Methods of sperm cell sensing utilizing an avalanche photodiode and cytometer apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10879416-B2
Application number	US-202016822735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A cytometer includes an avalanche photodiode, a switching power supply, a filter, and voltage adjustment circuitry. The switching power supply includes a feedback loop. The filter is electrically connected between the switching power supply and the avalanche photodiode. The voltage adjustment circuitry adjusts a voltage on the feedback loop based at least in part on a voltage measured between the filter and the avalanche photodiode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assessing an amount of DNA within a nucleus of a sperm cell comprising:
staining the DNA within the nucleus of the sperm cell;
irradiating the stained DNA within the nucleus of the sperm cell; and
detecting, with at least one avalanche photodiode, fluorescent light emitted from the irradiated and stained DNA within the nucleus of the sperm cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a sex of a sperm cell using the detected fluorescent light within the nucleus of the sperm cell; and
differentiating between a plurality of sperm cells based upon said sex determination.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising forming droplets, a plurality having one of said sperm cells entrained.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising charging each of said droplets differentially based upon said sex differentiation characteristic of said sperm cells entrained in said droplets.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising deflecting each of said droplets.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising differentially collecting each of said droplets based upon said sex differentiation characteristic of said sperm cells entrained in said droplets.

7. A population of sperm cells comprising the droplets produced by the method of any of claims 3 - 6 .

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising deactivating a sperm cell based upon the determined amount of DNA within the nucleus of said sperm cell.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising photo-damaging said sperm cell.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming droplets a plurality having one of said sperm cells entrained.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising charging each of said droplets differentially based upon said sex differentiation characteristic of said sperm cells entrained in said droplets.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising deflecting each of said droplets.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising differentially collecting each of said droplets based upon said sex differentiation characteristic of said sperm cells entrained in said droplets.

14. A high-purity population of sperm cells comprising the droplets produced by the method of any of claims 10 - 13 .

Assignees

• Abs Global Inc

Inventors

• Savage Frederick
• Szejna Glenn J
• Xia Zheng

Classifications

• H10F77/60

  Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or compensating for temperature fluctuations · CPC title

• H10F30/2255 Primary

  in which the active layers form heterostructures, e.g. SAM structures · CPC title

• G01N15/1459 Primary

  the analysis being performed on a sample stream · CPC title

• H04B10/69

  Electrical arrangements in the receiver · CPC title

• G01N21/6486 Primary

  Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells (G01N21/6428 takes precedence) · CPC title