A magnetic drawer separator incorporating at least a first permanent magnet series having a longitudinal, oppositely longitudinal, and outer ends, each permanent magnet having an opening; a longitudinally extending hollow bore within the at least first permanent magnet series, the bore being formed by the permanent magnets' openings; at least a first shaft having longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal ends, the longitudinal end of the at least first shaft engaging the at least first permanent magnet series within the bore; at least a first wiper engaging the outer end of the at least first permanent magnet series; and a frame having longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal ends, wherein the at least first wiper is fixedly attached to the frame's longitudinal end, and wherein the at least first shaft is fixedly attached to the frame's oppositely longitudinal end.

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.

A method is provided including coupling magnetic beads to a population of cells in a fluid sample to form magnetically-labeled cells, magnetically separating the magnetically-labeled cells from non-magnetically-labeled cells in the fluid sample, and separating target cells from non-target cells of the magnetically-labeled cells based on a size difference between the magnetically-labeled target cells and the magnetically-labeled non-target cells. A microfluidic device is provided including a fluidic pathway traversing a magnetic isolation region and a size-based isolation region. The magnetic isolation region includes a magnet positioned to separate magnetically-labeled cells from non-magnetically labeled cells in the magnetic isolation region. The size-based isolation region includes a separator configured to separate cells less than a threshold size from cells greater than a threshold size.

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 centrifugal liquid separating system broadly comprises an insert cartridge including a housing, an inlet, one or more flow guides, a stator, a compression nozzle, an expansion nozzle, and an outlet. The flow guides guide liquid flowing into the inlet past the stator into the compression nozzle. The stator induces a rotational vortex into the liquid flow. Liquid with heavier particles in the liquid flow is urged to the outside of the rotational vortex. Liquid with lighter particles and cleaner liquid is urged to the inside of the rotational vortex. The compression nozzle and the expansion nozzle are aligned to cooperatively form an annular liquid channel. The liquid with the heavier particles flows through the annular liquid channel and the liquid with the lighter particles and the cleaner liquid flows to the expansion nozzle to the outlet.

Methods of concentrating beads in a droplet and/or loading beads on a fluidic device are provided, including among other things, a method of concentrating beads in a droplet, the method comprising: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) an interior droplet operations volume; and (ii) a reservoir exterior to the interior volume; (iii) a droplet established in a liquid path extending from the reservoir into the interior volume; (b) providing magnetically responsive beads in the portion of the droplet which is in the reservoir; (c) magnetically attracting the magnetically responsive beads through the liquid path into the portion of the droplet which is in the interior volume; and (d) forming a droplet comprising one or more of the magnetically responsive beads in the interior volume.

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 magnet apparatus for generating a high gradient and/or high strength magnetic field, comprises: two permanent magnets (2, 4) located side-by-side with oppositely oriented magnetic field polarities and end surfaces of opposite polarities next to one another, wherein the magnetic anisotropy of the magnets exceeds the magnetic induction of the material of the magnets; and a mask (6) or masks (6) on a first end of each of the adjacent permanent magnets (2, 4), the mask(s) 6 comprising a non-retentive material covering adjacent end surfaces of the two permanent magnets (2, 4) with a gap (8) along a joining line between the two permanent magnets (2, 4) to form a zone of high-gradient magnetic field above the joining line; wherein the mask(s) (6) are embedded within the magnets (2, 4) and/or have a varying thickness and wherein the mask(s) (6) each have a maximum thickness greater than a tenth of the thickness of the respective magnet (2, 4).

A contaminant sensor (1) for detecting magnetizable contaminants (7) present in a lubricant flow is disclosed. A permanent magnet (3) is arranged movably inside a sensor housing (2). A sensor element (6, 11, 13), e.g. in the form of a distance sensor (6) or a pressure sensor (11), is arranged to detect a displacement of the permanent magnet (3) inside the sensor housing (2), and an indicator is arranged to generate an alert signal when a displacement and/or a rate of change of displacement of the permanent magnet (3) inside the sensor housing (2) exceeds a pre-defined threshold value. The permanent magnet (3) is arranged to move inside the sensor housing (2) in response to magnetizable contaminants (7) collected on an outer surface of the sensor housing (2).