Patent ID: 8567608

Claim:
A particle sorting system, comprising: a plurality of primary sorting channels each of which is adapted to receive a stream of suspended particles confined in a carrier liquid, wherein each of the primary sorting channels extends through one of one or more detection regions adapted for detecting one or more predetermined characteristics in a particle, wherein at least one of the detection regions comprises one or more sensors for measuring a velocity of a particle in a primary sorting channel, and wherein each of the primary sorting channels includes a switching region adapted for separating particles into first and second receiving channels based on the one or more predetermined particle characteristics; an aggregation chamber downstream of the switching regions adapted for aggregating the particles from at least three of the first receiving channels corresponding to at least three of the switching regions into one or more outlet channels; an enrichment region downstream of the aggregation chamber adapted for adjusting a volume of carrier liquid; and at least one secondary sorting channel in series with the plurality of parallel primary sorting channels and downstream of the enrichment region, the at least one secondary sorting channel adapted for receiving particles from one of the outlet channels and for separating the particles received from the one of the outlet channels based on the same one or more predetermined particle characteristics as used in the switching regions corresponding to the primary sorting channels.