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A Large‐Scale Magnetic Separator for Selective Cell Separations with Paramagnetic Microbeads
Author(s) -
Hardwick R. Alan,
Prisco Michael R.,
Shah Dinesh O.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.1990.tb02978.x
Subject(s) - separator (oil production) , magnet , magnetic separation , materials science , paramagnetism , microbead (research) , peristaltic pump , chemistry , chromatography , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , metallurgy , thermodynamics
An improved magnetic separator has been developed for use in large‐scale cell separations. This separation method uses paramagnetic microbeads coated with antibodies that selectively bind to target cells. The magnetic separator attracts the microbead‐target cell aggregates and holds these aggregates at its surface while the suspending fluid and nontarget cells flow past. The optimum separator design was determined to be two magnetic assemblies in series along with a peristaltic pump. The assemblies consist of neodymium‐iron‐boron magnet bars sandwiched between steel bars (magnetic pole pieces). The size and pole spacing of the two magnetic assemblies are designed to be different, so that the first assembly, which captures <99.99% of the microbeads, has good magnetic reach‐out and a high magnetic holding force at its surface, while the second assembly has an even higher magnetic holding force at its surface. Studies show that the separator can remove 1 times 10 10 microbeads from a suspension of red blood cells processed at a flow rate of 9 ml/min, so that no microbeads are detected in the effluent.