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An improved magnetic separator has been developed for use in large-scale cell separations. This separation method uses paramagnetic microbeads coated with antibodies that selectively bind to target cells. The magnetic separator attracts the microbead-target cell aggregates and holds these aggregates at its surface while the suspending fluid and nontarget cells flow past. The optimum separator design was determined to be two magnetic assemblies in series along with a peristaltic pump. The assemblies consist of neodymium-iron-boron magnet bars sandwiched between steel bars (magnetic pole pieces). The size and pole spacing of the two magnetic assemblies are designed to be different, so that the first assembly, which captures greater than 99.99% of the microbeads, has good magnetic reach-out and a high magnetic holding force at its surface, while the second assembly has an even higher magnetic holding force at its surface. Studies show that the separator can remove 1 x 10(10) microbeads from a suspension of red blood cells processed at a flow rate of 9 ml/min, so that no microbeads are detected in the effluent.
Hardwick et al. (1990) studied this question.