Magnetic Levitation Based Applications in Bioscience

Abstract

Contactless manipulation of small objects, such as micro−/nanoparticles, biological entities, and even cells is required in varied applications in biosciences. Magnetic levitation (MagLev) is a new-generation methodology to achieve contactless magnetic manipulation of objects. Lately, magnetic levitation methodology has been utilized in several applications in bioscience, such as biosensors, diagnostics and tissue engineering. Magnetic levitation enables separation or positioning of objects in three-dimensional (3D) space based on their density features. Therefore, density-based separation assays utilizing magnetic levitation for biosensing or diagnostic purposes are developed recently. Specific particles or cells, which are markers of any disease, could be detected by sorting them based on density differences through magnetic levitation. On the other hand, tissue engineering studies and production of self-assembled 3D cell culture structures are carried out by magnetic levitation, where cells are magnetically positioned while allowing cell-cell interaction resulting in 3D cell culture formation. Lately, magnetic levitation methodologies received more interest in the field of bioscience due to advantages about the efficiency and cost. This contribution broadly summarizes recent efforts in magnetic levitation techniques that are mainly applied in diagnostics and tissue engineering.

Portable magnetic levitation technologies

“…An emerging theme of using low-cost magnetics is magnetic levitation (MagLev) where the particle sorting is achieved mainly through the utilization of two permanent magnets in anti-Helmholtz configuration (i.e., like poles facing) [9,10]. MagLev relies on the fact that the difference in density between the suspended object and suspending medium directly affects the levitation height of levitated particles [11][12][13][14][15]. In other words, the average levitation height is directly correlated to either the objects' or solution's densities, enabling the density measurement of both by varying one while keeping the other constant.…”