Cell sorting device and method

A method for sorting cells, comprising:

• obtaining time-domain signal data of a cell by scanning a beam across a channel in which the cell travels in a first direction, the beam scanned through a second direction with an angle to the first direction;
• converting the time-domain signal data to a two-dimensional cell image;
• and
• processing the two-dimensional cell image to evaluate one or more properties of the cell with a sorting criteria and produce a control command to sort the cell based on one or more cellular attributes ascertained from the image signal data corresponding to the cell during cell flow in the channel.

A cell sorting system, comprising:

• a light source configured to direct an input light toward a cell flowing in a channel along a first direction;
• a beam scanner operatively coupled with the light source and arranged to scan a beam toward the cell to obtain a cell image data of the cell that includes fluorescent or light transmission information and cell image information, the scanning of the beam configured to proceed in a second direction with an angle with respect to the first direction;
• a data processing and control device in communication with the bean scanner, the data processing and control device including a processor configured to process the cell image data obtained by the beam scanner to detect an image feature that is associated with an illumination of the input light from the obtained cell image data and to produce a control command based on a comparison of the detected image feature with a sorting criteria;
• and
• a cell sorting device in communication with the data processing and control device, the cell sorting device including two or more output paths branching from the channel in which the cell flows and configured to direct the cell into one of the two or more output paths based on the control command.

A method for sorting cells, comprising:

• obtaining image data of a cell flowing in a channel along a first direction by scanning a beam toward the channel along a second direction that forms an angle with respect to the first direction, the obtained image data including a fluorescent signal corresponding to fluorescent information of the cell or an optical transmission signal corresponding to cell image information of the cell;
• processing the obtained image data by detecting an image feature corresponding to an individual parameter of the obtained image data or a correlation between two or more parameters of the obtained image data, each of parameters individually or collectively representative of one or more properties of the cell;
• and
• comparing the detected image feature with a sorting criteria and producing a command to sort the cell based on the comparing.

A method for sorting cells, comprising:

• generating a fluorescent signal including cell fluorescent information of a cell or an optical transmission signal including cell image information of the cell by scanning a beam along a first direction across a channel in which the cell travels along a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being non-parallel each other;
• detecting a cell image feature that is associated with at least one of the fluorescent signal or the optical transmission signal;
• comparing the detected cell image feature with a sorting criteria to produce a sorting command to sort the cell;
• and
• applying a signal to deflect the cell flowing in the channel to a corresponding channel based on the sorting command.