A system, method, and apparatus are provided for flow cytometry. In one example, the flow cytometry system includes dual laser devices and dual scatter channels to measure velocity of particles in a core stream of sample fluid. The total flow rate of the sample fluid and the sheath fluid around the sample fluid is controlled, and thus held constant, by a feedback control system controlling a vacuum pump based on differential pressure across ends of a flow channel in the flow cell.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two-step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.

A microfluidic chip having a micro channel for processing a sample is provided. The micro channel may focus the sample by using focusing fluid and a core stream forming geometry. The core stream forming geometry may include a lateral fluid focusing component and one or more vertical fluid focusing components. A microfluidic chip may include a plurality micro channels operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

An optical analysis apparatus, including: a sample delivery system from which a liquid sample may be delivered in operation; a flow cell defining a channel through which, in operation, the delivered liquid sample may flow at a controllable rate, the channel including an optical analysis region; an illumination source focused on a portion of the optical analysis region that, in operation, illuminates a single particle at a time in a stream of the sample wider than the single particle; a detector that, in operation, detects light resulting from the illumination of the sample and outputting a signal representative of the detected light; and an analysis system receiving the representative signal.

Flow rate and vacuum controlled fluid management systems for flow type particle analyzers, such as flow cytometers, are provided. Aspects of the fluid management systems include a pump modulated sheath fluid subsystem and a vacuum modulated waste fluid subsystem. Also provided are methods of using flow type particle analyzers having fluid management systems of the invention, e.g., in particle analysis applications.

The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

Microfluidic devices and methods for focusing components in a fluid sample are described herein. The microfluidic device has at least one flow focusing channel where the components are focused or re-oriented by the geometry of the channel. From an upstream end of the flow focusing channel to a downstream end of the flow focusing channel, at least a portion of the flow focusing channel has a reduction in height and at least a portion of the flow focusing channel narrows in width, thereby geometrically constricting the flow focusing channel. The devices and methods can be utilized in sex-sorting of sperm cells to improve performance and increase eligibility.

An aerosol jet printer producing a stream of droplets in a print jet employs direct, droplet-resolving imaging to characterize the statistics of the droplets in flight for improved control of the printed line characteristics.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two-step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.