Bubble-Based Systems for Propulsion and Manipulation of Micro/Nano Systems

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B:Biology and Biomedicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 3186

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Therapeutic Applications of Ultrasound, University of Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France
Interests: cavitation monitoring and control; bubble dynamics; acoustic microstreaming; ultrasound-mediated drug delivery; blood–brain barrier opening by ultrasound

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The challenge of precise manipulation and propulsion of microscopic objects has energized worldwide research activity over the last decade. Self-propelled micro and nano-systems appear as a novel technology with the potential to yield breakthroughs in targeted and non-invasive biomedicine, the probing of biological media, the manipulation and assembly of biological tissues and the delivery of drugs to a specific organ, amongst other applications. The propulsion mechanism of these systems should be biocompatible and provide a high enough velocity to navigate in complex fluids and heterogeneous environments. The micro/nano propellers can be actuated by various external energy sources such as light, electric, magnetic or acoustic fields. Amongst the common carriers for designing microswimmers, bubble-based microsystems can serve as micromanipulators by adsorbing or releasing micro-objects. When used as microrobots, bubble-based systems can capture and move micro-objects, mix fluids, or be used for the assembly of microparticles, cells, or microstructures.

This Special Issue aims to focus on new trends in the mechanisms and applications of externally powered bubbles and bubble-driven flows in the propulsion and manipulation of micro- and nano-systems.

We welcome original research articles and reviews devoted to all aspects of bubble-based propellers and micromanipulators, including, but not exclusively, bubble-driven flows, self-propulsion, bubble-based propellers, micromanipulators and micro-robots, and using bubbles in drug transport and delivery.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Claude Inserra
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • acoustic streaming
  • acoustic propulsion
  • bubble-based micromanipulator
  • bubble-based microrobots
  • micromixers
  • micropumps
  • drug transport
  • drug delivery

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2791 KiB  
Article
Self-Propulsion of Two Contacting Bubbles Due to the Radiation Interaction Force
by Alexander A. Doinikov, Thomas Micol, Cyril Mauger, Philippe Blanc-Benon and Claude Inserra
Micromachines 2023, 14(8), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14081615 - 16 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1393
Abstract
In this paper, we consider a new bubble-based microswimmer composed of two contacting bubbles. Under the action of an acoustic field, both bubbles are oscillating, and locomotion of the two-bubble system is observed. A theory is developed that allows one to calculate the [...] Read more.
In this paper, we consider a new bubble-based microswimmer composed of two contacting bubbles. Under the action of an acoustic field, both bubbles are oscillating, and locomotion of the two-bubble system is observed. A theory is developed that allows one to calculate the acoustic radiation interaction forces between two gas bubbles in an incompressible viscous liquid for any small separation distance between the bubbles. This theory is used to demonstrate that two acoustically excited bubbles can create a self-propelled microswimmer due to a nonzero net force experienced by the bubbles when they come in contact. Experimental evidence of the creation of such a swimmer and of its motion is provided. Full article
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9 pages, 4674 KiB  
Article
Water Skating Miniature Robot Propelled by Acoustic Bubbles
by Hyeonseok Song, Daegeun Kim and Sangkug Chung
Micromachines 2023, 14(5), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14050999 - 4 May 2023
Viewed by 1364
Abstract
This paper presents a miniature robot designed for monitoring its surroundings and exploring small and complex environments by skating on the surface of water. The robot is mainly made of extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS) and Teflon tubes and is propelled by acoustic bubble-induced [...] Read more.
This paper presents a miniature robot designed for monitoring its surroundings and exploring small and complex environments by skating on the surface of water. The robot is mainly made of extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS) and Teflon tubes and is propelled by acoustic bubble-induced microstreaming flows generated by gaseous bubbles trapped in the Teflon tubes. The robot’s linear motion, velocity, and rotational motion are tested and measured at different frequencies and voltages. The results show that the propulsion velocity is proportional to the applied voltage but highly depends on the applied frequency. The maximum velocity occurs between the resonant frequencies for two bubbles trapped in Teflon tubes of different lengths. The robot’s maneuvering capability is demonstrated by selective bubble excitation based on the concept of different resonant frequencies for bubbles of different volumes. The proposed water skating robot can perform linear propulsion, rotation, and 2D navigation on the water surface, making it suitable for exploring small and complex water environments. Full article
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