Artium Technologies, Inc.

Islet Technology, Inc.

Michael J Fidrich

William D Bachalo

Khalid M Ibrahim

Gregory Allan Payne

Chad M Sipperley

Julien Manin

Methods and apparatuses to image particles are described. A plurality of illuminating light beams propagating on multiple optical paths through a particle field are generated. The plurality of illuminating light beams converge at a measurement volume. A shadow image of a particle passing through a portion of the measurement volume at a focal plane of a digital camera is imaged. Shadow images of other particles in the particle field are removed using the plurality of illuminating light beams.

Multiple beam and convergent light illumination crossed-beam imaging

Methods and apparatuses to detect particles in dense particle fields are described. A time varying signal is partitioned into a plurality of segments. Parameters are determined from the segments. The time varying signal is parsed into a plurality of individual particle signal components based on the plurality of parameters.

Enhanced detection through parsing records into signal components

An apparatus to provide multi-beam imaging of particles includes a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) configured to generate a plurality of light beams that converge with each other to form a measurement volume within a particle field. The plurality of the VCSELs are configured to provide uniformity in a background illumination of the measurement volume. An imaging optics is coupled to at least one of the plurality of VCSELs. A digital camera is coupled to the imaging optics to obtain a shadow image of a particle passing through the measurement volume at a focal plane of the digital camera. A processor is coupled to the digital camera.

Particle field imaging and characterization using VCSEL lasers for convergent multi-beam illumination

Capsules, entrained in a fluid medium, are directed into a channel deflection system designed to enable evaluation and separation of successfully encapsulated cellular material from the blanks and other debris. Preferably, the fluid media with the capsule is introduced into a first or main channel and the capsules first pass one or more windows in the main channel for evaluation that is conducted by electromagnetic and/or optical means. Preferably, the evaluation results in the selection of acceptable capsules and subsequent removal of the blank capsules from the medium through the use of multiple jets that gently redirect the acceptable capsules into an alternate channel. Preferably, fluid is also introduced into the alternate channel and the main channel and the alternate channel are arranged such that there is a window defined between the two channels where the fluid flow between the two channel is directly adjacent and the jet deflection system can selectively deflect capsules across this window between the two channels with a minimum amount of force and a minimum of turbulence created in either channel.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael J Fidrich