US 6,886,576 B2Granted

Method of controlling the flow in a flow system

AssigneeScandinavian Micro Biodevices A/S

InventorClaus Barholm-Hansen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method and flow system for controlling the flow of a liquid in a flow system, the liquid flow comprising particles and being led into a channel thereof. The method comprises the steps of enveloping the liquid flow by a flow of carrier liquid, hydrodynamically focussing the particles in the liquid flow providing a measurement signal of the liquid flow from an observation area in the channel, and dividing the liquid flow at a branching point into two or more outlets in response to the measurement signal. The division of the liquid comprises introducing a control liquid from at least one control channel at a merging point or merging area in the channel. The amount of control liquid is controlled by at least one electro-kinetic pump, the pump effect of which is controlled in response to the measurement signal.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A flow system with controlled flow of a particle-containing liquid, the flow system comprising:

(a) a channel for leading a flow of the particle-containing liquid (1) to be controlled;
(b) a carrier-liquid enveloping means for enveloping the flow of particle-containing liquid in a carrier liquid (2) in the channel so that the particles are hydrodynamically focussed in the flow of particle-containing liquid to flow in an individual manner;
(c) an observation area (4) in the channel;
(d) a measuring equipment for providing a measurement signal of the flow of particle-containing liquid in the observation area;
and
(e) a branching point (7) for dividing the flow of particle-containing liquid into two or more outlets (8,9) in response to the measurement signal;
the system further comprising:
(f) a merging point (30), or merging area (31) for introducing a control liquid into the channel from at least one control channel (5,6), and
(g) at least one electro-kinetic pump (11,12,13) for controlling the amount of said control liquid from said at least one control channel;
said control of the amount of control liquid being controlled by controlling the pump effect of said at least one electro-kinetic pump in response to the measurement signal.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/706,744Filed 12 Nov 2003 · continuation
Priority: DK 2000 0024016 Feb 2000
Published: US 2004/0094220 A120 May 2004
Granted: 3 May 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G01N 15/1425
Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry: using an analyser being characterised by its control arrangement
G01N 15/1023
Investigating individual particles: microstructural devices for non-optical measurement
G01N 15/14
Investigating individual particles: optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry
G01N 15/1484
Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry: microstructural devices

Family

PCTDK01/00096Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Feb 2001
US 2004/0094220 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 May 2004
Application10/204,177Parent of this continuation
US 6,675,821 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2003/0140976 A1Published application
US 6,886,576 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.