A T cell sorting device comprising: a cell sorting pathway comprising: (i) an inlet; (ii) an observation zone coupled to the inlet downstream of the inlet, the observation zone configured to present T cells for individual autofluorescence interrogation; and (iii) a cell sorter having a sorter inlet and at least two sorter outlets, the cell sorter coupled to the observation zone via the sorter inlet downstream of the observation zone, the cell sorter configured to selectively direct a cell from the sorter inlet to one of the at least two sorter outlets based on a sorter signal; characterized in that it further comprises a single-cell autofluorescence detector configured to acquire an autofluorescence data set from a T cell positioned in the observation zone, the single-cell autofluorescence detector configured to acquire autofluorescence lifetime information for each autofluorescence data set; a processor in electronic communication with the cell sorter and the single-cell autofluorescence detector; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: a) receive the autofluorescence data set; and b) provide the sorter signal to the cell sorter based on an activation value, wherein the sorter signal directs the cell sorter to selectively direct the T cell to a first outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value exceeds a predetermined threshold and to a second outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, wherein the activation value is computed using at least one metabolic endpoint of the autofluorescence data set for the T cell as an input, wherein the at least one metabolic endpoint includes reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD H) shortest fluorescence lifetime amplitude component (α 1). a cell sorting pathway comprising: (i) an inlet; (ii) an observation zone coupled to the inlet downstream of the inlet, the observation zone configured to present T cells for individual autofluorescence interrogation; and (iii) a cell sorter having a sorter inlet and at least two sorter outlets, the cell sorter coupled to the observation zone via the sorter inlet downstream of the observation zone, the cell sorter configured to selectively direct a cell from the sorter inlet to one of the at least two sorter outlets based on a sorter signal; (i) an inlet; (ii) an observation zone coupled to the inlet downstream of the inlet, the observation zone configured to present T cells for individual autofluorescence interrogation; and (iii) a cell sorter having a sorter inlet and at least two sorter outlets, the cell sorter coupled to the observation zone via the sorter inlet downstream of the observation zone, the cell sorter configured to selectively direct a cell from the sorter inlet to one of the at least two sorter outlets based on a sorter signal; characterized in that it further comprises a single-cell autofluorescence detector configured to acquire an autofluorescence data set from a T cell positioned in the observation zone, the single-cell autofluorescence detector configured to acquire autofluorescence lifetime information for each autofluorescence data set; a processor in electronic communication with the cell sorter and the single-cell autofluorescence detector; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: a) receive the autofluorescence data set; and b) provide the sorter signal to the cell sorter based on an activation value, wherein the sorter signal directs the cell sorter to selectively direct the T cell to a first outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value exceeds a predetermined threshold and to a second outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, wherein the activation value is computed using at least one metabolic endpoint of the autofluorescence data set for the T cell as an input, wherein the at least one metabolic endpoint includes reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD H) shortest fluorescence lifetime amplitude component (α 1). a) receive the autofluorescence data set; and b) provide the sorter signal to the cell sorter based on an activation value, wherein the sorter signal directs the cell sorter to selectively direct the T cell to a first outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value exceeds a predetermined threshold and to a second outlet of the at least two sorter outlets when the activation value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, wherein the activation value is computed using at least one metabolic endpoint of the autofluorescence data set for the T cell as an input, wherein the at least one metabolic endpoint includes reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD H) shortest fluorescence lifetime amplitude component (α 1).