Microchannel Anechoic Corner for Microparticle Manipulation via Travelling Surface Acoustic Waves

We present a particle manipulation device composed of a pair of slanted interdigitated transducers (SIDTs) and a polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel. Tunable travelling surface acoustic waves (TSAWs) produced by the SIDTs at desired locations are used to separate polystyrene (PS) microspheres of different diameters. The acoustic radiation force (ARF) acting on PS microspheres is estimated to predict the variable deflection of two distinct diameter microspheres that results in bi-separation of particles (3.2 and 4.8 μm). Interaction of TSAWs with the fluid and propagation of leaky acoustic waves at Rayleigh angle produce an anechoic corner inside the microchannel. An adequate choice of TSAW-frequency with reference to the particles’ diameters, corresponding ARF-estimation and incorporation of the microchannel anechoic corner results in a tri-separation of PS microspheres (3, 4.2, 5 μm). The tri-separation is achieved by TSAWs − 135 MHz to deflect 5 μm particles upstream of microchannel and 175 MHz to deflect 4.2 μm particles downstream.