Measuring chamber for flow cytometer

• US 5,552,885 A
• Filed: 11/22/1994
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harald Steen
• Original Assignee: Harald Steen
• Inventors: Steen, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/343,466
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 356/246, 356/244, 356/39, 356/73, 356/338, 356/336, 356/440, 250/573, 250/574, 250/576
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1404 Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing

Abstract

Measuring chamber for flow cytometer for the measuring of fluorescent and scattered light of individual cells or other microscopic particles, comprising: a body (2) with a flat surface (6), an inlet chamber (8) and an outlet chamber (10) within the body (2), which open on the surface (6), the chambers being positioned one in front of the other and being connected by a channel (12), the chamber (8) being equipped with an inlet tube (14) and an injection tube (16) and the chamber (10) being equipped with an outlet tube (18), a transparent plate (20) placed in front of the surface (6), and moveable from a first position detached from the surface to a second position in which the plate closes to seal the chambers (8, 10) and the channel (12), with optical means placed in front of the plate to direct light on a particle placed in the channel (12) and to receive fluorescent light emitted from the same particle, characterized by the fact that the axis of the tube (16) intersects the optical axis (30) of the optical means at a point outside the channel whereby a liquid and particles, injected into the chamber throughout the tube (14) and the tube (16) respectively, flow with laminal flow through the channel (12).

Claims

1. A measuring chamber for a flow cytometer for measurement of fluorescent light and scattered light of individual cells and other microscopic particles, said measuring chamber comprising:

a body with a flat surface;

an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber in said body which open on said flat surface, said chambers being positioned one in front of the other and connected by a channel in said body, the inlet chamber being equipped with an inlet tube and the outlet chamber being provided with an outlet tube;

an injection tube within said inlet chamber, said injection tube having a longitudinal axis and being moveable along said longitudinal axis inside said inlet chamber;

a transparent plate placed in front of said flat surface; and

optical means placed in front of the transparent plate to direct light against the particle contained in the channel and to receive fluorescent light emitted by the particle, said optical means having an optical axis;

said measuring chamber characterized in that said longitudinal axis of said injection tube intersects said optical axis at a point outside said channel whereby a liquid and some particles injected into said inlet chamber through said inlet tube and said injection tube, respectively, flow with laminar flow through said channel.

2. Chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that said transparent plate is moveable between a first position detached from the flat surface and a second position in which said transparent plate closes said flat surface to seal said inlet and outlet chambers and said channel.

3. Chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that each chamber has a cross section which reduces as it approaches the other chamber.

4. Chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that each chamber has a semicone form.

5. Chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid is distilled or filtered water.

6. Chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of said body can be regulated in a plane perpendicular to said optical axis so as to bring said channel in the focus of said optical means.

7. Chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that said optical means consist of first and second opposing microscope objectives.