Back to results
US 7,482,577 B2Granted
System and method of sorting materials using holographic laser steering
AssigneeArryx, Inc.
InventorsLewis Gruber, Kenneth Bradley, Ward Lopes, Robert Lancelot, Joseph Plewa, David Grier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention employs a beam steering apparatus to isolate valuable cells from other cells, tissues, and contaminants. In one embodiment, the system balances optical trapping against biasing flow to parallelize cell sorting under the flexible control of computer program-directed traps which differentially manipulate cells based on their composition or labels to direct separation.
Claims14
A method of sorting objects comprising:
- introducing the objects into an input channel at a predetermined flow rate;
- providing a pattern of relatively low intensity optical traps established by a set of holograms using a beam steering apparatus, said optical traps which are of changeable intensity and position with time, to disturb a flow of massed objects in said input channel and to allow individual objects to funnel through said input channel;
- funneling the objects into a laminar flow, using said beam steering apparatus which provides a pattern of relatively low intensity optical traps of fixed intensity and position, to maintain separation between the objects;
- evaluating the objects to determine which meet a predetermined criteria;
- and
- sorting the objects which meet said criteria from objects which do not meet said criteria, by utilizing said optical traps to move the sorted objects from said input channel to one of a plurality of output channels.
3 more elements
An apparatus for sorting objects comprising:
- means for introducing the objects into an input channel at a predetermined flow rate;
- means for providing a pattern of relatively low intensity optical traps established by a set of holograms, said means including a beam steering apparatus which provides said optical traps which are of changeable intensity and position with time, to disturb a flow of massed objects in said input channel and to allow individual objects to funnel through said input channel;
- means for funneling the objects into a laminar flow, said means including said beam steering apparatus which provides a pattern of relatively low intensity optical traps of fixed intensity and position, to maintain separation between the objects;
- means for evaluating the objects to determine which objects meet predetermined criteria;
- and
- means for sorting the objects which meet said criteria from objects which do not meet said criteria, to move the sorted objects from said input channel to one of a plurality of output channels.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.