Combined Transmission Optical Filter for Flow Cytometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow cytometry techniques face challenges in cost, size, and signal-to-noise ratio issues due to the need for multiple excitation sources and filters, which are costly and bulky, making them unsuitable for field clinics, water monitoring, and biothreat detection, and struggle with detecting weakly fluorescing cells and small differences in native fluorescence spectra.
Innovation Solution
The use of filter components with combined transmission functions that superimpose simpler non-uniform transmission functions to provide multiple transmission functions in a short path, allowing concurrent spectral and spatial information acquisition, maintaining high spatial resolution and increasing photon flux, enabling detection of weakly emitting cells and small differences in native fluorescence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple excitation sources and filters are used in flow cytometry, then spectral information can be obtained, but the device becomes bulky and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmission functions into a single filter component by superimposing simpler non-uniform transmission functions. This merging approach eliminates the need for multiple separate filters and excitation sources, reducing device complexity and size while maintaining the capability to acquire spectral information through spatially modulated excitation and emission
Solution Approach 2:
The filter component with combined transmission functions serves multiple purposes: it provides spectral filtering, spatial modulation, and signal separation simultaneously. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components, addressing the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
2Measurement precision
If multiple filters are used to detect different fluorescence spectra, then detection accuracy improves, but the signal-to-noise ratio deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating spatially varying transmission functions within a single filter component. Different regions of the filter provide different transmission characteristics, allowing selective detection of fluorescence spectra while maintaining high signal-to-noise ratio through localized filtering actions rather than multiple bulk filters
3Measurement precision
If traditional filters are used, then spectral filtering is achieved, but spatial resolution is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional uniform filter designs to non-uniform transmission functions that vary across the filter aperture. By introducing spatial dimensionality into the filter design, the system achieves spectral filtering while preserving spatial resolution, as the transmission properties are modulated across different spatial locations rather than uniformly across the entire filter
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for cost-effective and reliable detection of weakly emitting cells, improving signal-to-noise ratios and enabling high-resolution spectral characterization of particles, suitable for applications like flow cytometry and hyperspectral color sensing.
Implementation Method 1
filter components with combined transmission functions that superimpose simpler non-uniform transmission functions to provide multiple transmission functions in a short path
Implementation Method 2
maintaining high spatial resolution and increasing photon flux, enabling detection of weakly emitting cells and small differences in native fluorescence
Implementation Method 3
detection of weakly emitting cells and small differences in native fluorescence spectra
Implementation Method 4
filter components with combined transmission functions that superimpose simpler non-uniform transmission functions
Data Source
AI summary
A transmissive and/or reflective optical filter can receive input light, which can emanate from objects traveling along paths past the filter, e.g. from biological cells, viruses, colored spots or other markings on documents, and so forth. In response, the filter can provide output light in accordance with a combined transmission function that is approximately equal to a superposition or scaled superposition of a set of simpler transmission functions. The set can include two or more non-uniform transmission functions, a subset of which can be different from each other and positioned relative to each other so that the output light has time variation in accordance with each of the functions in the subset. The subset could include, for example, a random function and a periodic function, a chirp function and a periodic function, or any other suitable combination of two or more simpler functions.