Method for analyzing and selecting a specific droplet among a plurality of droplets and associated apparatus

A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a first optical signal among the at least two optical signals comprises a plurality of local maxima, the plurality of parameter comprises a multipeak co-localization parameter calculated between the first optical signal and a second optical signal comprising a local maximum, the multipeak co-localization parameters being calculated with the following steps:

• for each local maximum of the first optical signal, calculating an intermediate co-localization parameter, by comparing the position of the local maximum of the second signal to the position of said local maximum of the first optical signal,
• comparing the intermediate co-localization parameters, the multipeak co-localization parameter being the lowest intermediate co-localization parameter.

A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a co-localization parameter in a droplet (6) is normalized by the droplet width.

A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the step of measuring is performed for at least two droplets (4) of the plurality of droplets (4) and the plurality of parameters comprises the spacing between the two droplets (4).

A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein during the determining step, at least a calculated parameter is compared to predetermined threshold values.

A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, during the measuring step, at least three optical signals are measured, and wherein a plurality of co-localization parameters are calculated by comparing the position of the maximum of the optical signals two by two.

A method according to any of the preceding claims further comprising the following step:

• providing an apparatus (1) comprising a channel (30) adapted for a flow of droplets (4), the apparatus (1) comprising a detection area (34), and a sorting area (32),
• the plurality of droplets (4) circulating in the channel (30),
• carrying out a measurement for a droplet (4) flowing in the detection area (34).

A method according to any of the preceding claims comprising a step of capturing a picture of the droplet (4) during the measuring step.

A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least a droplet (6) of the plurality of droplets (4) comprises a first element (26), the first element (26) being fluorescent in a wavelength channel associated to a first optical signal among the at least two optical signals, and wherein at least a droplet (4) of the plurality of droplets (4) comprises a second element (28), the second element (28) being fluorescent in a second wavelength channel associated to a second optical signal among the at least two optical signals.