Elastic magnetic membrane for improved mixing in microwells

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple method to fabricate elastic magnetic membrane which could be used to enhance mix- ing in microwells of a microtitre plate. The magnetic membrane was fabricated using an off-the-shelf flexible magnetic sheet and the elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In order to demonstrate the concept, the membrane was integrated in a single microwell to act as an actuator for improved mixing. A customized electromagnet was used to allow contact- less and robust actuation. The membrane can achieve a unidirectional deflection of about 120