Microscale acoustofluidics and lab-on-chip
Acoustic manipulation of fluids and microscale particles and biological cells in lab-on-a-chip systems has unlocked numerous essential functions in microfluidics, including cell sorting/patterning/stimulation, droplet manipulation, mixing, streaming, jetting/nebulization, fluid handling/mixing and enhanced chemical reactions. All those acoustofluidic operations are not only biocompatible but also quite insensitive to the fluid composition, including viscosity and electrical conductivity. Combined with their tremendous potentials in biotechnologies, the field offers a stunningly elegant analogy to quantum physics, where unseen wave-functions determine the motion of particles/cells at much larger time scale with many extraordinary phenomena. Even better, unlike its quantum analog, the acoustic waves used in acoustofluidics can be precisely characterized and controlled for various applications. However, the fast-paced development in the recent decades is not without challenges. The field progress has mainly been hindered by the lack of suitable transducers, complicated trouble-shooting due to challenging theoretical predictions and scarcity of experimental characterization methods, not to mention that the non-trivial effects of waves on cells have been grossly overlooked. This special issue will be dedicated to the recent progress at tackling these challenges and other pressing issues in the field.
The exploration of surfaces, interfaces, nanostructures and thin films using:
- Design of optimized transducers for acoustofluidics and associated lab-on-a-chip systems, such as composite isotropic and transparent transducers;
- Control of acoustic waves propagation in acoustofluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices, especially at the solid-liquid interface;
- Generation of complex acoustic and/or fluidic fields and its tradeoff in terms of resolution and dynamics, with optional integration with optical, electrical, chemical or magnetic technologies;
- Theoretical and numerical tools to predict the motion of individual and collective particles and cells, and also viscous and viscoelastic fluids under the action of acoustic waves;
- Integration of acoustofluidic devices with AI for lab-on-a-chip applications.
- Characterization of acoustic fields, particle and flow motion in acoustofluidic device
- Design of disposable acoustofluidic devices;
- Wearable and flexible acoustofluidic devices;
- Integration of acoustofluidic devices with sensing technologies for lab-on-a-chip applications;
- New manipulation modalities such as size-insensitive acoustic manipulation and inhomogeneous fluid manipulation;
- Non-lethal effects of microscale acoustic waves on cells, such as cell detachment and metabolism modification;
Guest Editors
Prof. Antoine Riaud, Fu Dan University, Shanghai, China
Prof. Feng Guo, Indiana University Bloomington, USA
Prof. Richard Yongqing Fu, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Submission Instructions:
Manuscripts should be no more than 25 pages of A4 paper (including figures and tables). Text should be printed on one side only and be double-spaced. Interested authors are welcome to email their tentative titles and abstracts to nanope@tju.edu.cn. Full electronic manuscripts (MS-Word, or PDF file) should be submitted via the NPE online system; please select ‘Special Issue on Microscale acoustofluidics and lab-on-chip’. All manuscripts must be prepared using the Guide for Authors and will be reviewed by at least two referees.