Patent ID: 8470246

Claim:
A fluidic system for drawing a sample fluid, from a sample container, into an interrogation zone of a flow cytometer, comprising: a flow cell comprising a sheath fluid inlet and a sample fluid inlet coupled to the sample container, wherein the sheath fluid inlet and sample fluid inlet are coupled to a fluid path through the interrogation zone; a sheath pump configured to pump a sheath fluid at a sheath flow rate through the sheath fluid inlet and into the interrogation zone by the fluid path; a waste pump configured to pump a waste fluid at a waste flow rate from the interrogation zone, wherein a pressure differential resulting from the sheath flow rate and the waste flow rate draws the sample fluid, through the sample fluid inlet of the flow cell and into the interrogation zone, with the sheath fluid by the fluid path; a detection system, coupled to the interrogation zone, configured to provide a data set of input signals from the sample fluid; an analysis engine configured to recognize an aggregate particle event from the data set; and a controller configured to automatically adjust a sample core stream diameter of the sample fluid in the interrogation zone, by adjusting the pressure differential, based on recognition of the aggregate particle event.