Open-source, high-throughput ultrasound treatment chamber

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cellular Biology
• Acoustics

Background:

• Biomedical ultrasound research demands expertise in both physics and cell biology, posing challenges in knowledge translation.
• Variability in ultrasonic equipment across labs complicates experimental replication and increases costs.
• Existing methods for cell sonication often lack reproducibility and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate an open-source, low-cost, and reproducible device for parallel sample sonication in biomedical research.
• To provide a template for consistent and accessible cell sonication experiments.
• To address the limitations of current ultrasonic equipment in research settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three-dimensional (3D) printing and affordable consumables for device fabrication.
• Developed a device compatible with standard 24-well plates and OptiCell™.
• Implemented electrical impedance matching with transmission line transformers to enhance transducer pressure output.
• Performed complete acoustic calibration to ensure high reproducibility.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 3.15-fold increase in pressure output through electrical impedance matching.
• Fabricated devices cost approximately €220 in consumables and take ~8 working hours.
• Demonstrated high reproducibility with <1% variance in mean acoustic output between devices.
• Successfully sonicated 24-well plates and OptiCell™ samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed open-source device offers a cost-effective and reproducible solution for cell sonication.
• The design facilitates parallel sample processing, saving time and resources.
• Complete documentation (3D files, software) enables widespread adoption in research labs without extensive prior expertise.