Servo system to control the spatial position of droplet formation of a fluid jet in a cell sorting apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of detecting at least the breakpoint region of a perturbed flow stream, comprising:
- (a) measuring at least the scattering of light caused by said perturbed stream at a preselected flow stream sensing point therealong to produce a real time waveform proportional thereto;
(b) differentiating said real time waveform to produce a differentiated waveform;
(c) selectively monitoring said differentiated waveform to distinguish a waveform exhibiting substantially three, positive and negative peaks per cycle, whereby detection of said three peaks per cycle indicates that said breakpoint region of said flow stream corresponds with said flow stream sensing point.
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Abstract
A novel method and system are disclosed for detecting the breakpoint of a perturbed flow stream. The scattering and extinction of light caused by a perturbed stream at a preselected flow stream sensing point therealong is measured to produce a real time waveform proportional thereto. The real time waveform is differentiated to produce a differentiated waveform, which is then selectively monitored to distinguish a waveform exhibiting substantially three (positive and negative) peaks per cycle, whereby such detection indicates that at least a portion of the breakpoint region of said flow stream corresponds with said flow stream sensing point. In order to align the stream sensing point with respect to a preselected point within the breakpoint region of the flow stream, the breakpoint region of the stream is caused to move with respect to the stream sensing point until the breakpoint pulse width of one of the peaks corresponds with a preselected pulse width reference.
104 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of detecting at least the breakpoint region of a perturbed flow stream, comprising:
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(a) measuring at least the scattering of light caused by said perturbed stream at a preselected flow stream sensing point therealong to produce a real time waveform proportional thereto; (b) differentiating said real time waveform to produce a differentiated waveform; (c) selectively monitoring said differentiated waveform to distinguish a waveform exhibiting substantially three, positive and negative peaks per cycle, whereby detection of said three peaks per cycle indicates that said breakpoint region of said flow stream corresponds with said flow stream sensing point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for detecting the breakpoint of a perturbed flow stream, comprising:
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(a) stream sensing means for measuring at least the scattering of light caused by said perturbed stream at a preselected flow stream sensing point therealong to produce a real time waveform proportional thereto; (b) analysis means for differentiating said real time waveform to produce a differentiated waveform; and (c) breakpoint location means for selectively monitoring said differentiated waveform to distinguish a waveform exhibiting substantially three, positive and negative peaks per cycle, whereby detection of said three peaks per cycle indicates that said breakpoint region of said flow stream corresponds with said flow stream sensing point. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification