Issue 3, 2009

Effective mixing in a microfluidic chip using magnetic particles

Abstract

We present a novel active mixing method in a microfluidic chip, where the controlled stirring of magnetic particles is used to achieve an effective mixing of fluids. To perform mixing, the ferromagnetic particles were embedded and manipulated under the influence of a rotating magnetic field. By aligning the magnetic beads along the magnetic field lines, rod-like structures are formed, functioning as small stir bars. Under higher flow conditions the particles did not form the typical rod structure but rather formed aggregates, which were even more beneficial for mixing. Our system reached a 96% mixing efficiency in a relatively short distance (800 µm) at a flow rate of 1.2–4.8 mm/s. These results demonstrate that our mixing method is useful for microfluidic devices with low aspect ratios and molecules with large molecular weights.

Graphical abstract: Effective mixing in a microfluidic chip using magnetic particles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Technical Note
Submitted
18 Aug 2008
Accepted
17 Oct 2008
First published
18 Nov 2008

Lab Chip, 2009,9, 479-482

Effective mixing in a microfluidic chip using magnetic particles

S. H. Lee, D. van Noort, J. Y. Lee, B. Zhang and T. H. Park, Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 479 DOI: 10.1039/B814371D

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