Zheng Lixiang, Li Gong, Du Henan, Li Zonghao, Xu Bingrui, Yang Fan, Mao Yanan, Wei Jing, Xie Hainan, Xie Wei, Fu Rongxin, Liu Na, Zhang Shuailong, Liu Lianqing, Li Wen Jung, Sun Yu
School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
School of Integrated Circuits and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
Microsyst Nanoeng. 2025 Mar 17;11(1):49. doi: 10.1038/s41378-025-00892-9.
Automated parallel manipulation of multiple micro-objects with optoelectronic tweezers (OET) has brought significant research interests recently. However, the parallel manipulation of multiple objects in complex obstacle-dense microenvironment using OET technology based on negative dielectrophoresis (nDEP) remain a big technical challenge. In this work, we proposed an adaptive light pattern design strategy to achieve automated parallel OET manipulation of multiple micro-objects and navigate them through obstacles to target positions with high precision and no collision. We first developed a multi-micro-object parallel manipulation OET system, capable of simultaneous image processing and microparticles path planning. To overcome microparticle collisions caused by overlapping light patterns, we employed a novel adaptive light pattern design that can dynamically adjust the layout of overlapping light patterns according to surrounding environment, ensuring enough space for each microparticle and preventing unintended escapes from the OET trap. The efficacy of this approach has been verified through systematic simulations and experiments. Utilizing this strategy, multiple polystyrene microparticles were autonomously navigated through obstacles and microchannels to their intended destinations, demonstrating the strategy's effectiveness and potential for automated parallel micromanipulation of multiple microparticles in complex and confined microenvironments.
近年来,利用光电镊子(OET)对多个微物体进行自动化并行操控引起了广泛的研究兴趣。然而,基于负介电泳(nDEP)的OET技术在复杂的、障碍物密集的微环境中对多个物体进行并行操控仍然是一项巨大的技术挑战。在这项工作中,我们提出了一种自适应光图案设计策略,以实现对多个微物体的自动化并行OET操控,并使其在无碰撞的情况下高精度地穿过障碍物到达目标位置。我们首先开发了一种多微物体并行操控OET系统,该系统能够同时进行图像处理和微粒路径规划。为了克服由重叠光图案引起的微粒碰撞,我们采用了一种新颖的自适应光图案设计,该设计可以根据周围环境动态调整重叠光图案的布局,确保每个微粒有足够的空间,并防止其意外逃离OET陷阱。通过系统的模拟和实验验证了该方法的有效性。利用这一策略,多个聚苯乙烯微粒被自主引导穿过障碍物和微通道到达预定目的地,证明了该策略在复杂受限微环境中对多个微粒进行自动化并行微操控的有效性和潜力。