Bisymmetric coherent acoustic tweezers based on modulation of surface acoustic waves for dynamic and reconfigurable cluster manipulation of particles and cells

Acoustic tweezers based on surface acoustic waves (SAWs) have raised great interest in the fields of tissue engineering, targeted therapy, and drug delivery. Generally, the complex structure and array layout design of interdigital electrodes would restrict the applications of acoustic tweezers. Here, we present a novel approach by using bisymmetric coherent acoustic tweezers to modulate the shape of acoustic pressure fields with high flexibility and accuracy. Experimental tests were conducted to perform the precise, contactless, and biocompatible cluster manipulation of polystyrene microparticles and yeast cells. Stripe, dot, quadratic lattice, hexagonal lattice, interleaved stripe, oblique stripe, and many other complex arrays were achieved by real-time modulation of amplitudes and phase relations of coherent SAWs to demonstrate the capability of the device for the cluster manipulation of particles and cells. Furthermore, rapid switching among various arrays, shape regulation, geometric parameter modulation of array units, and directional translation of microparticles and cells were implemented. This study demonstrated a favorable technique for flexible and versatile manipulation and patterning of cells and biomolecules, and it has the advantages of high manipulation accuracy and adjustability, thus it is expected to be utilized in the fields of targeted cellular assembly, biological 3D printing, and targeted release of drugs.

Automated summary

This study presents a novel approach of acoustic tweezers, using bisymmetric coherent acoustic tweezers to modulate the shape of acoustic pressure fields. The experimental tests demonstrate the capability of precise, contactless, and biocompatible cluster manipulation of particles and cells, and the device also allows for rapid switching, shape regulation, and directional translation. This technique shows great potential in the fields of targeted cellular assembly, biological 3D printing, and targeted release of drugs.