The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

A method for concentrating electrically charged objects in a non-Newtonian liquid medium comprises: feeding a sample containing electrically charged objects into a channel having a flow axis, a first transverse cross-section orthogonal to the flow axis, and at least one second transverse cross-section orthogonal to the flow axis, one dimension of the second cross-section being less than the corresponding dimension of the first cross-section; and applying a hydrodynamic flow in a direction of the channel together with the application, in the opposite direction, of an electric field in the channel, thus making it possible to move the electrically charged objects in the channel along the flow axis from the first cross-section to the second cross-section, stop the objects, and concentrate the objects in at least one area upstream from the second transverse cross-section.

An example includes a field-flow fractionation device for the continuous separation of sample components including a channel comprising a sample inlet and a plurality of sample outlets, the channel being for coupling to a flow generator for translocating the sample components along the channel in a first direction from the sample inlet to the plurality of sample outlets, an actuator, which is not the flow generator, coupled to the channel, for translocating the sample components in a second direction, at a first angle with the first direction, an array of electrodes for connection to an AC power source, being in a path taken by the sample components in the channel, arranged in a plurality of rows, and in such a way that adjacent rows can be set at different potentials and every other row can be set at the same potential.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

Provided is a centrifugal field-flow fractionation device that can stably press a fixing member toward an inner peripheral surface of a rotor by a wedge-shaped member, even when a relatively large centrifugal force acts on the wedge-shaped member. An arc-shaped (C-shaped) fixing member 17 is provided along an inner peripheral surface of a channel member 16 on a side of a rotation axis of the channel member 16. A wedge-shaped member 18 is attached between opposite ends of the fixing member 17 and applies a force in a direction of spreading the opposite ends apart, to thereby press the fixing member 17 toward the inner peripheral surface of the rotor 14. The wedge-shaped member 18 has a pair of contact surfaces 184 that respectively come into contact with the opposite ends of the fixing member 17. The pair of contact surfaces 184 include tapered surfaces that gradually taper down toward the rotor 14, so that the distance between the contact surfaces 184 gradually shortens as the contact surfaces 184 come close to the rotor 14.

Field flow fractionation device includes a channel switching unit for switching the connection of a second carrier fluid supply unit to any one of the second inlet port of an upper separation cell, the first inlet port of a lower separation cell, or the second inlet port of a lower separation cell. Furthermore, the second carrier fluid supply unit is connected to the second inlet port of an upper separation cell during the process of focusing to generate flow of carrier fluid counter to the flow of carrier fluid from the first inlet port within the upper separation cell, whereas the second carrier fluid supply unit is connected to the first inlet port or the second inlet port of a lower separation cell after conclusion of focusing in the upper separation cell.

Field flow fractionation device includes a channel switching unit for switching the connection of a second carrier fluid supply unit to any one of the second inlet port of an upper separation cell, the first inlet port of a lower separation cell, or the second inlet port of a lower separation cell. Furthermore, the second carrier fluid supply unit is connected to the second inlet port of an upper separation cell during the process of focusing to generate flow of carrier fluid counter to the flow of carrier fluid from the first inlet port within the upper separation cell, whereas the second carrier fluid supply unit is connected to the first inlet port or the second inlet port of a lower separation cell after conclusion of focusing in the upper separation cell.

The present disclosure describes a method, a system, and a computer program product of performing a separation on a field flow fractionator. In an embodiment, the method, the system, and the computer program product include executing, by a computer system, a set of logical operations measuring a mass flow control valve position of a control valve connected to a mass flow controller coupled to a field flow fractionator and a pressure control valve position of a control valve connected to a pressure controller coupled to the field fold fractionator in an optimal stability state, storing, by the computer system, the valve positions to a data store as preset values, and executing, by the computer system, a set of logical operations retrieving the preset values from the data store and setting initial conditions for the controllers corresponding to the preset values, resulting in a switch mode of the field flow fractionator.

The present disclosure describes a field flow fractionator including (1) a top plate assembly including (a) a first non-corrosive material, and (b) at least three fluid fittings machined (simpler) into the material, (2) a spacer, (3) a membrane, (4) a bottom plate assembly including (a) a second non-corrosive material, (b) a cavity machined into the second non-corrosive material, (c) a frit configured to be placed into the cavity, and (d) at least one bottom plate o-ring configured to seal the bottom plate assembly to the spacer, and (5) where the top plate assembly, the spacer, the membrane, and the bottom assembly define a separation channel. In an embodiment, the at least three fluid fittings including a fitting for an in-flow, a fitting for an out-flow, and a fitting for a cross-flow.

The present disclosure describes a field flow fractionator including (a) a top plate assembly including a top electrically conductive electrode, (b) an o-ring, (c) an electrically insulating frit, (d) an electrically insulating spacer between a bottom surface of the top electrode and the o-ring and the frit, (e) a membrane between the spacer and the frit, and (f) a bottom plate assembly including a bottom electrically conductive electrode.