Experimental Study of Sidewall Pressure Induced by Ferroparticles in Fluid under a Pulsating Magnetic Field

Abstract

For several decades, magnetic nano- and microparticles have been used in various applications, as they can be attracted and controlled using external magnetic fields. Recently, carbonyl iron microparticles were used in a feasibility study of a new cardiac pacing application. The particles were inserted into a heart, attracted to its sidewall using a pulsating magnetic field, and applied pulsating pressure on its sidewall. The magnitude of the sidewall pressure is a critical parameter for the success and safety of the application, and it was evaluated analytically using a simplified model. In the present study, the behaviour of carbonyl iron microparticles in a water chamber was studied experimentally. Several masses of these particles were attracted to the sidewall of the chamber using an external pulsating magnetic field; the behaviours of the masses of particles, the particle–particle interaction, and the influence of fluid dynamics on them were examined during different periods of pulses. The sidewall pressure during their attraction was measured using an in-house piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride sensor. The relations between the measured sidewall pressure and the mass of the particles, their sizes, and the magnetic field exposure time were investigated. The obtained results suggest an asymptotic sidewall pressure value for the specified magnetic field. The measurements of the sidewall pressure are compared with evaluated results from the analytical model, showing that the model over-predicts the sidewall pressure.