US Patent 10060847 Detection and signal processing system for particle assays

Systems and methods for detecting and processing signals from particles. In an exemplary method, particles may be passed through a zone of a channel, while the zone is irradiated with light. Interaction of the light with the particles may deflect light and induce photoluminescence. A deflection signal and a photoluminescence signal may be detected from the zone. Particle waveforms may be identified in the deflection signal. At least a subset of the particle waveforms may be double-peak waveforms including a pair of peaks corresponding to a particle entering and exiting the zone. Amplitudes may be obtained from the photoluminescence signal. The amplitudes may correspond to respective particles and their particle waveforms, and at least a subset of the amplitudes may correspond to the double-peak waveforms. Individual particles may be assigned as positive or as negative for an analyte based on the corresponding amplitudes.