Robotic acoustofluidic single-cell picking and placement platform
Wanqi Li1,2, Qiu Yin3,4, Jiahui Wu5
1National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. xiangchen@sjtu.edu.cn.
Lab on a Chip
|April 8, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a robotic acoustofluidic platform for precise single-cell manipulation. The system uses machine vision and acoustic tweezers to automate cell picking and placement, improving stability and enabling advanced biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
- Robotics
Background:
- Single-cell manipulation is crucial for understanding cellular heterogeneity and for applications like proteomics and drug screening.
- Acoustofluidic techniques offer label-free, gentle cell control, but existing methods lack precision and automation.
- Acoustic streaming causes instability, limiting the use of needle-based acoustic tweezers in biomedicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robotic acoustofluidic platform for automated single-cell picking and placement.
- To enhance the precision and stability of needle-based acoustic tweezer technology.
- To enable scalable, low-cost single-cell workflows for various biomedical applications.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a needle-based acoustic tweezer with a YOLOv8 machine vision module for real-time control.
- Systematic characterization of excitation voltage and frequency modulation for dynamic manipulation stability.
- Implementation of a regulation strategy and closed-loop feedback for precise cell handling.
- Automated positioning of diverse targets (10-100 μm) including microparticles, single cells, and spheroids.
- Verification of dual-particle co-placement and assessment of cellular integrity post-manipulation.
Main Results:
- Achieved stable and precise automated picking and placement of various microscale targets.
- Demonstrated mitigation of acoustic streaming-induced disturbances through dynamic acoustic excitation adjustment.
- Successfully performed dual-particle co-placement, maintaining cellular viability and structural integrity.
- Validated the platform's utility for downstream single-cell proteomic analysis.
Conclusions:
- The developed robotic acoustofluidic platform offers a low-cost, versatile solution for automated single-cell manipulation.
- This technology enhances precision and stability, overcoming limitations of previous acoustofluidic methods.
- The platform supports scalable single-cell workflows, paving the way for advanced applications in diagnostics, drug screening, and material synthesis.
