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Flow Cytometry

Flow Cytometry

The development of flow cytometry techniques began in 1934 with initial attempts by Andrew Moldavan, a bacteriologist who counted the cells in a flowing capillary system. Moldavan pumped cells through a capillary tube focused under a microscope for visualization. The invention of photometry allowed the measurement of differentially-stained cells, and Louis Kamentsky developed the first multiparameter flow cytometer in 1965 to identify and count the cancer cells in cervical tissue specimens.
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Updated: May 31, 2026

Improvement of Bacillus subtilis Spore Enumeration and Label Analysis in Flow Cytometry

Improvement of Bacillus subtilis Spore Enumeration and Label Analysis in Flow Cytometry

Published on: June 30, 2023

Lasers in flow cytometry.

William G Telford¹

¹Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Methods in Cell Biology

|June 28, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Advancements in laser technology, from gas to solid-state and tunable lasers, are significantly enhancing flow cytometry. These innovations expand analytical capabilities for biomedical research.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Optical Physics

Background:

Early flow cytometers utilized gas lasers, which have been largely superseded by solid-state laser technology.
Solid-state lasers provide access to a wide spectrum of visible light wavelengths, crucial for flow cytometry applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize the role of lasers in flow cytometry.
To review practical laser characteristics suitable for flow cytometry.
To explore the potential of advanced laser technologies in enhancing flow cytometry capabilities.

Main Methods:

Review of single-wavelength lasers and their application in exciting diverse fluorochromes.
Analysis of multiwavelength, white light, and tunable laser technologies for flow cytometry.
In-depth examination of technical details and critical parameters for laser integration in biomedical analysis.

Main Results:

Solid-state lasers offer a broad range of wavelengths for flow cytometry.
Emerging multiwavelength, white light, and tunable lasers promise further analytical enhancements.
Successful integration of novel tunable laser sources into production instruments is demonstrated.

Conclusions:

Laser technology has evolved significantly, offering expanded capabilities for flow cytometry.
Tunable laser technology holds substantial potential for advancing biomedical analysis via flow cytometry.
Understanding laser characteristics is critical for optimizing flow cytometry applications.