Patent ID: 8715573

Claim:
A fluidic system for pumping sample fluid from a sample port and into an interrogation zone of a flow cytometer, comprising: a sheath pump that pumps sheath fluid from a sheath container into an interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump is configured fluidically between the sheath container and the interrogation zone; a waste pump that pumps waste fluid from the interrogation zone into a waste container, wherein the waste pump is configured fluidically between the interrogation zone and the waste container; wherein the sheath pump and the waste pump are configured to cooperatively draw a plurality of samples of sample fluid, through use of a pressure differential, from the sample port into the interrogation zone of the flow cytometer, an optical analysis system that stimulates emission of light from each of the plurality of samples in the interrogation zone and detects emitted light from each of the plurality of samples, wherein the optical analysis system collects data based on the emitted light; and a processor that adjusts a flow rate of the sample fluid from the sample port into the interrogation zone and that calculates a time window for each sample to reach the interrogation zone from the sample port based on the flow rate of the sample fluid, wherein the processor delays data collection by the time window to associate the emitted light with at least one of the plurality of samples.