Detection and signal processing system for particle assays

A method of detecting and processing signals from particles, the method comprising:

• passing particles through a zone of a channel, wherein each particle includes a label, and only a subset of the particles include an analyte;
• irradiating the zone with light generated by at least one light source, wherein interaction of the light with the particles deflects a portion of the light and induces photoluminescence from the label;
• detecting a deflection signal and a photoluminescence signal from the zone with a pair of detectors;
• identifying particle waveforms in the deflection signal with a processor, the particle waveforms corresponding to respective particles, at least a subset of the particle waveforms being double-peak waveforms including a pair of peaks corresponding to a particle entering and exiting the zone;
• obtaining amplitudes from the photoluminescence signal with the processor, the amplitudes corresponding to respective particles and their particle waveforms, at least a subset of the amplitudes corresponding to the double-peak waveforms;
• and
• assigning individual particles as positive or as negative for the analyte with the processor based on the corresponding amplitudes.