Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Intel Corporation

Mahesh R Junnarkar

Giacomo Vacca

Svitlana Y Berezhna

David Spalding

Chia-Fa Hsu

JrHung T Tsai

Richard G Kendall

Michael W Yee

Norman R Goldblatt

Anirban Bandyopadhyay

Jiong Wu

Bidhan P Chaudhuri

Chaoyang Li

Behzad Fardi

Farshid Adibi

Provided are methods of assessing the cleanliness of a flow cell of a flow cytometric system. The provided methods include computing a ratio of post-flow cell and pre-flow cell light beam intensities and using such a ratio to assess the cleanliness of the flow cell. Flow cytometric systems capable of monitoring the cleanliness of a flow cell contained within the system are also provided.

Methods and systems for assessing flow cell cleanliness

Flow cytometer systems are provided having intermediate angle scatter detection capability. In some aspects, systems are provided that include an intermediate angle scatter (IAS) light detector positioned to measure intermediate angle scatter emitted from a flow cytometer. The system further includes a mask disposed across a portion of the IAS light detector and positioned between the flow cell and the IAS light detector to cover at least a central portion of the IAS light detector so as to block a diffraction pattern observed at the detector. In some instances, the diffraction pattern is created by a flat beam profile irradiating the sample. Methods are also provided for configuring a flow cytometer to block a diffraction pattern created by (1) a flat laser beam profile irradiating a flow cytometer liquid sample, or (2) a mismatched index of refraction between a sheath fluid and a liquid sample in a flow cytometer.

Flow cytometry systems and methods for blocking diffraction patterns

Systems and methods for the detection, analysis, and collection of rare cellular events, wherein rare cellular events are defined by events comprising less than 5% of a total number of cells in a sample. The systems and methods generally include: (1) a flow cell dimensioned so as to permit a flow of a sample through the flow cell at a flow rate greater than 300,000 cells per second; (2) a laser positioned to emit a laser beam directed to the flow cell; (3) one or more deflector components disposed between the laser and the flow cell, wherein the deflector component is configured to affect a position of the laser beam relative to the sample flow; (4) one or more fluorescence emission detectors; and (5) one or more processor configured to detect rare cellular events based on fluorescence emission from cell-binding surface markers introduced into the sample prior to the sample being flowed through the flow cell.

Method and apparatus for detection, analysis, and collection of rare cellular events

A method for increasing the throughput and/or the precision of a flow cytometer, or a hematology analyzer employing a flow cytometer, and for further reducing the complexity of such a cytometer or analyzer. The system and method includes utilizing the technique of laser rastering in combination with a lysis-free single-dilution method.

Method and apparatus for rapidly counting and identifying biological particles in a flow stream

A method for increasing the throughput, or the precision, or both the precision and the throughput, of a flow cytometer, or of a hematology analyzer employing a flow cytometer, and for further reducing the complexity of such a cytometer or analyzer, by utilizing the technique of laser rastering in combination with a lysis-free single-dilution method. Laser rastering involves sweeping a laser beam across a flowing sample stream in a hematology analyzer. A lysis-free single-dilution method involves performing all the flow cytometer measurements on a sample using a single aliquot, a single lysis-free reagent solution, a single dilution, and a single pass of said dilution through the measurement apparatus. An apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of this invention comprises an optical module comprising a source of light, a scanning device, a lens or system of lenses, a flowcell, detectors, and filters; and an electronic module comprising preamplifiers, analog signal conditioning elements, analog-to-digital converters, field-programmable gate arrays, digital signal processing elements, and data storage elements.

A waveguide under test can be exposed to a light signal whose polarization rotates between the vertical and horizontal polarizations. The intensity detected at a photodetector can be separated into AC and DC components. The AC components may be utilized to derive a characteristics which is indicative of birefringence of the waveguide. If the light signal is scanned over the waveguide under test, a measure of the birefringence at each position along the waveguide may be determined.

Birefringence profiler

A thermo-optic device may be formed with trenches that undercut the substrate beneath the thermo-optic device. Through the removal of the underlying substrate, the heat dissipation of the thermo-optic device may be reduced. This may reduce the thermal budget of the device, reducing the power requirements for operating the device in some embodiments.

Thermally isolating optical devices

An optical network may include a detector for detecting the power of each of a plurality of channels of a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal in one embodiment of the present invention. Each channel may be conveyed to an interface underneath a detector by way of a core formed in the substrate. The interface may include a trench with one side surface angled to form a reflector to reflect light upwardly to be detected by the detector. The trench may be filled with a convex microlens.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Mahesh R Junnarkar