Luminex has been awarded US Patent 7,318,336, “Methods for controlling one or more parameters of a flow cytometer type measurement system.”
The inventors listed on the patent are Wayne Roth and Douglas Moore.
The patent provides methods for controlling one or more parameters of a flow cytometer-type measurement system, the abstract stated. One method involves monitoring parameter(s) of the system during measurements of sample microspheres. This method also involves altering the parameter(s) in real time based on the monitoring. A second method includes monitoring a temperature proximate to the measurement system, such as altering a bias voltage of an avalanche photo diode in response to the temperature using empirically derived data. Output signals of a photomultiplier tube could also be altered in response to the temperature using a characteristic curve. Other methods include monitoring a temperature of a fluid, in which sample microspheres are disposed, that will flow through the flow cytometer-type measurement system. This method would involve determining a velocity of the sample microspheres in the measurement system from a viscosity of the fluid at that temperature.