Patent ID: 7104405

Claim:
A particle sorting system for sorting particles suspended in a liquid, comprising: an inlet duct through which flows a liquid containing particles having a predetermined characteristic and particles not having a predetermined characteristic, wherein a) the inlet duct branches into a plurality of channels which are operated in parallel and simultaneously fed with the liquid, each channel having a sorting module and two outlet channels, and each sorting module having a switch unit for distribution of particles having a first predetermined characteristic and particles not having the first predetermined characteristic between said two different outlet channels, b) each sorting module comprising at least one sensor which detects and classifies the particles having the first predetermined characteristic, and an actuator controlled by each of said sensor arranged on each said switch unit for selectively deflecting a particle having the first predetermined characteristic into one of said outlet channels; c) each of said two outlet channels on each sorting module is connected to a separate summing channel for the particles having the first predetermined characteristic and particles not having the first predetermined characteristic selectively distributed to it; and d) at least one secondary sorting module connected to one of the summing channels for the particles having the first predetermined characteristic, each of said secondary sorting modules having a first outlet channel and a second outlet channel, a detector for sensing particles and a switch unit for selectively deflecting a particle having a second predetermined characteristic into one of said outlet channels based on a second predetermined characteristic.