Abstract
A biomimetic approach is used to generate a directed transversal transportation of micron-sized particles in liquids based on the principle of cilia-type arrays in coordinated motion. Rows of flaps mimicking planar cilia are positioned off-centre along an array of cavities covered with membranes that support the flaps. These membranes are deflected from a concave to a convex shape and vice versa by pneumatic actuation applying positive and negative pressures (relative to the ambient) inside the cavities. As a result, the flap on top of the membrane tilts to the left or right within such a pressure cycle, performing a beat stroke. Since each cavity can be addressed in the device individually and in rapid succession, waves of coordinated flap motion can be run along the wall. Such metachronal waves are generated and transport of particles along the cilia surface is achieved in both symplectic and antiplectic direction. It is shown that the initial tilt of the flaps relative to the wall-normal determines the direction of transport.
Highlights
Thanks to the advances in micro- and nanofabrication technologies during the last decades, several micro-manipulation techniques offer the possibility to transport and rotate individual micro-particles or micro-parts
The interaction among the particles, the liquid layer and the cilia is coupled by friction at the contacting surfaces, viscous drag and inertia, depending on the local Reynolds number of the cilia beat and the flow around the particles. This raises the question of the effectiveness of metachronal coordination for transport of any liquid surrounding the cilia and for transport of particles itself submerged within the liquid [15] or in contact with the cilia tips
A study of all parameters is beyond the scope of the paper; rather we selected characteristic results to demonstrate the impact of cilia orientation on the transport direction under otherwise constant conditions
Summary
Thanks to the advances in micro- and nanofabrication technologies during the last decades, several micro-manipulation techniques offer the possibility to transport and rotate individual micro-particles or micro-parts. Sorting, trapping, separation, aligning, concentration, patterning, focusing, merging, delivery, and (self-)assembly of micro-objects are of special interest in basic research, development and industrial relevant applications. Different manipulation principles, such as trapping by optical tweezes [1], gripping techniques [2] [3] [4] [5], ul-. The interaction among the particles, the liquid layer and the cilia is coupled by friction at the contacting surfaces, viscous drag and inertia, depending on the local Reynolds number of the cilia beat and the flow around the particles This raises the question of the effectiveness of metachronal coordination for transport of any liquid surrounding the cilia and for transport of particles itself submerged within the liquid [15] or in contact with the cilia tips. Different artificial cilia models are already developed to investigate and characterize the transport behavior near the ciliated wall [16]-[26]
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