Acoustic Force Trapping Hydrogel Granules in a Microfluidic Chamber

Grade:

12

Teacher:

Viktoriya Yurkiv

Traditional in vitro scaffolds are typically created with set or static geometries that limit control over tissue organization after creation. Systems built using hydrogel granules provide benefits like oxygen and nutrient transport, but they lack precise and spatial organization at the microscale. This research looks at the use of acoustic force trapping (AFT) as a method for patterning hydrogel granules in a microfluidic chamber. Bulk acoustic standing waves were used to generate pressure nodes capable of trapping and repositioning particles based on acoustic radiation forces. A low-cost AFT PDMS-based microfluidic device was designed to accommodate both microscale particles and larger, irregular hydrogel granules. Simulations of AFT were used to guide device geometry and find proper actuation parameters to ensure stable trapping conditions among all trials. Experimental results include consistent trapping at predicted nodal planes of polystyrene microbeads and hydrogel granules. These outcomes show that AFT can be extended beyond traditional bead based systems to manipulate materials like hydrogel granules in more reproducible microfluidic systems. This work establishes a foundation for dynamically reconfigurable hydrogel granule scaffolds with applications in advanced in vitro modeling.

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