Vortex micromixing by magnetic particles via tunable rotating magnetic fields and its application for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
Aksinya A. Bondareva1,Ivan A. Kushnir 1, Viktoriya I. Zhdankina 2, Valeriya S. Voronina2, Kseniya V. Barinova3, Stanislav O. Yurchenko1, Nataliya A. Kolotieva1,2, Egor V. Yakovlev1; 1Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), Moscow, Russia; 2Research center of neurology, Moscow, Russia; 3Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Moscow, Russia.
Abstract
Currently, different methods are used to perform micromixing. These approaches are usually divided into passive geometric mixers (serpentine channels, obstacles, grooves) and active ones. Active mixers include acoustic and piezoelectric actuators, electroosmotic and electrophoretic systems with embedded electrodes, and mechanical orbital shaking.
However, each method has a number of limitations. They are typically tied to continuous-flow operation or complex fixed channel architectures. Some of them cause local heating, cavitation, uncontrolled shear, and foaming. Not all methods are suitable for handling volumes on the scale of tens of microliters.
To overcome these limitations, we propose a micromixing strategy that uses magnetic microparticles suspended directly in the working fluid and driven by rotating magnetic fields generated by electromagnetic coils. The particles assemble into dynamic swarms that generate tunable micro-vortices, enabling effective mixing. The mixing intensity is precisely controlled through parameters such as field magnitude, rotation frequency, and particle concentration. This approach provides a high mixing rate in microscale volumes and inherent biocompatibility. The proposed approach is relevant to synthetic chemistry, bioanalytical applications, and the preparation and manipulation of complex biological fluids and hydrogels.
In this report we present the application of our micromixing method to improve an early diagnostic assay for neurodegenerative diseases. The assay is based on the seeded amplification of pathological protein aggregates, a process that requires efficient agitation to drive fibril growth. By replacing conventional orbital shaking with our magnetic micromixing, we expect substantially faster amplification kinetics.
Speaker
Aksinya A. Bondareva
Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU)
Russia
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