Miniaturized cytometer for detecting multiple species in a sample
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsAravind Padmanabhan, Bernard S. Fritz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for scattered light and simultaneous multi-color (e.g., greater than sixteen colors) fluorescence light detecting, and for analyzing, classifying and identifying biological particles and items of interest. A sample to be tested may be entered in a disposable microfluidic cartridge which in turn is insertable in a portable, hand-holdable, or wearable miniaturized cytometer instrument. The present system may be incorporated in the cytometer instrument. It may have significant application relative to biological warfare, environmental substances, the medical field and other fields.
Claims59
A system comprising:
- a fluidic channel disposed in a removable miniature cartridge;
- a light source arrangement proximate to the fluidic channel;
- a wavelength discriminator proximate to the fluidic channel;
- and
- a light detector arrangement including a plurality of detectors proximate to the wavelength discriminator, the plurality of detectors situated in a miniaturized package;
- and
- wherein:
- the cartridge is credit-card sized;
- and
- the light source arrangement comprises:
- a first light source for impinging the fluidic channel with a blue light;
- and
- a second light source for impinging the fluidic channel with a red light.
A method comprising:
- providing a flow path in a miniature disposable cartridge;
- projecting two or more different wavelengths of light on the flow path of the miniature disposable cartridge;
- detecting light according to wavelength from the flow path, where said detecting involves parallel channels of a plurality of wavelength discriminators;
- and
- obtaining information on particles in the flow path from the detected light;
- and
- wherein the cartridge is credit-card sized.
A device for cytometry comprising:
- a disposable miniature cartridge including a fluidic channel that is configured to hydro-dynamically focus particles in the flow channel into a single file arrangement;
- at least two light sources positioned to illuminate the particles in the fluidic channel, wherein the disposable miniature cartridge is credit-card sized;
- and
- a microspectrometer configured for detecting light from the channel according to wavelength;
- and
- wherein:
- a first light source emits red light;
- and
- a second light source emits blue light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.