Devices and methods for capturing biological materials using a potential well. An electrical signal is applied across a nanopipette having one end in a back-fill chamber and another end in a collection chamber containing a suspending medium including one or more types of particles. The collection end of the nanopipette includes a tip having an opening. The electrical signal applied across the nanopipette is configured to generate the potential well proximate to the tip in which the electrokinetic forces acting on the particles are balanced. The potential well may be configured to selectively trap one or the other types of particles suspended in the suspending medium. The particles may be transferred to a sample collection medium by immersing the tip in the sample collection medium and reversing the polarity of the electrical signal.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising magnetic particles, the methods of using these compositions in processing animal sperm, the resulting sperm and embryo products, and the methods of use of these compositions to increase the efficiency, efficacy and/or speed of cell processing and artificial insemination techniques.

Devices, systems, and their methods of use, for sorting or separating magnetic particles are provided. A magnetic source, e.g., with at least one sharp feature, can be employed to exert a strong magnetic field on magnetic particles in order to separate particles of a desired and predictable property.

An apparatus and method for extracting nucleic acids such as DNA molecules from biological samples uses solid-state magnetic manipulation. A fluid sample and magnetic beads are placed in a vessel. The vessel is placed in a housing with an array of electromagnets mounted therein. The electromagnets are energized sequentially or in groups to move the magnetic beads through the fluid sample in a variety of patterns. The apparatus disclosed herein may be used as a measurement device to measure bead number density and modify magnetic patterns in order to deliver consistent dosages in bead number.

A detection method includes forming a complex by binding a target substance and a dielectric particle modified by a single-domain antibody that is bindable to the target substance, separating the complex and an unbound particle in a fluid with dielectrophoresis, the unbound particle being the dielectric particle not forming the complex, and detecting the target substance contained in the separated complex with an imaging element.

Compositions and methods for the isolation of naive, untouched target cells of interest are disclosed.

Method for detecting the presence or absence of a biological or chemical substance in a particular sample mixed with a suspension with functionalized magnetic particles, comprising: providing a light source and detector, providing a constant magnetic force perpendicular to the light's propagation direction by applying a constant magnetic field gradient, and with an absolute value which is higher than 0.1 T and measuring the change of the magnetic particle's suspension transparency versus time and comparing it with the time-variation in absence of the targeted biological or chemical substance. The method of the invention allows monitoring the transparency irrespective of the emitted wavelength and particle's optical properties.

A sensor system for sensing dielectric particles of biological material in fluids is disclosed. The sensor system comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged on a substrate, and a dielectrophoretic device arranged on the substrate adjacent to one of the plurality of electrodes and a floating gate field effect transistor with a gate electrode connected to the dielectrophoretic device.

The disclosure describes systems and methods for separating a plurality of molecular entities with differing densities. The system includes: a pair of magnetic poles of like polarity to provide a magnetic field; and a container holding the plurality of molecular entities in a fluid medium comprising nanoparticles that substantially change a magnetic susceptibility of the fluid medium such that, when the container is placed inside the magnetic field, sufficient gradients in an effective density of the fluid medium are generated inside the container to levitate the plurality of molecular entities to respective layers within the container, each respective layer corresponding to a respective density.

A multifunctional air pollution reduction device includes a tool and a multifunctional pollutant remover. The multifunctional pollutant remover is adjacent to or integrated with the tool. The multifunctional pollutant remover can not only reduce air pollution, but also help reduce one or more of the following problems when using the tools: noise, vibration and/or slip.