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Microfluidic gate - Utilization of Self-Assembling, Free-Flowing Superstructures of Superparamagnetic Beads for Enhanced Mixing and Colloidal Separation

Authors:
Bernhard Eickenberg
Frank Wittbracht
Andreas Hütten
Alexander Weddemann

Keywords: microfluidics, superparamagnetic beads, dipolar coupling, reconfigurable matter, rotating magnetic fields

Abstract:
Due to dipolar interactions, superparamagnetic beads self-assemble into one- and two-dimensional superstructures under the influence of a homogeneous magnetic field. When the magnetic field is adiabatically rotated in-plane, the superstructures follow the rotation. We developed a microfluidic device in which the rotation of these agglomerates is used to simultaneously enhance mixing and allow for colloidal separation. The device shows high separation efficiencies. When taking the mass separation rate into account, the optimal working regime of the device lies around 120 µm/s, where it yields 80% of the total amount of beads.

Pages: 94 to 98

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: August 21, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-3530

ISBN: 978-1-61208-151-9

Location: Nice/Saint Laurent du Var, France

Dates: from August 21, 2011 to August 27, 2011