1
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Grein-Iankovski A, de Oliveira Braga KA, Legendre DF, Cardoso PFG, Loh W. Bio-Inspired Magnetically Responsive Silicone Cilia: Fabrication Strategy and Interaction with Biological Mucus. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:261. [PMID: 38534535 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11030261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are biological structures essential to drive the mobility of secretions and maintain the proper function of the respiratory airways. However, this motile self-cleaning process is significantly compromised in the presence of silicone tracheal prosthesis, leading to biofilm growth and impeding effective treatment. To address this challenge and enhance the performance of these devices, we propose the fabrication of magnetic silicone cilia, with the prospect of their integration onto silicone prostheses. The present study presents a fabrication method based on magnetic self-assembly and assesses the interaction behavior of the cilia array with biological mucus. This protocol allows for the customization of cilia dimensions across a wide range of aspect ratios (from 6 to 85) and array densities (from 10 to 80 cilia/mm2) by adjusting the fabrication parameters, offering flexibility for adjustments according to their required characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluated the suitability of different cilia arrays for biomedical applications by analyzing their interaction with bullfrog mucus, simulating the airways environment. Our findings demonstrate that the fabricated cilia are mechanically resistant to the viscous fluid and still exhibit controlled movement under the influence of an external moving magnet. A correlation between cilia dimensions and mucus wettability profile suggests a potential role in facilitating mucus depuration, paving the way for further advancements aimed at enhancing the performance of silicone prostheses in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Grein-Iankovski
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Paulo Francisco Guerreiro Cardoso
- Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Watson Loh
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
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2
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Deng Z, Zhang H, Priimagi A, Zeng H. Light-Fueled Nonreciprocal Self-Oscillators for Fluidic Transportation and Coupling. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2209683. [PMID: 36525600 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202209683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Light-fueled self-oscillators based on soft actuating materials have triggered novel designs for small-scale robotic constructs that self-sustain their motion at non-equilibrium states and possess bioinspired autonomy and adaptive functions. However, the motions of most self-oscillators are reciprocal, which hinders their use in sophisticated biomimetic functions such as fluidic transportation. Here, an optically powered soft material strip that can perform nonreciprocal, cilia-like, self-sustained oscillation under water is reported. The actuator is made of planar-aligned liquid crystal elastomer responding to visible light. Two laser beams from orthogonal directions allow for piecewise control over the strip deformation, enabling two self-shadowing effects coupled in one single material to yield nonreciprocal strokes. The nonreciprocity, stroke pattern and handedness are connected to the fluidic pumping efficiency, which can be controlled by the excitation conditions. Autonomous microfluidic pumping in clockwise and anticlockwise directions, translocation of a micro-object by liquid propulsion, and coupling between two oscillating strips through liquid medium interaction are demonstrated. The results offer new concepts for non-equilibrium soft actuators that can perform bio-like functions under water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Deng
- Smart Photonic Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, FI 33101, Finland
| | - Hang Zhang
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, Espoo, FI 02150, Finland
| | - Arri Priimagi
- Smart Photonic Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, FI 33101, Finland
| | - Hao Zeng
- Smart Photonic Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, FI 33101, Finland
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3
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Venkataramanachar B, Li J, Islam TU, Wang Y, den Toonder JMJ. Nanomagnetic Elastomers for Realizing Highly Responsive Micro- and Nanosystems. Nano Lett 2023; 23:9203-9211. [PMID: 37467140 PMCID: PMC10603798 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Evolution has produced natural systems that generate motion and sense external stimuli at the micro- and nanoscales. At extremely small scales, the intricate motions and large deformations shown by these biosystems are due to a tipping balance between their structural compliance and the actuating force generated in them. Artificially mimicking such ingenious systems for scientific and engineering applications has been approached through the development and use of different smart materials mostly limited to microscale dimensions. To push the application range down to the nanoscale, we developed a material preparation process that yields a library of nanomagnetic elastomers with high magnetic particle concentrations. Through this process, we have realized a material with the highest magnetic-to-elastic force ratio, as is shown by an extensive mechanical and magnetic characterization of the materials. Furthermore, we have fabricated and actuated micro- and nanostructures mimicking cilia, demonstrating the extreme compliance and responsiveness of the developed materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana
B. Venkataramanachar
- Microsystems
Section, Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jianing Li
- Department
of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Tanveer ul Islam
- Microsystems
Section, Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Ye Wang
- Microsystems
Section, Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap M. J. den Toonder
- Microsystems
Section, Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, Eindhoven 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
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4
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Milana E, Gorissen B, De Borre E, Ceyssens F, Reynaerts D, De Volder M. Out-of-Plane Soft Lithography for Soft Pneumatic Microactuator Arrays. Soft Robot 2023; 10:197-204. [PMID: 35704896 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2021.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastic pneumatic actuators are fueling new devices and applications in soft robotics. Actuator miniaturization is critical to enable soft microsystems for applications in microfluidics and micromanipulation. This work proposes a fabrication technique to make out-of-plane bending microactuators entirely by soft lithography. The only bonding step required is to seal the embedded fluidic channels, assuring the structural integrity of the microactuators. The process consists of fabricating two SU8 mold halves using different lithographic layers. Polydimethilsiloxane is poured on the bottom mold, which is subsequently aligned and assembled with the top mold. The process allows for out-of-plane actuators with a diameter of 300 μm and for fabricating arrays of up to 36 actuators that are row addressable. These active micropillars have an aspect ratio of 1:1.5 and, when pressurized at 1 bar, show a bending angle of ∼30°.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Milana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Gorissen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eline De Borre
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik Ceyssens
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominiek Reynaerts
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael De Volder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Engineering, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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5
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Dai B, Zhou Y, Xiao X, Chen Y, Guo J, Gao C, Xie Y, Chen J. Fluid Field Modulation in Mass Transfer for Efficient Photocatalysis. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2203057. [PMID: 35957518 PMCID: PMC9534979 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202203057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Mass transfer is an essential factor determining photocatalytic performance, which can be modulated by fluid field via manipulating the kinetic characteristics of photocatalysts and photocatalytic intermediates. Past decades have witnessed the efforts and achievements made in manipulating mass transfer based on photocatalyst structure and composition design, and thus, a critical survey that scrutinizes the recent progress in this topic is urgently necessitated. This review examines the basic principles of how mass transfer behavior impacts photocatalytic activity accompanying with the discussion on theoretical simulation calculation including fluid flow speed and pattern. Meanwhile, newly emerged viable photocatalytic micro/nanomotors with self-thermophoresis, self-diffusiophoresis, and bubble-propulsion mechanisms as well as magnet-actuated photocatalytic artificial cilia for facilitating mass transfer will be covered. Furthermore, their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, organic pollution degradation, bacteria disinfection and so forth are scrutinized. Finally, a brief summary and future outlook are presented, providing a viable guideline to those working in photocatalysis, mass transfer, and other related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoying Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu Key Laboratory for BiosensorsJiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210023China
| | - Yihao Zhou
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCA90095USA
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCA90095USA
| | - Yukai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials‐Oriented Chemical EngineeringCollege of Materials Science and EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Jiahao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu Key Laboratory for BiosensorsJiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210023China
| | - Chenchen Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu Key Laboratory for BiosensorsJiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210023China
| | - Yannan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu Key Laboratory for BiosensorsJiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210023China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCA90095USA
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6
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Milana E, Van Raemdonck B, Casla AS, De Volder M, Reynaerts D, Gorissen B. Morphological Control of Cilia-Inspired Asymmetric Movements Using Nonlinear Soft Inflatable Actuators. Front Robot AI 2022; 8:788067. [PMID: 35047567 PMCID: PMC8762291 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.788067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft robotic systems typically follow conventional control schemes, where actuators are supplied with dedicated inputs that are regulated through software. However, in recent years an alternative trend is being explored, where the control architecture can be simplified by harnessing the passive mechanical characteristics of the soft robotic system. This approach is named “morphological control”, and it can be used to decrease the number of components (tubing, valves and regulators) required by the controller. In this paper, we demonstrate morphological control of bio-inspired asymmetric motions for systems of soft bending actuators that are interconnected with passive flow restrictors. We introduce bending actuators consisting out of a cylindrical latex balloon in a flexible PVC shell. By tuning the radii of the tube and the shell, we obtain a nonlinear relation between internal pressure and volume in the actuator with a peak and valley in pressure. Because of the nonlinear characteristics of the actuators, they can be assembled in a system with a single pressure input where they bend in a discrete, preprogrammed sequence. We design and analyze two such systems inspired by the asymmetric movements of biological cilia. The first replicates the swept area of individual cilia, having a different forward and backward stroke, and the second generates a travelling wave across an array of cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Milana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert Van Raemdonck
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrea Serrano Casla
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael De Volder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Engineering, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dominiek Reynaerts
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Gorissen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Collesano L, Guido I, Golestanian R, Vilfan A. Active beating modes of two clamped filaments driven by molecular motors. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210693. [PMID: 34983201 PMCID: PMC8728166 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological cilia pump the surrounding fluid by asymmetric beating that is driven by dynein motors between sliding microtubule doublets. The complexity of biological cilia raises the question about minimal systems that can re-create similar patterns of motion. One such system consists of a pair of microtubules that are clamped at the proximal end. They interact through dynein motors that cover one of the filaments and pull against the other one. Here, we study theoretically the static shapes and the active dynamics of such a system. Using the theory of elastica, we analyse the shapes of two filaments of different lengths with clamped ends. Starting from equal lengths, we observe a transition similar to Euler buckling leading to a planar shape. When further increasing the length ratio, the system assumes a non-planar shape with spontaneously broken chiral symmetry after a secondary bifurcation and then transitions to planar again. The predicted curves agree with experimentally observed shapes of microtubule pairs. The dynamical system can have a stable fixed point, with either bent or straight filaments, or limit cycle oscillations. The latter match many properties of ciliary motility, demonstrating that a two-filament system can serve as a minimal actively beating model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Collesano
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Isabella Guido
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Ramin Golestanian
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Andrej Vilfan
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
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8
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Demirörs AF, Aykut S, Ganzeboom S, Meier YA, Hardeman R, de Graaf J, Mathijssen AJTM, Poloni E, Carpenter JA, Ünlü C, Zenhäusern D. Amphibious Transport of Fluids and Solids by Soft Magnetic Carpets. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2102510. [PMID: 34528414 PMCID: PMC8564456 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the major challenges in modern robotics is controlling micromanipulation by active and adaptive materials. In the respiratory system, such actuation enables pathogen clearance by means of motile cilia. While various types of artificial cilia have been engineered recently, they often involve complex manufacturing protocols and focus on transporting liquids only. Here, soft magnetic carpets are created via an easy self-assembly route based on the Rosensweig instability. These carpets can transport not only liquids but also solid objects that are larger and heavier than the artificial cilia, using a crowd-surfing effect.This amphibious transportation is locally and reconfigurably tunable by simple micromagnets or advanced programmable magnetic fields with a high degree of spatial resolution. Two surprising cargo reversal effects are identified and modeled due to collective ciliary motion and nontrivial elastohydrodynamics. While the active carpets are generally applicable to integrated control systems for transport, mixing, and sorting, these effects can also be exploited for microfluidic viscosimetry and elastometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet F. Demirörs
- Complex MaterialsDepartment of MaterialsETH ZurichZurich8093Switzerland
| | - Sümeyye Aykut
- Complex MaterialsDepartment of MaterialsETH ZurichZurich8093Switzerland
| | - Sophia Ganzeboom
- Complex MaterialsDepartment of MaterialsETH ZurichZurich8093Switzerland
| | - Yuki A. Meier
- Complex MaterialsDepartment of MaterialsETH ZurichZurich8093Switzerland
| | - Robert Hardeman
- Institute for Theoretical PhysicsCenter for Extreme Matter and Emergent PhenomenaUtrecht UniversityPrincetonplein 5Utrecht3584 CCThe Netherlands
| | - Joost de Graaf
- Institute for Theoretical PhysicsCenter for Extreme Matter and Emergent PhenomenaUtrecht UniversityPrincetonplein 5Utrecht3584 CCThe Netherlands
| | | | - Erik Poloni
- Complex MaterialsDepartment of MaterialsETH ZurichZurich8093Switzerland
| | | | - Caner Ünlü
- Department of ChemistryIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbul34469Turkey
| | - Daniel Zenhäusern
- Institut für Solartechnik SPFHSR University of Applied Sciences RapperswilRapperswil8640Switzerland
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9
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Verburg T, Schaap A, Zhang S, den Toonder J, Wang Y. Enhancement of microalgae growth using magnetic artificial cilia. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2472-2481. [PMID: 33738795 PMCID: PMC8251745 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Microalgae have shown great potential as a source of biofuels, food, and other bioproducts. More recently, microfluidic devices have been employed in microalgae-related studies. However, at small fluid volumes, the options for controlling flow conditions are more limited and mixing becomes largely reliant on diffusion. In this study, we fabricated magnetic artificial cilia (MAC) and implemented them in millimeter scale culture wells and conducted growth experiments with Scenedesmus subspicatus while actuating the MAC in a rotating magnetic field to create flow and mixing. In addition, surface of MAC was made hydrophilic using plasma treatment and its effect on growth was compared with untreated, hydrophobic MAC. The experiments showed that the growth was enhanced by ten and two times with hydrophobic and hydrophilic MAC, respectively, compared with control groups which contain no MAC. This technique can be used to investigate mixing and flow in small sample volumes, and the enhancement in growth can be beneficial for the throughput of screening studies. Moreover, the methods used for creating and controlling MAC can be easily adopted in labs without microfabrication infrastructures, and they can be mastered by people with little prior experience in microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijn Verburg
- Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Shuaizhong Zhang
- Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap den Toonder
- Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ye Wang
- Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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10
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Jeong W, Jeong SM, Lim T, Han CY, Yang H, Lee BW, Park SY, Ju S. Self-Emitting Artificial Cilia Produced by Field Effect Spinning. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:35286-35293. [PMID: 31386334 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In nature, many cells possess cilia that provide them with motor or sensory functions, allowing organisms to adapt to their environment. The development of artificial cilia with identical or similar sensory functions will enable high-performance and flexible sensing. Here, we investigate a method of producing artificial cilia composed of various polymer materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and poly (allylamine hydrochloride), using a field effect spinning (FES) method. Unlike wet- or electro-spinning, in which single or multiple strands of fibers are pulled without direction, the FES method can grow fiber arrays vertically and uniformly on a substrate in cilia-like patterns. The lengths and diameters of the vertically grown artificial cilia can be controlled by the precursor polymer concentration in the solution, applied electric current and voltage, and shape and size of the needle tip used for FES. The red, green, and blue emission characteristics of the polymer-quantum dot-based self-emitting artificial cilia prepared in polymer-inorganic nanoparticle hybrid form were determined. In addition, an artificial cilia-based humidity sensor made of the polymer-polymer composite was fabricated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woohyun Jeong
- Department of Physics and Oxide Research Center , Hankuk University of Foreign Studies , Yongin-si , Gyeonggi-do 17035 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Mi Jeong
- Department of Physics , Kyonggi University , Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16227 , Republic of Korea
| | - Taekyung Lim
- Department of Physics , Kyonggi University , Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16227 , Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Yeol Han
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Hongik University , Seoul 04066 , Republic of Korea
| | - Heesun Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Hongik University , Seoul 04066 , Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Wha Lee
- Department of Physics and Oxide Research Center , Hankuk University of Foreign Studies , Yongin-si , Gyeonggi-do 17035 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yoon Park
- Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology , Seoul National University , Suwon-si , Gyeonggi-do 16229 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyun Ju
- Department of Physics , Kyonggi University , Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16227 , Republic of Korea
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11
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Wu YA, Panigrahi B, Lu YH, Chen CY. An Integrated Artificial Cilia Based Microfluidic Device for Micropumping and Micromixing Applications. Micromachines (Basel) 2017; 8:mi8090260. [PMID: 30400450 PMCID: PMC6190408 DOI: 10.3390/mi8090260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A multi-purpose microfluidic device that can be used for both micromixing and micropropulsion operations has always been in demand, as it would simplify the various process flows associated with the current micro-total analysis systems. In this aspect, we propose a biomimetic artificial cilia-based microfluidic device that can efficiently facilitate both mixing and propulsion sequentially at the micro-scale. A rectangular microfluidic device consists of four straight microchannels that were fabricated using the microfabrication technique. An array of artificial cilia was embedded within one of the channel’s confinement through the aforementioned technique. A series of image processing and micro-particle image velocimetry technologies were employed to elucidate the micromixing and micropropulsion phenomena. Experiment results demonstrate that, with this proposed microfluidic device, a maximum micromixing efficiency and flow rate of 0.84 and 0.089 µL/min, respectively, can be achieved. In addition to its primary application as a targeted drug delivery system, where a drug needs to be homogeneously mixed with its carrier prior to its administration into the target body, this microfluidic device can be used as a micro-total analysis system for the handling of other biological specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-An Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
| | - Bivas Panigrahi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
| | - Yueh-Hsun Lu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxing branch, Taipei 103, Taiwan.
- Department of Radiology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Yuan Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
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12
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Chen CY, Yao CY, Lin CY, Hung SH. Real-time remote control of artificial cilia actuation using fingertip drawing for efficient micromixing. J Lab Autom 2014; 19:492-7. [PMID: 25006038 DOI: 10.1177/2211068214542155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Low-efficiency diffusion mechanism poses a significant barrier to the enhancement of micromixing efficiency in microfluidics. Actuating artificial cilia to increase the contact area of two flow streams during micromixing provides a promising alternative to enhance the mixing performance. Real-time adjustment of beating behavior in artificial cilia is necessary to accommodate various biological/chemical reagents with different hydrodynamic properties that are processed in a single microfluidic platform during micromixing. Equipping the microfluidic device with a self-troubleshooting feature for the end user, such as a bubble removal function during the process of multiple chemical solution injections, is also essential for robust micromixing. To meet these requirements, we initiated a new beating control concept by controlling the beating behavior of the artificial cilia through remote and simultaneous actuation of human fingertip drawing. A series of micromixing test cases under extreme flow conditions (Re < 10(-3)) was conducted in the designed micromixer with high mixing performance. Satisfactory micromixing efficiency was achieved even with a rapid beating trajectory of the artificial cilia actuated through the fingertip motion of end users. The analytical paradigm and results allow end users to troubleshoot technical difficulties encountered during micromixing operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yuan Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Yao
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yi Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsuan Hung
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
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