Abstract
This paper focuses on the control of rotating helical microrobots inside microchannels. We first use a 50 μm long and 5 μm in diameter helical robot to prove that the proximity of the channel walls create a perpendicular force on the robot. This force makes the robot orbit around the channel center line. We also demonstrate experimentally that this phenomenon simplifies the robot control by guiding it on a channel even if the robot propulsion is not perfectly aligned with the channel direction. We then use numerical simulations, validated by real experimental cases, to show different implications on the microrobot control of this orbiting phenomenon. First, the robot can be centered in 3D inside an in-plane microchannel only by controlling its horizontal direction (yaw angle). This means that a rotating microrobot can be precisely controlled along the center of a microfluidic channel only by using a standard 2D microscopy technology. Second, the robot horizontal (yaw) and vertical (pitch) directions can be controlled to follow a 3D evolving channel only with a 2D feedback. We believe this could lead to simplify imaging systems for the potential in vivo integration of such microrobots.
Highlights
To prove that the control of rotating microrobots inside microchannel is possible, this paper proposes a physical model that takes account of this orbiting phenomenon
We proved experimentally that this phenomenon was noticeable for channels dimension from 1.5 times to 20 times the microrobot diameter at a 100 Hz rotation frequency in low Reynolds flow condition
We experimentally demonstrated that this phenomenon simplifies microrobots control by guiding the through the channel even if it is misaligned with the channel direction
Summary
To prove that the control of rotating microrobots inside microchannel is possible, this paper proposes a physical model that takes account of this orbiting phenomenon. In the case of a microfluidic chip, channels evolve in a single plane, the orientation of the channel on θ is null which slightly simplifies the problem. Another goal of this paper is to propose potential control toward in-vivo integration in blood and lymphatic vessels which evolve in 3D and where 2D feedback does not allow to know θ. For details on the control and integration of the microrobot inside a microfluidic chip we refer to our previous publication[14]
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