Fig. 1: Schematics and mechanism of acoustofluidic drug loading.
From: Acoustofluidics for simultaneous nanoparticle-based drug loading and exosome encapsulation
a In the acoustofluidic device, a pair of slanted interdigital transducers generate surface acoustic waves and induce droplet rotation as well as vortex streaming, which lead to concentration and fusion of the porous silica nanoparticles, exosomes, and drug within the droplet. b When the acoustofluidic device is off, silica nanoparticles, exosomes, and drug (e.g., doxorubicin) are uniformly distributed within the droplet. When the acoustofluidic device is activated, these particles (i.e., silica nanoparticles, exosomes, and drugs) are concentrated in the center of the droplet. The high concentration and shear stress simultaneously induce both drug loading into the silica nanoparticles and encapsulation of the silica particles within the exosomes. c Numerical simulation showing acoustic microstreaming and induced shear stress distribution when the device is activated. The flow direction is toward the center of the droplet. d Fluorescent images of the silica nanoparticles, exosomes, and doxorubicin show different levels of concentration before and after the acoustofluidic device is activated. Scale bar: 1 mm.
