Importance

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Abstract

Disclosed is a new method for magnetic separation from a carrier fluid of biological cells or other organic or inorganic particles having a negative surface charge. A paramagnetic salt is mixed with an aqueous solution of a chelating agent, for example EDTA. The cells or particles to be separated are mixed with this paramagnetic carrier solution, and the resulting mixture is exposed to a high gradient magnetic field. The cells or particles attract the chelated paramagnetic cations preferentially to the carrier solution such that the particles develop a magnetic susceptibility greater than that of the carrier liquid. The method achieves highly repeatable separations at lower magnetization fields than existing high gradient magnetic separation methods. Feasibility has been shown for erbium chloride and dysprosium chloride, with whole blood as the sample. In this instance, single-pass magnetic separation efficiencies significantly greater than those attainable with paramagnetic erythrocytic hemoglobin are readily available.

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First Claim