Patent ID: 9594071
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: B01D,B01L,G01N

Claim:
1. A method comprising: providing at least one collimated light source operable to generate at least one collimated light source beam, the at least one collimated light source beam comprising at least one beam cross-section; providing a body defining a first channel in a first plane, a second channel in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, the second channel communicating with the first channel, the second channel comprising a second channel cross-section, the second channel being oriented to receive the at least one collimated light source beam, a third channel in a third plane orthogonal to the second plane, the third channel communicating with the second channel; transmitting the at least one collimated light source beam through the second channel, the transmitted at least one collimated light source beam comprising a beam direction; transmitting a sample flow into the first channel, the sample flow comprising a flow direction opposite the beam direction in the second channel, the sample flow comprising a plurality of particles, the plurality of particles comprising at least one particle type, the sample flow comprising a sample flow cross-section, the sample flow cross-section comprising a sample flow cross-section size, the sample flow comprising a sample flow center; transmitting at least one sheath flow into the first channel, a combined flow comprising the sample flow and the at least one sheath flow; and at least one of focusing the sample flow cross-section size within the combined flow and positioning the sample flow center within the combined flow.