Case Study: Diagnostic Sonar Ltd achieves real-time ultrasonic particle manipulation with National Instruments FlexRIO and LabVIEW

Using NI FlexRIO to Control Ultrasonic Arrays for Sonotweezing

Diagnostic Sonar Ltd, based in the UK, required a multichannel controller to drive an ultrasonic array for manipulating microscopic particles and evaluating surgical applications. Their challenge was to create a system capable of real-time control with independent channel phase excitation, a task that traditionally required large, cumbersome, and expensive equipment.

National Instruments provided the solution using their NI FlexRIO hardware integrated with LabVIEW software. This created a compact, versatile, and cost-effective system that generated the precise digital waveforms needed. As a result, the team successfully trapped and manipulated 10 µm particles in real time, with the complete system costing a fraction of a traditional controller and opening new possibilities for future research and medical applications.