# US 2022/0032298 A1 · Cell sorting devices

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- Number: US 2022/0032298 A1
- Document ID: US20220032298A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/297,219
- Filed: 2019-02-01
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Alexander GOVYADINOV; Viktor SHKOLNIKOV
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220032298A1

## CPC

- B01L 3/502715: {characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces}
- G01N 15/1404: Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing
- B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids}
- 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}
- B01L 7/52: {with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples}
- G01N 15/1459: {the analysis being performed on a sample stream}
- G01N 15/1484: {microstructural devices}
- B01L 2200/0652: Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
- B01L 2200/0689: Sealing
- B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices
- B01L 2200/146: Employing pressure sensors
- B01L 2200/147: Employing temperature sensors
- B01L 2300/0627: Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
- B01L 2300/0645: Electrodes
- B01L 2300/0663: Whole sensors
- B01L 2300/0864: comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
- B01L 2300/1827: using resistive heater
- B01L 2400/0439: ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
- B01L 2400/0442: thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
- C12M 47/04: {Cell isolation or sorting (purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04)}
- G01N 15/01: specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells (investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05)
- G01N 15/149: specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
- G01N 2015/1006: {for cytology}
- G01N 2015/1493: {Particle size}
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- 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)
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}

## Abstract

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a cell sorting device is described. The cell sorting device includes a microfluidic channel to serially transport individual cells from a volume of cells along a flow path. A sensor disposed in the microfluidic channel distinguishes between a cell to be analyzed and waste fluid. The cell sorting device includes at least two fluid transport devices disposed within the microfluidic channel. The at least two fluid transport devices include a cell ejector to, responsive to detection of a cell to be analyzed, eject the cell to be analyzed from the cell sorting device and a waste transport device to direct the waste fluid to a waste reservoir.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cell sorting device, comprising:
a microfluidic channel to serially transport individual cells from a volume of cells along a flow path;
a sensor disposed in the microfluidic channel to distinguish between a cell to be analyzed and waste fluid; and
at least two fluid transport devices disposed within the microfluidic channel, the at least two fluid transport devices comprising:
an ejector to, responsive to detection of a cell to be analyzed, eject the cell to be analyzed from the cell sorting device; and
a waste transport device to direct the waste fluid to a waste reservoir.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cell sorting device of claim 1, wherein the waste transport device comprises at least one waste ejector to eject, through a waste orifice, the waste fluid from the cell sorting device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cell sorting device of claim 2, wherein the waste ejector operates independently of the sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The cell sorting device of claim 2, wherein responsive to detection of a cell to be analyzed, the waste ejector is deactivated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The cell sorting device of claim 2, wherein the at least one waste ejector comprises multiple waste ejectors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cell sorting device of claim 1, wherein the waste transport device is an integrated pump disposed in the microfluidic channel to move fluid through the cell sorting device towards a waste reservoir.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cell sorting device of claim 6, wherein the waste reservoir is on the same substrate as a cell reservoir.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The cell sorting device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from:
an impedance sensor;
an optical sensor;
a flow sensor;
a thermal sensor;
a pressure sensor;
a magnetic sensor; and
a sensor to detect a marker placed on the cell to be analyzed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cell sorting device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed in a region of the microfluidic channel that has a reduced cross-sectional area.

### Claim 10

A method, comprising:
passing, in serial fashion, a quantity of cells from a cell reservoir to at least one cell sorting device of a microfluidic cell analysis system; and
for each cell sorting device:
detecting cells to be analyzed;
activating a cell ejector, when a cell to be analyzed is detected, to eject the cell to be analyzed; and
directing a waste fluid to a waste reservoir.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein cells to be analyzed are distinguished from other cells based on at least one of:
a cell size;
a cell impedance;
a cell color;
a cell fluorescence; and
a cell light scattering response.

### Claim 12

A cell sorting system, comprising:
a cell reservoir to contain a volume of cells;
multiple cell sorting devices, each cell sorting device comprising:
a microfluidic channel to serially transport individual cells from the cell reservoir along a flow path;
a sensor to distinguish between a cell to be analyzed and waste fluid;
at least two fluid transport devices disposed within the microfluidic channel, the at least two fluid transport devices comprising:
at least one cell thermal inkjet resistor to, responsive to detection by the sensor of a cell to be analyzed; activate to eject the cell to be analyzed; and
a waste thermal inkjet resistor to eject waste fluid through an orifice to a waste reservoir; and
a component controller to selectively activate the cell thermal inkjet resistor and the waste thermal inkjet resistor based on an output of the sensor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The cell sorting system of claim 12, wherein the multiple sorting devices are disposed underneath the cell reservoir.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The cell sorting system of claim 12 wherein:
the at least one cell thermal inkjet resistor comprises multiple inkjet resistors;
each cell sorting device comprises a sensor per cell thermal inkjet resistor; and
each cell thermal inkjet resistor is individually controllable.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The cell sorting system of claim 14, wherein each sensor per cell thermal inkjet resistor is to determine a presence of a different type of cell.