received by the International Bureau on 02 June 2017 (02.06.2017)

1. A method of determining at least one characteristic of at least one of a plurality of particles comprising: providing at least one vertical levitation column comprising at least one standing acoustic wave having at least one capture node; introducing said plurality of particles sequentially into said at least one vertical levitation column; allowing each of said plurality of particles in said at least one vertical levitation column to be positioned at a capture node of the at least one standing acoustic wave; determining at least one characteristic of each of said plurality of particles using at least one instrument external to said at least one vertical levitation column; and manipulating acoustic pressure, thereby re-positioning said at least one of a plurality of particles to other capture nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles comprises solids or liquid droplets.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is subjected to an electric charge.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from

position, orientation, shape, form, size, and property.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein property is selected from weight and density.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein weight is determined by a position of at least one of the plurality of particles relative to a datum.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein weight is determined relative to calibration data of particles having known weight.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles is subjected to one or more of at least one transverse acoustic wave, at least one superimposed acoustic wave, at least one electrical field, at least one gas stream, at least one fluid stream, and combinations thereof.

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9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles exists as a solution, dispersion, suspension of solid materials in a solvent or solvent mixture, or an emulsion of immiscible liquid materials in a solvent or solvent mixture.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles comprises pulverous,

crystalline, amorphous, granular, agglomerate, solid state mixture, micellar, liposomal, viral, cellular, or entrapment material, or combinations thereof.

1 1 . The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles is selected from at least one drug, at least one excipient, at least one synthetic drug intermediate, at least one cell component, at least one cell, at least one food product, at least one nutraceutical, at least one radioactive material, at least one placebo, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic is determined using an optical system, an audio system, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles is introduced sequentially into the at least one levitation column in batches.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of particles is positioned

individually at a capture node.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of particles is positioned at a capture node.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of vertical levitation columns is formed by placing in a levitation column an acoustic mask having a plurality of acoustic apertures.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of levitation columns are moved in

parallel by rotation of the acoustic mask.

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18. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles is dispensed from the at least one levitation column by gravitational force.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of particles is dispensed to at least one predetermined destination.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein more than one of the plurality of particles is

dispensed to the same predetermined destination.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein a sum weight of the plurality of particles dispensed to at least one predetermined destination is ascertained.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the position of at least one of the plurality of

particles is shifted relative to the at least one predetermined destination prior to being dispensed.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles is sequentially introduced to the at least one vertical levitation column using a singulation device.

24. A system for assessing characteristics of at least one particle, the system comprising at least one pair of acoustic transducers or transducer/reflector pair, at least one variable power supply, at least one analytical instrument, and at least one computer processor.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising at least one rotational acoustic mask having at least one aperture.

26. The system of claim 24 further comprising at least one singulation device.

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