SlideBooster SB450

Surface Acoustic Waves are modes of elastic energy that propagate at the surface of a solid body. They are essentially the nanometre scale equivalent of an earthquake. Their use has gradually been implemented in industry over the last decade or so. SAW are usually used for radio frequency communication, acting as radio frequency (RF) filter elements. They are easily produced on piezoelectric solids, which deform if an electric field is applied to them. Rapid changes of such electric fields can be generated using an appropriate transducer and are efficiently converted into a 'nanoquake on a chip'.

Special types of SAW can be produced which radiate their energy into a fluid on the substrate surface. Both internal streaming as well as 'remotely controlled' actuation of the whole fluid volume can be achieved, depending on the power and wavelength of the SAW. This small film shows the agitatation of beads using SAW in an open droplet.

These SAW-chips are integrated into the Advalytix SlideBooster incubation station, providing it with the unique capacity to mix the smallest volumes on slides.