US Patent 9217131 Magnetic separation of rare cells

A magnetic separation system configured to separate with high qualitative and quantitative yield magnetized cells from cell mixtures, comprising at least one electromagnet structured to generate a magnetic field flux about a plurality of separation and sufficient to attract a majority of the magnetized cells in the mixture, and a pump to drive the cell mixture at a controlled flow rate through a tube disposed within the thereby separating a majority of the magnetized cells from the mixture. The system is particularly useful to retrieve rare cells from a fluid mixture of cells having low abundance of the rare cells relative to the rest of the cells while sustaining viability of the cells.