A system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate a component upon determining that a hydrophobic coating of a surface is degraded based on a comparison of a characteristic of a liquid droplet with a threshold value.

Fluid management systems for flow type particle analyzers are provided. Aspects of the fluid management systems include a flow cell comprising an input and output; a cuvette comprising an input coupled to the output of the flow cell and further comprising an output; a sample input line for fluidically coupling a sample fluid source to the input of the flow cell; and a fluid supply subsystem configured to alternatively fluidically couple: (a) a primary fluid source; or (b) one or more secondary fluid sources, to the input of the flow cell. Also provided are methods of using flow type particle analyzers having the subject fluid management systems.

Methods and systems for determining a drop delay of a flow stream in a flow cytometer are provided. Aspects of the methods according to certain embodiments include capturing an image of the flow stream to obtain an imaged flow stream, identifying a disturbance at a break off point in the imaged flow stream and calculating the drop delay of the flow stream based on the identified disturbance. Systems for practicing the subject methods having an imaging sensor for capturing one or more images of the flow stream and a processor configured to identify a disturbance at a break off in the imaged flow stream and calculating the drop delay using the imaged flow stream are also provided. Non-transitory computer readable storage mediums are also described.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to evaluating and identifying cells by recording and interpreting a time-dependent signal produced by unique cell respiration and permeability attributes of isolated viable cells.

An apparatus for dispensing particles in free-flying liquid drops includes a fluid chamber fluidically coupled to a nozzle, a sound source configured to generate, in the fluid chamber, an acoustic field by which particles in a liquid in the fluid chamber may be aligned in an arrangement, and a drop-on-demand mechanism configured to, at a selected point in time, selectively dispense from the nozzle an individual liquid drop containing one or several particles.

The invention relates to a method for setting a cell concentration and/or a particle concentration in a dispensing device by means of which a liquid sample can be discharged, wherein the cell concentration and/or the particle concentration is ascertained in one region of the dispensing device, and the cell concentration and/or particle concentration that has been ascertained is compared with a target value, and a force exerted on one cell and/or one particle is adjusted based on the result of the comparison.

Provided are a microparticle sorting device, and a method and a program for sorting microparticles capable of stabilizing sorting performance over a prolonged period of time. The microparticle sorting device includes an imaging element and a controller. The imaging element obtains an image of fluid and fluid droplets at a position where the fluid discharged from an orifice which generates a fluid stream is converted into the fluid droplets. The controller controls driving voltage of an oscillation element which gives oscillation to the orifice and/or controls a position of the imaging element based on a state of the fluid in the image and/or a state of a satellite fluid droplet. The satellite fluid droplet does not include microparticles and exists between the position, where the fluid is converted into the fluid droplets, and a fluid droplet, among fluid droplets including the microparticles, which is closest to the position where the fluid is converted into the fluid droplets.

There is provided a droplet sorting device including a detector configured to detect a state of droplets ejected from an orifice that generates a fluid stream and of satellite droplets existing between the droplets, and a controller configured to control a frequency of a driving voltage supplied to a vibration element that applies vibration to the orifice on the basis of positions where the satellite droplets exist.

Systems and methods for particle sorting are presented including a monitoring system downstream of a particle separator or sorter. The system can utilize the monitoring system to adjust or calibrate operational parameters of the system in real time. When a particle of interest is mis-sorted, the probability is high that the particle of interest has been sorted into a non-targeted sortable unit that was adjacent in sequence to the sortable unit that was expected to include the particle of interest. The monitoring system monitors non-targeted sortable units in the system that were adjacent in sequence to targeted sortable units that are predicted to contain particles of interest. Signals from the monitoring system enable automated adjustment or calibration of operational parameters of the system such as sort delay or purity mask parameters.

Apparatus and methods are described for automatically performing set-up steps for flow cytometry operations. The invention provides for the spatial determination of a flow stream and the subsequent automatic alignment of analysis devices and/or collection vessels. The automatic determination of flow stream properties provides for the automatic configuration flow cytometer parameters.