Patent ID: 8820538

Claim:
A method of sorting and dispensing microparticles, comprising: passing a microparticle surrounded by fluid into a flow switch; changing a flow rate of the fluid surrounding the microparticle from a first flow rate to a second flow rate when the microparticle has a predetermined characteristic and is present in the flow switch; and passing the microparticle through the flow switch into a waste outlet flow path when the fluid surrounding the microparticle is traveling through the flow switch at approximately the first flow rate, or passing the microparticle through the flow switch into a sample outlet flow path and dispensing the microparticle as a droplet out of the sample outlet flow path when the fluid surrounding the microparticle is traveling through the flow switch at approximately the second flow rate, wherein a static fluid pressure in the waste outlet flow path is lower than a static fluid pressure in the sample outlet flow path.