Microfluidic manipulation and sorting of particles using tunable standing surface acoustic wave
An apparatus for manipulating particles uses tunable standing surface acoustic waves includes a channel defined on a substrate and a pair of variable frequency interdigital transducers. The channel is disposed asymmetrically between the transducers such that the zero order node location is outside of a working region in the channel.
1. A method of manipulating a particle using surface acoustic waves, the method comprising:
introducing a fluid suspension including the particle to a channel;
generating tunable surface acoustic waves in the fluid suspension using a pair of variable frequency interdigital transducers (IDTs), the tunable surface acoustic waves generating a pressure field and exerting an acoustic radiation force on the particle, the acoustic radiation force pushing the particle to a node or antinode of the pressure field; and
manipulating the particle by tuning the frequency and/or phase of the tunable surface acoustic waves, the tuning of the frequency and/or phase shifting the node or the antinode, the shifting of the node or antinode shifting a position of the particle within the channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method is a method of particle sorting;
the channel is a flow channel; and
the frequency and/or phase of the tunable surface acoustic waves being tuned to direct a trajectory of the particle to a selected output channel of a plurality of output channels.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle is an organic particle, an inorganic particle, a cell or a microorganism.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating additional tunable surface acoustic waves in the fluid suspension using an additional pair of variable frequency interdigital transducers (IDTs),
the particle being further manipulated by adjusting the frequency and/or phase of the additional tunable surface acoustic waves.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tunable surface acoustic waves are standing surface acoustic waves.
6. A method of manipulating a particle using surface acoustic waves, the method comprising:
introducing a fluid suspension including the particle to a channel;
generating surface acoustic waves in the fluid suspension using a pair of variable frequency transducers; and
manipulating the particle by adjusting the frequency and/or phase of the surface acoustic waves;
wherein the surface acoustic waves include a zero order node located outside a working region of the channel, the zero order node being a stationary pressure node centered between the pair of variable frequency transducers.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the method is a method of particle sorting; and
the frequency and/or phase of the surface acoustic waves being adjusted to direct a trajectory of the particle to a selected output channel of a plurality of output channels.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the particle is an organic particle, an inorganic particle, a cell or a microorganism.