A method for separating biological entities in a fluid sample, which contains small, medium, and large biological entities, includes the steps introducing the fluid sample into a first microfluidic device as two streams along two sidewalls thereof; applying a first power to the first microfluidic device to exert a first acoustic radiation pressure to produce a first output fluid having a higher relative fraction of the large biological entities than the fluid sample and a second output fluid having a lower relative fraction of the large biological entities than the fluid sample; introducing the second output fluid into a second microfluidic device as two streams along two sidewalls thereof; and applying a second power, which is higher than the first power, to the second microfluidic device to exert a second acoustic radiation pressure to produce a third output fluid having a higher relative fraction of the medium biological entities than the fluid sample.

Embodiments are described for separating/collecting components from a multi-component fluid such as whole blood. Some embodiments provide for controlling the amount of a component, such as platelets, introduced into a separation chamber to ensure that the density of fluid in the separation chamber does not exceed a particular value. This may provide for collecting purer components. Other embodiments may provide for determining a chamber flow rate based on a concentration of a component in the multi-component fluid, which may then be used to determine a centrifuge speed, to collect purer concentrated components.

A centrifuge bowl is configured to separate a first component and a second component in a sample. The centrifuge bowl includes a shell, a core, a separation cavity, and a stator head. The shell includes an upper shell part, a middle shell part, a lower shell part, and a bottom shell part. The core is arranged in the shell. The separation cavity is arranged between the lower shell part and the core. The stator head is arranged on the shell and includes an input tube and an output tube. The sample enters the separation cavity via the input tube. When the shell and the core rotate on a rotation axis, the sample in the separation cavity is separated into the first component and the second component according to a magnitude of an inertial force. In addition, a blood centrifuge system including the above centrifuge bowl is provided.

A feedstock processing system extracts a product from a solid using a CTSE system comprising a plurality of continuous stirred tank extraction stages arranged in fluid communication with each other in series such that effluent from one stage flows to a next stage in the series. One of the stages has an inlet to allow a measured amount of liquid solvent and the solid to be introduced to the continuous stirred tank extraction stage. The stage mixes the solid with the introduced solvent to form a homogeneous slurry to enable the product associated with the solid to be extracted with the solvent. A solid-liquid separator is arranged in fluid communication with the continuous stirred tank extraction stages, and receives an effluent from one of the stages and separates the liquid solvent containing the product from the solid to form a product-containing liquid and a product-depleted solid.

A separation recovery system for separating and recovering an object to be separated includes a metal porous membrane which has a first principal surface and a second principal surface facing the first principal surface and has a plurality of through-holes extending between the first principal surface and the second principal surface, a supply device which supplies a first fluid containing the object to be separated from the first principal surface of the metal porous membrane toward the second principal surface, and a backwash device which supplies a second fluid containing a plurality of particles larger than a size of the plurality of through-holes of the metal porous membrane in a direction from the second principal surface of the metal porous membrane toward the first principal surface.

A method for separating particles in a biofluid includes pretreating the biofluid by introducing an additive, flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel, and applying acoustic energy to the microfluidic separation channel. A system for microfluidic separation, capable of separating target particles from non-target particles in a biofluid includes at least one microfluidic separation channel, a source of biofluid, a source of additive, and at least one acoustic transducer coupled to the microfluidic separation channel. A kit for microfluidic particle separation includes a microfluidic separation channel connected to an acoustic transducer, a source of an additive, and instructions for use.

A microfluidic device for sorting biological objects includes a microfluidic chip including a planar substrate having first and second planar surfaces, the planar substrate including first and second networks of channels recessed respectively from the first and second planar surfaces and fluidically connected by way of at least a through-hole in the planar substrate; a first lid attached to the first planar surface of the planar substrate and substantially covering the first network of channels; and a second lid attached to the second planar surface of the planar substrate and substantially covering the second network of channels; and one or more piezoelectric transducers attached to the first lid and/or the second lid and configured to generate first and second acoustic standing waves in a first linear channel of the first network of channels and a second linear channel of the second network of channels, respectively.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of cleaning particle loaded “dirty” air using a multi flow-splitter technology in combination with at least one cyclone system which requires minimal energy to operate due to low pressure drops used to generate the fluid flows whilst allowing to exert high centrifugal or G-Force on the infeed fluid stream. This further allows to operate the particle removal process such that conventional additional filter media become optional, such that the technology may operate a significantly reduced or even without the need for maintenance and/or repair. Low internal air turbulence ensures a very high separation efficiency. Optionally adding additional explosion safe low-energy down-stream filtration stages with variable speed system fan provides optimal operational performance and operational flexibility.

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 system for obtaining plasma enriched in platelets is disclosed which is closed to the atmosphere. The system includes: a collection tube containing an anticoagulant portion and a separation gel; a first collection syringe adapted to collect a portion of fluid relatively depleted in platelets from said collection tube after centrifugation; and a second collection syringe adapted to collect plasma enriched in platelets from said collection tube after centrifugation, said second collection syringe further comprising a filter unit adapted to filter cells included in said plasma enriched in platelets.