US 12,222,277 B2
Flow cytometers including laser assessors, and methods for using the same
Ihor Berezhnyy, Los Gatos, CA (US); and Svitlana Berezhna, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed by Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/240,429.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/019,569, filed on May 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0341380 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 15/14 (2024.01); G01N 15/02 (2024.01); G01N 15/1404 (2024.01); G01N 15/1434 (2024.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 33/48 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 15/1436 (2013.01) [G01N 15/02 (2013.01); G01N 15/1404 (2013.01); G01N 15/1459 (2013.01); G01N 21/6428 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1402 (2013.01); G01N 2201/06113 (2013.01); G01N 2223/412 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flow cytometer comprising:
a flow cell;
a laser configured to irradiate particles at a given intensity in the flow cell at an interrogation point and thereby produce at least non-scattered light and forward scattered light;
a forward scattered light detector configured to detect the forward scattered light;
a reference detector configured to detect the non-scattered light;
a non-scattered light selection element positioned between the reference detector and the flow cell, wherein the non-scattered light selection element is configured to separate forward scattered light from non-scattered light and to prevent the forward scattered light from being detected by the reference detector; and a processor configured to actuate the laser to:
(a) generate:
flow cytometer data based on the detected forward scattered light; and
laser reference data from the detected non-scattered light; and
(b) dynamically adjust the flow cytometer data based on the laser reference data, wherein dynamically adjusting the flow cytometer data comprises:
(i) identifying a change in intensity of the laser reference data associated with a resulting change in an intensity of the flow cytometer data by computing a ratio of the intensity of the flow cytometer data to the given intensity of the laser reference data; and
(ii) removing an optical noise from the flow cytometer data based on the identified change by associating the computed ratio with variations in the irradiated particles.