2D acoustofluidic distributions in micro-chambers modulated by Sierpiński-type structural plates

Abstract

In this study, a series of Sierpiński-type structural plates have been artificially introduced to generate diversified acoustofluidic distributions in the originally-static microfluidic chambers, which are stimulated under the oscillation of incident acoustic waves at different input frequency points. The complicated interactions between quasi/pseudo-Sierpiński-carpet shaped structural plates and incident ultrasonic waves, including acoustic reflection and diffraction, can initiate sophisticated spatio-temporal discrepancies along the sound propagation path and induce heterogeneous acoustic streaming vortices. In comparison with the existing construction strategies of microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices, the introduction of fractalized elements like quasi/pseudo-Sierpiński-carpet shaped structural components can provide remarkable insights and expand application scenarios of unconventional acoustofluidic approaches, which is conducive to driving ultrasonic micro/nano manipulation technology from monotonousness to diversification. The preliminary research demonstrates the feasibility of considering Sierpiński-type structural features as tunable ingredients to customize acoustofluidic apparatuses for the exploration of topographical manipulation of micro/nano-scale particles and orientational operation of biological specimens.