Continuous flow generation of magnetoliposomes in a low-cost portable microfluidic platform

Lab Chip. 2014 Dec 7;14(23):4506-12. doi: 10.1039/c4lc00839a. Epub 2014 Sep 26.

Abstract

We present a low-cost, portable microfluidic platform that uses laminated polymethylmethacrylate chips, peristaltic micropumps and LEGO® Mindstorms components for the generation of magnetoliposomes that does not require extrusion steps. Mixtures of lipids reconstituted in ethanol and an aqueous phase were injected independently in order to generate a combination of laminar flows in such a way that we could effectively achieve four hydrodynamic focused nanovesicle generation streams. Monodisperse magnetoliposomes with characteristics comparable to those obtained by traditional methods have been obtained. The magnetoliposomes are responsive to external magnetic field gradients, a result that suggests that the nanovesicles can be used in research and applications in nanomedicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Equipment Design
  • Ethanol
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Liposomes / chemistry*
  • Magnets / chemistry*
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / methods*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nephelometry and Turbidimetry

Substances

  • Lipids
  • Liposomes
  • Ethanol