Fluidic system with washing capabilities for a flow cytometer
AssigneeAccuri Cytometers, Inc.
InventorsJack T. Ball, Aaron Kehrer, Nathaniel C. Bair, Collin A. Rich
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Abstract
A method for cleaning a fluidic system of a flow cytometer having a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid towards an interrogation zone and a waste pump to pump the sheath fluid and a sample fluid as waste fluid from the interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid into the flow cytometer through a drawtube towards the interrogation zone. The method includes controlling the sheath pump and the waste pump to cooperatively flush a fluid out through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer.
Claims14
A method for cleaning a fluidic system of a flow cytometer having a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid towards an interrogation zone and a waste pump to pump the sheath fluid and a sample fluid as waste fluid from the interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid into the flow cytometer through a drawtube towards the interrogation zone, comprising:
- controlling the sheath pump and the waste pump to cooperatively flush a fluid out through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer, including:
- pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a first flow rate;
- and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a second flow rate;
- wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate;
- and
- drawing in a cleaning fluid, including:
- pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a third flow rate;
- and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a fourth pump flow rate;
- wherein the third flow rate is less than the fourth flow rate.
A method for cleaning a fluidic system of a flow cytometer having a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid towards an interrogation zone and a waste pump to pump the sheath fluid and a sample fluid as waste fluid from the interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid into the flow cytometer through a drawtube towards the interrogation zone, comprising:
- controlling the sheath pump and the waste pump to cooperatively flush a fluid out of the fluidic system through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer, including:
- pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a first flow rate and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a second flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate;
- and
- drawing in a cleaning fluid that is a mixture of sheath fluid flushed out of the drawtube and a cleaning agent in a wash station, wherein drawing in a cleaning fluid includes:
- pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a third flow rate;
- and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a fourth pump flow rate;
- wherein the third flow rate is less than the fourth flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.