US 8,262,990 B2Granted

Flow cytometer system with unclogging feature

AssigneeAccuri Cytometers, Inc.

InventorsNathaniel C. Bair, Collin A. Rich

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Abstract

The fluidic system with an unclogging feature of the preferred embodiment includes a flow channel, a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid from a sheath container into an interrogation zone, and a waste pump to pump waste fluid from the interrogation zone into a waste container. The sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid from a sample container into the interrogation zone. The fluidic system also includes a controller to adjust the flow rate of the sample fluid from the sample container into the interrogation zone. The pump and controller cooperate to propagate a pulsation through the flow channel from the pump if the flow channel is clogged. The fluidic system is preferably incorporated into a flow cytometer with a flow cell that includes the interrogation zone.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A fluidic system for unclogging a flow channel of a flow cytometer including an interrogation zone and a system fluid with a pressure and a flow rate, the fluidic system comprising:

a sheath pump adapted to pump the system fluid from a sheath container into the interrogation zone;
a waste pump adapted to pump the system fluid from the interrogation zone into a waste container;
a motor with motor controls coupled to at least one of the pumps of the fluidic system;
a clog detector that automatically detects clogs in the flow channel;
and
a controller connected to the motor and the clog detector and configured to vary the pumping rate of at least one of the pumps of the fluidic system to vary the flow rate of the system fluid and induce a commensurate change in the pressure of the system fluid to create pulsations within the system fluid in response to detection of a clog that provides to unclog the flow channel of the flow cytometer, wherein the controller is configured to create pulsations that have a pulsation pressure that is at least five time greater than the pressure of the system fluid.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/857,405Filed 16 Aug 2010 · continuation
Priority: 8 Mar 2006
Published: US 2010/0319786 A123 Dec 2010
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

F04B 23/04
Pumping installations or systems: combinations of two or more pumps
F04B 43/0081
Special features: systems, control, safety measures
F04B 43/12
Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members: having peristaltic action
G01N 15/1404
Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry: handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing

Family

Application11/370,714Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Mar 2006
Application60/792,536Us provisional application · filed 17 Apr 2006
Application11/735,456Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Apr 2007
US 2010/0319786 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Dec 2010
US 7,780,916 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,017,402 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application11/735,456Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2007/0212262 A1Published application
US 2008/0092961 A1Published application
US 8,262,990 B2This patent

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