Investigation of Acoustofluidic Applications using Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Acoustic tweezing is widely used in biological research to manipulate cells contactlessly. While piezoelectric actuators have been the primary choice due to their high-frequency range and versatility, the potential of other actuator types for acoustic cell manipulation remains largely unexplored. This gap is particularly relevant in fields like bladder cell research, where dielectric elastomers, known for their high stretch ratio, similar to bladder tissue, could offer significant advantages. By enabling both cell manipulation and actuation with a single actuator, this approach could provide a safe, convenient, and cost-effective solution, facilitating deeper research into such specialized cells. In this project, we will investigate cell movement using disk modes and acoustofluidic principles applied to dielectric elastomers.