Our Technology
Cytonome has developed a range of patented, disruptive technologies to change how cell sorters operate: smart, simple, and accessible application-specific.
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Jet-in-Air / Droplet
Both the Cytonome Viva™ system and Cytonome Hydris™ system utilize the industry-standard cell sorting technology known as ‘jet-in-air' or ‘electrostatic droplet’ sorting.
Upon exiting the nozzle, pass through a laser beam in single-file, specific cell-containing droplets that have been identified as members of a target population are electrostatically charged. Charged droplets are then deflected away from the main fluid stream into collection vessels.
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Microfluidics
The Cytonome Gigasort™ ensures the highest degree of cell purification inside a completely enclosed, proprietary microfluidic chip-based system.
Hydrodynamic focusing ensures that cells pass the light excitation source in single file for accurate characterization with no exposed fluid streams, droplets, nozzles or electrostatic charges. Target cells are selected through a fast fluidic-switch mechanism. The enclosed design supports sterile sorting and delivers a gentle, aerosol free method for cell purification.
Cell Sorting Architectures
Cytonome has developed a number of novel system architectures for sorting technologies to enable applications in cellular therapy, life science and industrial cell production.
Platform Size
Failed attempts to reduce the size of traditionally large cell sorter systems have constrained efforts to date, carrying with it complexity in instrument installation and use.
Approach
The Cytonome Viva™ system finally breaks the size barrier with the world’s smallest design incorporating standard charged droplet technology. All engineering support is now on-board the industry’s smallest platform, including all optics, fluidics, pressure sources, and computer interface.
Benefits
- Ease-of-use sorting for virtually all lab personnel
- Plug-in system installation, period
- Efficient use of laboratory space
- Biohazard containment; fits in std. biohazard hood
- Extremely accessible price point for most laboratory budgets
Sort Speed Scaling
Virtually all current high-performance cell sorters utilize charged droplet sorting technology.
Attempts at increasing sorting efficiency and speed have largely focused on higher stream pressures, higher cell concentrations and faster computer analysis. Yet the physics associated with single stream charged droplet sorting places theoretical limits on sorting performance, and their concomitant effects on cell integrity.
Approach
Cytonome Hydris™ system's sorting architecture lessens these restrictions and enables researchers to dramatically scale-up their sorting speeds and thus, overall cell purification yields. Using a proprietary multi-headed sorting design, traditional charged droplet sorting can now be operated and controlled as an independent system, or linked together as needs dictate.
Benefits
- Scalable, high-throughput combined sort speeds
- Sorting efficiency and reliability
- Proven performance, reliability in multi-head design
- Flexibility in sorting applications
Sort Speed Parallelism
Microfluidic cell sorting permits a new way to address higher sorting speeds.
The efficient yet gentle cell sorting of individual, sealed microchannels, when combined in great numbers, provides sorting speeds once only imagined. Each microchannel functions as a single ‘cell sorter’ within a single glass chip. When the performance of 24, 48 or 72 of these channels is combined, extremely fast sorting speeds can be achieved without higher pressures, cell damage or aerosol creation.
Approach
Cytonome GigaSort™ system's sorting architecture is trailblazing and without peer in the industry. Using a technology known as PicoPulseTM, cells of interest are gently deflected into collection channels by means of a fluid pulse, without the high pressures, shearing forces or sheath fluid limitations imposed by charged droplet nozzle design.
Benefits
- Increased sort speeds by design
- Increased cell integrity, survival
- Sorting efficiency and speed
- Sterility of sorting
- Flexibility in sorting applications
- Safety for lab personnel