Particle Sorting Droplet Imaging for Stable Charge Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow cytometry technologies face challenges in stabilizing droplet formation and accurately sorting particles due to environmental factors, leading to instability in droplet break-off timing and direction, which affects analysis and sorting accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A particle analyzer equipped with a vibration unit, charging unit, side stream imaging unit, and charging control unit that calculates the distance between side streams and determines the charging timing based on captured images, along with a droplet imaging unit and break-off control unit that adjusts voltage and liquid feeding pressure to control droplet break-off and position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vibration is applied to form droplets in flow cytometry, then particles can be sorted by charging and deflecting droplets, but droplet break-off timing becomes unstable due to environmental factors such as flow rate, temperature, and humidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting the actual droplet break-off timing and using this information to adjust the vibration phase for stable droplet formation. The system monitors the break-off timing and feeds this information back to the vibration control unit, which adjusts the vibration phase accordingly to maintain stable droplet formation despite environmental variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the vibration phase parameter dynamically based on detected break-off timing to optimize droplet formation. By adjusting the vibration phase in response to environmental conditions, the system maintains stable droplet break-off timing without requiring fixed environmental conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If droplet formation is unstable, then sorting accuracy deteriorates due to unstable charging timing, but increasing control mechanisms to stabilize break-off timing increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from break-off timing detection to adjust vibration phase, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically compensates for instability without requiring complex external control mechanisms. This feedback approach maintains sorting accuracy while avoiding excessive device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment by using its own break-off timing detection to control its vibration phase. The flow cytometer monitors its own droplet formation and automatically adjusts its operation to maintain stability, eliminating the need for external complex control systems.
3Reliability
If multiple factors such as flow rate, temperature, and humidity are involved in droplet formation, then comprehensive control is needed to maintain stability, but this increases the difficulty of detecting and measuring all parameters
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of measuring all environmental parameters, the system uses feedback from the actual droplet break-off timing as a composite indicator that reflects the combined effect of all environmental factors. This single measurement approach maintains reliability while avoiding the complexity of measuring and controlling multiple parameters separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The break-off timing detection acts as an intermediary that translates the combined effect of multiple environmental factors into a single measurable parameter. Rather than directly measuring flow rate, temperature, and humidity separately, the system measures their combined influence on break-off timing, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining comprehensive control.
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
Enhances analysis and sorting accuracy by stabilizing droplet formation and direction, even under environmental variations such as flow rate, temperature, and humidity, allowing for precise particle detection and sorting.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration unit that applies vibration to a fluid including a sample flow which contains a particle and a sheath flow which flows so as to include the sample flow
Implementation Method 2
a charging unit that applies electric charge to a droplet including the particle, the droplet being formed by the vibration
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technology for improving analysis accuracy and sorting accuracy in a technology for analyzing and sorting particles.In the present technology, there is provided a particle analyzer including: a vibration unit that applies vibration to a fluid including a sample flow which contains a particle and a sheath flow which flows so as to include the sample flow to form a droplet in the fluid; a charging unit that applies electric charge to the droplet including the particle; a side stream imaging unit that images a state of the droplet deflected by the electric charge; and a charging control unit that controls a timing of charging on the basis of an image captured by the side stream imaging unit.