Hsu Jin-Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliou 64002, Yunlin, Taiwan.
Micromachines (Basel). 2025 May 25;16(6):619. doi: 10.3390/mi16060619.
Microfluidics-based mixing methods have attracted increasing attention due to their great potential in bio-related and material science fields. The combination of acoustics and microfluidics, called acoustofluidics, has been shown to be a promising tool for precise manipulation of microfluids and micro-objects. In general, achieving robust mixing performance in an efficient and simple manner is crucial for microfluidics-based on-chip devices. When surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are introduced into microfluidic devices, the acoustic field can drive highly controllable acoustic streaming flows through acoustofluidic interactions with micro-solid structures, which have the advantages of label-free operation, flexible control, contactless force, fast-response kinetics, and good biocompatibility. Therefore, the design and application of various SAW micromixers have been demonstrated. Herein, we present a comprehensive overview of the latest research and development of SAW-based micromixers. Specifically, we discuss the design principles and underlying physics of SAW-based acoustic micromixing, summarize the distinct types of existing SAW micromixers, and highlight established applications of SAW micromixing technology in chemical synthesis, nanoparticle fabrication, cell culture, biochemical analysis, and cell lysis. Finally, we present current challenges and some perspectives to motivate further research in this area. The purpose of this work is to provide an in-depth understanding of SAW micromixers and inspire readers who are interested in making some innovations in this research field.
基于微流控的混合方法因其在生物相关和材料科学领域的巨大潜力而受到越来越多的关注。声学与微流控的结合,即声流控,已被证明是一种用于精确操纵微流体和微物体的有前途的工具。一般来说,以高效、简单的方式实现强大的混合性能对于基于微流控的片上设备至关重要。当将表面声波(SAW)引入微流控设备时,声场可以通过与微固体结构的声流控相互作用驱动高度可控的声流,这具有无标记操作、灵活控制、非接触力、快速响应动力学和良好生物相容性的优点。因此,各种SAW微混合器的设计和应用已经得到了证明。在此,我们全面概述了基于SAW的微混合器的最新研究和发展。具体而言,我们讨论了基于SAW的声学微混合的设计原理和基础物理,总结了现有SAW微混合器的不同类型,并强调了SAW微混合技术在化学合成、纳米颗粒制造、细胞培养、生化分析和细胞裂解中的既定应用。最后,我们提出了当前的挑战以及一些观点,以推动该领域的进一步研究。这项工作的目的是深入理解SAW微混合器,并激励对该研究领域进行创新感兴趣的读者。