Patent ID: 8556843

Claim:
A device to enrich non-magnetically responsive blood components, said device comprising: (a) one or more separation chambers, each one or more separation chambers having one or more entrance ports, one or more exit ports and one or more outlets for directional, continuous movement of blood from the one or more entrance ports through each of the one or more separation chambers and towards the one or more exits ports and one or more outlets, wherein, when subjected to a magnetic field, the non-magnetically responsive blood components flow more readily than magnetically responsive blood components through the one or more exit ports, and the magnetically responsive blood components flow more readily than the non-magnetically responsive blood components through the one or more outlets; (b) one or more ferromagnetic wires, or one or more wires made of other materials with ferromagnetic or high paramagnetic properties, positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each of the one or more separation chambers for generating the magnetic field across each of the one or more separation chambers by magnetizing the wires, wherein each of said one or more separation chambers has a width that is at least 100 times larger than the cross-section of the one or more magnetic wires, and wherein said one or more separation chambers are removable from the device; and (c) a plurality of pumps configured to control cell stratification along the separator cross section by varying pressure at the one or more inlet ports, the one or more outlet ports, and the one or more exit ports.