Motorised Micromanipulation System for ICSI

In many IVF/ICSI labs, the manual micromanipulation of pipettes during ICSI remains a high-burden task: extremely fine movements, requiring unwavering focus and high stability, repeated over dozens of cycles, lead to operator fatigue and decreased throughput. The Luigs & Neumann system replaces that burden by offering a single-hand joystick control, reducing ergonomic strain and enabling the operator to concentrate on the biological task rather than mechanical juggling.

Another frequent issue is drift or positional instability of pipettes when using less advanced or hydraulic systems. Such drift can compromise injection accuracy or risk damage to the oocyte or sperm. With the stepper-motor technology in this system, ultra-smooth and virtually leak-free operation is provided, increasing pipette stability and enhancing confidence in results. 

From the operator’s perspective, real-time control of pressure and speed is critical in ICSI: injection must be precise, movement minimal. This system integrates pressure control into the same joystick and allows setting individual motor speeds per axis, enabling the lab to tailor the system to the operator’s hand-feel or sample type. 

One major pain-point remains changing pipettes or adjusting the injection angle without losing focus. The solution here includes a circular angle adapter that keeps the tip in focus even upon angle changes, and a rapid and reliable pipette-exchange mechanism. Workflow constraints in busy IVF laboratories — such as limited bench space, varying microscope mounts, or the need to integrate with legacy systems — are addressed by a compact design and compatibility with existing microscopes. The “Home” function allows returning the pipette to a predefined safe position with a button-press, facilitating fast exchanges and safeguarding samples. 

In terms of standardising processes and replicating results, the motorised manipulators offer position-memory functionality: once a position is stored, it can be recalled, reducing operator-to-operator variability and enhancing reproducibility. This is a key benefit for labs striving for high-quality, consistent outcomes. While technical precision matters, so does ease of use and training overhead. The system includes a user-friendly touchscreen and five programmable function buttons, giving the lab flexibility to customise the interface for different operators and streamline set-up time and training burdens. 

Finally, from a long-term operational standpoint, daily pipette changes, angle settings, speed and pressure tuning all open up sources of error or performance drift. By offering premium German engineering, high-precision stepper motors, and unified control, this system offers a sustainable investment: less maintenance, fewer user-errors, and better long-term throughput for labs wishing to elevate efficiency and reduce cost-of-ownership.

Read more about Luigs & Neumann Motorized Micromanipulation System for ICSI