How A Flow Cytometer Functions

By April Heath


A flow cytometer is an instrument used to perform flow cytometry. Cytometry refers to a laser based biophysical technology utilized in biomarker detection, sorting, protein engineering, and counting cells. Cells are suspended inside a stream of liquid and passed through some detection apparatus. Cells being studied are first stained by fluorescent dyes. The fluorescence of the dyes is the one detected by use of laser beam illumination.

These device was originally invented in the states and patented by its discoverer in the year 1953. The first one was grounded on impedance and utilized the Coulter principle. It has undergone multiple modifications ever since and important adjustments were performed at every stage. Later models were developed by different individuals from different locations and every individual patented their own.

This equipment works through a number of steps. A ray of light, usually a laser of one wavelength is aimed on a hydrodynamically concentrated of stream liquid. Several detectors get aimed at the point at which the stream passes through the laser beam. Every particle suspended in the stream within a given micrometers of diameter scatters the rays. The fluorescent chemicals inside the particle could be excited into releasing light at longer wavelengths than the source of light.

The detectors take up the combination of the fluorescent and scattered light. Through correct analysis of the variations observed in brilliance at each detector, different information concerning the physical and chemical properties and structures of individual speck could be established. Some versions of cytometers do not use fluorescence for measurement and hence only utilize light scatter. Other versions create images of scattered light, transmitted light, and fluorescence for each cell.

These equipments are usually very powerful and can perform analysis of thousands of particles in a second. All analysis are done in real time and particles with specific properties are separated. They do simultaneous multiparametric analysis of the chemical and physical properties. Cytometry is used in diagnosis of health disorders, particularly blood cancer, but it has several other applications in clinical practice, clinical trials, and basic research.

Flow cytometers are same as microscopes, although instead of producing images, cytometry delivers high throughput, and automatic qualification of set elements. These equipments have 5 main parts, that is, an amplification unit, a computer system, a measuring system, a detector with analogue to digital converter, and a flow cell. A computer system scrutinizes the input signals whereas the amplification unit may either be logarithmic or linear.

Flow cell aligns cells so that they pass through the laser beam as one line for purposes of sensing. Commonly utilized measuring units are for measurement of optical systems and impedance. The activity of gathering information from samples using this appliance is referred to as acquisition. Acquisition is carried out by a computer connected physically to the cytometer and interfaced by software. Current instruments have multiple laser and fluorescence detectors.

The original flow cytometer has been reconstructed into a better model with superior qualities. Production costs have gone low making market prices of these instruments low. They are accessible in local supermarkets and stores. The operating conditions have been expanded to accommodate several settings.




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