Flow Control of Small Objects on Chip: Manipulating Live Cells, Quantum Dots, and Nanowires

This article is on microscale flow control, on dynamically shaping flow fields in microfluidic devices to precisely manipulate cells, quantum dots (QDs), and nanowires. Compared to prior methods, manipulating microscopic and nanoscopic objects by flow control can be achieved with simpler and easy-to-fabricate devices, can steer a wider variety of objects, and enables entirely new capabilities such as placement and immobilization of specific quantum dots to desired on-chip locations with nanoscale precision. A companion article investigates flow control in the body and develops methods to shape magnetic fields to direct ferrofluids of therapeutic magnetic nanoparticles to disease locations in patients.