Cornell researchers have now designed a micro-sized artificial cilial system using platinum-based components that can control the movement of fluids at such a scale. The technology could someday enable low-cost, portable diagnostic devices for testing blood samples, manipulating cells or assisting in microfabrication processes.

Figure 1: artificial cilia to control fluids

Figure 1 shows that Cilia are the body’s diligent helpers. These microscopic hairs, which move fluid by rhythmic beating, are responsible for pushing cerebrospinal fluid in your brain, clearing the phlegm and dirt from your lungs, and keeping other organs and tissues clean.

A technical marvel, cilia have proved difficult to reproduce in engineering applications, especially at the microscale.

“There are lots of ways to make artificial cilia that respond to light, magnetic or electrostatic forces,” Wang said. “But we are the first to use our new nano actuator to demonstrate artificial cilia that are individually controlled.” [1]

A typical gadget consists of a chip with 16 sq. models, every having eight cilia arrays and eight cilia, every about 50 micrometers lengthy, leading to a “carpet” of a couple of thousand synthetic cilia.

The floor of every cilium oxidizes and reduces periodically because the voltage on it oscillates, inflicting the cilium to bend forwards and backwards and pump fluid at tens of microns per second.

Completely different arrays may be engaged independently, leading to an infinite variety of circulation patterns that match their organic counterparts’ flexibility. [2]

A cilia device with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) clock circuit – essentially an electronic “brain” that allows the cilia to operate without being tied to a traditional computer system – was also developed as a bonus. This opens the way for a slew of low-cost diagnostic assays to be developed for use in the field.

aItai Cohen, Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, “is that once you can individually address these cilia, you can manipulate the flows in any way you want. You can create multiple separate trajectories, you can create circular flow, you can create transport, or flows that split up into two paths and then recombine. You can get flow lines in three dimensions. Anything is possible.” [3]

References:

1. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/05/artificial-cilia-could-someday-power-diagnostic-devices
2. https://electronicstechnology.in/artificial-cilia-to-control-fluids-at-the-microscale/
3. https://www.electronicsforu.com/news/whats-new/artificial-cilia-to-control-fluids-at-the-microscale

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), A Micro Sized Artificial Cilia to Control Fluids, AnaTechMaz, pp.105