The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic particle concentrator that includes an inlet microchannel, a filtering chamber fluidly connected to the inlet microchannel to receive a sample fluid, and a mechanical filter positioned in the filtering chamber. The particle concentrator also includes a filter outlet microchannel fluidly connected to the filtering chamber to receive a particle-ablated fluid formed by passing through the mechanical filter, a particle outlet microchannel fluidly connected to the filtering chamber to receive a particle-concentrated fluid including a plurality of particles not permitted to pass through the mechanical filter, and a fluid movement network including multiple pumps. The multiple fluid pumps generate sample fluid flow through the inlet microchannel and into the filtering chamber, particle-ablated fluid flow from the mechanical filter into the filter outlet microchannel, and particle-concentrated fluid from the filtering chamber into the particle outlet microchannel.

The present invention relates to a centrifugal force-based nanoparticle separation apparatus and method. Specifically, the present invention is based on having a low centrifugal force and a small size, and may thus separate nanovesicles unrelated to antibody specificity in a short time and without using an ultracentrifuge. Further, the present invention requires no additional professional personnel and enables accurate fluid measurement by integrating and automating all processes after sample injection, and may thus reduce the loss of nanovesicles.

There is provided a system and method for angstrom confinement of trapped ions. The method including: receiving water molecules and ionic compounds in a first reservoir, an angstrom confinement assembly is positioned between the first reservoir and a second reservoir, the angstrom confinement assembly defining angstrom conduits; and repeatedly applying an electric field across a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode on a same side of the angstrom confinement assembly as the first reservoir and the second electrode on a same side of the angstrom confinement assembly as the second reservoir, the electric field applied such that, when the electric field is applied, positive ions of the ionic compounds are induced to flow through the angstrom conduits, and wherein, when the electric field is not applied, water molecules flow into the angstrom conduits due to capillary forces to confine the positive ions in the angstrom conduits.

This disclosure provides, among other things, a filtration device comprising an open bottomed multi-well plate, a planar spacer that comprises apertures, and a porous capillary membrane. In the device, the planar spacer is sandwiched between the multi-well plate and the porous capillary membrane and the planar spacer is bonded to both the multi-well plate and the porous capillary membrane via an adhesive. Kits and methods of making the device are also provide.

The present invention relates to a method for concentrating extracellular vesicles in a fluid sample, and specifically, a method for concentrating extracellular vesicles with high efficiency within a short period of time, by using a filter with a pore size of 20 nm to 100 nm and controlling the composition of the fluid sample and the usage of an elution buffer. The method of the present invention for concentrating extracellular vesicles can simplify the process of concentration, reduce the time of concentration, and concentrate extracellular vesicles with high efficiency. That is, the method of the present invention can reduce time and cost for a concentration process and increase concentration efficiency compared to conventional concentration methods, and is thus an economical concentration method suitable for extracellular vesicles.

Many hand-held diagnostics are limited in their functionality due to the challenging physics associated with small dimensional systems. An example of this is capillary forces in hydrophilic systems, such as the tight retention of liquid passing through a small pore filtration membrane, or capillary force driven microfluidics where, to keep liquid flowing the dimensions of the system become so small that the flow rates are too low to be useful, or the manufacturing of such devices becomes uneconomical. This disclosure details methods to ‘reset’ the capillary force condition to avoid the requirement of transient pressure spikes associated with the breakthrough pressure of small pore membranes, and avoid the necessity of extremely small microfluidic channels, which can be useful in applications such as filtration of whole blood to plasma using only suction pressure or passive capillary pressure.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel ad/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

A micro fluid filtration system (100) preferably for increasing the concentration of components contained in a fluid sample has a fluid circuitry (1). The fluid circuitry (1) comprises the following elements: A tangential flow filtration element (7) capable for separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid, an element for pumping (3) for creating and driving a fluid flow through the fluid circuitry (1) and at least one element for obtaining information about the properties of the fluid sample within the circuitry. The circuitry further comprises a plurality of conduits (24) connecting the elements of the fluid circuitry (1) through which a fluid stream of the fluid sample is conducted. The circuitry (1) has a minimal working volume of at most 5 ml, which is the minimal fluid volume retained in the elements and the conduits (24) of the circuitry (1) such that the fluid can be recirculated in the circuitry (1) without pumping air through the circuitry (1). An integrated microfluidic element (20) of the circuitry (1) contains the functionality of at least two elements of the group of elements of the circuitry (1).

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.

The present disclosure relates to a membrane extraction apparatus for extracting a component from a first liquid. The apparatus may incorporate a housing comprised of first and second mating housing halves, with each housing half having an open faced channel formed therein such that the channels at least partially overlay one another when the two housing halves are secured together. A membrane filter is disposed between the two housing halves to overlay the open faced channels. The membrane filter extracts the component from the first liquid and transfers the component into the second liquid as the first and second liquids flow through the first and second housing halves.