Magnetic particle isolation device and methods of use

A method of separating cells of a first cell type from a heterogeneous population of cells comprising:

• (a) providing a processing solution comprising the heterogeneous population of cells and a paramagnetic medium;
• (b) passing the processing solution through a cell isolation device, wherein the cell isolation device comprises (i) a fluidic channel, wherein the fluidic channel comprises a substantially linear portion, and (ii) an upper magnetic component and a lower magnetic component that are positioned on opposite sides of a substantial portion of the substantially linear portion of the fluidic channel along a substantially vertical axis between the upper magnetic component and the lower magnetic component, and wherein the upper magnetic component and the lower magnetic component create an asymmetric magnetic field within the substantially linear portion of the fluidic channel and along the substantially vertical axis between the upper magnetic component and the lower magnetic component,
• wherein the upper magnetic component emits a magnetic field that is different from a magnetic field emitted by the lower magnetic component;
• (c) magnetically levitating, by the asymmetric magnetic field, the heterogeneous population of cells within the fluidic channel to cause;
• (i) substantially all of the cells of the first cell type to reach the same first cell-type specific equilibrium height and
• (ii) cells of a different cell type to reach an equilibrium height that is different from the first cell-type specific equilibrium height,
• based at least in part on a difference in magnetic susceptibility between the cells of the first cell type and the cells of the different cell type,
• wherein the first cell-type specific equilibrium height is a vertical position at which magnetic force and corrected gravitational force are sufficiently balanced to cause the cells of the first cell type to remain stationary under conditions of zero fluid flow in the vertical direction,
• thereby separating the cells of the first cell type from the heterogeneous population of cells.