3D steerable, acoustically powered microswimmers for single-particle manipulation

Trapped bubbles make for fast and controllable microswimmers that can push or pull living cells in crowded microenvironments. The ability to precisely maneuver micro/nano objects in fluids in a contactless, biocompatible manner can enable innovative technologies and may have far-reaching impact in f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances Vol. 5; no. 10; p. eaax3084
Main Authors: Ren, Liqiang, Nama, Nitesh, McNeill, Jeffrey M., Soto, Fernando, Yan, Zhifei, Liu, Wu, Wang, Wei, Wang, Joseph, Mallouk, Thomas E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 01.10.2019
Subjects:
Acoustics
Applied Sciences and Engineering
HeLa Cells
Humans
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Magnetic Phenomena
Models, Theoretical
Motion
SciAdv r-articles
ISSN:2375-2548, 2375-2548
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Trapped bubbles make for fast and controllable microswimmers that can push or pull living cells in crowded microenvironments. The ability to precisely maneuver micro/nano objects in fluids in a contactless, biocompatible manner can enable innovative technologies and may have far-reaching impact in fields such as biology, chemical engineering, and nanotechnology. Here, we report a design for acoustically powered bubble-based microswimmers that are capable of autonomous motion in three dimensions and selectively transporting individual synthetic colloids and mammalian cells in a crowded group without labeling, surface modification, or effect on nearby objects. In contrast to previously reported microswimmers, their motion does not require operation at acoustic pressure nodes, enabling propulsion at low power and far from an ultrasonic transducer. In a megahertz acoustic field, the microswimmers are subject to two predominant forces: the secondary Bjerknes force and a locally generated acoustic streaming propulsive force. The combination of these two forces enables the microswimmers to independently swim on three dimensional boundaries or in free space under magnetical steering.
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ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aax3084