Gravitational FFF System for Determination of Blood Path

Development of a sensitive, yet ultra-low cost analytical system for determination of blood patholothalassemia, sickle cell anemia, and microfilarial infestations is proposed. This technology is baseField-Flow Fractionation and utilizes the simplest FFF system using only the Earth's gravitational f(gravitational Field-Flow Fractionation) channel is simple, encouraging results for blood cell charabeen produced by major efforts by researchers in France, supplemented by studies done by studies inCzechoslovakia. They have found that cells could be sorted by size and by density. Also, separation(deformability) of the cells is possible. FFF separations were first demonstrated in the late 1960'sapplications to a wide range of biological components including proteins, DNA, monoclonal antibodiesviruses, liposomes, bacteria, pollens, and blood cells has been performed in a few key laboratories.technique has been somewhat prohibited due to the cost of instrumentation (in the range of $30,000 tto promote the FFF technique by introduction of an expensive system (@$5000). We will optimize channdevelop operation guidelines specific for blood cell characterization, and also to develop an inexpewhich are needed for system operation.