Described herein are microfluidic devices and methods that can greatly improve cell quality, streamline workflows, and lower costs. Applications include research and clinical diagnostics in cancer, infectious disease, and inflammatory disease, among other disease areas.

The invention relates to containers or bags for chromatographic media and methods of packing chromatography columns using such containers. The bags may be used for storing and/or transporting chromatographic media and can be inserted directly into the chamber of a chromatography column in readiness for use.

A container for treating a fluid with an ion-exchange system is provided. The container includes a housing extending in an upright position between a bottom port and an opposed top port. The housing has an internal chamber. A bottom plate is disposed in the internal chamber above the bottom port and having a plurality of openings defined therethrough. The bottom plate divides the internal chamber between a main chamber and a bottom chamber. The bottom chamber is defined between the bottom plate and the bottom port. A plurality of diffusers extend from the bottom plate into the main chamber. Each one of the plurality of diffusers has a diffuser tube section projecting upwardly from the bottom plate and in fluid flow communication with the bottom chamber. The diffuser tube section has radial openings circumferentially distributed along a length thereof to radially discharge the fluid in the main chamber.

A chromatographic device includes a primary channel having a cross-sectional area and characteristic length such that analyte travel within the primary channel is substantially convective. A plurality of secondary channels each having a cross-sectional area and characteristic length such that analyte flow into and out of a secondary channel is substantially diffusive, each of the plurality of secondary channels having an entrance in fluidic communication with the primary channel wherein the entrance intersects the primary channel.

Microstructure separation filters are provided herein, as well as chromatography and other separation devices. An exemplary filter device includes a microstructure filter has a plurality of layers of alternating sacrificial and/or structural material which have been etched to create inlet channels and outlet channels. Adjacent ones of the inlet channels and the outlet channels are spaced apart from one another by cross channels that filter a fluid from the inlet channels to the outlet channels. The cross channels include filter features formed by etching away of a portion of the layers. The device also includes a housing configured to receive the microstructure filter.

A chromatographic cassette includes a cassette including a chamber, chromatographic media disposed within the cassette chamber, a distribution network fluidly coupled to the chromatographic media and an inlet port and an outlet port coupled to the distribution network. A hyper-productive chromatography technique includes providing a scalable and stackable chromatographic cassette, loading a sample to be processed, operating the scalable chromatographic cassette having an adsorptive chromatographic bed having a volume greater than 0.5 liter by establishing a flow at a linear velocity greater than 500 cm/hr with a residence time of the loading step of less than one minute.

An ion exchange chromatography column contains an ion exchange stationary phase that includes a charged substrate, a plurality of first particles, and a plurality of second particles. The plurality of first particles each include first ion exchange groups and the first particles are ionically bound to the charged substrate. The plurality of second particles each include second ion exchange groups and the second particles are ionically bound to the charged substrate. The first particles having a first ion exchange group density, and the second particles having a second ion exchange group density. The first ion exchange group density is greater than the second ion exchange group density. The ion exchange chromatography column has a number of zones connected in series where each zone can have a varying level of first ion exchange groups and second ion exchange group from the inlet zone to the outlet zone.

A device for separating one or more molecules of interest in a liquid specimen including a monolithic body defining a fractionation column. The column includes an inlet opening at a proximal end of the fractionation column; an outlet opening at a distal, opposite end of the fractionation column; a solid phase chamber positioned between the inlet opening and the outlet opening; a specimen introduction area adjacent a proximal end of the solid phase chamber; an analyte exit area adjacent a distal end of the solid phase chamber; an inlet chamber adjacent the inlet opening that tapers into the specimen introduction area; and an outlet chamber that extends from the analyte exit area to the outlet opening. A metered amount of solid phase packed within the solid phase chamber between a first porous frit and a second porous frit of the solid phase chamber.

A purification system for separating a molecule of interest from a solution is provided and generally includes a plurality of resin processing sections, wherein each of the resin processing sections is controllably separated from each other via a configurable gate valve, wherein the configurable gate valve is configured to introduce or evacuate a fluid/resin into/out of a proximately located processing section, a plurality of inlets configured to introduce fluid and/or resin into one or more of the plurality of resin processing sections.

An ion exchange resin bag 5 includes a bag body 51 and a reinforcing body 52. The bag body 51 has a bottom surface portion 511 that is provided at an end portion opposite to an end portion where an opening is provided and forms a bottom surface of the bag body, and a side surface portion 512 that is connected to the bottom surface portion 511 and forms a side surface of the bag body 51. The reinforcing body 52 has a first reinforcing portion 521 that is fixed to a boundary portion of the bottom surface portion 511 and the side surface portion 512, and a second reinforcing portion 522 that is connected to the first reinforcing portion 521 and fixed to at least a part of the side surface portion 512 and extends from the first reinforcing portion 521 toward the opening.