Multiphoton Microfabrication and Micropatterning
Multiphoton Microfabrication and Micropatterning (MMM) is a platform technology that utilizes a femto-second infrared laser to create 3D micro-structures and micropatterns with sub-micron resolution, in a precisely, quantitatively and spatially controllable manner. The laser photoactivates a photosensitizer and crosslinks the materials of interest, solidifying the materials in a liquid bath. Multiphoton excitation is confined to the tiny focus of the laser beam, achieving sub-micron resolution in the micro-fabricated structures. Owing to the low phototoxicity of the multiphoton laser and the non-thermal nature of photochemical crosslinking, a wide range of biomedical applications can be developed. For example, we can microfabricate delicate biomaterials such as proteins and microstructures within and around live cells.