Publication
In this thesis work we propose new concepts of transporting and manipulating magnetic particles on microfluidic scale. The objective is to propose solutions to the problems related to the integration of the magnetic inductive components within a microfluidic network for magnetic particle manipulation. A second part of this work is the study of the physics of magnetic particle pattern formation when a suspension of the particles is subjected to an external magnetic field. The first concept that we propose is based on the dynamic motion of a selfassembled structure of ferromagnetic beads that are retained within a microfluidic flow using a local alternating magnetic field. We show that an alternating magnetic field induces a rotational motion of the magnetic particles, thereby strongly enhancing the fluid perfusion through the magnetic structure that behaves as a dynamic random porous medium. The result is a very strong particle-liquid interaction that can be controlled by adjusting the magnetic field frequency and amplitude, as well as the liquid flow rate. This fact is at the basis of very efficient liquid mixing. We anticipate that the intense interaction between the fluid and magnetic particles with functionalized surfaces holds large potential for the development of future bead-based assays. The second concept is the transport of magnetic particles on microfluidic scales over long-range distances using an array of simple planar coils placed in large static magnetic field. This magnetic field imposes a permanent magnetic moment to the microparticles, so that a very small magnetic field gradient of a simple planar coil is sufficient to displace the microparticles. We demonstrate that the repulsive and attractive magnetic forces generated by adjacent strongly overlapped coils, allow an efficient and well controlled magnetic particle displacement along one-dimensional or two dimensional paths. Finally, we study the dynamics of supraparticles structure (SPS) patterns of a ferromagnetic particle suspension in an alternating magnetic field. We show that the application of an alternating magnetic field to a ferromagnetic particle suspension results in a phase separation of the supraparticles structures (SPS) patterns into periodic structures of columns. Moreover, we investigate the dynamic motion, relative to a microfluidic flow, of such magnetic SPS. The latter are locally manipulated with an alternating magnetic field that is transverse to a microfluidic channel. We show that the SPS in the microchannel are composed of weakly aggregated and open columnar-like structures, allowing large particles surfaces to be in contact with the fluid flow.