FLUIDIC SYSTEM WITH WASHING CAPABILITIES FOR A FLOW CYTOMETER

• US 20090293910A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuri Cytometers, Inc. (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Accuri Cytometers, Inc. (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Rich, Collin A., Ball, Jack T., Bair, Nathaniel C., Kehrer, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,283,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/02 Burettes; Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1404 Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1413 Hydrodynamic focussing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0682 using a plurality of flow sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

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.

Claims

1. 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.

2. The method of claim 1, further 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 pump flow rate;

wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of flushing a fluid out through the drawtube includes flushing sheath fluid out through the drawtube.

4. The method of claim 2, further including depositing flushed out fluid into a wash station.

5. The method of claim 4, further including inserting the drawtube into the wash station.

6. The method of claim 5, further including wiping the outside of the drawtube with a drawtube scrubber.

7. The method off claim 6, wherein drawtube scrubber is film that abrasively rubs against the drawtube as the drawtube is inserted into the drawtube.

8. The method of claim 5, further including rinsing outside of drawtube in fluid collected in a convex cavity of the wash station.

9. The method of claim 8, further including pumping fluid through a channel created by the outside of the drawtube and the walls of the cavity of the wash station.

10. The method of claim 8, further including drawing in a cleaning fluid that includes the substeps of:

pumping a 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.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the cleaning fluid is a mixture of sheath fluid flushed out of the drawtube and a cleaning agent in the wash station.

12. A fluidic system with washing capabilities for a flow cytometer having an interrogation zone, comprising:

a sheath pump that pumps sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone;

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

wherein the sheath pump and the waste pump cooperate to selectively flush out and draw in sample fluid through a drawtube;

a controller that adjusts the flow rate of fluid through the drawtube by controlling at least one of the flow rates of the sheath fluid and the waste fluid; and

a wash station with a cavity that receives fluid from the drawtube of the flow cytometer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sheath pump and waste pump are fluidically connected such that fluid is flushed out of the drawtube when the flow rate of the sheath fluid is greater than the flow rate of the waste fluid, and fluid is drawn in through the drawtube when the flow rate of the sheath fluid is less than the flow rate of the waste fluid.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sheath pump and waste pump have a known flow rate to speed ratio and the controller controls the speed of at least one of the sheath pump and waste pump.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the wash station includes a cleaning agent that may be selectively drawn in through the drawtube.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wash station includes a drawtube scrubber that wipes the outside of a drawtube when the drawtube is inserted into the wash station.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the drawtube scrubber is positioned above wash station and is adapted to wipe the outside of the drawtube when the drawtube is inserted into the cavity of the wash station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the drawtube scrubber is a film with a flap valve that opens upon pressure from the drawtube.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the cavity forms a fluid channel around the outside of a drawtube when the drawtube is inserted to a low point of the cavity.