# US 11,305,318 B2 · Particle sorting apparatus and particle sorting method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,318 B2 - Document ID: US11305318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/240,390 - Filed: 2021-04-26 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2013-04-04 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Group Corporation - Inventors: Tatsumi Ito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305318B2 ## CPC - B07C 5/342: according to optical properties, e.g. colour {(according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416)} - B07C 5/3416: {according to radiation transmissivity, e.g. for light, x-rays, particle radiation (detecting hidden objects G01V)} - F16K 99/0001: {Microvalves (microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006)} - F16K 99/0028: {Valves having multiple inlets or outlets} - B01L 3/502761: {specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads or physically stretching molecules} - B07C 5/34: Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE ## Abstract A particle sorting apparatus is provided. The particle sorting apparatus includes a first detector of a first scatter channel to detect a first light scatter generated by a particle flowing in a flow channel of a fluid sample and passing through a first laser beam, and a second detector of a second scatter channel to detect a second light scatter generated by the particle flowing in the flow channel of the fluid sample and passing through a second laser beam. The particle sorting apparatus also includes circuitry configured to output a first scatter pulse information and a first detection time of the first light scatter channel, a second scatter pulse information and a second detection time of the second light scatter channel. The first laser beam and the second laser beam are irradiated to the particle in different positions of the flow channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flow cytometry system, comprising: a first detector of a first scatter channel to detect a first light scatter generated by a particle flowing in a flow channel of a fluid sample and passing through a first laser beam; a second detector of a second scatter channel to detect a second light scatter generated by the particle flowing in the flow channel of the fluid sample and passing through a second laser beam; and circuitry configured to output a first scatter pulse information and a first detection time of the first light scatter channel, a second scatter pulse information and a second detection time of the second light scatter channel, store the first detection time and the second detection time, and calculate a laser delay for the particle by calculating a time difference between the second detection time and the first detection time, wherein the first laser beam and the second laser beam are irradiated to the particle in different positions of the flow channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the first light scatter and the second light scatter are one of a forward scattered light, a side scattered light, a Rayleigh scattered light and a Mie scattered light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to associate an identifier with the detection time for each light scatter channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The flow cytometry system of claim 3, wherein the identifier is channel information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, further comprising: a first laser device to generate the first laser beam; and a second laser device to generate the second laser beam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the first laser beam is different from the wavelength of the second laser beam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, further comprising: a flow path to receive a flow of the fluid sample and a flow of a sheath fluid, wherein the flow of the fluid sample is surrounded by the flow of the sheath fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the first scatter pulse information includes at least one of a width, a height, and an area of the waveform of the first light scatter, and the second scatter pulse information includes at least one of a width, a height, and an area of the waveform of the second light scatter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the first detection time is calculated based on a time at a center of the waveform of the first light scatter, and the second detection time is calculated based on a time at a center of the waveform of the second light scatter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a particle velocity of the particle based on the laser delay. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to generate a data packet for the particle, and the data packet including the first scatter pulse information, the second scatter pulse information, and the laser delay. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The flow cytometry system of claim 11, wherein the data packet further includes at least one of the first detection time, the second detection time, or the sorting time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The flow cytometry system of claim 12, wherein the data packet further includes at least one of an event number, trigger channel, trigger time, gate flag, or sort flag. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The flow cytometry system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to output the data packet for the particle to a storage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate a sorting time based on the laser delay. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the first scatter pulse information includes at least one of a width, a height, an area of the waveform, an identifier, and a time of the first light scatter, and the second scatter pulse information includes at least one of a width, a height, an area of the waveform, an identifier, and a time of the second light scatter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The flow cytometry system of claim 16, wherein the time of the first light scatter includes the first detection time, and the time of the second light scatter includes the second detection time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, wherein the first detection time is calculated based on a time at a maximum height of the waveform of the first light scatter, and the second detection time is calculated based on a time at a maximum height of the waveform of the second light scatter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The flow cytometry system of claim 1, further comprising: a computer including a graphical user interface (GUI). ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The flow cytometry system of claim 19, wherein the GUI is configured to chart detected data. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The flow cytometry system of claim 20, wherein the detected data includes a histogram chart or a 2D chart showing a maximum height or an area of at least one the waveform of the first light scatter and the waveform of the second light scatter. ### Claim 22 A flow cytometry method comprising: detecting, by a first detector of a first scatter channel, a first light scatter generated by a particle flowing in a flow channel of a fluid sample and passing through a first laser beam; detecting, by a second detector of a second scatter channel, a second light scatter generated by the particle flowing in the flow channel of the fluid sample and passing through a second laser beam; outputting a first scatter pulse information and a first detection time of the first light scatter channel, and a second scatter pulse information and a second detection time of the second light scatter channel; storing the first detection time and the second detection time; and calculating a laser delay for the particle by calculating a time difference between the second detection time and the first detection time, wherein the first laser beam and the second laser beam are irradiated to the particle in different positions of the flow channel.