Development of Degaussing System of Magnetic Filters for High Gradient Magnetic Separation to Improve Recovery Ratio of Trapped Magnetic Nanobeads

We have successfully developed a high-gradient magnetic separation system for medical proteins using affinity magnetic nanobeads. Our system shows very high separation efficiency and can also be expected to realize lower cost due to larger production rate compared to the conventional system. The developed system consists of a 3-T superconducting magnet and a filter made of fine magnetic metal fibers. The superconducting magnet is wound with a NbTi twisted multifilamentary wire, and cooled by a 4-K Gifford-McMahon cryocooler. In order to achieve high recovery ratio of the magnetic nanobeads trapped on the filter located in a room-temperature clear bore of the cryostat, the ac degaussing system for the filter is fabricated using an inductance-capacitance resonance circuit composed of a series connection with the superconducting magnet and an additional capacitor. To perform the inductance-capacitance resonance more than a few cycles between superconducting magnet and capacitor, the superconducting magnet has a slit in the bobbin to prevent an eddy current coupled with an alternating magnetic field. It also has a control system for a high-speed switching circuit. This magnet can successfully generate a magnetic field of 3.0 T in the clear bore of the cryostat with a diameter of 30 mm in a relatively fast sweep time of 150 s due to the slit in the magnet bobbin. Using our degaussing system, a high recovery ratio of the nanobeads in pure water has been performed about 94.1%.