Nanoscope Nano Lift
The Challenge
Diagnosing medical conditions from micro biopsies is vital to help early detection of key diseases including cancer. However, since only a small sample is taken from the patient, special equipment is needed for quick and accurate analysis. GX has vast experience in developing scientific and medical equipment, so made the perfect partner for leading microscopists, Nanascope, to help them design and manufacture a small number of attachments for a charged particle microscope.
The Solution
Nanoscope wanted the attachment to be capable of holding a single carbon fibre of 10 microns diameter, and less than 800 microns in length. Early ideas focused on micro machined components, however, these proved too costly plus given the timescale of the project would not be available quickly enough. The product realisation team at GX therefore considered designing the component using precise photo etching techniques. By developing their own design GX managed to provide finished parts in one tenth of the time, plus this resulted in component manufacture cost that is 1/300th that of micro machining.
The Result
The Nano Lift has been used to successfully to take micro biopsy tissue samples from patients. Our design required minimal tooling investment which means that individually designed and manufactured parts can now be produced as and when the need arises, according to the particular requirements of micro biopsy procedures.