Fluidic flow cytometry devices and particle sensing based on signal-encoding

Abstract

Microfluidic devices, systems and techniques in connection with particle sorting in liquid, including cytometry devices and techniques and applications in chemical or biological testing and diagnostic measurements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A particle sorting system for sorting particles of interest from other particles in a fluid, comprising:
 a structure having at least one input channel connected at an actuation area to a plurality of output channels, wherein the fluid flows through the input channel to the actuation area, and each particle travels from the actuation area to one of the plurality of output channels,   a spatial filter having one or more slots and coupled to the input channel,   a detector for generating a detection signal over time indicative of light emitted or scattered from a particle of interest, which light has passed through the one or more slots of the spatial filter,   a processor in communication with the detector for analyzing the detection signal over time and generating a presence signal indicative of the presence of a particle of interest,   a driver in communication with the processor and generating a control signal in response to the presence signal, and   a piezoelectric actuator for causing a flow disturbance in the actuation area in response to the control signal, wherein the flow disturbance operates to direct a detected particle of interest along a trajectory to one of the plurality of output channels which is different than the output channel to which the particle would travel without the flow disturbance.   
     
     
         2 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the spatial filter includes a plurality of slots arranged such that a particle in the input channel reaches each slot in a sequence and the processor includes means for recognizing a predetermined light pattern in the detection signal over time.   
     
     
         3 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the processor includes a finite impulse response filter.   
     
     
         4 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the structure includes two or more input channels, and the spatial filter includes two separate sets of slots, wherein each set of slots is coupled to a corresponding one of the input channels and includes a slot configuration different from the other.   
     
     
         5 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the processor includes means for recognizing a first predetermined pattern and a second predetermined pattern in the detection signal over time.   
     
     
         6 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the processor computes an appropriate delay for application of the control signal to the piezoelectric actuator.   
     
     
         7 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the processor computes an estimated fluid speed.   
     
     
         8 . The particle sorting system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the spatial filter further includes one of more slots aligned with an output channel of the plurality of output channels.   
     
     
         9 . A particle sorting system for sorting particles of interest from other particles in a fluid, comprising,
 a structure having at least one input channel connected at an actuation area to a plurality of output channels, wherein the fluid flows through the input channel to the actuation area, and each particle travels from the actuation area to one of the plurality of output channels,   a spatial filter having one or more slots and coupled to the input channel,   a detection unit that detects a particle of interest at a predetermined location and generating a control signal in response, and   a piezoelectric actuator for causing a flow disturbance in the actuation area in response to the control signal, wherein the flow disturbance operates to direct a detected particle of interest along a trajectory to one of the plurality of output channels which is different than the output channel to which the particle would travel without the flow disturbance.   
     
     
         10 . The particle sorting system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the detection unit includes a bank of filters.