Cavity-agnostic acoustofluidic manipulations enabled by guided flexural waves on a membrane acoustic waveguide...

Area of Science:

• Acoustofluidics
• Microfluidics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional acoustofluidic devices often rely on chamber resonance for particle manipulation.
• Achieving precise control over microscale particles in diverse fluidic environments remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the acoustofluidic capabilities of guided flexural waves (GFWs) generated by a membrane acoustic waveguide actuator (MAWA).
• To demonstrate cavity-agnostic particle manipulation functions for microfluidic systems and lab-on-a-chip development.

Main Methods:

• Numerical investigation of localized acoustofluidic effects induced by GFWs.
• Experimental demonstrations of particle transport, mixing, and separation using a MAWA device.
• Generation of streaming-induced counter-flow virtual channels in PDMS microfluidic channels.

Main Results:

• GFWs enable cavity-agnostic particle manipulation, independent of fluidic chamber resonance.
• Acoustofluidic functions are tunable based on the flexural mode within the MAWA.
• Successful demonstration of particle manipulation, including diameter-based separation and virtual channel generation.

Conclusions:

• The MAWA platform offers versatile and advanced particle manipulation for lab-on-a-chip applications.
• GFWs provide a promising alternative to traditional acoustofluidic methods.
• The MAWA is compatible with existing microfluidic systems, facilitating integration.