Detector for Magnetic Particles in a Liquid

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

The invention is a highly sensitive detector system for magnetic particles in a liquid. It uses a substrate with a precisely placed magnetic field sensor and a specially designed channel that brings the liquid very close to the sensor. A drive source moves the fluid so that any magnetic particles within it pass sufficiently close to be registered by the sensor. This arrangement significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of detecting very small numbers of magnetic particles, even in relatively large fluid volumes. The design is miniaturizable and suitable for integration into lab-on-a-chip devices and potentially implantable biosensors.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Medical diagnostics using magnetic biomarkers, such as detection of cancer cells or pathogens in blood or other fluids
• Real-time monitoring of blood parameters in vivo without repeated blood draws
• Automated laboratory analysis in lab-on-a-chip devices for research or clinical diagnostics
• Environmental monitoring of water quality by detecting magnetically tagged contaminants
• Pharmaceutical research for tracking magnetic nanoparticles in drug delivery applications
• Quality control in industrial or food processes where magnetic particles are used as tracers or contaminants

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables highly accurate detection of very small numbers of magnetic particles in relatively large fluid samples
• Improved measurement reliability due to precise control of particle trajectory past the sensor
• Miniaturizable design suitable for lab-on-a-chip integration and potentially for implantation
• Non-optical detection method allows use in opaque or colored fluids
• Can handle sensitive biological fluids with minimal mechanical stress
• Supports multiplexed detection and analysis by accommodating different sensor types or multiple channels on the same chip
• Efficient heat management and mechanical robustness are achievable through design variations

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

A detector for magnetic particles in a liquid was developed within the scope of the invention. This detector comprises a substrate on which at least one magnetic field sensor is arranged. According to the invention, a channel which is guided past the magnetic field sensor and is intended to guide the liquid is arranged on the substrate, and a drive source for producing a relative movement between the liquid and the channel is provided. The combination of the channel and the drive source makes it possible to convey the liquid in the direction of the magnetic field sensor in such a manner that the liquid flows past there at a defined maximum distance. This distance is ideally shorter than the distance up to which the magnetic field sensor can still register a magnetic particle. If one of these particles is then conveyed into the channel by the drive source, it is ensured that said particle is also registered. It was realized that the combination according to the invention of the channel and the drive source thus increases the measurement accuracy.