Droplet manipulation in a microfluidic chamber with acoustic radiation pressure and acoustic streaming.

The present paper reports a novel manipulation method for droplets using acoustic radiation pressure and acoustic streaming. In an acoustic field, droplets deform, oscillate and move in a wide range of applied frequencies. The behavior of a droplet depends on the droplet size, acoustic field and interfacial tension between the two phases. The acoustic field is controlled by the voltage and frequency of the piezoelectric actuator. The results demonstrate a method for low-frequency acoustic actuation of droplets in a microfluidic environment.