Magnetic Suspension Array Technology: Controlled Synthesis and Screening in Microfluidic Networks

Abstract

Information tagging and processing are vital in information-intensive applications, e.g., telecommunication and high-throughput drug screening. Magnetic suspension array technology may offer intrinsic advantages to screening applications by enabling high distinguishability, the ease of code generation, and the feasibility of fast code readout, though the practical applicability of magnetic suspension array technology remains hampered by the lack of quality administration of encoded microcarriers. Here, a logic-controlled microfluidic system enabling controlled synthesis of magnetic suspension arrays in multiphase flow networks is realized. The smart and compact system offers a practical solution for the quality administration and screening of encoded magnetic microcarriers and addresses the universal need of process control for synthesis in microfluidic networks, i.e., on-demand creation of droplet templates for high information capacity. The demonstration of magnetic suspension array technology enabled by magnetic in-flow cytometry opens the avenue toward point-of-care multiplexed bead-based assays, clinical diagnostics, and drug discovery.

Keywords: controlled synthesis; droplet microfluidics; magnetic flow cytometry; magnetic sorting; suspension array technology.