Asymmetric capillary for capillary-flow cytometers
US7564542B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 10, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jul 21, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 20, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2015/1415
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides improved capillaries that lead to increased resolution in conventional capillary-flow cytometers. The cross-sectional shape of capillaries made according to the present invention lack a center of symmetry. In some embodiments, capillaries have inner side walls that are tilted at angles with respect to the collection-system optical axis so that the widest dimension of the inner bore is closest to the collection optical system and have an outer wall closest to the collection optical system with a dimension large enough to minimize the contribution of outer-wall refraction to the collected light signal. Exemplary capillary embodiments include tubes with a rectangular outer wall and a trapezoidal inner wall, a rectangular outer wall and a triangular inner wall, triangular outer and inner walls, a triangular outer wall with a trapezoidal inner wall, and a hemispherical or rhomboid outer wall and trapezoidal or triangular inner wall.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.