Virtual-core flow cytometry

✍ Scribed by Jarred E. Swalwell; Timothy W. Petersen; Ger van den Engh

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 471 KB
• Volume: 75A
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-4763
• DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.20792

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Traditional flow cytometers use a sheath fluid to position particles or cells for cytometric measurements, but the need for sheath fluid greatly complicates flow cytometric instrumentation. A cytometric detector that is free of the requirements of sheath fluid can simplify the design of flow cytometers and can extend their use into a number of areas. We designed a flow cytometer that uses a combination of three photodetectors to sense the position of a particle in sample stream. The position‐sensitive detectors create a virtual core in the sample stream that eliminates the need for sheath fluid. In this article, we demonstrate the efficacy of a virtual‐core flow cytometer (VCFC) using test particles, immunofluorescently labeled thymocytes, and raw seawater. The VCFC performs accurate measurements that can be used for a number of uses including environmental monitoring or simple immunology tests. © 2009 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry