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US 6,587,203 B2Granted
Sort stream stabilizer for flow cytometer
AssigneeCornell Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorChristopher Colon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow cytometer includes a temperature regulator that maintains the temperature of the piezoelectric actuator sufficiently constant so as to produce a consistent predetermined oscillation frequency, and corresponding consistent predetermined droplet break-off point.
Claims20
A flow cytometer, comprising:
- a flow cell body having an inlet end for receiving sample particles, an outlet end for delivering a stream of the sample particles to an analysis location;
- a laser mechanism directing a laser beam towards the sample particles at the analysis location;
- a sensor operable to measure the optical characteristics of the sample particles to identify select ones of the particles of interest;
- an actuator oscillating the flow cell body at a frequency sufficient so as to separate the particles at a predetermined separation location;
- and
- a temperature regulator in thermal communication with the actuator and operable to maintain the actuator within a predetermined temperature range.
3 more elements
A method for operating a flow cytometer, comprising:
- introducing a quantity of unknown particles into a flow cell body;
- exposing the quantity of unknown particles to light;
- oscillating the flow cell body with an actuator at a predetermined oscillation frequency;
- examining optical characteristics of each of the quantity of unknown particles to identify select particles of interest;
- in response to the oscillation, separating the quantity of particles into a plurality of individual particles;
- and
- bringing a fluid having predetermined temperature characteristics in thermal communication with the actuator so as to maintain the actuator within a predetermined temperature range.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.