LAUSR

Ultrasound noncontact particle manipulation (NPM) employs the convergence of the acoustic radiation force associated with an ultrasound wave field to levitate and manipulate particles in a fluid medium. We use multiple phased arrays of ultrasound transducers to dynamically manipulate a 3D pattern of particles along a user-specified trajectory. We numerically simulate the ultrasound NPM method and experimentally validate it by creating dynamic 3D patterns of expanded polystyrene particles in air, and observe good quantitative agreement. The method allows manipulating an entire user-specified pattern of particles and sub-sets of a pattern to traverse a user-specified trajectory in 3D. This experimental demonstration shows that ultrasound NPM can be implemented in engineering applications such as containerless transport and measurement, and manufacturing of engineered materials.Ultrasound noncontact particle manipulation (NPM) employs the convergence of the acoustic radiation force associated with an ultrasound wave field to levitate and manipulate particles in a fluid medium. We use multiple phased arrays of ultrasound transducers to dynamically manipulate a 3D pattern of particles along a user-specified trajectory. We numerically simulate the ultrasound NPM method and experimentally validate it by creating dynamic 3D patterns of expanded polystyrene particles in air, and observe good quantitative agreement. The method allows manipulating an entire user-specified pattern of particles and sub-sets of a pattern to traverse a user-specified trajectory in 3D. This experimental demonstration shows that ultrasound NPM can be implemented in engineering applications such as containerless transport and measurement, and manufacturing of engineered materials.