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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Published on: August 9, 2021

Polychromatic flow cytometry in the clinical laboratory.

William A Sewell¹, Sandy A B C Smith

¹Immunology Department, SydPath, St Vincent's Pathology, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. w.sewell@garvan.org.au

|September 2, 2011

Summary

Polychromatic flow cytometry, detecting five or more markers, enhances hematological malignancy diagnosis and minimal residual disease detection. Despite challenges, this advanced technique offers significant potential for improving clinical laboratory analysis.

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Last Updated: May 29, 2026

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Area of Science:

Clinical Laboratory Science
Immunophenotyping
Hematology

Background:

Technological advancements in flow cytometry instruments and fluorochromes enable multi-marker detection on single cells.
Polychromatic flow cytometry (PFC) simultaneously analyzes five or more markers, offering deeper cellular insights.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current and future impact of polychromatic flow cytometry in clinical laboratory settings.
To highlight the advantages of PFC in diagnosing and monitoring hematological malignancies and assessing plasma cell disorders.
To discuss the role of PFC in evaluating minimal residual disease and circulating tumor cells.

Main Methods:

Review of current literature and technological advancements in polychromatic flow cytometry.
Analysis of the application of multi-marker detection in hematological malignancies, plasma cell disorders, and oncology.
Discussion of challenges and future developments in PFC implementation and data analysis.

Main Results:

PFC allows for more comprehensive and efficient analysis of cell populations, improving the distinction of abnormal cells.
Enhanced sensitivity in assessing small cell populations is critical for minimal residual disease evaluation.
PFC shows utility in assessing plasma cell disorders and circulating tumor cells in carcinoma.

Conclusions:

Polychromatic flow cytometry presents substantial potential to improve clinical analysis, particularly in hematological malignancies and minimal residual disease detection.
Implementation challenges include antibody panel design, instrument compensation, and data analysis development.
Standardization of protocols is crucial to reduce inter-laboratory variation and fully realize PFC's benefits.