Exploring the potential of tesla valve for filtering and sorting microscale active swimmers: A computational study

Abstract

It is well-known that a Tesla valve allows fluids to flow unidirectionally without moving parts; however, how Tesla valves interact with active matters and the potential applications of Tesla valves in biology remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a computational study on the potential use of Tesla valves for filtering and sorting microscale active swimmers such as bacteria. We investigated the behavior of microscale swimmers passing through the Tesla valve at different linear and angular velocities using numerical simulations and quantified the diodicity of the Tesla valve for active swimmers. Our results demonstrate that the Tesla valve can effectively filter and sort microscale swimmers based on their swimming behavior. The findings of this study suggest that Tesla valves could have potential applications in microscale sorting and chromatography, with significant implications for biomedical and environmental engineering.