Determining Mass of Individual Micron-Sized Particles Using PicoBalance and FluidFM® Probes

In this article, we present unprecedented mass/size measurements of micrometer sized particles using the synergetic combination of two state-of-the-art technologies: PicoBalance and FluidFM®.  Specifically, we used hollow cantilevers that are commercially available (FluidFM probes) to reliably aspirate, hold, and subsequently release individual particles. To measure the mass of the particles, we employed PicoBalance, a technology that measures the mass of beads by measuring the frequency shift of a resonating cantilever.