Patent ID: 11965816
Assignee: 1087 SYSTEMS, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  C  G | IPC B  C  G

Claim 17:
18. An apparatus for sorting a plurality of sperm cells, the apparatus comprising:
a light source configured to provide a light, wherein the light source comprises a UV or visible laser configured to cause an emission by a fluorescent label attached to each sperm cell in the plurality of sperm cells;
a measurement volume configured to contain a sample to be measured;
a first optic device configured to direct the light through the measurement volume, wherein the apparatus is configured to flow the plurality of sperm cells through the measurement volume one by one such that as each sperm cell flows through the measurement volume, it interacts with the light from the light source, thereby resulting in a change in light originating from the measurement volume, wherein the change in light is the emission due to fluorescence;
a second optic device configured to direct a portion of the light originating from the measurement volume to only one detector;
the detector configured to detect the portion of light directed by the second optic device in two modes;
a signal processor operably coupled to the detector, and configured to execute computer-readable instructions to perform operations comprising:
generating an estimate of DNA quantity in each sperm cell in the plurality of sperm cells based on the change in light originating from the measurement volume; and
determining a characteristic of each sperm cell based on the estimate of the DNA quantity in said sperm cell, wherein the characteristic is whether the sperm cell is x-bearing or y-bearing; and

one or more pressure ports or channels configured to sort each sperm cell in the plurality of sperm cells to one side or the other of a microfluidic channel, based on the determined characteristic of the sperm cell so as to cause it to flow into one of a plurality of output channels.