution based on electrostatic detection. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanogripper device comprising:

a pair of arms that is opened and closed freely;

an electrostatic actuator that drives the pair of arms to open/close the arms;

an electrostatic capacity detection unit that detects an electrostatic capacity of the electrostatic actuator; and

a hold detection unit that detects that a sample has been gripped with the pair of arms based upon detecting a point of inflection of a curve representing a change occurring in the electrostatic capacity as a function of a voltage applied to the electrostatic actuator detected by the electrostatic capacity detection unit while closing the arms.