Developing a multi-sample acoustofluidic device for high-throughput cell aggregation

Renhua Yang, Siping Huang, Yiwen Zhang, Chao Zhang, Jingui Qian, Raymond H.W. Lam, Joshua E.Y. Lee, Zuankai Wang

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Plug-and-play acoustofluidic devices are highly promising for dexterously aggregating microparticles owing to the advantages of being contactless, label-free, and cost-efficient. Despite the extensive progress, existing acoustofluidic devices are largely limited to addressing a single sample per device, lacking the ability to address multiple samples for high-throughput operations in a single acoustofluidic device. In this work, we report a high-throughput multi-sample acoustofluidic aggregation device that enables manipulation of up to 12 samples simultaneously using a single reusable acoustic tweezer. The key design of the multi-sample acoustofluidic device lies in the utilization of a polydimethylsiloxane frame as a selective acoustic-absorbing feature to create asymmetric acoustic waves over multiple detachable superstrates in a single device. This approach is distinct from conventional strategies which mostly have involved modifying the superstrates or tuning the settings for individual superstrates. We demonstrate that the proposed acoustofluidic device can efficiently aggregate multiple samples of various compositions ranging from non-bioactive microparticles to bioactive cells, as well as a range of object sizes spanning from 0.6 µm to 13 µm. Given its merits of simplicity, cost-efficiency and high throughput, the proposed platform could be useful for biomedical applications requiring large-scale operations, such as 3D tumor spheroids and bio-sensors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number055003
JournalJournal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
Volume33
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023

Keywords

  • acoustic tweezer
  • acoustofluidic
  • cell aggregation
  • multi-sample operation
  • surface acoustic waves

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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