IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687480
Granted Patent B2
US 12687480 · App. 17/794,187 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Flow cell of flow cytometer and cleaning method of flow cell of flow cytometer

Inventors: Yoko Kawamura (Tokyo, JP); Keiji Nakagawa (Tokyo, JP); Keisuke Toda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: THINKCYTE K.K.
G01N15/1404B08B9/0321G01N15/1434B08B2209/032G01N2015/1006G01N15/149
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687480
App. No.
17/794,187
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flow cell of the flow cytometer of the present invention includes: a sample flow path through which a sample fluid containing a sample flows; and a sample fluid supply portion which communicates with an upstream end of the sample flow path in the sample fluid flow direction and supplies the sample fluid to the sample flow path, wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes a plurality of sample opening portions which supply a sample fluid to the sample flow path, a cleaning liquid supply opening portion to which a second tube is connectable and which supplies a cleaning liquid for cleaning the sample fluid supply portion, and a cleaning liquid discharge opening portion to which a first tube is connectable and which discharges the cleaning liquid from the sample fluid supply portion.

Claims (54)

1 . A flow cell of a flow cytometer comprising:

a sample flow path through which a sample fluid containing a sample flows; and

a sample fluid supply portion which communicates with an upstream end of the sample flow path in a sample fluid flow direction and is configured to supply the sample fluid to the sample flow path,

wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes a plurality of sample opening portions which are configured to supply the sample fluid to the sample flow path, a cleaning liquid supply opening portion to which a tube is connectable and which is configured to supply a cleaning liquid configured to clean the sample fluid supply portion, and a cleaning liquid discharge opening portion to which a tube is connectable and which is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid from the sample fluid supply portion, and

wherein the cleaning liquid supply opening portion and the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion are placed in the sample fluid supply portion so that the cleaning liquid flows in the sample fluid supply portion in a direction opposite to the sample fluid flow direction when the cleaning liquid flows in the sample fluid supply portion from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

2 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of sample opening portions are arranged in order of supplying the sample fluid.

3 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid last among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further downstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid supply opening portion.

4 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid last among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid supply opening portion.

5 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further upstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

6 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

7 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid later among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on an upstream side of the cleaning liquid.

8 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes a cleaning liquid flow path which has the cleaning liquid supply opening portion and the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion at both ends, and

wherein the plurality of sample opening portions are placed in the cleaning liquid flow path.

9 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes a communication path which is configured to allow the communication of the plurality of sample opening portions with the upstream end of the sample flow path in the sample fluid flow direction, and

wherein the communication path is thicker than the sample flow path.

10 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 2 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid last among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further downstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid supply opening portion.

11 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 2 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid last among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid supply opening portion.

12 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 2 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further upstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

13 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 3 ,

wherein the sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further upstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

14 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 4 ,

wherein the sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on a further upstream side of the cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion than the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

15 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 2 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

16 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 3 ,

wherein the sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

17 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 4 ,

wherein the sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid first among the plurality of sample opening portions is also the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

18 . The flow cell of the flow cytometer according to claim 2 ,

wherein a sample opening portion which is configured to supply the sample fluid later among the plurality of sample opening portions is placed on an upstream side of the cleaning liquid.

19 . A cleaning method of a flow cell of a flow cytometer according to claim 1 comprising:

a sample flow step of allowing the sample fluid to flow from one of the plurality of sample opening portions to the sample flow path; and

a cleaning step of allowing the cleaning liquid to flow from the cleaning liquid supply opening portion to the cleaning liquid discharge opening portion.

20 . A flow cell of a flow cytometer comprising:

a sample flow path through which a sample fluid containing a sample flows;

a sample fluid supply portion which communicates with an upstream end of the sample flow path in a sample fluid flow direction and is configured to supply the sample fluid to the sample flow path; and

a sheath flow path through which a sheath liquid flows,

wherein the sample flow path has an upstream end communicating with the sample fluid supply portion, and a confluence portion which is provided downstream of the upstream end along the sample fluid flow direction and communicates with a downstream end of the sheath flow path,

wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes

a plurality of sample opening portions arranged in the sample fluid flow direction within the sample fluid supply portion; and

a communication path which communicates the plurality of sample opening portions in the sample fluid flow direction within the sample fluid supply portion and is configured to allow communication of the plurality of sample opening portions with the upstream end of the sample flow path in the sample fluid flow direction,

wherein the plurality of sample opening portions are arranged in the sample fluid supply portion so that the sample fluid is supplied to the sample flow path from at least one of the plurality of sample opening portions, and

wherein the communication path is thicker than the confluence portion of the sample flow path.