System and method for periodic-electrode-based real-time micro-object position control with the aid of a digital computer

A method for periodically-repeating-electrode-based real-time micro-object position control with an aid of a digital computer, comprising:

• capturing by a sensor a position of at least one micro-object at a plurality of time points;
• obtaining, by at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable, one or more parameters of a system for positioning the at least one micro-object, the system comprising at least one control unit comprising a plurality of electrodes, wherein a sequence of the electrodes repeats periodically starting from an outside of the control unit and moving towards the center of the control unit, the electrodes configured to induce movements of the at least one micro-object when the at least one micro-object is suspended in a fluid proximate to the electrodes upon a generation of one or more forces by one or more of the electrodes;
• modeling by the at least one processor a parameter of an interaction between each of the electrodes and the at least one micro-object;
• obtaining by the at least one processor a desired position of the at least one micro-object;
• implementing by the at least one processor via a plurality of voltage patterns a control scheme for moving the at least one micro-object until the position of the at least one micro-object matches the desired position, implementing each of the voltage patterns comprising:
• determining voltage to be generated by one of the electrodes in the control unit based on the parameter model, the at least one micro-object's position at a most recent one of the time points, and the desired positon;
• determining a voltage to be generated by each of the remaining electrodes in the control unit using the voltage for the one electrode and a position of that remaining electrode relative to the one electrode;
• and
• commanding the electrodes to generate the determined voltages, wherein the position of the at least one micro-object is determined after each of the voltage generations.

A system for independently-driven-electrode-based real-time micro-object position control with an aid of a digital computer, comprising:

• a sensor configured to capture a position of at least one micro-object at a plurality of time points;
• at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable code and further configured to:
• obtain one or more parameters of a system for positioning the at least one micro-object, the system comprising at least one control unit comprising a plurality of independently driven electrodes, wherein a sequence of the electrodes repeats periodically starting from an outside of the control unit and moving towards the center of the control unit, the electrodes configured to induce movements of the at least one micro-object when the at least one micro-object is suspended in a fluid proximate to the electrodes upon a generation of one or more forces by one or more of the electrodes;
• model a parameter of an interaction between each of the electrodes and the at least one micro-object;
• obtain a desired position of the at least one micro-object;
• implement via a plurality of voltage patterns a control scheme for moving the at least one micro-object until the position of the at least one micro-object matches the desired position, implementing each of the voltage patterns comprising:
• determine a voltage to be generated by one of the electrodes in the control unit based on the parameter model, the at least one micro-object's position at a most recent one of the time points, and the desired positon;
• determine a voltage to be generated by each of the remaining electrodes in the control unit using the voltage for the one electrode and a position of that remaining electrode relative to the one electrode;
• and
• command the electrodes to generate the determined voltages, wherein the position of the at least one micro-object is determined after each of the voltage generations.