Patent ID: 7452725

Claim:
A flow sorting method comprising: transporting a fluid composition comprising a plurality of objects through a pathway network, wherein the pathway network comprises a plurality of pathways and one or more branch points; analyzing groups of multiple objects of the plurality of objects being transported in a pathway of the pathway network to detect objects of interest, wherein analyzing each group of multiple objects comprises analyzing simultaneously the multiple objects of the group together by providing a measurement taken on multiple objects of the group together in the pathway, the measurement for use in determining a pathway of the pathway network down which the group is to be directed; and directing at least a few of the groups of the multiple objects through one branch point of the one or more branch points down at least one pathway of the plurality of pathways based on the analysis of the groups of multiple objects such that a distance between multiple objects of the few groups is increased and directing other groups of multiple objects down a pathway different than the at least one pathway to increase the percentage of objects of interest in the at least one pathway relative to other objects present therein, wherein the method further comprises: analyzing objects of the few groups directed down the at least one pathway with increased distance between multiple objects thereof to detect objects of interest, wherein analyzing the objects of the few groups comprises analyzing simultaneously multiple objects together in a pathway by providing at least a measurement taken on the multiple objects together, the measurement for use in determining a pathway of the pathway network down which one or more of the objects of the few groups is to be directed; and directing one or more of the objects of the few groups through another of the one or more branch points down another pathway of the pathway network based on the analysis of objects of the few groups to further increase the percentage of objects of interest therein relative to other objects present therein.