Researchers develop microchip to transport magnetic beads

The novel transport chip, developed by a team from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Colorado Boulder (CU), may have applications in biotechnology and medical diagnostics.

According to a statement, a key innovation in the chip is the use of magnetic switches like those in a computer random access memory.

The NIST/CU team used the chip to trap, release and transport magnetic beads that potentially could be used as transport vehicles for biomolecules such as DNA.

Conventional microfluidics systems use pumps and valves to move particles and liquids through channels. Magnetic particle transport microchips offer a new approach to microfluidics but generally require continuous power and in some cases cooling to avoid sample damage from excessive heating. The NIST/CU technology is said to eliminate these drawbacks while offering the possibility for random access two-dimensional control and a memory that lasts even with the power off.

The demo chip features two adjacent lines of 12 thin-film magnet switches called spin valves, commonly used as magnetic sensors in read heads of high-density computer disk drives.