Contactless grasp of a magnetic particle in a fluid and its application to quantifications of forces affecting its behavior

In this study, the contactless grasp of a magnetic particle suspended in a fluid at rest or in motion by coil current control, and a method for estimating these forces quantitatively were developed. Four electromagnets were used to apply magnetic fields to magnetic ferrite particles (diameter, 300 nm-300 µm) in a fluid in a vessel. Particle-tracking velocimetry with high-speed image processing was used to visualize the behavior of the magnetic particles in the fluid. In addition, contactless grasp of a magnetic particle using the feedback control was accomplished. Furthermore, by making the magnetic force and the resultant force of the other forces affecting a magnetic particle be in balance, the vertical and horizontal forces affecting the minute magnetic particle, such as the viscous force or the magnetic force between magnetized particles, could be estimated quantitatively from the current in the coil of each electromagnet, without any physical contact with the particle itself. These results constitute useful information for studies on the issues in the handling of micro- or nano-particles.