# US 7,179,420 B2 · Apparatus comprising a particle sorter/dispenser and method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,179,420 B2 - Document ID: US7179420B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/280,537 - Filed: 2002-10-25 - Published: 2003-08-07 - Granted: 2007-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2001-10-25 - Assignees: TechElan, LLC - Inventors: Thomas James Hatcher; Ilya Feygin; Aleksandr Grinberg; Joseph J. Brzezinski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7179420B2 ## CPC - B01L 3/0268: {using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries} - G01N 15/1404: Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing - B01L 2200/0647: Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles - B01L 2400/0487: fluid pressure, pneumatics - B01L 2400/084: Passive control of flow resistance - 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 2015/0092: {Monitoring flocculation or agglomeration} - G01N 2015/025: {Methods for single or grouped particles} - G01N 2015/1413: {Hydrodynamic focussing} - G01N 2015/1493: {Particle size} - Y10T 436/117497: with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream - Y10T 436/2575: Volumetric liquid transfer - 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) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A particle sorter/dispenser wherein particles that are suspended in a liquid are flowed through a conduit and selectively dispensed through a dispensing orifice. The conduit includes a sensing zone wherein the liquid-suspended particles are interrogated by a sensor. Data from the sensor is received by processing electronics that analyzes the data from the sensor and makes a decision whether or not to dispense a particle. The particle sorter/dispenser further includes a switch that, responsive to a signal from the processing electronics, controls whether or not a given particle is dispensed through the dispensing orifice. The switch has one or two valves that introduce relatively high-pressure liquid into the conduit. The flow streamlines of the high-pressure liquid controls the flow of the relatively low-pressure liquid-suspended particles in the conduit. Particles that are not dispensed are flowed past the dispensing orifice to a recycle reservoir that depends from the downstream end of the conduit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a conduit, wherein said conduit receives a flow of a first liquid that contains particles, and wherein said conduit comprises a venturi with a throat, wherein the flow of the first liquid in the throat has a pressure lower than ambient; a sensor that detects said particles in a sensing zone of said conduit; a dispensing orifice, wherein said dispensing orifice is disposed in said throat of said venturi; and a switch, wherein responsive to said sensor detecting a particle, said switch causes the pressure inside the throat to increase so that the detected particle is despensed through the dispensing orfice rather that flowing past the orfice. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said switch comprises an dispensing valve that is disposed downstream of said sensing zone and proximal to said dispensing orifice. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein, when said dispensing valve opens to a first position, a second liquid flows into said conduit at a pressure that establishes a flow pattern in said conduit that directs said at least one particle to flow through said dispensing orifice. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein, when said dispensing valve opens to a second position, a second liquid flows into said conduit at a pressure that establishes a flow pattern in said conduit that prevents said at least one particle from reaching said dispensing orifice. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said switch further comprises an blocking valve that is disposed downstream of said sensing zone and upstream of said dispensing valve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein, when open, said blocking valve causes a third liquid to flow into said conduit at a pressure that establishes a flow pattern in said conduit that prevents the flow of said first liquid and said particles from flowing past said blocking valve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensing zone is in said throat. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said venturi is disposed in a non-vertical orientation. ### Claim 9 An apparatus comprising: a venturi, said venturi having a convergent region, a throat, and a divergent region; a sensor that detects particles in a sensing zone in said venturi, wherein said particles flow in a first liquid that enters said venturi via said convergent region and wherein the throat has a pressure lower than ambient; a dispensing orifice that dispenses some of said particles that are detected in said venturi by said sensor, wherein said dispensing orifice is disposed downstream of said sensing zone and in said throat of said venturi; and a dispensing valve that is disposed in diametrically-opposed relation to said dispensing orifice, wherein said dispensing valve controls the flow of a second liquid into said venturi, and wherein the flow of said second liquid causes an increase in the pressure in the throat of the venturi so that at least one of said particles that are detected in said sensing zone is dispensed through said dispensing orfice rather than flowing past the orfice. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said dispensing orifice dispenses said particles from said throat and said dispensing valve delivers the flow of said second liquid into said throat. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a blocking valve that is located downstream of said sensing zone, upstream of said dispensing valve and upstream of said dispensing orifice, wherein said blocking valve controls the flow of a third liquid into said venturi. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the flow of said third liquid prevents said particles and said first liquid from flowing past said blocking valve toward said dispensing valve. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said sensor is an optical detector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said venturi is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation. ### Claim 15 An apparatus comprising: a conduit, wherein said conduit receives a flow of a first liquid that contains particles, and wherein said conduit comprises a venturi with a throat, wherein the flow of the first liquid in the throat has a pressure lower than ambient a sensor, wherein said sensor detects said particles in a sensing zone of said conduit; a dispensing valve, wherein said dispensing valve delivers a flow of a second liquid into said throat of said venturi so as to increase the pressure in the throat; and a dispensing orifice that dispenses at least one of said particles when said second liquid is delivered into said throat due to the pressure increase, wherein said dispensing orifice is disposed in said throat, and further wherein said dispensing valve and said dispensing orifice are disposed downstream of said sensing zone and at the same axial position along said throat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a reservoir, wherein said reservoir is in fluidic communication with said conduit and is disposed downstream of said dispensing orifice, and further wherein said reservoir is operated under partial vacuum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said dispensing valve and said dispensing orifice are diametrically opposed to one another. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said sensing zone is in said throat of said venturi. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a blocking valve, wherein said blocking valve is disposed upstream of said dispensing valve, and further wherein said blocking valve controls the flow of a third liquid into said conduit.