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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965813-B2
Application number	US-202117390984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2021
Priority date	Aug 3, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cytometer fluidics system, comprising:
a sheath tank;
a manifold assembly coupled to the sheath tank via a first sheath line;
a flow cell coupled to the manifold assembly via a second sheath line;
a first valve coupled to the first sheath line and in the manifold assembly;
a start stream path including the first sheath line and the second sheath line, wherein the start stream path extends from the sheath tank to the flow cell;
a pressure regulation system coupled to the sheath tank, the pressure regulation system including a pressure regulator and a transducer coupled to the first valve and electrically coupled to the pressure regulator, wherein the pressure regulator is an only regulated pressure source in the cytometer fluidics system that applies a regulated pressure to the sheath tank to maintain a total flow rate of fluids in the cytometer fluidics system, wherein the transducer is configured to sense measured pressure at the first valve and convert the measured pressure to a voltage and the pressure regulator is configured to receive the voltage from the transducer and convert the voltage into the regulated pressure;
wherein the pressure regulation system maintains the regulated pressure by attempting to match the regulated pressure with the measured pressure;
wherein the total flow rate is equal to a flow rate of sheath fluid in the start stream.

2. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flow cell purge path including a third sheath line that extends from the flow cell to the manifold assembly, wherein the cytometer fluidics system is configured to perform a cycling between operations for the start stream path and operations for the flow cell purge path, and wherein the cycling forces gas bubbles from the flow cell into the manifold assembly.

3. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an aspirate sample path coupled to the manifold assembly;
a linear valve coupled to the manifold assembly via aspirate sample path; and
a sample probe coupled to the manifold assembly via the aspirate sample path, wherein the linear valve is configured to aspirate sample into the aspirate sample path by increasing volume in the linear valve.

4. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a boost sample path coupled to the manifold assembly;
a linear valve coupled to the manifold assembly via the boost sample path; and
a rotary valve positioned to couple the manifold assembly to the flow cell via the boost sample path, wherein the linear valve is configured to drive a predetermined amount of sample fluid through the boost sample path such that the sample fluid abuts the flow cell.

5. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a run sample path coupled to the manifold assembly;
the manifold assembly being coupled to the flow cell via the run sample path;
a parallel sheath path coupled to the manifold assembly; and
a linear valve coupled to the manifold assembly via the parallel sheath path.

6. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recover sample path coupled to the manifold assembly;
a linear valve coupled to the manifold assembly via the recover sample path; and
a sample probe coupled to the manifold assembly via the recover sample path, wherein the linear valve is configured to push sample fluid from the recover sample path by decreasing volume in the linear valve.

7. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample injection tube (SIT) flush path coupled to the manifold assembly; and
a sample probe coupled to the manifold assembly via the SIT flush path, wherein the SIT flush path is configured to experience a full pressure of sheath fluid being pushed down to the sample probe.

8. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a normal stream aspiration path coupled to the manifold assembly; and
a second valve configured to receive fluid exiting a nozzle of the flow cell, wherein the second valve is coupled to the manifold assembly via the normal stream aspiration path, and wherein the cytometer fluidics system aspirates the fluid exiting nozzle away to the manifold assembly.

9. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a purge filter path coupled to the manifold assembly; and
a sheath filter coupled to the manifold assembly via the purge filter path, wherein the purge filter path is configured to purge gas from the sheath filter and maintain the sheath filter in a wetted state.

10. The cytometer fluidics system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a waste aspiration path coupled to the manifold assembly;
a waste tank coupled to the manifold assembly via the waste aspiration path; and
a pump coupled to the waste aspiration path and configured to aspirate fluid deposited into a bottom of the manifold assembly.

11. A method for operating a cytometer fluidics system recited in claim 1 , the method comprising:
pressurizing sheath fluid in the start stream path, wherein the sheath fluid is pressurized via the pressure regulation system including the pressure regulator and the transducer;
sensing a measured pressure in the start stream path, wherein the sensing is carried out by the transducer independently of the sheath tank;
converting the measured pressure into a voltage;
communicating the voltage to the pressure regulator; and
translating the voltage to a regulated pressure that substantially matches the measured pressure.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
purging the flow cell by cycling multiple times between operations of a purge path and operations of the start stream path.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
aspirating sample fluid by increasing a volume in a linear valve and sucking sample fluid from a sample probe.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
boosting sample fluid by decreasing a volume in a linear valve and forcing the sample fluid to abut the flow cell.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
running the sample fluid by pressurizing the sheath fluid via the pressure regulator.

Assignees

• Cytek Biosciences Inc

Inventors

• Vrane David

Classifications

• G01N15/1404 Primary

  Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing · CPC title

• G01N2015/1006

  for cytology · CPC title

• G01N2015/1409

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N15/1409

  Handling samples, e.g. injecting samples · CPC title

• G01N15/149

  specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties · CPC title