阅读说明：本技术 一种光控制的电场驱动液态金属液滴的装置 (Device for driving liquid metal liquid drops by light-controlled electric field ) 是由 张世武 任宏泰 于 2020-05-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种光控制的电场驱动液态金属液滴的装置,包括水槽,电路板放置在水槽中并通过导线穿过水槽与控制电路连接,电源与控制电路连接,光传感器与针形电极紧密相邻并密集布置在电路板上,环形负电极环绕电路板放置,电路板被浇筑在透明填料中,仅露出针形电极的尖端；液态金属液滴浸没在电解液中,激光照射某个光传感器时,控制电路把与该光传感器紧密相邻的针形电极接通电源正极,在针形电极与环形负电极间的电解液中形成电场,就可以驱动液态金属液滴朝激光光斑向正极运动,照射不同位置的光传感器液态金属液滴就会沿着激光移动的轨迹运动。本发明可以应用于药物运输,微流体,生物芯片及微型机器人领域。(The invention discloses a device for driving liquid metal droplets by a light-controlled electric field, which comprises a water tank, a circuit board, a power supply, a light sensor, a circuit board, a transparent filler and a control circuit, wherein the circuit board is arranged in the water tank and penetrates through the water tank through a lead to be connected with the control circuit; when the liquid metal liquid drops are immersed in the electrolyte, when laser irradiates a certain optical sensor, the control circuit connects the needle-shaped electrode which is closely adjacent to the optical sensor with the positive electrode of a power supply, an electric field is formed in the electrolyte between the needle-shaped electrode and the annular negative electrode, the liquid metal liquid drops can be driven to move towards the laser facula to the positive electrode, and the liquid metal liquid drops irradiating the optical sensors at different positions can move along the moving track of the laser. The invention can be applied to the fields of drug transportation, microfluid, biochip and microrobot.)

1. A device for driving liquid metal droplets by a light-controlled electric field is characterized by comprising a water tank (1), a circuit board (8) is placed in the water tank (1) and penetrates through the water tank through a lead to be connected with a control circuit (10), a power supply (11) is connected with the control circuit (10), optical sensors (3) and needle-shaped electrodes (4) are closely adjacent and densely arranged on the circuit board (8), and annular negative electrodes (9) are placed around the circuit board (8); the circuit board (8) is poured in the transparent filler (2), and only the tip end of the needle-shaped electrode (4) is exposed; when the liquid metal droplet (7) is immersed in the electrolyte (6), and the laser (5) irradiates a certain optical sensor (3), the control circuit (10) switches on the needle electrode (4) which is closely adjacent to the optical sensor (3) to the positive electrode of the power supply (11), and an electric field is formed in the electrolyte (6) between the needle electrode (4) and the annular negative electrode (9), so that the liquid metal droplet (7) can be driven to move towards the laser (5) light spot, the optical sensors (3) at different positions are irradiated, and the liquid metal droplet (7) can move along the moving track of the laser (5).

2. The optically controlled electric field driven liquid metal droplet apparatus of claim 1, wherein said water trough (1) is a support structure made of acid and alkali resistant plastic milling.

3. A photo-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photo-sensors (3) are closely adjacent to the pin electrodes (4) and densely arranged on the circuit board (8), the photo-sensors (3) being positively switched by the control circuit (10) when illuminated by the laser light (5).

4. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the negative annular electrode (9) is placed around the circuit board (8) to form an electric field directed from the negative annular electrode (9) to the pin electrode (4).

5. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transparent filler (2) is poured over a circuit board (8) to expose only the tips of the pin electrodes (4).

6. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the material of the transparent filler (2) capable of sealing the circuit board (8) from short-circuiting the circuit board (8) by the electrolyte (6) is polyurethane, epoxy, silicone-curable transparent or translucent potting compound.

7. A device for optically controlling electric field driven liquid metal droplets as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the light sensor (3) is of the type of a photodiode, a phototransistor or other photosensor.

8. A light controlled electric field driven liquid metal droplet apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the material of the pin electrodes (4) is iron, tungsten, gold or other conductive material.

9. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the material of the annular negative electrode (9) placed around the circuit board (8) is graphite, tungsten or other conductive material.

10. A device for optically controlling an electric field driven liquid metal droplet according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid metal droplet (7) is a two-or multi-phase alloy of gallium and at least one of indium, tin, zinc, bismuth, silver and aluminum.

11. A device for optically controlling electric field driven liquid metal droplets according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of liquid metal droplets (7) is one or more and the number of lasers (5) is one or more, i.e. a single laser (5) is operating a single liquid metal droplet (7) or a plurality of lasers (5) are operating a plurality of liquid metal droplets (7) simultaneously.

12. A device for optically controlling electric field driven liquid metal droplets as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the liquid metal droplets (7) are always on the upper surface of the transparent filling (2) and are always immersed in the electrolyte (6).

13. A photo-controlled electric field driven liquid metal droplet apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control circuit (10) is connected to the power supply (11) via wires, the control circuit (10) is connected to the photo-sensor (3), the needle electrode (4) and the ring-shaped negative electrode (9) via wires, and the control circuit (10) is used to detect whether the photo-sensor (3) is illuminated and further control the connection and disconnection of the needle electrode (4) and the power supply (11).

14. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said power supply (11) is a dc regulated power supply, and is supplied from a battery or an external dc regulated power supply.

15. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upper surface of the transparent filler (2) is sanded or treated using a superhydrophobic technique to reduce the resistance of the liquid metal droplet (7) to the upper surface of the transparent filler (2).

16. A light-controlled electric-field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electrolyte (6) is an acid electrolyte, an alkaline electrolyte or a neutral electrolyte, and is capable of forming an electric field and an electric current when a power supply is applied.

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of microfluid, and particularly relates to a device for driving liquid metal droplets by a light-controlled electric field.

Background

The gallium-based liquid metal alloy is a two-phase or multi-phase alloy composed of gallium and at least one metal selected from indium, tin, zinc, bismuth, silver and aluminum. The gallium-based liquid metal alloy has good mechanical fluidity, low biotoxicity and higher electrical conductivity at room temperature. The excellent physical and chemical properties of the gallium-based liquid metal alloy enable the gallium-based liquid metal alloy to have wide application prospects in the fields of flexible circuits, flexible robots, sensors and microfluids.

Some past studies have demonstrated that liquid metal can be used as a carrier or actuator. They are used for drug loading, micro object transport, liquid pumping, and robot drivers. To achieve actuation of the liquid metal, many methods such as electric field, ion imbalance, magnetic field, etc. have been tried. However, these methods have problems of small application range, difficult control, damage to the properties of the liquid metal itself, poor motion performance, and the like.

In order to realize the rapid and accurate movement of the liquid metal liquid drop on a two-dimensional plane, the invention designs a device for driving the liquid metal liquid drop by a light-controlled electric field. The invention utilizes laser to activate the light sensors at different positions to control the on-off of the corresponding electrodes and guide liquid metal drops immersed in the electrolyte to move along with the laser. The device for driving the liquid metal droplets by the optically controlled electric field has the characteristics of simple structure, simple control method and good movement performance of the liquid metal droplets, and is suitable for controlling the movement of the liquid metal droplets in various electrolytes.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the invention aims to provide a device for driving liquid metal droplets by a light-controlled electric field, which becomes a brand-new liquid metal motion control mode, expands the application of liquid metal in the field of microfluid, and has the characteristics of simple structure, simple control method and good liquid metal droplet motion performance.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the technical scheme that:

a device for driving liquid metal droplets by a light-controlled electric field comprises a water tank 1, a circuit board 8 is arranged in the water tank 1 and penetrates through the water tank through a lead to be connected with a control circuit 10, a power supply 11 is connected with the control circuit 10, optical sensors 3 and needle-shaped electrodes 4 are closely adjacent and densely arranged on the circuit board 8, and annular negative electrodes 9 are arranged around the circuit board 8; the circuit board 8 is poured in the transparent filler 2, and only the tip ends of the pin-shaped electrodes 4 are exposed; when the liquid metal droplet 7 is immersed in the electrolyte 6, and the laser 5 irradiates a certain optical sensor 3, the control circuit 10 connects the needle electrode 4 closely adjacent to the optical sensor 3 to the positive electrode of the power supply 11, and an electric field is formed in the electrolyte 6 between the needle electrode 4 and the annular negative electrode 9, so that the liquid metal droplet 7 can be driven to move towards the laser 5 light spot, and the optical sensors 3 at different positions are irradiated, and the liquid metal droplet 7 can move along the moving track of the laser 5.

Further, the water tank 1 is a supporting structure manufactured by acid and alkali resistant plastic washing and cutting.

Further, the photo sensor 3 is closely adjacent to and densely arranged on the circuit board 8 with the pin electrodes 4, and the photo sensor 3 is positively turned on by the control circuit 10 when irradiated with the laser light 5.

Further, the annular negative electrode 9 is disposed around the circuit board 8, and an electric field directed from the annular negative electrode 9 to the needle-shaped electrode 4 can be formed.

Further, the transparent filler 2 is poured to cover the circuit board 8, and only the tip ends of the pin electrodes 4 are exposed.

Further, the material of the transparent filler 2 capable of sealing the circuit board 8 and preventing the electrolyte 6 from causing short circuit of the circuit board 8 is polyurethane, epoxy resin, and silica gel curable transparent or semitransparent pouring sealant.

Further, the light sensor 3 is of the type of a photodiode, a phototransistor or other photosensor.

Further, the material of the pin electrode 4 is iron, tungsten, gold or other conductive materials.

Further, the material of the annular negative electrode 9 placed around the circuit board 8 is graphite, tungsten or other conductive material.

Further, the liquid metal droplet 7 is made of a two-phase or multi-phase alloy of gallium and at least one metal selected from indium, tin, zinc, bismuth, silver and aluminum.

Further, the number of the liquid metal droplets 7 is one or more, and the number of the lasers 5 is one or more, that is, a single laser 5 operates a single liquid metal droplet 7 or a plurality of lasers 5 operate a plurality of liquid metal droplets 7 simultaneously.

Further, the liquid metal droplets 7 are always on the upper surface of the transparent filler 2 and are always immersed in the electrolyte 6.

Further, the control circuit 10 is connected with the power supply 11 through a lead, the control circuit 10 is connected with the optical sensor 3, the needle electrode 4 and the annular negative electrode 9 through leads, and the control circuit 10 is used for detecting whether the optical sensor 3 is illuminated or not so as to control the connection and disconnection of the needle electrode 4 and the power supply 11.

Further, the power supply 11 is a dc regulated power supply, and is a battery or an external dc regulated power supply input power supply.

Further, the upper surface of the transparent filler 2 may be polished or treated using a super-hydrophobic technique, thereby reducing the resistance of the liquid metal droplet 7 to the upper surface of the transparent filler 2.

The electrolyte 6 is an acidic electrolyte, an alkaline electrolyte, or a neutral electrolyte, and is capable of forming an electric field and an electric current when a power supply is applied.

Compared with the prior art, the invention controls the movement of the liquid metal droplets by utilizing light, and has high flexibility and simple control method. The invention can control the number of the liquid metal drops to be one or more, thereby greatly expanding the application range of the invention. The invention uses light to control and uses electric field drive at the same time, and the liquid metal droplet has good motion performance.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-sectional configuration of a light-controlled electric field-driven liquid metal droplet apparatus of the present invention powered by a battery using a laser beam to control individual liquid metal droplets;

fig. 2 is a schematic top view of a light-controlled electric field driven liquid metal droplet apparatus of the present invention using three laser beams to control three liquid metal droplets powered by an external power source.

Wherein: the device comprises a water tank 1, a transparent filler 2, an optical sensor 3, a needle electrode 4, a laser 5, an electrolyte 6, liquid metal droplets 7, a circuit board 8, an annular negative electrode 9, a control circuit 10 and a power supply 11.

Detailed Description