Fluidic system for a flow cytometer with temporal processing

• US 20080152542A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuri Cytometers, Inc. (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Accuri Cytometers, Inc. (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Ball, Jack T., Rich, Collin A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,715,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1404 Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85978 With pump

Abstract

The fluidic system 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a sheath pump 12 to pump sheath fluid 14 from a sheath container 16 through a sample port 34 into an interrogation zone 18 and a waste pump 20 to pump the sheath fluid 14 and a sample fluid 26 as waste fluid 22 from the interrogation zone 18 into a waste container 24, and a processor 30 to calculate a time window based on the flow rate of the sample fluid 26. Preferably the processor 30 also calculates a time window for the sample fluid to reach the interrogation zone 18 from the sample port 34 based on the flow rate of the sample fluid 26. The interrogation zone 18 functions to provide a location for the fluidic system 10 and an optical analysis system 32 of the flow cytometer to cooperatively facilitate the analysis of the sample fluid 26.

Claims

1. A fluidic system for pumping sample fluid from a sample port and into an interrogation zone of a flow cytometer, comprising:

a sheath pump that pumps sheath fluid from a sheath container into an interrogation zone;

a waste pump that pumps waste fluid from the interrogation zone into a waste container;

wherein at least one of the sheath pump and the waste pump draw sample fluid from the sample port into the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer; and

a processor that adjusts the flow rate of the sample fluid from the sample port into the interrogation zone and that calculates a time window for the sample fluid to reach the interrogation zone from the sample port based on the flow rate.

2. The fluidic system of claim 1, wherein the processor controls at least one of the flow rates of the sheath fluid and the waste fluid to draw sample fluid from the sample port into the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer.

3. The fluidic system of claim 1, further comprising a multisampling device coupled to the sample port and adapted to introduce samples through the sample port.

4. The fluidic system of claim 3, further comprising an optical analysis system that stimulates emission of light from the sample fluid in the interrogation zone and detects emitted light from the sample fluid.

5. The fluidic system of claim 4, wherein the multisampling device inserts a buffer fluid between samples.

6. The fluidic system of claim 4, wherein the processor associates the detected light from the interrogation zone, delayed by the calculated time window, with the sample.

7. The fluidic system of claim 6, wherein the volume between the sample port and the interrogation zone is a fixed volume.

8. The fluidic system of claim 6, wherein the processor detects interfering samples.

9. The fluidic system of claim 1, further comprising an optical analysis system that stimulates emission of light from the sample fluid in the interrogation zone and detects emitted light from the sample fluid.

10. The fluidic system of claim 1, wherein the processor associates the detected light from the interrogation zone, delayed by the calculated time window, with the sample.

11. The fluidic system of claim 1, wherein the processor detects interfering samples.

12. A method of measuring successive samples as the samples pass from a sample port into an interrogation zone of a flow channel in a flow cytometer system, comprising the steps of:

calculating a time window for a sample to reach the interrogation zone from the sample port based on a flow rate in the flow channel and at least one known parameter of the flow channel;

measuring emitted light from the interrogation zone; and

associating the measured light from the interrogation zone with the sample.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the known parameter of the flow channel is the volume between the sample port and the interrogation zone is a fixed volume.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the emitted light is measured after the calculation of the time window corresponding to the sample.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting the timing of the measurement of the emitted light to correspond to the calculated time window for each sample.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting interfering samples.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the timing of the measurement of the emitted light is adjusted to measure only the non-interfering portions of successive samples.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of discarding data from interfering samples.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of filtering the emitted light.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of inserting a buffer fluid between samples.