Patent ID: 8715572

Claim:
A flow cytometry analyzer for the detection of rare cellular events in a sample containing a plurality of cells, the analyzer comprising: a flow cell dimensioned so as to permit a flow of a sample through the flow cell at a flow rate greater than 300,000 cells per second; a laser positioned to emit a laser beam directed to the flow cell; a deflector component disposed between the laser and the flow cell, wherein the deflector component is configured to affect a position of the laser beam relative to the sample flow; a fluorescence emission detector; a processor, and a memory unit comprising a computer-readable storage medium programmed with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: contact the sample with one or more cell binding surface markers used to identify one or more rare cellular events; pass the sample through the flow cell at a flow rate greater than 300,000 cells per second. direct the laser beam toward the flow cell; sweep the laser beam across an area of interrogation within the flow cell using the deflector component; detect a plurality of light scatter and/or fluorescence emission signals from the cells in the sample; and analyze the detected light scatter and/or fluorescence emission signals to identify one or more rare cellular events within the sample.