On-chip magnetic particle transport by alternating magnetic field gradients

We have demonstrated an on-chip magnetic bead transport device based on a set of two tapered current conductors. We have fabricated and tested two types of devices. Both devices are capable of trapping single magnetic microbeads and guiding them along a defined magnetic track. We examined scaling of the basic repetitive element and found good agreement among experiment, theory, and simulations. This novel magnetic transport mechanism opens possibilities for controlled manipulation of magnetically labeled biomolecules.