Fluidic system with washing capabilities for a flow cytometer

• US 8,283,177 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• 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: Ball, Jack T., Kehrer, Aaron, Bair, Nathaniel C., Rich, Collin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, PATRICIA KATHRYN
• Application Number:
  US12/476,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 436/63
• 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, 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 flow rate;

wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; and

drawing in a cleaning fluid, including;

pumping 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.

2. The method of claim 1, further including depositing flushed out fluid into a wash station.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including inserting the drawtube into the wash station.

4. The method of claim 3, further including wiping the outside of the drawtube with a drawtube scrubber.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drawtube scrubber is a film that abrasively rubs against the drawtube as the drawtube is inserted into the wash station.

6. The method of claim 3, further including rinsing the outside of the drawtube in fluid collected in a convex cavity of the wash station.

7. The method of claim 6, further including pumping fluid through a channel created by the outside of the drawtube and the walls of the cavity of the wash station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flow rate and the third flow rate are different flow rates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second flow rate is approximately zero.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein drawing in a cleaning fluid includes:

drawing in a cleaning fluid that comprises at least one of sheath fluid flushed out of the drawtube and a cleaning agent in a wash station.

11. 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 of the fluidic system through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer, 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 flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; and

drawing in a cleaning fluid that is a mixture of sheath fluid flushed out of the drawtube and a cleaning agent in a wash station, wherein drawing in a cleaning fluid includes;

pumping 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.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising inserting the drawtube into the wash station and depositing flushed out fluid into a wash station.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first flow rate and the third flow rate are different flow rates.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second flow rate is approximately zero.