# US 2014/0193059 A1 · Microparticle sorting device and method of optimizing fluid stream therein > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193059 A1 - Document ID: US20140193059A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/118,788 - Filed: 2013-02-13 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-30 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Yosuke Muraki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193059A1 ## CPC - G01N 15/1484: {microstructural devices} - B03C 7/003: {Pretreatment of the solids prior to electrostatic separation} - B03C 7/12: with material falling free - B07C 5/02: Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating {(sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06)} - B07C 5/344: according to electric or electromagnetic properties {(sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00)} - G01N 15/1404: Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing - G01N 15/1459: {the analysis being performed on a sample stream} - G01N 15/1492: within droplets - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G01N 15/1433: using image recognition - G01N 15/149: specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties - G01N 2015/1415: {Control of particle position} - G01N 2015/1481: {Optical analysis of particles within droplets (sorting particles within droplets G01N15/1492)} - 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) - B03C: MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B01D59/00; combinations of magnetic or electrostatic separation with separation of solids by other means B03B, B07B) - 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) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract There is provided a microparticle sorting device that automatically optimizes a fluid stream. There is provided a microparticle sorting device that includes a voltage supply unit that supplies a driving voltage to a vibratory element that applies vibration to an orifice that produces a fluid stream, a charge unit that imparts charge to at least some droplets ejected from the orifice, deflecting plates, arranged opposing each other with the fluid stream S therebetween, that vary a travel direction of the droplets, and a first image sensor that acquires an image of the droplets passing between the deflecting plates. The microparticle sorting device is equipped with a controller that detects the droplets in the image, sets a standard band corresponding to a width of the droplets before imparting the charge, and controls the driving voltage of the voltage supply unit so as to further decrease a quantity of the droplets detected in areas within a designated number of pixels from the standard band from among the droplets after imparting the charge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microparticle sorting device comprising: a voltage supply unit that supplies a driving voltage to a vibratory element that applies vibration to an orifice that produces a fluid stream; a charge unit that imparts charge to at least some droplets ejected from the orifice; deflecting plates, arranged opposing each other with the fluid stream therebetween, that vary a travel direction of the droplets; a first image sensor that acquires an image of the droplets passing between the deflecting plates; and a controller that detects the droplets in the image, sets a standard band corresponding to a width of the droplets before imparting the charge, and controls the driving voltage of the voltage supply unit so as to further decrease a quantity of the droplets detected in areas within a designated number of pixels from the standard band from among the droplets after imparting the charge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the controller detects the standard band in an image of the droplets before imparting the charge, and sets the standard band in an image of the droplets after imparting the charge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 2, comprising: a light source that irradiates the droplets passing between the deflecting plates with a laser; wherein the controller detects the droplets by image recognition of bright spots in the image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the driving voltage so as to further decrease a number of pixels in the bright spots detected in areas within a designated number of pixels from the standard band in an image of the droplets after imparting the charge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the driving voltage so as to minimize the number of pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 5, comprising: a second image sensor that acquires an image of the droplets at a position where fluid exiting the orifice breaks into droplets; wherein the controller controls the driving voltage such that a facing length along a travel direction of a droplet positioned between a microparticle-containing droplet immediately after dividing off from the fluid and the fluid becomes a designated length in the image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 6, wherein the designated length is 30% to 70% of a distance between the microparticle-containing droplet and the fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 7, wherein the first image sensor captures the droplets passing between the deflecting plates from a direction orthogonal to the fluid stream as well as a direction of opposition between the deflecting plates. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 8, wherein the deflecting plates vary a travel direction of the droplets with an electrical force acting on the charge imparted to the droplets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The microparticle sorting device according to claim 9, wherein the orifice is formed on a replaceable microchip. ### Claim 11 A method of optimizing a fluid stream in a microparticle sorting device, comprising: a first image acquiring step that acquires an image of droplets in a fluid stream produced from an orifice to which vibration is applied by a vibratory element, after passing between deflecting plates that vary a travel direction of the droplets; and a first voltage controlling step that detects the droplets in the image, sets a standard band corresponding to a width of the droplets before imparting charge, and sets the driving voltage of the vibratory element so as to further decrease a quantity of the droplets detected in areas within a designated number of pixels from the standard band from among the droplets after imparting charge. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 11, wherein the first image acquiring step includes a step of acquiring an image of the droplets before imparting charge, and a step of acquiring an image of the droplets after imparting charge, and the first voltage controlling step includes a step of detecting the standard band in the image of the droplets before imparting charge, and a step of setting the standard band in the image of the droplets after imparting charge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 12, wherein in the first image acquiring step, the droplets passing between the deflecting plates are irradiated with a laser, and in the first voltage controlling step, the droplets are detected by image recognition of bright spots in the image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 13, wherein in the first voltage controlling step, the driving voltage is set so as to further decrease a number of pixels in the bright spots detected in areas within a designated number of pixels from the standard band in an image of the droplets after imparting the charge. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 14, wherein in the first voltage controlling step, the driving voltage is controlled so as to minimize the number of pixels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 15, comprising: a second image acquiring step that acquires an image of the droplets at a position where fluid exiting the orifice breaks into droplets; and a second voltage controlling step that sets the driving voltage such that a facing length along a travel direction of a droplet positioned between a microparticle-containing droplet immediately after dividing off from the fluid and the fluid becomes a designated length in the image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 16, wherein the designated length is 30% to 70% of a distance between the microparticle-containing droplet and the fluid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 17, wherein the second image acquiring means and the second voltage controlling step are performed after the first image acquiring means and the first voltage controlling step. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 18, wherein the driving voltage is adjusted roughly in the first voltage controlling step, and the driving voltage is adjusted finely in the second voltage controlling step. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of optimizing a fluid stream according to claim 19, wherein in the first image acquiring step, the droplets passing between the deflecting plates are captured from a direction orthogonal to the fluid stream as well as a direction of opposition between the deflecting plates.