Patent ID: 8283912

Claim:
A microelectronic sensor device for the detection of magnetic particles comprising: a) a sample chamber in which a fluid containing the magnetic particles is provided; b) at least one sensor element that detects the magnetic particles in an associated sensing region at the bottom of the sample chamber; c) a magnetic manipulator that moves the magnetic particles from the sensing region to a dump region of the sample chamber, wherein the magnetic particles cannot reach the sensing region from the dump region by sedimentation, wherein the dump region is disposed laterally with respect to the sensing region, and wherein the sensor further comprises a barrier element that is disposed in the sample chamber between the sensing region and the dump region, and wherein the magnetic manipulator is positioned at a corner or side of the sample chamber and moves the magnetic particles diagonally away from the sensing region by simultaneously applying a vertical magnetic field and a lateral magnetic field gradient away from the sensing region.