IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,730,057
Granted Patent B2
US 12,730,057 · App. 19/026,106 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

System and method for deforming and analyzing particles

Inventors: Dino Di Carlo (Los Angeles, CA); Daniel R. Gossett (Los Angeles, CA); Henry T.K. Tse (San Francisco, CA); Aram Chung (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
G01N15/147G01N15/1404G01N15/1434G01N15/1436G01N15/1459G01N15/1484G01N21/6428G01N21/645G01N33/50G01N33/5091G06T7/0004G01N15/01G01N2015/1006G01N2015/1415G01N2015/1495G01N21/64G01N2021/6439G06T7/0016
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,730,057
App. No.
19/026,106
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for deforming a plurality of particles carried in a sample volume includes a reusable substrate defining an inlet, configured to receive the sample volume, and an outlet, wherein the inlet or outlet is configured to couple to a module to introduce or collect a washing or flushing solution. A fluidic pathway is disposed in the reusable substrate and fluidically couples to the inlet and the outlet and includes a delivery region fluidically coupled to the inlet and configured to focus the plurality of particles along at least one streamline and a deformation region located downstream with respect to the delivery region and formed by an intersection of the fluidic pathway and an opposing inlet channel, wherein flow of a fluid from the opposing inlet channel at the intersection mechanically deforms the plurality of particles passing through the deformation region.

Claims (24)

1 . An automated method for determining an activation state associated with a blood sample, the method comprising:

(a) delivering a stream of a portion of the blood sample along an axis toward a detection region of a flow channel comprising a photodetector, wherein the detection region receives the stream of the portion of the blood sample and at least one cell-free fluid inflow, and wherein the at least one cell-free fluid inflow is off-axis from the axis of the stream of the portion of the blood sample;

(b) detecting a change in voltage of the photodetector as a cell passes through the detection region;

(c) determining a morphological parameter of the cell from at least the change in voltage;

(d) determining, from a morphology dataset comprising the morphological parameter of the cell, a plurality of cell subpopulations of the blood sample; and

(e) determining the activation state associated with the blood sample based on the plurality of cell subpopulations.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell is a leukocyte.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the activation state associated with the blood sample is based at least in part on the morphological parameter of the leukocyte.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow channel comprises a microfluidic channel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stream of the portion of the blood sample is focused via hydrodynamic focusing, sheath fluid, dielectrophoretic focusing, or magnetic focusing.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the photodetector comprises a photomultiplier.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the morphological parameter of the cell comprises a length of the cell, a width of the cell, a length to width ratio of the cell, an elastic modulus of the cell, a viscosity of the cell, a circularity of the cell, a roughness of the cell, a size of the cell, a volume of the cell, a diameter of the cell, an area of the cell, or a symmetry of the cell.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cell subpopulations comprises an activated leukocyte subpopulation.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a plot of the plurality of cell subpopulations.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the plot comprises a two-dimensional or three-dimensional density plot of the plurality of cell subpopulations.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the morphology dataset comprises a plurality of morphological parameter measurements of a plurality of cells of the blood sample.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying an infection of an individual based at least in part on the activation state associated with the blood sample.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a laser light to illuminate the cell.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the change in voltage is based at least in part on a scattering of the laser light from the illumination of the cell.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the scattering of the laser light is detected by the photodetector.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising hydrodynamically focusing a plurality of cells comprising the cell prior to the detection region of the flow channel.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cell subpopulations of the blood sample comprises resting leukocytes and activated leukocytes.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the infection is a blood stream infection.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a change in the morphological parameter, wherein the morphology dataset comprises the change in the morphological parameter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2025
From: DI CARLO, DINO; GOSSETT, DANIEL R.; TSE, HENRY T.K.; CHUNG, ARAM
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Reel/Frame 069907/0125 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 18637148 · Apr 16, 2024
Continuation 17200728 · Mar 12, 2021
Continuation 16374663 · Apr 3, 2019
Continuation 15471851 · Mar 28, 2017
Continuation 14802293 · Jul 17, 2015
Continuation 14058028 · Oct 18, 2013
Provisional Application 61719171 · Oct 26, 2012
Provisional Application 61718077 · Oct 24, 2012
Provisional Application 61718092 · Oct 24, 2012
Related Publication 20250155357A1 · May 15, 2025
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