Patent ID: 8614572

Claim:
An integrated circuit apparatus, comprising: a dielectric substrate having an exposed surface area; means for generating a separation field; and means for detecting a magnetic field; said magnetic field detecting means embedded in the dielectric substrate beneath the exposed surface area; said separation field generating means comprising at least one current line embedded in the dielectric substrate beneath the exposed surface area and between the field detecting means and the exposed surface area, said at least one current line being embedded in the dielectric substrate at a laterally spaced-apart position in relation to said magnetic field detecting means; wherein at least a portion of the exposed surface area of the dielectric substrate is functionalized with a biochemical agent that binds with a target analyte; whereby magnetic particles configured to specifically bind with said target analyte are configured to bind specifically to said functionalized portion of the exposed surface area via the target analyte; wherein the at least one current line is configured such that magnetic forces generated when current runs through the separation field generating means are sufficient to pull the unbound magnetic particles away from the functionalized portion of the exposed surface area; and wherein the magnetic field detecting means are provided for detecting specifically bound remaining magnetic particles on said functionalized portion of the exposed surface area.