Engineering homogeneous micromagnetic fields for cell patterning

Micropatterning of cells was achieved by the application of micromagnetic fields using ferromagnetic field modulators. These modulators were made of low carbon steel, and micromachined using the wire-cut method. They were engineered to disrupt the regular pathways of magnetic flux lines, and create localized regions of micromagnetic fields. Uniform micromagnetic fields were achieved via design evaluation using Maxwell®2D magnetostatic simulations. Application of the micromagnetic field modulators on Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells demonstrated good cell adhesion and uniform cell columns of 200 μm-wide, spaced 200 μm apart. This approach would be useful towards cell micropatterning for tissue engineering, artificial organ and implant applications.