On-chip cell manipulation by magnetically modified soft microactuators

We have developed magnetically modified polymeric soft microactuators in microchip as replacement of conventional manual cell manipulations such as pipetting and centrifugation. In the past papers in Yamanishi, Y., et al, (2007) we have reported novel magnetically driven polymeric microtools for non-intrusive and no contamination experiments on a chip. The main features of them were 1. fabrication of any shape, 2. soft (harmless to cellls) 3. no stiction and 4. mass production at low cost enabling disposability. For the current research, we have demonstrated manipulation of oocyte with produced novel soft microactuators. These magnetic microtools provide a number of functions such as microvalve and microrotor. The potential impact of this technology includes sample preparations, selection and separation, loading and immobilization, genetic operation, tracking, mixing and reaction techniques into portable microfluidic labs-on-a-chip, culture systems.