US 12,403,473 B2
Particle sorter, particle sorting method, and micro flow path cartridge
Kunpeng Cai, Kobe (JP); Shruti Mankar, Kobe (JP); Anastasia Maslova, Kobe (JP); Taiga Ajiri, Kobe (JP); Yumiko Sakai, Kobe (JP); Shunsuke Watanabe, Kobe (JP); Tasuku Yotoriyama, Kobe (JP); Ayato Tagawa, Kobe (JP); Takehiro Hasegawa, Kobe (JP); and Yoshiaki Miyamoto, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed by SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/349,656.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-105774 (JP), filed on Jun. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0394184 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); C12Q 1/02 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502761 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502738 (2013.01); B01L 3/567 (2013.01); C12Q 1/02 (2013.01); G01N 35/1009 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0652 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0816 (2013.01); B01L 2300/123 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0415 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0655 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A particle sorter comprising:
a micro flow path cartridge including a first flow path, a second flow path, and a third flow path,
an installation part,
a liquid feeder,
a detector,
a sorting device, and
a controller, wherein:
the first flow path comprises:
a detection region where the detector is located to detect target particles contained in a sample, and
a sorting region disposed to receive flow from the detection region, the sorting region having at least two flow paths, the sorting region where the sorting device is located for obtaining a target particle-containing sample containing the detected target particles,
one end of the second flow path connects to the detection region, and the other end of the second flow path is configured to obtain the target particle-containing sample for returning the target particle-containing sample to the detection region, and
one end of the third flow path connects to the detection region, and the other end of the third flow path is configured to obtain other sample that is not the target particle-containing sample for returning the other sample to the detection region;
the installation part comprises a cartridge holder for supporting the micro flow path cartridge;
the liquid feeder comprises a pressure regulator for providing pressure to drive liquid in the micro flow path cartridge via the first flow path;
the detector is configured to output a signal corresponding to the target particle passing through the detection region;
the sorting device is configured to perform a sorting operation for obtaining the target particle-containing sample in the sorting region based on the signal from the detector, and the sorting device comprises a flow path opening/closing unit that opens and closes at least one of the flow paths in the sorting region of the first flow path; and
the controller is in communication with the liquid feeder and the sorting device, wherein:
the controller is programmed to control the liquid feeder such that the target particle-containing sample obtained in the sorting region is returned to the detection region via the second flow path, and
the controller is programmed to control the sorting device to perform the sorting operation on the returned target particle-containing sample.