Patent ID: 8303894

Claim:
A fluidic system for drawing sample fluid from a sample container, into an interrogation zone of a flow cytometer, comprising: a sheath pump that pumps sheath fluid at a sheath flow rate from a sheath container through a flow cell into the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer, wherein the flow cell is fluidically coupled to the sample container; a waste pump that pumps waste fluid at a waste flow rate from the interrogation zone into a waste container; wherein the sheath flow rate is different from the waste flow rate, thereby creating a pressure differential, and wherein the pressure differential draws the sample fluid from the sample container, through the flow cell with the sheath fluid into the interrogation zone at a sample flow rate; a detection system coupled to the interrogation zone that provides a data set of input signals from the sample fluid; an analysis engine that recognizes aggregate particle events in the data set; and a controller that automatically adjusts the sample flow rate based on the recognition of aggregate particle events by controlling at least one of the sheath flow rate and the waste flow rate to adjust the pressure differential.