Particle and cell manipulation in microfluidics: patterning and trapping using ultrasound

Trapping, patterning and separation of micro/nanoparticles and cells are essential in tissue engineering, single-cell studies and medical diagnosis. With the application of the physics of fluids at the micro-scale, microfluidics provides visual accessibility and high-resolution control for particle manipulation. Ultrasound can generate contactless and label-free forces to manipulate particles in microfluidics. This thesis develops efficient numerical modelling to study unexplored physical effects of resonance frequencies on inter-particle forces. Building on the findings from modelling, it presents the invention of a novel method for nanoparticle trapping by ultrasonic activation of a pack of microparticles with the potential of upscaling.