Issue 23, 2021

Generation of programmable dynamic flow patterns in microfluidics using audio signals

Abstract

Customised audio signals, such as musical notes, can be readily generated by audio software on smartphones and played over audio speakers. Audio speakers translate electrical signals into the mechanical motion of the speaker cone. Coupling the inlet tube to the speaker cone causes the harmonic oscillation of the tube, which in turn changes the velocity profile and flow rate. We employ this strategy for generating programmable dynamic flow patterns in microfluidics. We show the generation of customised rib and vortex patterns through the application of multi-tone audio signals in water-based and whole blood samples. We demonstrate the precise capability to control the number and extent of the ribs and vortices by simply setting the frequency ratio of two- and three-tone audio signals. We exemplify potential applications of tube oscillation for studying the functional responses of circulating immune cells under pathophysiological shear rates. The system is programmable, compact, low-cost, biocompatible, and durable. These features make it suitable for a variety of applications across chemistry, biology, and physics.

Graphical abstract: Generation of programmable dynamic flow patterns in microfluidics using audio signals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Jun 2021
Accepted
31 Oct 2021
First published
01 Nov 2021

Lab Chip, 2021,21, 4672-4684

Generation of programmable dynamic flow patterns in microfluidics using audio signals

P. Thurgood, G. Concilia, N. Tran, N. Nguyen, A. J. Hawke, E. Pirogova, A. R. Jex, K. Peter, S. Baratchi and K. Khoshmanesh, Lab Chip, 2021, 21, 4672 DOI: 10.1039/D1LC00568E

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