College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Platform Kinetics, Pegholme, Wharfebank Mills, Otley, LS21 3JP, UK.
Sci Rep. 2018 Jan 17;8(1):933. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-19506-8.
We propose a new class of magnetically actuated pumps and valves that could be incorporated into microfluidic chips with no further external connections. The idea is to repurpose ferromagnetic low Reynolds number swimmers as devices capable of generating fluid flow, by restricting the swimmers' translational degrees of freedom. We experimentally investigate the flow structure generated by a pinned swimmer in different scenarios, such as unrestricted flow around it as well as flow generated in straight, cross-shaped, Y-shaped and circular channels. This demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating the device into a channel and its capability of acting as a pump, valve and flow splitter. Different regimes could be selected by tuning the frequency and amplitude of the external magnetic field driving the swimmer, or by changing the channel orientation with respect to the field. This versatility endows the device with varied functionality which, together with the robust remote control and reproducibility, makes it a promising candidate for several applications.
我们提出了一类新型的磁驱动泵和阀，可以与微流控芯片集成，无需外部进一步连接。其思路是重新利用铁磁低雷诺数游泳者作为能够产生流体流动的设备，通过限制游泳者的平移自由度来实现。我们在不同场景下实验研究了被固定的游泳者产生的流场结构，例如不受限制的流动以及在直的、十字形、Y 形和圆形通道中产生的流动。这证明了将该装置集成到通道中并使其能够作为泵、阀和流量分配器的可行性。可以通过调整驱动游泳者的外部磁场的频率和幅度，或者通过改变通道相对于磁场的方向来选择不同的状态。这种多功能性赋予了该装置多种功能，再加上强大的远程控制和可重复性，使其成为多种应用的有前途的候选者。
