# US 11,029,242 B2 · Index sorting systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,242 B2 - Document ID: US11029242B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/841,161 - Filed: 2017-12-13 - Published: 2018-12-13 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-12 - Assignees: Becton, Dickinson and Company - Applicants: Becton, Dickinson and Company - Inventors: David A. Roberts; Christopher J. Wolf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029242B2 ## CPC - G01N 15/1431: {the electronics being integrated with the analyser, e.g. hand-held devices for on-site investigation} - G01N 15/10: Investigating individual particles - G01N 15/1425: {using an analyser being characterised by its control arrangement} - G01N 15/1436: {the optical arrangement forming an integrated apparatus with the sample container, e.g. a flow cell} - G01N 21/6428: {Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53)} - G01N 21/645: {Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters} - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 16/2237: {Vectors, bitmaps or matrices} - G06F 16/904: Browsing; Visualisation therefor (for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957) - G06F 16/907: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - G06T 11/26: Drawing of charts or graphs - G01N 15/149: specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties - G01N 2015/1006: {for cytology} - G01N 2015/1028: {Sorting particles} - G01N 2015/1402: {Data analysis by thresholding or gating operations performed on the acquired signals or stored data} - G01N 2201/12: Circuits of general importance; Signal processing - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Features for a quantitative biological data analysis system are described. Index sort analysis can be performed using sort electronics on a flow cytometer or other particle analysis system or after an experiment using a workstation. The sort electronics on the cytometer or other particle analysis system may generate sort decision information for the events. The sort decision information may be transmitted from the sort electronics to the workstation that may differ from the sort identified by the workstation. The feature fuse the gate information with the sorting decision information to provide an accurate representation of the sorting. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of fused gating for index sorting, the method comprising: under control of one or more electronic processors: receiving, at a workstation from a memory, experiment information identifying: (i) a first sort gate, (ii) a first plate destination for particles identified within the first sort gate on a collection plate, (iii) a second sort gate, and (iv) a second plate destination for particles identified within the second sort gate on the collection plate; generating, at the workstation, a first index sort inclusion bitmap identifying first plate locations on the collection plate using the first sort gate; generating, at the workstation, a second index sort inclusion bitmap identifying second plate locations on the collection plate using the second sort gate; receiving, at the workstation, event data for the particles, the event data including for each particle a fluorescent parameter value and a sort decision of a sorting device; determining, via the workstation, that an individual fluorescent parameter value for an individual particle included in the particles is within the first sort gate; associating the individual particle with the first sort gate for presentation via a user interface; determining, via the workstation, that an individual sort decision for the individual particle corresponds to the second sort gate based at least in part on a comparison between the individual sort decision and the second index sort inclusion bitmap; and associating the individual particle with the second sort gate for presentation via the user interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sort decision is generated by a sorting device configured to sort the particles into the collection plate based at least in part on the experiment information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the workstation, a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape is pixelated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the workstation, a request to adjust an axis for a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape, after the axis is adjusted, is pixelated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the request includes a binomial transformation to adjust the axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first sort gate identifies a set of particles having parameter values distinct from another set of particles identified by the second sort gate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the individual particle with the first sort gate is based at least in part on a determination, with respect to the first sort gate, whether the individual particle was classified differently by the sorting device than by the workstation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the individual particle with the second sort gate is based at least in part on a determination, with respect to the second sort gate, whether the individual particle was classified differently by the sorting device than by the workstation. ### Claim 9 An apparatus comprising: a particle analyzer configured to acquire quantitative biological event data; one or more processors in communication with the particle analyzer, the one or more processors configured to: receive, from a memory, experiment information identifying: (i) a first sort gate, (ii) a first plate destination for particles identified within the first sort gate, (iii) a second sort gate, and (iv) a second plate destination for particles identified within the second sort gate; generate a first index sort inclusion bitmap uniquely identifying the first sort gate; generate a second index sort inclusion bitmap uniquely identifying and the second sort gate; receive, from the particle analyzer, event data for the particles, the event data including for each particle a fluorescent parameter value and a sort decision; determine that an individual fluorescent parameter value for an individual particle included in the particles is within the first sort gate; associate the individual particle with the first sort gate for presentation via a user interface; determine that an individual sort decision for the individual particle corresponds to the second sort gate based at least in part on a comparison between the individual sort decision and the second index sort inclusion bitmap; and associate the individual particle with the second sort gate for presentation via the user interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sort decision is generated by the particle analyzer, wherein the particle analyzer is configured to sort the particles into the plate based at least in part on the experiment information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape is pixelated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a request to adjust an axis for a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape, after the axis is adjusted, is pixelated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the request includes a non-linear transformation to adjust the axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first sort gate identifies a set of particles having parameter values distinct from another set of particles identified by the second sort gate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: cause display of a graphic representation of the plate, the graphic representation of the plate including a first area representing the second plate destination; and cause display of a graphic indicator for the individual particle within the first area. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to at least: receive, from a memory, experiment information identifying: (i) a first sort gate, (ii) a first plate destination for particles identified within the first sort gate, (iii) a second sort gate, and (iv) a second plate destination for particles identified within the second sort gate; generate a first index sort inclusion bitmap uniquely identifying the first sort gate; generate a second index sort inclusion bitmap uniquely identifying and the second sort gate; receive, from a particle analyzer, event data for the particles, the event data including for each particle a fluorescent parameter value and a sort decision; determine that an individual fluorescent parameter value for an individual particle included in the particles is within the first sort gate; associate the individual particle with the first sort gate for presentation via a user interface; determine that an individual sort decision for the individual particle corresponds to the second sort gate based at least in part on a comparison between the individual sort decision and the second index sort inclusion bitmap; and associate the individual particle with the second sort gate for presentation via the user interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the sort decision is generated by a sorting device configured to sort the particles into the plate based at least in part on the experiment information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further having stored thereon instructions which when executed by the processor of the device, cause the device to at least to: receive a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape is pixelated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further having stored thereon instructions which when executed by the processor of the device, cause the device to at least to: receive a request to adjust an axis for a geometric shape defining the first sort gate, wherein the geometric shape, after the axis is adjusted, is pixelated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the request includes a non-linear transformation to adjust the axis. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first sort gate identifies a set of particles having parameter values distinct from another set of particles identified by the second sort gate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further having stored thereon instructions which when executed by the processor of the device, cause the device to at least to: cause display of presentation of a graphic representation of the plate, the graphic representation of the plate including a first area representing the second plate destination; and cause presentation of a graphic indicator for the individual particle within the first area.