Patent ID: 8283177

Claim:
A method for cleaning a fluidic system of a flow cytometer having a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid towards an interrogation zone and a waste pump to pump the sheath fluid and a sample fluid as waste fluid from the interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid into the flow cytometer through a drawtube towards the interrogation zone, comprising: controlling the sheath pump and the waste pump to cooperatively flush a fluid out through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer, including: pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a first flow rate; and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a second flow rate; wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; and drawing in a cleaning fluid, including: pumping sheath fluid towards the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer at a third flow rate; and pumping waste fluid from the interrogation zone at a fourth pump flow rate; wherein the third flow rate is less than the fourth flow rate.