Preparative continuous separation of biological particles by means of free-flow magnetophoresis in a free-flow electrophoresis chamber.

For sorting, cells or cellular components can specifically be labeled by antibody-coated magnetic beads. We have developed a device for continuous magnetic sorting based on the flow-chamber of a free-flow electrophoresis system. Magnetically labeled particles are injected into a given continuously flowing chamber buffer and pass an inhomogeneous magnetic field, configurated perpendicular to the flow direction. According to its magnetic moment, the magnetic material is deviated into the direction of the magnetic forces, while nonmagnetic material passes the field without interaction. The magnetic forces can be changed with the electrical current of the solenoids producing the magnetic field. As in the free-flow electrophoresis system, the particle fractions are collected in different vials. On-line control of the experiments can be performed by an optical scanning system. Experiments with model particles achieved a sorting purity of more than 99% at a rate of up to 5 X 10(8) particles per hour. In experiments with blood cells, a high enrichment of either B-or-T-lymphocytes was obtained. In contrast to free-flow electrophoresis, there is no limitation, in principle, regarding the type of chamber buffer to be used. This allows an optimal adaptation of the buffer conditions to the requirements of vital sorting. The preliminary results so far confirm this conclusion.