Magnetic separation

Investigation of low-cost polymer-based microfabrication techniques for micromagnetic separators.

Magnetic bead-based biological separation

Magnetic beads are traditionally employed for separating biological species from suspending liquids and mixtures.

The technique of high gradient magnetic separation is  well established however, the use of magnetic microbeads in microfluidic systems is receiving growing attention.

Current microfluidic micromagnetic separator devices employ expensive, high precision microfabrication processes to facilitate the localised high magnetic gradients limiting their widespread application.

At the University of Hertfordshire we are investigating the suitability of low-cost polymer-based microfabrication techniques employing rapid prototyping concepts in order to implement cheap disposable micromagnetic separators.