Applications of the femtosecond laser-induced impulse to cell research

The femtosecond laser amplifier has attracted much attention as a promising tool for cell processing and manipulation. The focused pulse with high peak intensity induces not only 3D selective laser ablation, but effective generation of a shockwave and stresswaves. Under a microscope, these waves act on cells near the laser focal point as an impulsive force. This force has been applied as an external trigger to estimate intercellular adhesion strength, to manipulate single cells and to investigate the mechanobiology. In this review, we explain the kinetics of the impulsive force based on the femtosecond laser ablation mechanism, and introduce applications to the evaluation of intercellular adhesion, which is an essential issue in cell research for elucidating tissue formation and signal transduction between cells in the physiology and pathology. Based on these achievements, we predict future advanced applications to biology and engineering.