Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne

Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.

Amar Rida

Martin Gijs

Goran Savatic

Olivier Elsenhans

Victor Fernandez

An apparatus for retaining magnetic particles within a segment of a flow-through cell during flow of a fluid through the cell comprises (a) optionally, an electrical current source; (b) an electromagnet having a winding connected to the current source and an air gap between at least one pair of poles each of which has a corrugated outer surface and (c) a flow-through cell which is configured and dimensioned to receive an amount of magnetic particles to be retained within the flow-through cell and to allow flow of a liquid through the flow-through cell. The liquid carries molecules or particles to be captured by means of the magnetic particles. A portion of the flow-through cell is inserted in air gap.

Apparatus for retaining magnetic particles within a flow-through cell

A device for transporting magnetic or magnetizable microbeads () in a capillary chamber () comprises a permanent magnet () or an electromagnet () for subjecting the capillary chamber to a substantially uniform magnetic field, to apply a permanent magnetic moment to the microbeads (). At least one planar coil () and preferably an array of overlapping coils are located adjacent to the capillary chamber () for applying a complementary magnetic field on the microbeads parallel or antiparallel to said substantially uniform magnetic field, to drive the microbeads. An arrangement is provided for switching the current applied to the coil(s) () to invert the field produced thereby, to selectively apply an attractive or repulsive driving force on the microbeads (). The device is usable to transport microbeads for performing chemical and biochemical reactions or assay, as is done for instance in clinical chemistry assays for medical diagnostic purposes.

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Prilly, Switzerland

Amar Rida