Method and apparatus for sorting particles

• US 8,727,131 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cytonome/St, Llc (Cytonome Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cytonome/St, Llc (Cytonome Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, John R., Desphande, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US13/245,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20120012508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 209/210, 209/552, 209/644, 209/906, 209/932, 422502-504
• US Class Current: 209/552
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0652 Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/02 Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/34 Sorting according to other particular properties material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/36 Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: F15C 5/00 Manufacture of fluid circuit elements; Manufacture of assemblages of such elements integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0019 Valves using a microdroplet or microbubble as the valve member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0028 Valves having multiple inlets or outlets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0046 using magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0048 using piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/10 Investigating individual particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/14 Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/149 : specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1027 : Determining speed or velocity of a particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1028 : Sorting particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1477 : Multiparameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1497 : Particle shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/906 : Pneumatic or liquid stream feeding item
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/932 : Fluid applied to items

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.

Claims

1. A particle processing system comprising:

a microfluidic network including one or more microchannels formed in a substrate;

a first particle processing mechanism associated with a first flow path of the microfluidic network and adapted for processing or analyzing a sample having one or more particles suspended in a suspension medium flowing through the first flow path of the microfluidic network; and

a recirculation channel formed in the substrate and configured to receive a sorted sample outputted from the first processing mechanism via an output, the sorted sample including a portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample, and introduce the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample via an input to the microfluidic network, wherein the recirculation channel fluidically couples the output from the first particle processing mechanism to the input to the microfluidic network.

2. The particle processing system of claim 1, wherein the input to the microfluidic network is a recirculation input to the first particle processing mechanism.

3. The particle processing system of claim 1:

wherein the input to the microfluidic network is a recirculation input to a second particle processing mechanism associated with a second flow path of the microfluidic network;

wherein the second flow path is parallel to the first flow path; and

whereby the first and second particle processing mechanisms are configured for parallel processing.

4. The particle processing system of claim 1, wherein the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample is a portion or component of the particle suspension medium.

5. The particle processing system of claim 1 further comprising, an isolating mechanism operatively coupled relative to the output from the particle processing mechanism adapted for isolating the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample from the outputted sorted sample.

6. The particle processing system of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic network comprises a plurality of microfluidic networks.

7. A particle processing method comprising:

flowing a sample having one or more particles suspended in a suspension medium through a first flow path of a microfluidic network, the microfluidic network including one or more microchannels formed in a substrate;

processing or analyzing the sample using a first processing mechanism associated with the first flow path of the microfluidic network;

receiving a sorted sample outputted from the first processing mechanism via and output, the sorted sample including a portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample; and

introducing the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample via an input to the microfluidic network, wherein the output from the first particle processing mechanism is fluidically coupled to the input to the microfluidic network via a recirculation channel formed in the substrate.

8. The particle processing method of claim 7, wherein the input to the microfluidic network is a recirculation input to the first particle processing mechanism.

9. The particle processing method of claim 7:

wherein the input to the microfluidic network is a recirculation input to a second particle processing mechanism associated with a second flow path of the microfluidic network;

wherein the second flow path is parallel to the first flow path; and

whereby the first and second particle processing mechanisms are configured for parallel processing.

10. The particle processing method of claim 7, wherein the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample is a portion or component of the particle suspension medium.

11. The particle processing method of claim 7 further comprising, isolating the portion or component of the analyzed or processed sample from the outputted sorted sample.

12. The particle processing method of claim 7, wherein the microfluidic network comprises a plurality of microfluidic networks.

13. A particle processing method comprising:

flowing a sample having one or more particles suspended in a suspension medium through a first flow path of a microfluidic network associated with a particle processing system, the microfluidic network including one or more microchannels formed in a substrate;

performing a process or analysis on the sample using a first processing mechanism associated with the first flow path of the microfluidic network; and

repeating the same process or analysis on a portion or component of a sorted sample outputted from the first processing mechanism via an output using the same particle processing system.

14. The particle processing method of claim 13, wherein a second particle processing mechanism different than the first particle processing mechanism is used to repeat the same process or analysis on the portion or component of the outputted sorted sample from the first processing mechanism.

15. The particle processing method of claim 13, wherein the process or analysis is a sorting process based on a set of criteria and wherein the same process or analysis is the same sorting process based on the same set of criteria.

16. The particle processing method of claim 15, wherein the repeating the same sort process achieves higher purity in a sorted sample.

17. The particle processing method of claim 15, wherein the repeating the same sort process achieves higher yield in a sorted sample.

18. The particle processing method of claim 15, wherein the repeating the same process or analysis enables higher throughput of the sample.

19. The particle processing method of claim 13, wherein the process or analysis is optically based.

20. The particle processing method of claim 13, wherein the process or analysis is magnetically based.