Because of how minute they are, nanoparticles are very difficult to sort and separate. In fact, according to Science Daily, these biological nanoparticles are actually five hundred times thinner compared to human hair. However, if these nanoparticles can be sorted, there could be significant improvements in treatments and diagnostics.
A group of engineers from Duke University was able to do just that. According to their study published in Science Advances, the team came up with a device that utilizes sound waves to separate these nanoparticles that can be spotted in the blood. More than that, this process of separating and sorting can be done within minutes.
The technology used in such development is grounded on a notion that is termed "virtual pillars." This can benefit applications that are both medical and scientific in nature.
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ANSWER Technology to Help in Separating Nanoparticles in the Blood
Each kind of cell in the body releases minute biological nanoparticles that are termed as sEVs or small extracellular vesicles. These sEVs are thought to play significant roles when it comes to communication between cells and transmission of diseases.
The recent technology ANSWER (Acoustic Nanoscale Separation via Wave-pillar Excitation Resonance) does not just pool in these biofluid-sourced nanopartiflces within 10 minutes. It also organizes them according to their sizes that are thought to have definite biological functions.
Tony Jun Huang, a renown professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the Unviersity, mentioned that the nanoparticles have great potential when it comes to the treatment and diagnosis of medical conditions. However, existing technologies for sorting and separating these nanoparticles allow the task to be accomplished in several hours or even days. More than that, they are inconsistent, come up with reduced purity or yield, are prone to contamination, and could even lead to damages in the nanoparticles.
Huang shared that the team wanted to make the process of sorting and extracting good quality sEVs simple and faster.
According to Phys, recent research shows that sEVs contain various subgroups that have specific sizes, such as less than 50 nanometers or within 60 to 80 nanometers. Every size is thought to harbor differing biological characteristics.
The discovery of subpopulations of sEVs has made several researchers excited because of how these could revolutionize the world of diagnostics that are not invasive. However, the particles have yet to reach the clinics.
This is why Huang and his team came up with the ANSWER platform.
Sound Waves Help With the Process of Sorting and Separating Nanoparticles
This device that the team came up utilizes one transducer pairs to make a sustaining sound wave that covers an enclosed and narrow pathway that is filled up with fluid.
These sound waves enter the liquid core through the walls of the channels. It then interacts with the first-standing sound wave.
Careful thought is given to the wall's channel size, sound frequency, and thickness. Because of that, the interaction makes a resonance that creates some "virtual pillars" at the channel's core.
As nanoparticles try to pass through these pillars, they get pushed to the channel's edges. Bigger particles lead to bigger pushes. Thus, by modifying the virtual pillars to come up with variations on the passing nanoparticles, the researchers may sort them precisely based on their sizes.
As they move forward, the researchers will keep on boosting the technology so that it can become more efficient in the purification of other nanoparticles, such as proteins or antibodies.
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