Acoustophoresis
Acoustophoresis - Related Videos
02:35
Aptamer-Assisted Acoustophoresis for Microfluidic Separation of Gram-Negative Bacteria
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2025
Source: Choi, H. J., et al. Microfluidic Acoustophoresis for Flowthrough Separation of Gram-Negative Bacteria using Aptamer Affinity Beads. J. Vis. Exp. (2022)This video demonstrates the method of selectively separating Gram-negative bacteria from a mixed bacterial sample using aptamer-coated microbeads and acoustic forces within a microfluidic chip.
06:08
Microfluidic Acoustophoresis for Flowthrough Separation of Gram-Negative Bacteria using Aptamer Affinity Beads
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2022
This paper describesthe fabrication and operation of microfluidic acoustophoretic chips using the microfluidic acoustophoresis technique and aptamer-modified microbeads that can be used for fast, efficient isolation of Gram-negative bacteria from a medium.
09:32
Standing Waves
0 Views •
2023
Source: Arianna Brown, Asantha Cooray, PhD, Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Physical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA Standing waves, or stationary waves, are waves that appear not to propagate and are produced by the interference of two waves traveling in opposite directions with the same frequency and amplitude. These waves appear to vibrate up and down with no linear movement and are most easily identified in vibrating finite media like a plucked guitar string,...
FAQs
An applied ultrasound field produces alternating pressure nodes and antinodes inside the fluidic chamber. Acoustic radiation forces act on suspended objects within this pressure pattern, directing them toward preferred positions rather than moving them randomly through the fluid. The resulting concentration or alignment depends on how each object responds to the acoustic field, enabling controlled focusing and separation.
Particle size, density, and compressibility affect how strongly suspended objects respond to acoustic radiation forces. Objects with different combinations of these properties can therefore move toward different preferred locations in the same acoustic field. This property-dependent behavior gives acoustophoresis a physical basis for separating particles, droplets, or cells without requiring labels or mechanical filter structures.
Acoustophoresis manipulates suspended objects through acoustic forces rather than retaining them with a mechanical filter or identifying them through attached labels. Its contact-free operation can handle particles, droplets, and cells within a fluid while using their physical responses to the acoustic field. This distinction is useful when sample preparation or sorting should avoid mechanical barriers and labeling steps.
A typical arrangement places the sample in a microfluidic chamber and applies ultrasound to establish a pressure field. As the field forms nodes and antinodes, suspended objects experience acoustic radiation forces and shift toward preferred regions. Researchers can then use the resulting focusing, separation, or assembly to prepare material for downstream analysis or processing.
The technique is useful when biomedical systems need contact-free handling of cells or other suspended material. It supports particle focusing, cell sorting, and sample preparation within lab-on-a-chip platforms. Because manipulation does not depend on mechanical filters or labels, acoustophoresis can help integrate fluid handling with measurement workflows in compact analytical systems.
In materials processing, acoustic fields can support controlled assembly by directing suspended objects into organized locations. For fluid purification, the same principle can separate particles from a fluid according to their physical responses to the field. These outcomes extend the method beyond cell handling and show how contact-free acoustic manipulation can support both preparation and processing tasks.