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Jung H, Shung KK, Lim HG. Ultrasonic High-Resolution Imaging and Acoustic Tweezers Using Ultrahigh Frequency Transducer: Integrative Single-Cell Analysis. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:1916. [PMID: 36850513 PMCID: PMC9962640 DOI: 10.3390/s23041916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging is a highly valuable tool in imaging human tissues due to its non-invasive and easily accessible nature. Despite advances in the field of ultrasound research, conventional transducers with frequencies lower than 20 MHz face limitations in resolution for cellular applications. To address this challenge, we employed ultrahigh frequency (UHF) transducers and demonstrated their potential applications in the field of biomedical engineering, specifically for cell imaging and acoustic tweezers. The lateral resolution achieved with a 110 MHz UHF transducer was 20 μm, and 6.5 μm with a 410 MHz transducer, which is capable of imaging single cells. The results of our experiments demonstrated the successful imaging of a single PC-3 cell and a 15 μm bead using an acoustic scanning microscope equipped with UHF transducers. Additionally, the dual-mode multifunctional UHF transducer was used to trap and manipulate single cells and beads, highlighting its potential for single-cell studies in areas such as cell deformability and mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayong Jung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - K. Kirk Shung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Hae Gyun Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
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2
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Nguyen TP, Choi J, Nguyen VT, Mondal S, Bui NT, Vu DD, Park S, Oh J. Design and Micro-Fabrication of Focused High-Frequency Needle Transducers for Medical Imaging. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:3763. [PMID: 35632172 PMCID: PMC9143298 DOI: 10.3390/s22103763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we report an advanced fabrication technique to develop a miniature focused needle transducer. Two different types of high-frequency (100 MHz) transducers were fabricated using the lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-0.3PT) and lithium niobate (LiNbO3) single crystals. In order to enhance the transducer's performance, a unique mass-spring matching layer technique was adopted, in which gold and parylene play the roles of the mass layer and spring layer, respectively. The PMN-0.3PT transducer had a 103 MHz center frequency with a -6 dB bandwidth of 52%, and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 42 dB. The center frequency, -6 dB bandwidth, and SNR of the LiNbO3 transducer were 105 MHz, 66%, and 44 dB, respectively. In order to compare and evaluate the transducers' performances, an ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM) imaging on the fish eye was performed. The results showed that the LiNbO3 transducer had a better contrast resolution compared to the PMN-0.3PT transducer. The fabricated transducer showed an excellent performance with high-resolution corneal epithelium imaging of the experimental fish eye. These interesting findings are useful for the future biomedical implementation of the fabricated transducers in the field of high-resolution ultrasound imaging and diagnosis purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Phuoc Nguyen
- Department of Mechatronics, Cao Thang Technical College, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Jaeyeop Choi
- Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea; (J.C.); (V.T.N.); (D.D.V.); (S.P.); (J.O.)
| | - Van Tu Nguyen
- Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea; (J.C.); (V.T.N.); (D.D.V.); (S.P.); (J.O.)
| | - Sudip Mondal
- New-Senior Healthcare Innovation Center (BK21 Plus), Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea;
| | - Ngoc Thang Bui
- Institute of Engineering, HUTECH University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam;
| | - Dinh Dat Vu
- Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea; (J.C.); (V.T.N.); (D.D.V.); (S.P.); (J.O.)
| | - Sumin Park
- Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea; (J.C.); (V.T.N.); (D.D.V.); (S.P.); (J.O.)
| | - Junghwan Oh
- Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea; (J.C.); (V.T.N.); (D.D.V.); (S.P.); (J.O.)
- New-Senior Healthcare Innovation Center (BK21 Plus), Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea;
- Ohlabs Corporation, Busan 48513, Korea
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3
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Nguyen TP, Truong NTP, Bui NQ, Nguyen VT, Hoang G, Choi J, Phan TTV, Pham VH, Kim BG, Oh J. Design, Fabrication, and Evaluation of Multifocal Point Transducer for High-Frequency Ultrasound Applications. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 19:E609. [PMID: 30717095 PMCID: PMC6386936 DOI: 10.3390/s19030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The present study illustrates the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a novel multifocal point (MFP) transducer based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film for high-frequency ultrasound application. The fabricated MFP surface was press-focused using a computer numerical control (CNC) machining tool-customized multi-spherical pattern object. The multi-spherical pattern has five spherical surfaces with equal area and connected continuously to have the same energy level at focal points. Center points of these spheres are distributed in a linear pattern with 1 mm distance between each two points. The radius of these spheres increases steadily from 10 mm to 13.86 mm. The designed MFP transducer had a center frequency of 50 MHz and a -6 dB bandwidth of 68%. The wire phantom test was conducted to study and demonstrate the advantages of this novel design. The obtained results for MFP transducer revealed a significant increase (4.3 mm) of total focal zone in the near-field and far-field area compared with 0.48 mm obtained using the conventional single focal point transducer. Hence, the proposed method is promising to fabricate MFP transducers for deeper imaging depth applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Phuoc Nguyen
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
- Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Nguyen Thanh Phong Truong
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Nhat Quang Bui
- Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Van Tu Nguyen
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Giang Hoang
- Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Jaeyeop Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Thi Tuong Vy Phan
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
- Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Van Hiep Pham
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Byung-Gak Kim
- College of Future Convergence, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
| | - Junghwan Oh
- Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
- Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea.
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Juntarapaso Y, Miyasaka C, Tutwiler RL, Anastasiadis P. Contrast Mechanisms for Tumor Cells by High-frequency Ultrasound. Open Neuroimag J 2018. [DOI: 10.2174/1874440001812010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a powerful technique for both the non-destructive determination of mechanical and elastic properties of biological specimens and for the ultrasonic imaging at a micrometer resolution. The implication of biomechanical properties during the onset and progression of disease has been established rendering a profound understanding of the relationship between mechanoelastic and biochemical signaling at a molecular level crucial. Computer simulation algorithms were developed for the generation of images and the investigation of contrast mechanisms in high-frequency and ultra-high frequency SAM. Furthermore, we determined the mechanical and elastic properties of HeLa and MCF-7 cells. Algorithms for simulatingV(z)responses were developed based on the ray and wave theory (angular spectrum). Theoretical simulations for high-frequency SAM array designs were performed with the Field II software. In these simulations, we applied phased array beam formation and dynamic apodization and focusing. The purpose of our transducer simulations was to explore volumetric imaging capabilities. The novel transducer arrays designed in this research aim at improving the performance of SAM systems by introducing electronic steering and hence, allowing for the 4D imaging of cells and tissues.
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Zhu B, Fei C, Wang C, Zhu Y, Yang X, Zheng H, Zhou Q, Shung KK. Self-Focused AlScN Film Ultrasound Transducer for Individual Cell Manipulation. ACS Sens 2017; 2:172-177. [PMID: 28722425 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.6b00713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Precise cell positioning is indispensable in the fields of biophysics and cellular biology. Acoustic microbeam produced by a highly focused ultrasound transducer has recently been investigated for a particle or cell manipulation. By virtue of the relatively good piezoelectric property, Sc doped AlN film was introduced for a highly focused ultrasound transducer application. Using a sputtering approach, a self-focused AlScN film based device has been designed, fabricated, and characterized at a frequency of ∼230 MHz. It had a narrow lateral beam width (∼8.2 μm). The AlScN ultrasound transducer was not only shown to be capable of remote controlling a single 10 μm polystyrene microsphere in distilled water, but also demonstrated to possess the capability to manipulate without contact individual 10 μm epidermoid carcinoma cell in two dimensions within a range of hundreds of micrometers in phosphate buffered saline. Most importantly, the cell manipulation was realized in continuous mode and no switch-on and -off operation was needed. These results suggest that self-focused AlScN film ultrasound transducer is a promising candidate for biomedical and molecular biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Zhu
- School
of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering and NIH Transducer Resource Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1111, United States
| | - Chunlong Fei
- School
of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Shenzhen
Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuhang Zhu
- School
of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaofei Yang
- School
of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Shenzhen
Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qifa Zhou
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering and NIH Transducer Resource Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1111, United States
| | - K. Kirk Shung
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering and NIH Transducer Resource Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1111, United States
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Enhanced IVUS: Advances Allowing Higher Resolution and Integrated Devices. CURRENT CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING REPORTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12410-016-9384-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Yan X, Ji H, Lam KH, Chen R, Zheng F, Ren W, Zhou Q, Shung KK. Lead-free BNT composite film for high-frequency broadband ultrasonic transducer applications. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2013; 60:1533-1537. [PMID: 25004521 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2013.2726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A lead-free Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) piezoelectric composite thick film with a thickness of ~11 μm has been fabricated using a modified sol-gel method. Dielectric constant, remnant polarization, and coercive field of the BNT composite film were found to be 1018, 22.6 μC/cm2, and 76.1 kV/cm, respectively. The film was used to fabricate a high-frequency needle transducer and the performance of the transducer was measured. The transducer without a matching layer exhibits a center frequency of 98 MHz and a -6-dB bandwidth of 86%. A wire phantom image acquired using the transducer shows an axial resolution of 15 ¿m and lateral resolution of 68 μm, respectively. Results from this study suggest that the BNT composite film is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material for high-frequency broadband ultrasonic transducer applications.
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Lam KH, Hsu HS, Li Y, Lee C, Lin A, Zhou Q, Kim ES, Shung KK. Ultrahigh frequency lensless ultrasonic transducers for acoustic tweezers application. Biotechnol Bioeng 2012; 110:881-6. [PMID: 23042219 DOI: 10.1002/bit.24735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Revised: 09/07/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Similar to optical tweezers, a tightly focused ultrasound microbeam is needed to manipulate microparticles in acoustic tweezers. The development of highly sensitive ultrahigh frequency ultrasonic transducers is crucial for trapping particles or cells with a size of a few microns. As an extra lens would cause excessive attenuation at ultrahigh frequencies, two types of 200-MHz lensless transducer design were developed as an ultrasound microbeam device for acoustic tweezers application. Lithium niobate single crystal press-focused (PF) transducer and zinc oxide self-focused transducer were designed, fabricated and characterized. Tightly focused acoustic beams produced by these transducers were shown to be capable of manipulating single microspheres as small as 5 µm two-dimensionally within a range of hundreds of micrometers in distilled water. The size of the trapped microspheres is the smallest ever reported in the literature of acoustic PF devices. These results suggest that these lensless ultrahigh frequency ultrasonic transducers are capable of manipulating particles at the cellular level and that acoustic tweezers may be a useful tool to manipulate a single cell or molecule for a wide range of biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwok Ho Lam
- NIH Transducer Resource Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
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Li X, Wu W, Chung Y, Shih WY, Shih WH, Zhou Q, Shung KK. 80-MHz intravascular ultrasound transducer using PMN-PT free-standing film. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2011; 58:2281-8. [PMID: 22083761 PMCID: PMC3304502 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2011.2085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
[Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)](0.63)[PbTiO(3)](0.37) (PMN-PT) free-standing film of comparable piezoelectric properties to bulk material with thickness of 30 μm has been fabricated using a modified precursor coating approach. At 1 kHz, the dielectric permittivity and loss were 4364 and 0.033, respectively. The remnant polarization and coercive field were 28 μC/cm(2) and 18.43 kV/cm. The electromechanical coupling coefficient k(t) was measured to be 0.55, which was close to that of bulk PMN-PT single-crystal material. Based on this film, high-frequency (82 MHz) miniature ultrasonic transducers were fabricated with 65% bandwidth and 23 dB insertion loss. Axial and lateral resolutions were determined to be as high as 35 and 176 μm. In vitro intravascular imaging on healthy rabbit aorta was performed using the thin film transducers. In comparison with a 35-MHz IVUS transducer, the 80-MHz transducer showed superior resolution and contrast with satisfactory penetration depth. The imaging results suggest that PMN-PT free-standing thin film technology is a feasible and efficient way to fabricate very-high-frequency ultrasonic transducers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- NIH Ultrasonic Transducer Resource Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Zhu B, Han J, Shi J, Shung KK, Wei Q, Huang Y, Kosec M, Zhou Q. Lift-off PMN-PT Thick Film for High Frequency Ultrasonic Biomicroscopy. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY. AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY 2010; 93:2929-2931. [PMID: 21170158 PMCID: PMC3002224 DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2010.03873.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Piezoelectric 0.65Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-0.35PbTiO(3) (PMN-35PT) thick film with a thickness of approximately 12 µm has been deposited on the platinum buffered Si substrate via a sol-gel composite method. The separation of the film from the substrate was achieved using a wet chemical method. The lifted-off PMN-35PT thick film exhibited good dielectric and ferroelectric properties. At 1 kHz, the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss were 3,326 and 0.037, respectively, while the remnant polarization was 30.0 µC/cm(2). A high frequency single element acoustic transducer fabricated with this film showed a bandwidth at -6 dB of 63.6% at 110 MHz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Zhu
- Department of Electronic Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- NIH Transducer Resource Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
| | - Jiangxue Han
- NIH Transducer Resource Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
| | - Jing Shi
- Department of Physics and Key Laboratory of Acoustic and Photonic Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - K. Krik Shung
- NIH Transducer Resource Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
| | - Q. Wei
- Chemat Technology Inc. Northridge, CA 91324
| | | | - M. Kosec
- Jozef Stefan Institute. SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Qifa Zhou
- NIH Transducer Resource Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
- Corresponding author: Dr. Qifa Zhou,
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Lee J, Teh SY, Lee A, Kim HH, Lee C, Shung KK. Transverse acoustic trapping using a gaussian focused ultrasound. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2010; 36:350-5. [PMID: 20045590 PMCID: PMC2815109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2009.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 10/06/2009] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The optical tweezer has become a popular device to manipulate particles in nanometer scales and to study the underlying principles of many cellular or molecular interactions. Theoretical analysis was previously carried out at the authors' laboratory, to show that similar acoustic trapping of microparticles may be possible with a single beam ultrasound. This article experimentally presents the transverse trapping of 125 microm lipid droplets under an acoustically transparent mylar film, which is an intermediate step toward achieving acoustic tweezers in three-dimension. Despite the lack of axial trapping capability in the current experimental arrangement, it was found that a 30 MHz focused beam could be used to laterally direct the droplets toward the focus. The spatial range within which acoustic traps may guide droplet motion was in the range of hundreds of micrometers, much greater than that of optical traps. This suggests that this acoustic device may offer an alternative for manipulating microparticles in a wider spatial range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungwoo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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