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Cytonome has developed the fastest, fully sterile optical cell sorter ever produced. The Gigasort instrument is the most revolutionary advance in optical cell sorting technology since the original development of fluorescent-activated cell sorters in the 1960’s.
A number of technological breakthroughs were needed to complete the Gigasort instrument. These patented technological advances were made possible by Cytonome’s work in the fields of microfluidics and disposable cartridges, optics, electronics and micron tolerance mechanics.
Cytonome’s most prominent advance was made in the field of microfluidic technology. We developed the world’s fastest microfluidic particle switch (or microsorter), operating at a rate of 2,000 cell sorting operations per second. The Cytonome microsorter switch operates at 10 times the speed of any similar device. Cytonome has been able to place 72 of these microfluidic switches onto a glass chip that is only 2 inches wide by 3 inches long. This single chip can sort 144,000 cells per second (0.5 x 109 cells per hour) and operates at 7 times the throughput of a conventional fluorescent activated cell sorter. In a configuration containing 144 microsorters, the Gigasort system can sort 288,000 cells per second (1.0 x 109 cells per hour) compared with the 25,000 - 30,000 cells per second achieved in practice by traditional single-channel, stream-in-air droplet cell sorters.
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1. Cell passes through microfluidic channel.
2. Laser beam illuminates cell,
optical emissions occur.
3. Actuator pushes diaphragm, moves cell into upper portion of fluid stream.
4. Desired cell (green) pushed into keep area.
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