| CPC G01N 15/1056 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502715 (2013.01); B01L 3/502746 (2013.01); B01L 3/502753 (2013.01); B01L 3/502761 (2013.01); B01L 3/502776 (2013.01); G01N 15/1404 (2013.01); G01N 15/1459 (2013.01); G01N 15/1484 (2013.01); G01N 33/5091 (2013.01); G01N 33/574 (2013.01); G01N 33/6893 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0652 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0681 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0867 (2013.01); B01L 2400/043 (2013.01); B01L 2400/082 (2013.01); B01L 2400/086 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0065 (2013.01); G01N 2015/008 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1006 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1081 (2013.01); G01N 2015/142 (2013.01); G01N 2015/149 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

|
1. A method for preparing an enriched cell population, the method comprising:
a) obtaining a blood-related sample;
b) passing the blood-related sample through a cell enrichment system comprising a microfluidic channel, the microfluidic channel comprising a first array of obstacles wherein said obstacles are configured to separate cells by deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) based on their sizes, such that a population of white blood cells or a population of stem cells flow in a first direction and platelets flow in a second direction different from the first direction to yield a population of enriched white blood cells or a population of enriched stem cells;
c) detecting, by a sensor of the cell enrichment system, that the population of enriched white blood cells or the population of enriched stem cells is in a sensing zone of the cell enrichment system, the sensing zone being coupled to a capture zone; and
d) capturing, at the capture zone of the cell enrichment system, the population of enriched white blood cells or the population of enriched stem cells, wherein the population of enriched white blood cells or the population of enriched stem cells is enriched with respect to the blood-related sample;
e) magnetically separating, by a magnetic separator of the cell enrichment system, the population of enriched white blood cells or the population of enriched stem cells to obtain a population of magnetically separated enriched white blood cells or a population of magnetically separated enriched stem cells; and
f) expanding the enriched white blood cells or the enriched stem cells, to obtain a population of expanded white blood cells or a population of expanded stem cells.
|