Flow cytometers including light collection modules are provided. In embodiments, the subject flow cytometers include a light source for irradiating a particle passing through a flow cell at an interrogation point, an objective lens for focusing particle-modulated light, and a light collection module for collecting objective lens focused light. In some embodiments, the light collection module includes a fiber optic light conveyor and a refractive optical element positioned between the objective lens and the fiber optic light conveyor. In such embodiments, the refractive optical element is configured to direct the objective lens focused light onto the surface of the fiber optic light conveyor by refracting the objective lens focused light such that it propagates along a single optical axis. Methods for using the flow cytometers are also provided.

Disclosed herein are platforms, systems, and methods including a cell culture system that includes a cell culture container comprising a cell culture, the cell culture receiving input cells, a cell imaging subsystem configured to acquire images of the cell culture, a computing subsystem configured to perform a cell culture process on the cell culture according to the images acquired by the cell imaging subsystem, and a cell editing subsystem configured to edit the cell culture to produce output cell products according to the cell culture process.

Provided herein are systems and methods of optical particle counters which account and adjust for the refractive index of the carrier fluid being analyzed. The provided systems are robust and may be implemented in a variety of optical particle counters including obscured light, reflected light, emitted light and scattered light particle counters. The described systems may be useful with any fluid, including gases or liquids. In some cases, the system can account for the differences in refractive index between two liquids, for example, ultrapure water and an acid, such as sulfuric, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, acetic, phosphoric, chromic phosphoric, and the like. By accounting for the refractive index of the carrier fluid, the described systems and methods are also more sensitive and able to more accurately detect and characterize smaller particles, including nanoscale sized particles.

For analyzing a sample containing particles of at least two categories, such as a sample containing blood cells, a particle counter subject to a detection limit is coupled with an analyzer capable of discerning particle number ratios, such as a visual analyzer, and a processor. A first category of particles can be present beyond detection range limits while a second category of particles is present within respective detection range limits. The concentration of the second category of particles is determined by the particle counter. A ratio of counts of the first category to the second category is determined on the analyzer. The concentration of particles in the first category is calculated on the processor based on the ratio and the count or concentration of particles in the second category.

The invention relates to a method of determining whether a host has an infection. The method comprises obtaining measured values comprising a number of leukocytes and a number of a first type of leukocytes in a blood sample from the host, and comparing the measured values with one or more stored threshold value(s) to determine whether the host has said infection.

A cell observation system observes a cell moving in a flow path with a fluid, and includes a first imaging apparatus, a second imaging apparatus, and a control device. The first imaging apparatus includes a first optical system and a first imaging element, and captures an image of the cell at a first position in a moving direction. The second imaging apparatus includes a second optical system, in which a focus is adjusted based on a focus adjustment signal, and a second imaging element, and captures an image of the cell at a second position downstream of the first position. The control device obtains a passing position of the cell in a cross section of the flow path based on the image obtained by the first imaging element, generates the focus adjustment signal, and provides the signal to the second optical system.

Systems and methods for autofocus using artificial intelligence include (i) capturing a plurality of monochrome images over a nominal focus range, (ii) identifying one or more connected components within each monochrome image, (iii) sorting the identified connected components based on a number of pixels associated with each connected component, (iv) generating a focus quality estimate of at least a portion of the sorted connected components using a machine learning module, and (iv) calculating a target focus position based on the focus quality estimate of the evaluated connected components. The calculated target focus position can be used to perform cell counting using artificial intelligence, such as by (i) generating a seed likelihood image and a whole cell likelihood image based on output—a convolutional neural network and (ii) generating a mask indicative quantity and/or pixel locations of objects based on the seed likelihood image.

Flow cytometers including tilted beam shaping optical components are provided. In certain embodiments, the subject flow cytometers include a flow cell, a light source configured to produce a beam for irradiating particles in the flow cell at an interrogation point, and a tilted beam shaping optical component positioned between the light source and the flow cell. In such embodiments, the tilted beam shaping optical component is configured to generate beam ellipticity by creating astigmatism in the beam. In some embodiments, the tilted beam shaping optical component is a lens. In other embodiments, the tilted beam shaping optical component is a concave mirror. Methods of analyzing a sample using a flow cytometer including a tilted beam shaping optical component are also provided.

A system for dissociating cells from a cell culture vessel. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image a plurality of cells in a cell culture vessel being dissociated from at least one surface of the cell culture vessel by at least one cell dissociation agent; and at least one controller coupled to the imaging system and configured to: control the imaging system to capture a sequence of images of at least some cells in the plurality of cells during dissociation; and identify when to neutralize the at least one cell dissociation agent using the sequence of images.

A fine particle measurement device includes a support stand (20) that has a groove (F) extending in a predetermined direction and is configured to support in the groove an observation container (10), which has an elongate shape and accommodates a liquid sample containing a fine particle therein such that an extending direction of the groove (F) coincides with a longitudinal direction of the observation container (10); and an imaging unit (40) that is configured to capture an image of the fine particle in the observation container (10) at a position where the support stand is out of a field of view, the observation container (10) being supported by the support stand (20).