Methods and apparatus for sorting cells using an optical switch in a microfluidic channel network

• US 20050207940A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progenity, Inc. (Athyrium Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Celula, Inc. (Neoseq Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tu, Eugene, Marchand, Philippe, Chachisvilis, Mirianas, Yang, Rong, Zhang, Haichuan, Butler, William Frank, Hagen, Norbert, Wang, Mark M., Dees, Robert, Yang, Joon Mo, Raymond, Daniel E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,745,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/73
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0636 Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0454 radiation pressure, optical tweezers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502776 specially adapted for focusing or laminating flows
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/149 specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Apparatus and Methods are provided for a microfabricated fluorescence activated cell sorter based on an optical switch for rapid, active control of cell routing through a microfluidic channel network. This sorter enables low-stress, highly efficient sorting of populations of small numbers of cells (i.e., 1000-100,000 cells). The invention includes packaging of the microfluidic channel network in a self-contained plastic cartridge that enables microfluidic channel network to macro-scale instrument interconnect, in a sterile, disposable format.

Claims

1. A cell sorter comprising:

a microfabricated flow path adapted to receive a fluid including the cell,

a detector for sensing the pressure of a subject cell,

an optical switch adapted to be selectively activated based upon the detection of the subject cell, the optical switch characterized in that the switch illuminates at least a portion of the flow path to subject the cell to a non-trapping force.

2. The cell sorter of claim 1 wherein the detector is a fluorescence detector.

3. The cell sorter of claim 1 wherein the illumination is in the form of a line.

4. The cell sorter of claim 3 wherein the line is angled relative to the flow path of the cell.