Multilayer hydrodynamic sheath flow structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11634286-B2
Application number	US-202016906699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2003
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of sorting cells, comprising the steps of:
conveying a sheath fluid through a primary sheath flow channel;
obtaining a sample of cells;
injecting the sample into the sheath fluid using a sample inlet intersecting the primary sheath flow channel;
focusing the sample in at least a vertical direction in a primary focusing region downstream of the sample inlet;
focusing the sample in at least a horizontal direction in a secondary focusing region downstream of the primary focusing region;
sorting the cells in the sample downstream of the secondary focusing region; and
collecting the sorted cells.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising focusing the sample in a horizontal direction in the primary focusing region.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising focusing the sample in a vertical direction in the secondary focusing region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a height of the primary sheath flow channel is reduced in the primary focusing region to produce focusing of the sample in at least the vertical direction.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein a height of the primary sheath flow channel is reduced in the secondary focusing region to produce focusing of the sample in the vertical direction.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the reduction in height in the secondary focusing region is caused by a taper in the primary sheath flow channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary sheath flow channel tapers in the secondary focusing region to produce the focusing of the sample in the horizontal direction.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the primary sheath flow channel tapers in the primary focusing region to produce the focusing of the sample in the horizontal direction.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein sorting the cells further comprises using a particle sorting system operatively coupled to the primary sheath flow channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the cells downstream of the secondary focusing region using a detector operatively coupled to the primary sheath flow channel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a height and a width of the primary sheath flow channel reduce to between 50 and 150 micrometers at an end of the secondary focusing region thereby to focus the stream of cells vertically and horizontally.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a height of the primary sheath flow channel is reduced in the primary focusing region by changing a height of a top channel wall and a height of a bottom channel wall.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a height of the primary sheath flow channel is reduced in the secondary focusing region by changing a height of a top channel wall and a height of a bottom channel wall.

Assignees

• Cytonome St Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert John R
• Deshpande Manish
• Bunner Bernard

Classifications

• B01J2219/0086

  Dimensions of the flow channels · CPC title

• B65G51/00

  Conveying articles through pipes or tubes by fluid flow or pressure; Conveying articles over a flat surface, e.g. the base of a trough, by jets located in the surface · CPC title

• G01N15/1484

  microstructural devices · CPC title

• B01J2219/00822

  Metal · CPC title

• B01F33/3011

  using a sheathing stream of a fluid surrounding a central stream of a different fluid, e.g. for reducing the cross-section of the central stream or to produce droplets from the central stream · CPC title