A Setup for Microscopic Studies of Ultrasounds Effects on Microliters Scale Samples: Analytical, Numerical and Experimental Characterization.

Sonoporation is the process of cell membrane permeabilization, due to exposure to ultrasounds. There is a lack of consensus concerning the mechanisms of sonoporation: Understanding the mechanisms of sonoporation refines the choice of the ultrasonic parameters to be applied on the cells. Cells' classical exposure systems to ultrasounds have several drawbacks, like the immersion of the cells in large volumes of liquid, the nonhomogeneous acoustic pressure in the large sample, and thus, the necessity for magnetic stirring to somehow homogenize the exposure of the cells.