Abstract: Methods for separating, in a continuous, multizone fluid medium, cells, particles, or other molecules of interest (MOI) from associated or contaminating unwanted materials not of interest (MNOI). The invention involves forced movement of MOI into certain zones having properties which deter the entry of unwanted materials. Differential movement of MOI and MNOI occurs by active counterforces that move MNOI but not MOI. MOI are tagged with magnetic particles and moved with a magnetic field through a fluid, or zones, of higher specific gravity that prevents, by flotation counterforce, unwanted less dense materials from entering. Surfaces specifically coated with reactants are reactive with the MOI in the tagged magnetic particle complex and of buoyant or other forces are used to remove any unbound material from the surface before reading.

Abstract: Magnets and magnetic particle-labeled reagents are used to capture and/or release magnetic particle-tagged entities for immunohematology diagnostic testing purposes, especially tests performed in blood banking. The magnetic tagged entities may be tagged antibodies, tagged blood cells, tagged universal binding partners, especially tagged lectins and tagged Coombs reagent, and other binding agents such as biotin-avidin, Protein A or G, ligands and their receptors and the like. Separation of unbound material from bound material is effected through the use of one or both the magnetic field effect on the magnetic labeled reactants and the density gradients of layers of an assay construct. Constructs such as chromatographic strip lateral flow format, and liquid phase reactions in suitable vessels with end point determinations that do not require centrifugation to detect reacted entities.