Electric tweezers: negative dielectrophoretic multiple particle positioning.

Electric tweezers are a touchless positioning apparatus that employs dielectrophoresis and electroorientation to arbitrarily position cellsized particles. In this paper, we develop an algorithm which enables electric tweezers to operate on multiple particles. Furthermore, we probe the limits of this technique in simulation, examining the range of electric field magnitudes and forces that can be applied.We then demonstrate this new functionality on two particles. The device can apply forces on any particle of non-zero polarizability and here this is highlighted by manipulating negatively polarized glass beads. Additionally, we demonstrate that negligibly polarized particles can also be manipulated through mechanical forces applied by other particles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]