Acoustofluidics 9: Modelling and applications of planar resonant devices for acoustic particle manipulation

This article introduces the design, construction and applications of planar resonant devices for particle and cell manipulation. These systems rely on the pistonic action of a piezoelectric layer to generate a one dimensional axial variation in acoustic pressure through a system of acoustically tuned layers. The resulting acoustic standing wave is dominated by planar variations in pressure causing particles to migrate to planar pressure nodes (or antinodes depending on particle and fluid properties). The consequences of lateral variations in the fields are discussed, and rules for designing resonators with high energy density within the appropriate layer for a given drive voltage presente

Mode-switching: a new technique for electronically varying the agglomeration position in an acoustic particle manipulator

Acoustic radiation forces offer a means of manipulating particles within a fluid. Much interest in recent years has focussed on the use of radiation forces in microfluidic (or “lab on a chip”) devices. Such devices are well matched to the use of ultrasonic standing waves in which the resonant dimensions of the chamber are smaller than the ultrasonic wavelength in use. However, such devices have typically been limited to moving particles to one or two predetermined planes, whose positions are determined by acoustic pressure nodes/anti-nodes set up in the ultrasonic standing wave. In most cases devices have been designed to move particles to either the centre or (more recently) the side of a flow channel using ultrasonic frequencies that produce a half or quarter wavelength over the channel, respectively.It is demonstrated here that by rapidly switching back and forth between half and quarter wavelength frequencies – mode-switching – a new agglomeration position is established that permits beads to be brought to any arbitrary point between the half and quarter-wave nodes. This new agglomeration position is effectively a position of stable equilibrium. This has many potential applications, particularly in cell sorting and manipulation. It should also enable precise control of agglomeration position to be maintained regardless of manufacturing tolerances, temperature variations, fluid medium characteristics and particle concentration

Chapter 7. Modelling and Applications of Planar Resonant Devices for Acoustic Particle Manipulation

This chapter introduces the design, construction and applications of planar resonant devices for particle and cell manipulation. These systems rely on the pistonic action of a piezoelectric layer to generate a one-dimensional axial variation in acoustic pressure through a system of acoustically tuned layers. The resulting acoustic standing wave is dominated by planar variations in pressure causing particles to migrate to planar pressure nodes (or antinodes depending on particle and fluid properties). The consequences of lateral variations in the fields are discussed, and rules for designing resonators with high energy density within the appropriate layer for a given drive voltage presented.</jats:p

Flexible acoustic particle manipulation device with integrated optical waveguide for enhanced microbead assays

Realisation of a device intended for the manipulation and detection of bead-tagged DNA and other bio-molecules is presented. Acoustic radiation forces are used to manipulate polystyrene micro-beads into an optical evanescent field generated by a laser pumped ion-exchanged waveguide. The evanescent field only excites fluorophores brought within ~100 nm of the waveguide, allowing the system to differentiate between targets bound to the beads and those unbound and still held in suspension. The radiation forces are generated in a standing-wave chamber that supports multiple acoustic modes, permitting particles to be both attracted to the waveguide surface and also repelled. To provide further control over particle position, a novel method of switching rapidly between different acoustic modes is demonstrated, through which particles are manipulated into an arbitrary position within the chamber. A novel type of assay is presented: a mixture of streptavidin coated and control beads are driven towards a biotin functionalised surface, then a repulsive force is applied, making it possible to determine which beads became bound to the surface. It is shown that the quarter-wave mode can enhance bead to surface interaction, overcoming potential barriers caused by surface charges. It is demonstrated that by measuring the time of flight of a microsphere across the device the bead size can be determined, providing a means of multiplexing the detection, potentially detecting a range of different target molecules, or varying bead mass

Micromanipulation of cells and particles using ultrasonic fields

Ultrasonic standing waves allow concentration, washing, fractionation, or trapping against a flow of cells in microfluidic environments and can potentially enhance biosensor performance

Contrast agent-free sonoporation: the use of an ultrasonic standing wave microfluidic system for the delivery of pharmaceutical agents

Sonoporation is a useful biophysical mechanism for facilitating the transmembrane delivery of therapeutic agents from the extracellular to the intracellular milieu. Conventionally, sonoporation is carried out in the presence of ultrasound contrast agents, which are known to greatly enhance transient poration of biological cell membranes. However, in vivo contrast agents have been observed to induce capillary rupture and haemorrhage due to endothelial cell damage and to greatly increase the potential for cell lysis in vitro. Here, we demonstrate sonoporation of cardiac myoblasts in the absence of contrast agent (CA-free sonoporation) using a low-cost ultrasound-microfluidic device. Within this device an ultrasonic standing wave was generated, allowing control over the position of the cells and the strength of the acoustic radiation forces. Real-time single-cell analysis and retrospective postsonication analysis of insonated cardiac myoblasts showed that CA-free sonoporation induced transmembrane transfer of fluorescent probes (CMFDA and FITC-dextran) and that different mechanisms potentially contribute to membrane poration in the presence of an ultrasonic wave. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, we have shown for the first time that sonoporation induces increased cell cytotoxicity as a consequence of CA-free ultrasound-facilitated uptake of pharmaceutical agents (doxorubicin, luteolin, and apigenin). The US-microfluidic device designed here provides an in vitro alternative to expensive and controversial in vivo models used for early stage drug discovery, and drug delivery programs and toxicity measurements