We demonstrate an experimental realization of a microscale pump self-assembled from superparamagnetic colloidal spheres and driven by an external magnetic field, where a system of microelectrodes controls the pump rotor by dielectrophoretic force. Whereas an external magnetic field is used to assemble and drive the rotor, which allows parallel fabrication and actuation of many such devices, the microelectrodes enable control of an individual rotor and thus regulate pumping speed and direction of any single pump in the microfluidic device. Dielectrophoretically controlled micropumps can be fabricated with existing microfabrication techniques and can be easily integrated into complex microfluidic devices.
REFERENCES
1.
A.
Terray
, J.
Oakey
, and D. W. M.
Marr
, Science
296
, 1841
(2002
).2.
D. C.
Leslie
, C. J.
Easley
, E.
Seker
, J. M.
Karlinsey
, M.
Utz
, M. R.
Begley
, and J. P.
Landers
, Nat. Phys.
5
, 231
(2009
).3.
M. A.
Unger
, H. -P.
Chou
, T.
Thorsen
, A.
Scherer
, and S. R.
Quake
, Science
288
, 113
(2000
).4.
S.
Bleil
, D. W. M.
Marr
, and C.
Bechinger
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
88
, 263515
(2006
).5.
T.
Sawetzki
, S.
Rahmouni
, C.
Bechinger
, and D. W. M.
Marr
, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
105
, 20141
(2008
).6.
A.
Ashkin
, J. M.
Dziedzic
, E. J.
Bjorkholm
, and S.
Chu
, Opt. Lett.
11
, 288
(1986
).7.
8.
Technique details will be published elsewhere.
9.
Y.
Xia
and G. M.
Whitesides
, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.
37
, 550
(1998
).10.
H. A.
Stone
, A. D.
Stroock
, and A.
Ajdari
, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech.
36
, 381
(2004
).11.
E. M.
Purcell
, Am. J. Phys.
45
, 3
(1977
).© 2009 American Institute of Physics.
2009
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.
