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Published on: July 18, 2018
Development of Microfabricated Magnetic Actuators for Removing Cellular Occlusion
Selene A Lee1, Hyowon Lee, James R Pinney
1Biomedical Engineering Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering : Structures, Devices, and Systems
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Magnetic microactuators can displace biological materials and clear adhered cells in implantable catheters. These microdevices demonstrate feasibility for microscale cell removal, showing potential for medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microfabrication
- Biophysics
Background:
- Implantable catheters can suffer from biofilm formation and cell adhesion, hindering their function.
- Effective methods for in-situ cleaning and material manipulation within catheters are needed.
- Microactuators offer potential for precise control and manipulation at the microscale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize torsional magnetic microactuators for biological material displacement.
- To evaluate the cell-clearing capabilities of these microactuators.
- To assess the long-term durability and performance of the microactuators.
Main Methods:
- Development of torsional magnetic microactuators.
- Characterization of static and dynamic behaviors using optical methods in air and fluid.
- Evaluation of long-term actuation effects via resonant frequency shift.
- Assessment of cell-clearing efficiency on adherent cell layers.
Main Results:
- Microactuators achieved large deflections (>60°) with resonant frequencies from 70 Hz to 1.5 kHz in fluid.
- Long-term actuation (>2.5 × 10^8 cycles) showed minimal resonant shift (Δf < 2%).
- Actuated microdevices removed an average of 37.4% of adherent cell layers.
Conclusions:
- Torsional magnetic microactuators are effective for displacing biological materials.
- Microscale physical removal of adherent cells using magnetic microactuation is feasible.
- These microactuators show promise for applications in implantable catheters and other biomedical devices.
