Loading patent…
AssigneeBeckman Coulter, Inc.
InventorsMarshall Donnie Graham, William Gerry Graham, James P. Clarkin, Mark A. Wells, Jose M. Cano, Carlos Alberto Arboleda, Armando Jose Sanchez
Estimating the term…
An improved optical flow cell adapted for use in a flow cytometer for differentiating formed bodies (e.g., blood cells). Manufactured from a monolithic transparent material, the improved flow cell has an internal flow channel of polygonal transverse cross-section through which prepared samples can be metered and an external envelope suited to acquisition of optical parameters from formed bodies in such samples. Preferably, such flow cell is formed by a glass-drawing process in which a relatively large glass preform having a rectilinear internal channel of a desired polygonal cross-sectional shape is heated and drawn to achieve a desired cross-sectional area of reduced size. Also disclosed are preferred methods for differentiating formed bodies using the flow cell of the invention.
A method for making a transparent, monolithic optical flow cell of the type used to characterize formed bodies passing through it, said optical flow cell having formed therein a prismatic internal flow channel defined by at least three intersecting substantially planar surfaces, whereby said prismatic internal flow channel has a transverse cross-section that is substantially polygonal in shape, said method comprising the steps of:
An optical flow cell for use in a flow cytometer of the type adapted to characterize formed bodies on the basis of at least their respective optical properties, said flow cell comprising a seamless, monolithic structure of optically-transparent material, a portion of said monolithic structure defining a prismatic channel through which formed bodies can be made to pass while being irradiated by optical radiation passing through said monolithic structure, at least an axial portion of said flow channel having a transverse cross-section of polygonal shape, whereby optical radiation passing through said monolithic structure can irradiate formed bodies within said prismatic channel, and optical radiation resulting from said irradiation exits from said prismatic channel through different planar surfaces defining said prismatic channel,
A method for differentiating formed bodies in a liquid sample comprising the steps of
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.