Acoustic tweezers: patterning cells and microparticles using standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW)

TLDR

The authors introduce “acoustic tweezers,” an active patterning technique that uses standing surface acoustic waves to manipulate and pattern cells and microparticles. The method relies on SSAW to achieve this manipulation and patterning. The technique can pattern cells and microparticles regardless of shape, size, charge or polarity, operates at power intensities roughly 5 × 10⁵ times lower than optical tweezers, is non‑invasive according to flow cytometry, and its simple, miniaturizable design makes it promising for biology, chemistry, engineering, and materials science.

Abstract

Here we present an active patterning technique named "acoustic tweezers" that utilizes standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW) to manipulate and pattern cells and microparticles. This technique is capable of patterning cells and microparticles regardless of shape, size, charge or polarity. Its power intensity, approximately 5 × 105 times lower than that of optical tweezers, compares favorably with those of other active patterning methods. Flow cytometry studies have revealed it to be non-invasive. The aforementioned advantages, along with this technique's simple design and ability to be miniaturized, render the "acoustic tweezers" technique a promising tool for various applications in biology, chemistry, engineering, and materials science.