Patent ID: 9568423
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A system for detecting signal components of light induced by multiple excitation sources, comprising: a flow channel configured for the flow of particles, the flow channel comprising three spatially separated optical interrogation zones; a first excitation source configured to direct a light beam of a first wavelength at a near constant intensity onto a first of the optical interrogation zones, wherein the light beam of the first wavelength is not intensity modulated; second and third excitation sources, wherein the second excitation source is configured to direct a light beam of a second wavelength onto a second of the optical interrogation zones, and the third excitation source is configured to direct a light beam of a third wavelength onto a third of the optical interrogation zones, wherein the second wavelength is different from the first wavelength and the light beams of the second and third wavelength are intensity modulated at a same frequency; a detector subsystem comprising a set of detectors configured to detect light emitted from particles flowing through the optical interrogation zones and to convert the detected light into a total electrical signal comprising modulated and unmodulated electrical signals; and a processor configured to receive the total electrical signal from the detector subsystem, to de-modulate the modulated electrical signal, and to determine signal components from the light detected from each of the optical interrogation zones.