Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bioinspired milliscale near-boundary undulatory motion for fluid transport and adhesive locomotion.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Fish-diversity-inspired multiple soft millirobot system with morphology-encoded selective control.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Genetically engineered human cell-based microrobots for selective cancer cell death.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Wireless electrostimulation implants enable sphincter neuromuscular improvement toward mixed urinary incontinence.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Microrobotic copper-rich electrochemical interfacing for targeted cancer theranostics in the gut.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Synthetic X‑ray‑driven tracking and control of miniature medical devices.

Nature machine intelligence·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 24, 2025

A Microfluidic-based Hydrodynamic Trap for Single Particles
10:13

A Microfluidic-based Hydrodynamic Trap for Single Particles

Published on: January 21, 2011

17.0K

Flexural wave-based soft attractor walls for trapping microparticles and cells.

Amirreza Aghakhani1, Hakan Cetin2, Pelin Erkoc3

  • 1Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. sitti@is.mpg.de.

Lab on a Chip
|December 23, 2020
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a flexural-wave acoustofluidic system for trapping microparticles and cells at soft walls. This biocompatible, label-free method uses low-frequency ultrasound for versatile cell manipulation in microfluidics.

More Related Videos

Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations
06:51

Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations

Published on: August 21, 2018

7.3K
Fabrication and Operation of Acoustofluidic Devices Supporting Bulk Acoustic Standing Waves for Sheathless Focusing of Particles
10:14

Fabrication and Operation of Acoustofluidic Devices Supporting Bulk Acoustic Standing Waves for Sheathless Focusing of Particles

Published on: March 6, 2016

13.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 24, 2025

A Microfluidic-based Hydrodynamic Trap for Single Particles
10:13

A Microfluidic-based Hydrodynamic Trap for Single Particles

Published on: January 21, 2011

17.0K
Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations
06:51

Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations

Published on: August 21, 2018

7.3K
Fabrication and Operation of Acoustofluidic Devices Supporting Bulk Acoustic Standing Waves for Sheathless Focusing of Particles
10:14

Fabrication and Operation of Acoustofluidic Devices Supporting Bulk Acoustic Standing Waves for Sheathless Focusing of Particles

Published on: March 6, 2016

13.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Acoustics
  • Microfluidics

Background:

  • Acoustic manipulation (acoustophoresis) of microparticles and cells in microfluidics is crucial for biomedical applications.
  • Acoustic radiation force is key for pushing microscopic objects towards surfaces, enhancing immunoassays, sensors, and microrobotics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a flexural-wave based acoustofluidic system for trapping micron-sized particles and cells at soft wall boundaries.
  • To demonstrate wall-trapping in sub-millimeter channels using low-frequency excitation (<200 kHz) of a glass slide.

Main Methods:

  • Excitation of a standard microscope glass slide at resonance frequencies to generate flexural waves.
  • Utilizing sub-millimeter rectangular and circular microchannels with varying widths.
  • System-level acousto-structural simulations to analyze particle motion governed by acoustic radiation and streaming forces.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated wall-trapping of micron-sized particles and cells in microchannels.
  • Confirmed acoustophoretic motion near walls, influenced by competing acoustic forces.
  • Showcased attraction of motile microalgae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) to soft boundaries, including rotation and pulsed ultrasound effects.

Conclusions:

  • The flexural-wave driven acoustofluidic system offers a biocompatible, versatile, and label-free approach for particle and cell attraction to soft walls.
  • The system's design allows for a wide range of channel dimensions due to the long acoustic wavelengths relative to channel width.
  • This method has significant potential for various microfluidic-based biomedical applications.