US 12,485,416 B2
Apparatus for sorting microfluidic particles
Steve Birch, Royston (GB); Mette La Cour, Royston (GB); Matthias Ediger, Royston (GB); Tony Hailes, Royston (GB); Fred Hussain, Royston (GB); Huatao Liu, Royston (GB); Robyn Pritchard, Royston (GB); Salman Samson Rogers, Royston (GB); Allan Sinclair, Royston (GB); Michael Withers, Royston (GB); Gang Xiong, Royston (GB); and Alexander Zhukov, Royston (GB)
Assigned to Cellular Highways Ltd., Royston (GB)
Appl. No. 17/616,000
Filed by Cellular Highways Ltd., Royston (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 2, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/065220
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/245118, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19177923 (EP), filed on Jun. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234042 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502715 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50273 (2013.01); B01L 3/502753 (2013.01); B01L 2200/04 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0689 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0819 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0883 (2013.01); B01L 2300/123 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0409 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A consumable cartridge comprising:
a microfluidic chip comprising:
an input channel configured to receive a particle-containing fluid;
a particle sorter junction in fluidic connection with the input channel and comprising an output positive channel and an output negative channel; and
first and second outlets in fluidic connection with the output positive channel and the output negative channel respectively, such that at least one enclosed fluidic path is provided in the consumable cartridge between the input channel and the first and second outlets, the at least one enclosed fluidic path comprising at least one of:
a first flexible tube connected between the output positive channel and the first outlet; and
a second flexible tube connected between the output negative channel and the second outlet,
wherein at least one of the first flexible tube or the second flexible tube is deformable to enable unclogging of particles in the particle sorter junction in operation.