Cytek Biosciences, Inc.

Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Vrane, David

Yan, Ming

Hsieh, Yung-Chieh

Chase, Eric

David Vrane

Ming Yan

Pierce O Norton

Eric S Chase

Yung-Chieh Hsieh

Janine Jiang

Wenbin Jiang

Jian Zhou

Shervin Javadi

Kuncheng Wang

Huimin Gu

Glen Krueger

Qing Shao

Qiuta Gu

Maria Jaimes

Zhenyu Zhang

Brian David Warner

Albert Mach

Smita Ghanekar

Aaron J Middlebrook

Frank Schembri

Eric Chase

A system, an apparatus, and a method are provided for a modular flow cytometer with a compact size. In one embodiment, the modular flow cytometry system includes the following: a laser system for emitting laser beams; a flow cell assembly positioned to receive the laser beams at an interrogation region of a fluidics stream where fluoresced cells scatter the laser beams into fluorescent light; a fiber assembly positioned to collect the fluorescent light; and a grating system including a dispersive element and a receiver assembly, wherein the dispersive element is positioned to receive the fluorescent light from the fiber assembly and to direct spectrally dispersed light toward the receiver assembly.

Compact multi-color flow cytometer

A system, method, and apparatus are provided for flow cytometry. In one example, the flow cytometry system includes dual laser devices and dual scatter channels to measure velocity of particles in a core stream of sample fluid. The total flow rate of the sample fluid and the sheath fluid around the sample fluid is controlled, and thus held constant, by a feedback control system controlling a vacuum pump based on differential pressure across ends of a flow channel in the flow cell.

Flow cytometery system with fluidics control system

In one embodiment, a method of building an optimized color flow cytometry panel is disclosed using a full spectrum flow cytometer with five excitation lasers and five corresponding detection modules. In another embodiment, a graphical user interface is disclosed generated by a server computer from a fluorochrome database and displayed by a client computer to assist in the selection of a set of fluorochromes for use in an assay to analyze biological samples. The GUI can display spectra graphs to visually show how fluorochromes may overlap and can generate similarity indexes for the paired fluorochrome interference and a complexity index for overall many to many interferences generated by a selected group or set of fluorochromes.

Methods and apparatus for full spectrum flow cytometer

A smart flow cytometer is disclosed including a plurality of tanks holding fluids for operation of a flow cytometer; a plurality of level sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of tanks; a plurality of valves coupled to one or more tubes for operation of the flow cytometer; one or more flow sensors coupled to the one or more tubes for monitoring flow rates; and a microcontroller coupled to the plurality of level sensors and the one or more flow sensors. The microcontroller constantly monitors fluid levels of the plurality of tanks to detect when to refill a fluid in a first tank before the first tank is completely empty and to detect when to empty a second tank before the second tank becomes completely filled with a waste fluid.

Smart flow cytometers with self monitoring fluidics

A compact sorting flow cytometer system includes a fluidics system having a flow cell and a deflection chamber in communication with the flow cell and a droplet deposition unit (DDU) system in communication with the deflection chamber. The defection chamber receives drops in a stream of a sample biological fluid with one or more biological cells or particles and selectively deflect the drops in the stream. The DDU system is in communication with the deflection chamber to receive the selectively deflected drops into one or more containers. The DDU system includes a case forming a portion of a containment chamber. When closed, one or more doors seal and close off the containment chamber from an external environment. Air can be evacuated from the containment chamber by one or more fans in one or more tunnels. Air can be conditioned by a thermoelectric cooling array between the containment chamber and an air conditioning chamber that is moved by one or more fans.

Integrated air filtering and conditioning of droplet chamber in a compact cell sorter

A pressure regulated fluidics system of a flow cytometer includes a sheath tank holding sheath fluid; a degasser coupled to the sheath tank by a first sheath line; a manifold assembly coupled to the degasser by a second sheath line; a first valve coupled to the second sheath line; a pressure regulator coupled to the sheath tank; and a transducer coupled to and between the pressure regulator and the first valve. The transducer senses measured pressure and converts it into a voltage. The pressure regulator applies regulated pressure to the sheath fluid to maintain a total flow rate of fluids through the flow cytometer based on the voltage. The degasser pulls gas molecules out of the sheath fluid.

Pressure regulated fluidics system for flow cytometers

Methods of forming multi-color fluorescence-based flow cytometry panel

A compact sorting flow cytometer system is disclosed. The system includes a flow cell and a deflection unit in communication with the flow cell to receive charged drops and uncharged drops in a stream of a sample biological fluid. The deflection unit includes a case having a deflection cone and chamber, a tub with a drain, and a slot in a base. The deflection unit further includes electrostatic charge plates in the cone forming an electrostatic charge field; and first and second pivotal scuppers, and a center non-pivotal collector arranged along a shaft in the tub of the case. Uncharged drops pass the electrostatic charge field undeflected in a center stream path while charged drops are deflected away from it. The pivotal scuppers pivot between positions to direct charged drops into the tub for aspiration or to pass through the slot in the base for collection.

Cell sorter with pivotal scuppers

A system, method, and apparatus are provided for flow cytometry. In one example, the flow cytometry system includes dual laser devices and dual scatter channels to measure velocity of particles in a core stream of sample fluid. The total flow rate of the sample fluid and the sheath fluid around the sample fluid is controlled, and thus held constant, by a feedback control system controlling a vacuum pump based on differential pressure across ends of a flow channel in the flow cell. A stepper flow control valves are disclosed that apply a physical fluid resistance to a flow of sheath fluid in the flow cytometer. The physical fluid resistance regulates a flow rate of the sheath fluid and thereby regulates a flow rate of sample fluid in the flow cytometer.

Linear resistance stepper flow control valve for sheath fluid of flow cytometry systems

A system, method, and apparatus are provided for cytometer fluidics. In one example, a pressure regulation system is provided for a cytometer fluidics system. The pressure regulation system includes a pressure regulator and a transducer. The pressure regulator pressurizes sheath fluid in a fluid path. The transducer senses a measured pressure in the fluid path independently of the sheath tank. The transducer converts the measured pressure into a voltage. The transducer communicates the voltage to the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator translates the voltage to a regulated pressure that substantially matches the measured pressure. The pressure regulator is the only pressure regulation source in the cytometry fluidics system.

Methods and apparatus for central source pressure-based cytometer fluidics system

In one embodiment, a flow cytometer is disclosed having a compact light detection module. The compact light detection module includes an image array with a transparent block, a plurality of micro-mirrors in a row coupled to a first side of the transparent block, and a plurality of filters in a row coupled to a second side of the transparent block opposite the first side. Each of the plurality of filters reflects light to one of the plurality of micro-mirrors and passes light of a differing wavelength range and each of the plurality of micro-mirrors reflects light to one of the plurality of filters, such that incident light into the image array zigzags back and forth between consecutive filters of the plurality of filters and consecutive micro-mirrors of the plurality of micro-mirrors. A radius of curvature of each of the plurality of micro-mirrors images the fiber aperture onto the odd filters and collimates the light beam on the even filters.

Compact detection module for flow cytometers

In some embodiments, a plurality of smart flow cytometers are coupled into communication with a computer communication network. A central repair server system is coupled into communication with the computer communication network and the plurality of smart flow cytometers. Each of the plurality of smart flow cytometers includes a monitoring system coupled to monitor differing operational parameters of the smart flow cytometer for possible failure. The monitoring system can detect an advanced failure of components based on the operational parameters being monitored. The monitoring system can also detect an advanced need for repair and maintenance based on the operational parameters being monitored.

Flow cytometer communication system for smart flow cytometers with self monitoring

A system, an apparatus, and a method are provided for a modular flow cytometer with a compact size. In one embodiment, the modular flow cytometry system includes the following: a laser system for emitting laser beams; a flow cell assembly positioned to receive the laser beams at an interrogation region of a fluidics stream where fluoresced cells scatter the laser beams into fluorescent light; a fiber assembly positioned to collect the fluorescent light; and a compact light detection module including a first image array having a transparent block, a plurality of micro-mirrors in a row coupled to a first side of the transparent block, and a plurality of filters in a row coupled to a second side of the transparent block opposite the first side.

Compact multi-color flow cytometer having compact detection module

In some embodiments, a smart flow cytometer includes a monitoring system to monitor differing operational parameters of the smart flow cytometer to detect an advanced failure of components and an advanced need for maintenance. In others, a smart flow cytometer includes a quality control system including a reservoir of quality control beads to periodically run a validation test with the quality control beads in order to determine the ability of the flow cytometer to generate quality data output from a plurality of light detectors. In some embodiments, a plurality of smart flow cytometers are coupled into communication with a computer communication network; a central repair server system is coupled into communication with the computer communication network and the plurality of smart flow cytometers; wherein each of the plurality of smart flow cytometers includes a monitoring system coupled to monitor differing operational parameters of the smart flow cytometer for possible failure.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

David Vrane