The present invention is directed towards an apparatus and methods for a precise, fast and easy to use manipulation of beads. This method is particularly useful to carry out separation between the beads and the remaining supernants present in the fluid, maximizing the collection and purification efficiencies in tips for liquid handling.

Devices and methods are provided for in-line water treatment using strong magnetic fields to influence corrosion, separate toxins, suppress bacteria and bio-fouling, as well as inhibit or greatly reduce mineral scaling due to fluid flow in or around equipment components. For example, a device is provided for applying a magnetic field to a portion of tubing through which a fluid flow, such as water, is conveyed. The device includes a number of links joined together via detachable pivoting connections, such that links may be removed and/or links may be added, thereby allowing a diameter of the device to be adjusted so as to accommodate larger or smaller piping, as necessary, for retrofitting applications. The use of magnetic treatment of fluids such as water may allow extended cycles of operation with higher concentration of mineral salts without the use of chemical scaling suppressants.

The present invention is directed towards an apparatus and methods for a precise, fast and easy to use manipulation of beads. This method is particularly useful to carry out separation between the beads and the remaining supernants present in the fluid, maximizing the collection and purification efficiencies in tips for liquid handling.

A filter arrangement for the filtration of oil or an ATF fluid, in particular a transmission oil filter, has at least a first and a second filtration layer which are arranged spaced apart by at least one spacer in a filter housing to form at least one intermediate chamber. At least one magnet or a magnet arrangement for keeping iron particles out of the oil flow are provided between the first and the second filtration layers.

A method and apparatus for removing magnetic beads together with molecular targets of interest from a fluid is described. A consumable bead collection probe is placed in a vessel containing magnetic beads suspended in the fluid. A magnet outside the vessel concentrates magnetic beads on a surface of the collection probe so they may be manipulated in and out of vessels during washing or processing steps without transferring the fluid into or out of a vessel. In a further embodiment, a vibrational source is attached to the collection probe such that, in combination with the magnet in a position external to the vessel, beads may be washed without releasing them from the collection probe.

An oil tank cleaning ball serves for attracting metal impurities within an oil tank, and has a function of checking whether the oil tank is dirty. The oil tank cleaning ball comprises an enclosing body made of non-magnetic material, but the magnetic lines can pass through the enclosing body, an outer surface of the enclosing body being uneven and rough, having sags and crests so as to expand an area of the outer surface for attracting impurities; a magnetic metal sheet enclosed within and fixed by the enclosing body; the magnetic lines emitting from the magnetic metal sheet can pass through the enclosing body so as to attract the impurities within the oil tank. Amount of impurities on the oil tank cleaning ball is used to decide whether an interior of the oil tank is dirty.

An axle assembly that includes a housing assembly and a dipstick assembly. The housing assembly may at least partially define a cavity that receives a lubricant. At least a portion of the dipstick assembly may be removably mountable to the housing assembly and may include a fitting and a dipstick.

A filter for treating a fluid in a piping of a heating and/or cooling system, in particular of domestic and/or industrial type, includes: a main body internally having at least one chamber, a first mouth and a second mouth respectively comprising a first duct and a second duct allowing the fluid to enter and/or exit the at least one chamber, wherein the first mouth has a first longitudinal axis and the second mouth has a second longitudinal axis, in particular the second mouth being positioned on the main body in such a way that its second longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis of the first mouth; a filtering element for treating the fluid, housed at least partially in the chamber, in particular the filtering element having at least one magnetic element adapted to intercept and trap the ferrous impurities that are present in the fluid to be treated.

The present invention relates to a large-scale magnetic purification system, including: a liquid storage apparatus, capable of being connected to a liquid source and a waste liquid barrel through a liquid path system; a stirring system mounted above the liquid storage apparatus, where a stirring paddle of the stirring system is inserted into the liquid storage apparatus for stirring; magnets mounted around the liquid storage apparatus; a magnet actuating mechanism for manipulating the magnets to move away from or close to the liquid storage apparatus; and a control system, connected to the liquid path system, the magnet actuating mechanism, and the stirring system and controlling the liquid path system, the magnet actuating mechanism, and the stirring system.

Disclosed herein is a novel method to fabricate magnetic silica nanomembranes using thin polymer cores based on silica deposition and self-wrinkling induced by thermal shrinkage. These micro- and nano-scale structures have vastly enlarged the specific area of silica, thus the magnetic silica nanomembranes can be used for solid phase extraction of nucleic acids. The magnetic silica nanomembranes are suitable for nucleic acid purification and isolation and demonstrated better performance than commercial particles in terms of nucleic acid recovery yield and integrity. In addition, the magnetic silica nanomembranes may have high nucleic acid capacity due to significantly enlarged specific surface area of silica. Methods of use and devices comprising the magnetic silica nanomembranes are also provided herein.