Microfluidic chips that can comprise thin substrates and/or a high density of vias are described herein. An apparatus comprises: a silicon device layer comprising a plurality of vias, the plurality of vias comprising greater than or equal to about 100 vias per square centimeter of a surface of the silicon device layer and less than or equal to about 100,000 vias per square centimeter of the surface of the silicon device layer, and the plurality of vias extending through the silicon device layer; and a sealing layer bonded to the silicon device layer, wherein the sealing layer has greater rigidity than the silicon device layer. In some embodiments, the silicon device layer has a thickness between about 7 micrometers and about 500 micrometers while a via of the plurality of vias has a diameter between about 5 micrometers and about 5 millimeters.

Microfluidic chips that can comprise thin substrates and/or a high density of vias are described herein. An apparatus comprises: a silicon device layer comprising a plurality of vias, the plurality of vias comprising greater than or equal to about 100 vias per square centimeter of a surface of the silicon device layer and less than or equal to about 100,000 vias per square centimeter of the surface of the silicon device layer, and the plurality of vias extending through the silicon device layer; and a sealing layer bonded to the silicon device layer, wherein the sealing layer has greater rigidity than the silicon device layer. In some embodiments, the silicon device layer has a thickness between about 7 micrometers and about 500 micrometers while a via of the plurality of vias has a diameter between about 5 micrometers and about 5 millimeters.

A method and apparatus involving the configuration of an open capillary channel for size-based separation of analytes is described. The open capillary channel contains numerous turns of defined angles separated by intervening linear or curvilinear segments of capillary tubing. The configuration of the channel allows analyte differentiation based on diffusion coefficients and thus separates analytes by size.

A method and apparatus involving the configuration of an open capillary channel for size-based separation of analytes is described. The open capillary channel contains numerous turns of defined angles separated by intervening linear or curvilinear segments of capillary tubing. The configuration of the channel allows analyte differentiation based on diffusion coefficients and thus separates analytes by size.

The invention relates to a method of isolating an immunoglobulin, comprising the steps of: a) providing a separation matrix comprising at least 15 mg/ml multimers of immunoglobulin-binding alkali-stabilized Protein A domains covalently coupled to a porous support, wherein the porous support comprises cross-linked polymer particles having a volume-weighted median diameter (d50,v) of 56-70 micrometers and a dry solids weight of 55-80 mg/ml; b) contacting a liquid sample comprising an immunoglobulin with the separation matrix; c) washing the separation matrix with a washing liquid; d) eluting the immunoglobulin from the separation matrix with an elution liquid; and e) cleaning the separation matrix with a cleaning liquid comprising at least 0.5 M NaOH.

The invention relates to a method of isolating an immunoglobulin, comprising the steps of: a) providing a separation matrix comprising at least 15 mg/ml multimers of immunoglobulin-binding alkali-stabilized Protein A domains covalently coupled to a porous support, wherein the porous support comprises cross-linked polymer particles having a volume-weighted median diameter (d50,v) of 56-70 micrometers and a dry solids weight of 55-80 mg/ml; b) contacting a liquid sample comprising an immunoglobulin with the separation matrix; c) washing the separation matrix with a washing liquid; d) eluting the immunoglobulin from the separation matrix with an elution liquid; and e) cleaning the separation matrix with a cleaning liquid comprising at least 0.5 M NaOH.

A method including receiving a specimen comprising a carrier, a first target species, and a first component and storing at least a portion of the carrier and the first target species in a storage media by self-driven filtering of the specimen in the storage media, wherein the storage media comprises porous superabsorbent polymer (PSAP) beads. The PSAP beads provide for fast and self-driven microfiltration of biofluid samples. The treatment effectively separates small analytical targets (e.g., glucose, catalase, and bacteriophage) and large undesired components (e.g., bacteria and blood cells) in the biofluids by capturing the former inside and excluding the latter outside the PSAP beads. The treatment can reduce sample volume, self-aliquot the liquid sample, avoid microbial contamination, separate plasma from blood cells, stabilize target species inside the beads, and enable long-term storage at room temperature.

Herein disclosed is an economical standalone system that replaces conventional monomer purification methods needed to perform chemical reactions that require reactants with a high degree of purity. Chemical reactions, such as anionic polymerization, can produce highly monodisperse homopolymers and block copolymers, however to do so they require very high purity reactants along with a moisture and oxygen free atmosphere. The system and method uses traditional column purification methods, but incorporates them into an economical, standalone, compact, and hazard free system. This method is different in view of safety, cost of cleaning procedure, time commitment, space availability, design and operational ease; helping researchers save time by cutting down the operating commitment by 90% and most importantly making it safer.

Herein disclosed is an economical standalone system that replaces conventional monomer purification methods needed to perform chemical reactions that require reactants with a high degree of purity. Chemical reactions, such as anionic polymerization, can produce highly monodisperse homopolymers and block copolymers, however to do so they require very high purity reactants along with a moisture and oxygen free atmosphere. The system and method uses traditional column purification methods, but incorporates them into an economical, standalone, compact, and hazard free system. This method is different in view of safety, cost of cleaning procedure, time commitment, space availability, design and operational ease; helping researchers save time by cutting down the operating commitment by 90% and most importantly making it safer.

A method for depletion or removal of endotoxins from a known or suspected endotoxin-containing source by virtue of a solid phase extraction material in an essentially aqueous system comprising the steps of—providing a known or suspected endotoxin-containing source, —contacting the known or suspected endotoxin-containing source with a positively charged solid phase material having a surface on which ferric iron is immobilised, wherein the solid phase extraction material has immobilised the ferric iron by (2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) ligand—incubating the known or suspected endotoxin-containing source for a period of time sufficient to bind endotoxin to the porous solid phase material, —separating the solid phase material from the essentially aqueous system, —optionally isolating the essentially aqueous system freed or depleted from endotoxin.