Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical modeling of ultrasonic particle manipulation for microfluidic applications

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A numerical simulation methodology for ultrasonic particle/cell separation and cell washing processes is introduced and validated by comparing with the results from the literature. In this study, a finite element approach is used for modeling fluid flow in a microchannel and analytical relations are utilized for the calculation of the ultrasonic radiation forces. The solutions in acoustic and fluidic domains are coupled, and the particle separation under the influence of ultrasonic waves is numerically simulated. In order to simulate the cell washing process, diffusion and fluid dynamics solutions are coupled and solved. A Monte Carlo approach is chosen where statistical distributions are implemented in the simulations. Uniform distributions for the starting locations of particles/cells in the microchannel and normal distributions for the size of the particles are used in numerical simulations. In each case, 750 particles are used for the simulation, and the performance of separation process is evaluated by checking how many microparticles resulted in the targeted outlet channels. Channel geometries for the numerical simulations are adapted from the experimental studies in literature, and comparison between the reported experimental results and the numerical estimations is performed. It has been observed that the numerical estimations and experimental results from the literature are in good agreement, and the proposed methodology may be implemented as a design tool for ultrasonic particle manipulation for microfluidic applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams JD, Soh HT (2010) Tunable acoustophoretic band-pass particle sorter. Appl Phys Lett 97

  • Bazou D, Castro A, Hoyos M (2012) Controlled cell aggregation in a pulsed acoustic field. Ultrasonics 52(7):842–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhagat lAAS, Papautsky I, (2008) Enhancing particle dispersion in a passive planar micromixer using rectangular obstacles. J Micromech Microeng 18:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Dron O, Ratier C, Hoyos M, Aider J-L (2009) Parametric study of acoustic focusing of particles in a micro-channel in the perspective to improve micro-PIV measurements. Microfluid Nanofluid 7:857–867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evander M, Johansson L, Lilliehorn T, Piskur J, Lindvall M, Johansson S, Almqvist M, Laurell T, Nilsson J (2007) Noninvasive acoustic cell trapping in a microfluidic perfusion system for online bioassays. Anal Chem 79:2984–2991

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glynne-Jones P, Mishra PP, Boltryk RJ, Hill M (2013) Efficient finite element modeling of radiation forces on elastic particles of arbitrary size and geometry. J Acoust Soc Am 133:1885–1893

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorkov LP (1962) On the forces acting on a small particle in an acoustic field in an ideal fluid. Sov Phys Doklady 6:773–776

    Google Scholar 

  • Gralinski I, Alan T, Neild A (2012) Non-contact acoustic trapping in circular cross-section glass capillaries: a numerical study. J Acoust Soc Am 132:2978–2987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haake A, Neild A, Kim D, Ihm J, Sun Y, Dual J, Ju B (2005) Manipulation of cells using an ultrasonic pressure field. Ultrasound Med Biol 31:857–864

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes JJ, Barrow D, Coakley WT (1998) Micro-particle manipulation in millimetre scale ultrasonic standing wave chambers. Ultrasonics 36:925–931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes JJ, Barber RW, Emerson DR, Coakley WT (2004) Continuous cell washing and mixing driven by an ultrasound standing wave within a microfluidic channel. Lab Chip 4:446–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson DA, Feke DL (1995) Methodology for fractionating suspended particles using ultrasonic standing wave and divided flow fields. Separ Technol 5:251–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar M, Feke DL, Belovich JM (2005) Fractionation of cell mixtures using acoustic and laminar flow fields. Biotechnol Bioeng 89. doi:10.1002/bit.20294

  • Limaye S, Coakley WT (1998) Clarification of small volume microbial suspensions in an ultrasonic standing wave. J Appl Microbiol 84:1035–1042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Duarte R, Gorkin RA III, Abi-Samra K, Madou MJ (2010) The integration of 3D carbone-electrode dielectrophoresis on a CD-like centrifugal microfluidic platform. Lab Chip 10:1030–1043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nam J, Lee Y, Shin S (2011) Size-dependent microparticles separation through standing surface acoustic waves. Microfluid Nanofluid 11:317–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neild A, Oberti S, Haake A, Dual J (2006) Finite element modeling of a micro-particle manipulator. Ultrasonics 44:455–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neild A, Oberti S, Dual J (2007) Design, modeling and characterization of microfluidic devices for ultrasonic manipulation. Sens Actuators B 121:452–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersson F, Nilsson A, Holm C, Jnsson H, Laurell T (2005a) Continuous separation of lipid particles from erythrocytes by means of laminar flow and acoustic standing wave forces. Lab Chip 5:20–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersson F, Nilsson A, Jonsson H, Laurell T (2005b) Carrier medium exchange through ultrasonic particle switching in microfluidic channels. Anal Chem 77:1216–1221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersson F, Berg LA, Sward-Nilsson A, Laurell T (2007) Free flow acoustophoresis: microfluidic-based mode of particle and cell separation. Anal Chem 79:5117–5123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Settnes M, Bruus H (2012) Forces acting on a small particle in an acoustic field in a viscous fluid. Phys Rev E 85

  • Shi J, Huang H, Stratton Z, Huang Y, Huang TJ (2009) Continuous particle separation in a microfluidic channel via standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW). Lab Chip 9:3354–3359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith DM, Wiggins TA (1972) Sound speeds and laser induced damage in polystyrene. Appl Optics 11:2681

    Google Scholar 

  • Townsend RJ, Hill M, Harris NR, White NM (2004) Modeling of particle paths passing through an ultrasonic standing wave. Ultrasonics 42:319–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tripp G, Ventikos Y, Taggart DP, Coussios C-C (2011) CFD modeling of an ultrasonic separator for the removal of lipid particles from pericardial suction blood. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 58:282–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trujillo FJ, Eberhardt S, Möller D, Dual J, Knoerzer K (2013) Multiphysics modelling of the separation of suspended particles via frequency ramping of ultrasonic standing waves. Ultrason Sonochem 20:655–666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yosioka K, Kawasima Y (1955) Acoustic radiation pressure on a compressible sphere. Acoustica 5:167–173

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, Grant No. 112M102, is greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, 06560, Turkey

    Süleyman Büyükkoçak & Mehmet Bülent Özer

  2. Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-chip Research Group, Mechanical Engineering Department, İhsan Doğramacı  Bilkent University, Ankara, 06800, Turkey

    Barbaros Çetin

Authors
  1. Süleyman Büyükkoçak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mehmet Bülent Özer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Barbaros Çetin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbaros Çetin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Büyükkoçak, S., Özer, M.B. & Çetin, B. Numerical modeling of ultrasonic particle manipulation for microfluidic applications. Microfluid Nanofluid 17, 1025–1037 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-014-1398-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-014-1398-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation