page_title: Micromanipulator
section_title: Movement
hierarchical_section_title: Micromanipulator / Movement
caption_attribution_description: A 4 electrode slice electrophysiological rig.
context_page_description: A micromanipulator is a device which is used to physically interact with a sample under a microscope, where a level of precision of movement is necessary that cannot be achieved by the unaided human hand. It may typically consist of an input joystick, a mechanism for reducing the range of movement and an output section with the means of holding a microtool to hold, inject, cut or otherwise manipulate the object as required. The mechanism for reducing the movement usually requires the movement to be free of backlash. This is achieved by the use of kinematic constraints to allow each part of the mechanism to move only in one or more chosen degrees of freedom, which achieves a high precision and repeatability of movement, usually at the expense of some absolute accuracy.
context_section_description: Movement reduction can be performed by mechanical levers, hydraulically using pistons of different diameters connected by tubing containing non-compressible fluid,  electronically using stepper motors or linear actuators, or combinations of techniques in one instrument. Mechanisms with different ranges of movement or variable reduction ratio may be incorporated in one instrument to allow coarse and fine positioning.
  Depending on the application, users may require different scales of movement resolution, movement speed, range and accuracy. These are the critical variables integrated into manipulator design by manufacturers, which are typically presented to suit particular applications.
caption: Electrophysiological setup. Micromanipulators are used to position microelectrodes
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