A robot-assisted acoustofluidic end effector

Liquid manipulation underpins most laboratory workflows. While macroscale liquid-handling robots exist, microscale handling remains costly and difficult, and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems often lack automation and multifunctionality. We present a robot-assisted acoustofluidic end effector (RAEE) that integrates a robotic arm with an ultrasound-driven capillary device to bridge macro-level robotics and micro-level microfluidics. The capillary-based acoustofluidic device generates two distinct microstreaming profiles: helical vortex flow along the capillary shaft and frequency-dependent 3D streaming at the tip. Using RAEE, we demonstrate fluid pumping, selective trapping of microparticles and zebrafish embryos, droplet merging, and mobile mixing of viscous liquids. We further pre-program RAEE for automated, high-throughput viscous mixing in well plates, illustrating a versatile platform for automated chemical processes.

Jan Durrer, Prajwal Agrawal, Ali Ozgul, Stephan C. F. Neuhauss, Nitesh Nama, Daniel Ahmed