Designing Oscillating Cilia That Capture or Release Microscopic Particles

We use computational modeling to capture the three-dimensional interactions between oscillating, synthetic cilia and it microscopic particle ill a fluid-filled microchannel. The synthetic cilia arc elastic Filaments that are tethered to a Substrate and arc actuated by a sinusoidal force, which is applied to their free ends. The cilia are arranged in it square pattern, and a neutrally buoyant particle is initially located between these filaments. Our computational studies reveal that, depending oil frequency of the beating cilia, the particle call be either driven downward toward the substrate or driven upward and expelled into the fluid above the cilial layer. This behavior mimics the performance of biological cilia used by certain marine animals to extract Suspended food particles. The findings uncover a new route for controlling the deposition of microscopic particles in microfluidic devices.