Abstract: Devices for expanded bed chromatography use inlet and outlet ports beneath a mesh that supports sorbent beads in a column. Placement of both ports beneath the mesh provides a horizontal “sweep flow” tangential to the mesh, to suppress the formation of particulate cakes on the lower surface of the mesh when liquids containing high particulate loads (such as cells or cell debris) are being processed. This design can be used with vibrators, hammering devices, intermittent reverse flow, or other means for disrupting the formation of particulate cakes or aggregates. Disrupters can also be used during elution, to accelerate the release of the valuable molecules from the sorbent. Initial tests indicate that these systems can efficiently handle heavily loaded liquids that would rapidly clog other systems previously known in the art.