Simulation of magnetic active polymers for versatile microfluidic devices

TL;DR

This paper presents a simulation-based approach to designing magnetic active polymers embedded with nanoparticles in PDMS for versatile microfluidic devices aimed at filtering circulating tumor cells, combining experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation framework integrating finite element, magnetic, and fluid dynamic models for magnetic active polymers in microfluidics.

Findings

Enables creation of tunable microfluidic structures

Improves yield of circulating tumor cell isolation

Provides insights into nanoparticle influence on polymer elasticity

Abstract

We propose to use a compound of magnetic nanoparticles (20-100 nm) embedded in a flexible polymer (Polydimethylsiloxane PDMS) to filter circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The analysis of CTCs is an emerging tool for cancer biology research and clinical cancer management including the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. The combination of experiments and simulations lead to a versatile microfluidic lab-on-chip device. Simulations are essential to understand the influence of the embedded nanoparticles in the elastic PDMS when applying a magnetic gradient field. It combines finite element calculations of the polymer, magnetic simulations of the embedded nanoparticles and the fluid dynamic calculations of blood plasma and blood cells. With the use of magnetic active polymers a wide range of tunable microfluidic structures can be created. The method can help to increase the yield of needed isolated CTCs.