Acoustic Biosensors and Microfluidic Devices in the Decennium: Principles and Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices integrate biosensing and microfluidics.
• Label-free biosensors are crucial for efficient biological sample analysis.
• Piezoelectric acoustic wave technology offers biocompatible, non-invasive sensing and actuation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of piezoelectric acoustic waves in label-free biosensing and microfluidic actuation for LOC and point-of-care (POC) devices.
• To explore the fundamental principles, materials, and fabrication methods of acoustic wave-based biosensors.
• To highlight recent advancements and future perspectives in acoustic wave-driven LOC technologies.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of acoustic wave technology (bulk and surface acoustic waves).
• Comprehensive study of operating principles for biosensing and microfluidic actuation.
• Review of piezoelectric materials, fabrication techniques, and challenges.

Main Results:

• Acoustic waves are effective for label-free sensing of proteins, biomarkers, DNA, and microorganisms.
• Acoustofluidics enables manipulation and sorting of biological samples like cells.
• Advancements in thin-film piezoelectric materials facilitate integrated sensing and actuation platforms.

Conclusions:

• Piezoelectric acoustic wave technology is a promising approach for developing real-time, label-free, and portable LOC/POC devices.
• Integration of sensing and actuation on a single platform using smart piezoelectric materials is a key future direction.
• Key benefits and commercialization challenges for acoustic wave-based biosensors and actuation platforms are identified.