Detachable holographic acoustofluidic chip for striped acoustic field modulation and particle manipulation

The development of detachable acoustofluidic devices is of great significance for disposable and cost-effective biological and chemical analysis. In this work, a highly integrated holographic acoustofluidic device based on acoustic holography and microfluidic chips was proposed to realize the modulation of striped acoustic field in microchannels. In the device, the chip is disposable and the transducer is reused. The acoustic hologram was fabricated by injection molding for efficient manufacturing and low cost. In addition, a multiphysics simulation model for holographic acoustofluidic chip was established to analyze the effect of acoustic field modulation and particle manipulation. Results showed that the acoustic pressure inside the microchannel of the device exhibits a clear striped distribution, and a linear arrangement of particles parallel and inclined to the extension direction of the channel wall can be achieved within 2 s. The distance between the arrangement lines in the target region was controlled at around 60 μm. The investigation of thermal effect validates the biocompatibility. The designed holographic acoustofluidic device presents a promising option for the manipulation, arrangement, and sorting of cells and other particles in microchannels.