Continuous-flow particle guiding based on dipolar coupled magnetic superstructures in rotating magnetic fields

Under the influence of homogeneous, rotating magnetic fields, superparamagnetic beads can be assembled into one- and two-dimensional superstructures on demand and used as dynamic components in microfluidic systems for colloidal separation. In this paper, the influence of the magnetic field strength and the rotation frequency on the device efficiency is studied. The optimum region is found to be between 100 and 200 rpm for a magnetic field strength of 330 Oe, while the highest value for separated mass per time (28 pg s(-1)) is achieved for a flow velocity of 370 mu m s(-1) at a magnetic field strength of 690 Oe. Furthermore, the employment of superparamagnetic beads as a continuous-flow bioseparation device is shown in a proof-of-principle study.