196 results about "Particle sorting" patented technology

The present invention relates to droplet-based particle sorting. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided and includes: (a) a suspension of particles; and (b) electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations using droplets comprising particles. A method of transporting a particle is also provided, wherein the method includes providing a droplet comprising the particle and transporting the droplet on a droplet microactuator.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

The invention provides a flow system and method for reliable multiparameter data acquisition and particle sorting. In accordance with the invention, a flow system assesses changes in the pattern of data collected in successive time intervals and actuates one or more corrective actions whenever the changes exceed predetermined limits. The present invention overcomes problems associated with collecting data and sorting and enumerating particles in flow cytometry systems that operate for prolonged periods or that must accommodate samples that vary widely in quality.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

An optical system for acquiring fast spectra from spatially channel arrays includes a light source for producing a light beam that passes through the microfluidic chip or the channel to be monitored, one or more lenses or optical fibers for capturing the light from the light source after interaction with the particles or chemicals in the microfluidic channels, and one or more detectors. The detectors, which may include light amplifying elements, detect each light signal and transducer the light signal into an electronic signal. The electronic signals, each representing the intensity of an optical signal, pass from each detector to an electronic data acquisition system for analysis. The light amplifying element or elements may comprise an array of phototubes, a multianode phototube, or a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

An automated monitoring and alignment system to position the mechanical and optical components of a flow cytometer to enhance the consistency, performance, and efficiency of particle sorting and analysis applications.

A particle analyzing and / or sorting apparatus and the associated methods. One aspect of the described embodiments relates to an analyzer, or a sorter, having acquisition and sort electronics in the form of a field programmable gate array for processing detected signals. Another aspect relates to a droplet based approach of analyzing and sorting particles and may further include a dynamic element, such a dynamic drop delay. In still another broad aspect, an apparatus and method for dynamically varying other sorting parameters.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

In one example embodiment, a micro-particle sorting apparatus includes: (a) a microchip in which a flow path through which liquid containing a micro particle flows and an orifice through which the liquid flowing through the flow path is discharged into a space outside the chip; (b) an oscillating element for transforming the liquid into a liquid drop and discharging the liquid drop at the orifice; (c) a charge means for adding an electric charge to the discharged liquid drop; (d) an optical detection means that detects an optical property of the micro particle flowing through the flow path, upstream of a liquid-delivering direction with respect to the orifice; (e) paired electrodes opposed to each other while sandwiching the moving liquid drop along a movement direction of the liquid drop discharged into the space outside the chip; and two containers that collect the liquid drop passing between the paired electrodes.

The invention relates to a sorter and a sorting method for separating cells and particles. The sorter comprises a Raman spectrum acquisition analysis system, a micro-flow control system and a cell / particle sorting system, wherein the micro-flow control system is connected with the Raman spectrum acquisition analysis system; the Raman spectrum acquisition analysis system is connected with the cell / particle sorting system; and the cell / particle sorting system is connected with the micro-flow control system. The invention also provides a sorting method for separating the cells and the particles.The sorter can effectively identify and sort nanometer-micron sized cells, nano materials, particles and cell contents, and because the Raman spectrum has the characteristics of high speed, non-invasive property, high information content and the like, the sorting method provides richer characteristic information of the cells or the particles in the same time period compared with methods of fluorescence or radio isotope labeling and the like.

Apparatus and methods for sorting and dispensing microparticles using a flow switch mechanism wherein changing flow rate into the flow switch changes flow path. The present invention is well-suited for precisely sorting microparticles, such as cells, for applications such as cell line development, monoclonal antibody selection and single cell research, etc.

A single disposable cartridge for performing a process on a particle, such as particle sorting, encapsulates all fluid contact surfaces in the cartridge for use with microfluidic particle processing technology. The cartridge interfaces with an operating system for effecting particle processing. The encapsulation of the fluid contact surfaces insures, improves or promotes operator isolation and / or product isolation. The cartridge may employ any suitable technique for processing particles.

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

An automated monitoring and alignment system to position the mechanical and optical components of a flow cytometer to enhance the consistency, performance, and efficiency of particle sorting and analysis applications.

Most automatic particle classification methods produce errors. The invention provides a method for improving the accuracy of particle classification while shortening the amount of manual review time required from the operator. The method uses class weights, which are statistically-derived correction factors that accounts for frequency of classification errors. A first class weight and a second class weight are assigned to the first class and the second class, respectively. The number of particles in each of the first and the second classes is multiplied by the first class weight and the second class weight, respectively, to generate a corrected number of particles in each of the classes. If particles are reclassified, the class weights are recalculated in response to the reclassification. The method is usable with a complete classification where all the particles in a sample are classified, or a selective classification of a subset of the particles in the sample.

A single disposable cartridge for performing a process on a particle, such as particle sorting, encapsulates all fluid contact surfaces in the cartridge for use with microfluidic particle processing technology. The cartridge interfaces with an operating system for effecting particle processing. The encapsulation of the fluid contact surfaces insures, improves or promotes operator isolation and / or product isolation. The cartridge may employ any suitable technique for processing particles.

In order to provide a differential mobility analyzer and the like that allows (i) easy increase of an upper limit of particle size of charged particle which can be classified and (ii) analysis of charged particles whose particle size is variable, a DMA (Differential Mobility Analyzer) includes: a classification tank in which an inlet electrode having an inlet slit, an intermediate electrode having a slit, and an outlet electrode having an outlet slit are arranged in sequence in such a manner that adjacent electrodes are disposed opposing each other at predetermined intervals; a gas supply section supplying the classification tank with sheath gas; and a voltage generator applying a predetermined voltage between the electrodes disposed opposing each other, the classification tank including a first classification section and a second classification section each formed by the electrodes disposed opposing each other, and the gas supply section controlling a flow rate of the sheath gas to be supplied to the classification tank individually per first classification section and second classification section.

Devices, systems and methods for the parallel detection of a set of distinct nucleic acid sequences use multiple sequence amplification and simultaneous hybridization readout. An automated nucleic acid analysis system comprises in microfluidic connection sample lysis, purification, PCR and detection modules configured to detect in parallel distinct nucleic acid sequences via multiple sequence amplification and simultaneous microarray hybridization readout. High performance microfluidic electroactive polymer (μEAP) actuators comprising a dead-end fluid chamber in which the floor of the chamber is an electrode covered with an EAP layer of dielectric elastomer are configured for particle sorting.

A fluidic device includes an arrangement of channels for introducing a sample containing particles of interest into a processing chamber. The chamber is in fluid communication with collecting channels via low-flow connection channels. Particles in the sample may be observed and diverted from the processing chamber by application of a motive force such as optical trapping into a collection channel. Once in the collection channel, particles can be collected, including by trapping in a porous matrix.

A method of sorting mined material for subsequent processing to recover valuable material, such as valuable metals, from the mined material is disclosed. The method includes a combination of selective breakage of mined material, for example, by using microwaves and / or high pressure grinding rolls, subsequent size separation, and then particle sorting of a coarse fraction of the separated material based on differential heating and thermal imaging.

According to a solenoid valve switch principle comprising that at the solenoid valve opening moment, liquid in a liquid channel is instantly sucked, a pressure sucking-based flowing cell / particle sorting system and method are designed and constructed by effective utilization of sucking effects. The system and method effectively solve the problems of the pressure driving-based cell / particle sorting system and improve sorting accuracy and efficiency. The sorting system comprises a cell signal acquisition and analysis unit, a micro-fluidic chip and a pressure control unit. The continuously-flowing cell / particle flows flow in a micro-fluidic chip micro-channel under the power action, when the cells flow through a detection point of the cell signal acquisition and analysis unit, a cell signal is acquired and determined, and when the specific cells satisfying sorting conditions are detected, the determined signal activates the pressure control unit, and the pressure control unit sucks the specific cells / particles so that the specific cells / particles enter into the cell / particle sorting channel.

The present invention provides a fine-particle sorting technique that uses optical pressure (optical force) and that can be applied in place of heretofore known cell sorting techniques; and a fine-particle recovering technique therefor. The fine-particle recovering method of the present invention comprises directing a laser beam toward a flow path of fine particles in such a manner that the laser beam crosses the flow direction of the fine particles to thereby deflect the direction of movement of the fine particles to be recovered, in the direction of convergence of the laser beam. The sorting method of the present invention comprises performing flow cytometric sorting of fine particles according to the above recovering method of the present invention.

Disclosed herein are a particle sorting device capable of simply detecting bubbles, foreign substances, or the like in droplets, a method for analyzing particles, a program, and a particle sorting system. The particle sorting device includes a judgment unit, and the judgment unit judges whether or not captured image information including captured droplet image information about a brightness of an image of particle-containing droplets captured after discharge from an orifice has changed with respect to previously-set reference image information including reference droplet image information about a brightness of an image of droplets captured after discharge from the orifice.

The invention provides a flow system and method for reliable multiparameter data acquisition and particle sorting. In accordance with the invention, a flow system assesses changes in the pattern of data collected in successive time intervals and actuates one or more corrective actions whenever the changes exceed predetermined limits. The present invention overcomes problems associated with collecting data and sorting and enumerating particles in flow cytometry systems that operate for prolonged periods or that must accommodate samples that vary widely in quality.