US 12,303,886 B2
Device for fractionating a suspension sample
Thomas Ellinger, Jena (DE); Eugen Ermantraut, Jena (DE); Horst Bösneck, Jena (DE); and Andreas Stärker, Jena (DE)
Assigned to BLINK AG, Jena (DE)
Appl. No. 15/734,867
Filed by BLINK AG, Jena (DE)
PCT Filed May 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/064056
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 3, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/233871, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 12, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18176353 (EP), filed on Jun. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0237051 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 1/40 (2006.01); G01N 33/49 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/5023 (2013.01) [G01N 1/4022 (2013.01); G01N 1/405 (2013.01); G01N 33/491 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0631 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0609 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0681 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0832 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device configured for fractionating a suspension sample into a liquid phase and a solid phase, said device comprising at least one polymeric matrix element,
said at least one polymeric matrix element comprising a porous polymeric scaffold and an interstitial pore space within said polymeric scaffold, said intestinal pore space having pores the diameter of which is <5 μm; wherein said porous polymeric scaffold is composed of a polymer responsive to a change of temperature to which said polymeric matrix element, during use of said device, is exposed;
wherein said at least one polymeric matrix element, due to the presence of said responsive polymer, has the capability of reversibly adopting an expanded and a contracted state,
wherein said device further comprises means to effect a change of temperature to which said polymeric matrix element, during use of said device, is exposed, wherein said means are heating and/or cooling means that are part of said device and/or are integrated in said device; and
wherein said polymer responsive to a change of temperature is a thermoresponsive polymer having a lower critical solution temperature (LCST polymer) or a thermoresponsive polymer having an upper critical solution temperature (UCST polymer).