The present invention relates to a magnetic-optical composite nanostructure, which has a heterogeneous nature due to consisting of a first core-shell nanoparticle and second core-shell nanoparticles and thus realizes magnetic and optical functions at the same time.

Microparticles for detecting biological materials are provided. Each of the microparticles includes: a core-shell structured microparticle consisting of a core including a magnetically responsive metal and a shell layer surrounding the core and having a uniform thickness; and capture probes introduced onto the shell layer to capture biological materials.

Methods for producing engineered exosomes and other vesicle-like biological targets, including allowing a target vesicle-like structure to react and bind with immunomagnetic particles; capturing the immunomagnetic particle/vesicle complex by applying a magnetic field; further engineering the captured vesicles by surface modifying with additional active moieties or internally loading with active agents; and releasing the engineered vesicle-like structures, such as by photolytically cleaving a linkage between the particle and engineered vesicle-like structures, thereby releasing intact vesicle-like structures which can act as delivery vehicles for therapeutic treatments.

A method of isolating viruses from a liquid with the possibility of containing viruses, including a process of mixing a liquid with the possibility of containing viruses and a water-soluble cationic magnetic fine particle aqueous solution to form conjugates of the cationic magnetic fine particles and the viruses in a mixed solution, a process of mixing a masking agent and an aggregating agent in the mixed solution to form a magnetic composite in which the conjugates are aggregated, and a process of recovering the magnetic composite by magnetic separation, wherein the masking agent is a poly(meth)acrylic acid having a mass-average molecular weight of 5,000 to 100,000, and the poly(meth)acrylic acid is mixed in the mixed solution in a concentration range of 0.01 to 0.1 mass %.

The present invention relates to a POCT diagnostic system that can quickly identify traumatic brain injuries and infectious diseases and can accurately determine traumatic brain injuries and infectious diseases with high sensitivity. The present invention provides magnetic particles including a core including a magnetically responsive metal, a shell layer surrounding the core and having a uniform thickness, and capture probes introduced onto the shell layer to capture biological materials. Each of the capture probes includes an antibody against a biomarker for the diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury or infectious disease as an antigen.

The present invention relates to a POCT diagnostic system for cancer that can quickly identify early cancer, can diagnose the prognosis of cancer to enhance the therapeutic effects of anticancer agents, etc. on the cancer, and can accurately determine cancer with high sensitivity. The present invention provides magnetic particles including a core including a magnetically responsive metal, a shell layer surrounding the core and having a uniform thickness, and capture probes introduced onto the shell layer to capture biological materials. Each of the capture probes includes an antibody against a biomarker for cancer diagnosis as an antigen.

A method for magnetic cellular manipulation may include contacting a composition with a biological sample to form a mixture. The composition may include a plurality of particles. Each particle in the plurality of particles may include a magnetic substrate. The magnetic substrate may be characterized by a magnetic susceptibility greater than zero. The composition may also include a chargeable silicon-containing compound. The chargeable silicon-containing compound may coat at least a portion of the magnetic substrate. The biological sample may include cells and/or cellular structures. The method may also include applying a magnetic field to the mixture to manipulate the composition.

Various devices are described for separating magnetic beads from a suspension in a tube. The devices allow a magnet to be placed near, or removed from, a cap associated with the tube. Magnetic beads can be attached to the cap by holding the tube such that the suspension flows onto an inner surface of the cap. The cap, with a magnet and magnetic beads attached to it, may be removed and replaced on a tube or moved to a different tube. Removing the device, or a magnet of the device, allows the magnetic beads to be released into a liquid in a tube. In a kit, a plurality of tubes may be pre-filled with reagents for an assay. In a process, the device can be used to move magnetic beads from one tube to another. Other devices and process are described for separating magnetic beads from liquid in a syringe or flowing into or out of a syringe.

The invention includes a method of assaying an analyte in a sample in a portable, handheld microfluidic reader. The method includes the steps of: inserting the sample in the reader; capturing the analyte with a first antibody having a DNA tag attached thereto; capturing the analyte in the sample with a second antibody attached to a surface or having a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) attached thereto; where a sandwich including the magnetic nanoparticle, first and second antibodies, the analyte and the DNA tag is formed; replicating the DNA tag using isothermal amplification to a predetermined amount of DNA tags detectable by a detector sufficient to overcome the minimal mass sensitivity limitations of the detector; and measuring the amount of replicated DNA tags using the detector. The invention also includes an apparatus or handheld portable field microfluidic reader in which the method is performed.

Methods for producing engineered exosomes and other vesicle-like biological targets, including allowing a target vesicle-like structure to react and bind with immunomagnetic particles; capturing the immunomagnetic particle/vesicle complex by applying a magnetic field; further engineering the captured vesicles by surface modifying with additional active moieties or internally loading with active agents; and releasing the engineered vesicle-like structures, such as by photolytically cleaving a linkage between the particle and engineered vesicle-like structures, thereby releasing intact vesicle-like structures which can act as delivery vehicles for therapeutic treatments.