Devices and methods for analysing extracellular vesicle glycans are described. According to an embodiment, a microfluidic device comprises an inlet portion configured to receive a fluid sample; a mixing portion fluidically coupled to the inlet portion and configured to facilitate mixing between the fluid sample and magnetic nanoparticles functionalized to bind with extracellular vesicles and aggregate to vesicle glycans in the fluid sample; a magnetic separation portion fluidically coupled to the mixing portion and configured to separate clusters of magnetic nanoparticles from the fluid sample; and a magnetic sensor configured to measure magnetic properties of the fluid sample after it has passed through the magnetic separation portion. The magnetic nanoparticles may configured to aggregate in the presence of respective lectins when bound with extracellular vesicles carrying target glycans. In a specific embodiment, the magnetic particles comprise a magnetic polycore coated with polydopamine.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a clinical instrument analyzer system for the automatic analysis of patient samples. In one embodiment, the analyzer may be used to analyze bodily fluid samples, such as blood, plasma, serum, urine or cerebrospinal fluid, for example. Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method, for example, an immunoassay method, for separating out target molecules in a magnetic field and then analyzing those target molecules with a luminometer.

The present invention relates to diagnostic test and technology. In particular, it relates to a method for determining an analyte suspected to be present in a sample comprising contacting said sample with at least one sensor element comprising at least one binding agent which is capable of specifically binding to the analyte and which comprises at least one magnetic label; and in functional proximity thereto a magnetic tunnel junction generating a signal which is altered upon binding of the analyte to the binding agent for a time and under conditions which allow for specific binding of the analyte suspected to be present in the sample to the at least one binding agent, measuring an altered signal generated by the magnetic tunnel junction upon analyte binding to the at least one binding agent comprising the at least one magnetic label, and determining the analyte based on the altered signal which is generated by the magnetic tunnel junction. The present invention further relates to a device for determining an analyte suspected to be present in a sample and for using such a device. Moreover, the present invention furthermore relates to an aptamer which is capable of specifically binding to an analyte and which comprises at least one magnetic label and a method for identifying such an aptamer. Finally, the invention relates to a kit for determining an analyte suspected to be present in a sample.

A method for cellular separation, including: combining sperm with magnetic particles comprising a negative zeta potential charge to form an admixture, each magnetic particle being no greater than 1,000 nm; binding a subpopulation of said sperm to said magnetic particles through an electrical charge interaction to provide a bound subpopulation; and magnetically separating said bound subpopulation from unbound sperm.

The present application discloses methods and apparatus for detecting a complex including an analyte that include contacting a sample solution containing an analyte with a population of functionalized superparamagnetic beads, which are functionalized to include a first moiety that associates with the analyte under suitable conditions, and contacting the sample solution with a population of functionalized ferromagnetic beads, which are functionalized to include a second moiety. Contact results in formation of complexes detectable by co-localization of the functionalized superparamagnetic bead and the functionalized ferromagnetic bead. Contact between a sample not containing the analyte in a sample solution, results in a magnetic interaction energy Dint between the functionalized superparamagnetic beads and the functionalized ferromagnetic beads, the magnetic interaction energy D.sub.int being less than or equal to 5k.sub.BT, where k.sub.B is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature of the sample solution.

The present invention relates to the field of biological diagnosis in oncology. It relates to a method and apparatus for detecting and/or characterizing tumor cells by detecting one or more elements of the tumor cell secretome, in particular one or more peptides or proteins, and, in particular, one or more tumor markers. The invention also relates to detecting and/or characterizing droplets of tumor cells and their method of preparation.

Methods are provided for separating magnetically responsive beads from a droplet in a droplet actuator. Droplet operations electrodes and a magnet are arranged in a droplet actuator to manipulate a bead-containing droplet and position it relative to a magnetic field region that attracts the magnetically responsive beads. The droplet operations electrodes are operated to control the droplet shape and transport it away from the magnetic field region to form a concentration of beads in the droplet. The continued transport of the droplet away from the magnetic field causes the concentration of beads to break away from the droplet to yield a small, concentrated bead-containing droplet immobilized by the magnet.

The invention relates to using serum exosomal proteins, α-synuclein and clusterin, as biomarkers in the prediction and identification of a subject having Parkinson's Disease, and provides methods for determining their levels. The biomarkers are also useful for monitoring, prevention and/or treatment of Parkinson's Disease and in differentiating Parkinson's disease from atypical parkinsonian syndromes including MSA.

An exosome to be analyzed having a first bead and a second bead bound thereto is collected from a buffer fluid containing the exosome to be analyzed having the first bead and the second bead bound thereto. A first antibody that specifically binds to a first antigen associated with a first disease is fixed to a surface of the first bead. A second antibody that specifically binds to a second antigen associated with a second disease is fixed to a surface of the second bead. The first bead is separated from the exosome, and the exosome having the second bead bound thereto is collected. The exosome having the second bead bound thereto is dissolved, and the second bead and an inclusion of the exosome are collected. The inclusion of the exosome is analyzed, and the number of second beads is counted.

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device and a chemiluminescence detector. A cleaning device is provided with a cup inlet station and a cup outlet station, wherein the cleaning device comprises a pedestal, a plurality of magnetic adsorption components, a turntable arranged on the pedestal, and a primary cleaning mechanism arranged on the pedestal, wherein each of the plurality of magnetic adsorption components comprises a plurality of magnets; magnetic adsorption heights of a plurality of magnets of the first magnetic adsorption component are equal and are recorded as A; magnetic adsorption heights of a plurality of magnets of the middle magnetic adsorption component are equal and are recorded as B, and B>A.