Fast imaging in flow: a means of combining flow-cytometry and image analysis.

Abstract

The morphological identification of cells by flow cytometry is difficult. Usually cell sorting and microscopical analysis have to be used in addition. Morphological analysis is simplified by taking cell pictures from a range of particular interest immediately during flow cytometric analysis. Instruments using the video scanning technique for fluorescence imaging are slow and expensive (8, 10). Morphological information can also be obtained by transmission imaging of cells in flow, which requires shorter exposure times. Therefore a cell volume activated flow imaging device has been developed which operates at flow speeds up to 5 m/sec and which depicts transmission images of selected cells on a 16-mm film by a nsec flashlamp illumination. An electronic unit detects the particles in the optically accessible orifice, performs the pulse height analysis, triggers the flashlamp if particles are in the preselcted range of interest and feeds the film. The instrument is capable of delivering up to 150 pictures per second and works either as a flow microscope in which the cells in the preselected volume range are directly observed, or as a picture system in which the cell pictures are stored on the 16-mm film for documentation or for image analysis.

Coded illumination for motion-blur free imaging of cells on cell-phone based imaging flow cytometer

“…While flow cytometers can provide high-throughput measurements, the amount of information collected per cell is low. To improve the information collection capability, imaging flow cytometry was proposed in 1979 [3,4]. It integrates microscopic techniques with flow cytometry to provide sub-cellular resolution, thereby enabling better quantification of cell properties.…”

Field-Portable Microfluidics-Based Imaging Flow Cytometer

“…As they facilitate both advantages of digital microscopy and flow cytometry, these techniques are referred to as Imaging Flow Cytometry (IFC) [1], [2]. Following it's inception in 1979 [3], [4], there have been many recent developments in the field All [2]. Several IFC techniques which can be used to quantitatively assess the three-dimensional morphology of cells have also been developed [5]- [8].…”

Evolution of Flow Cytometry Technology

“…At this point, the presence of target markers is assessed, and the subcellular localization of these markers can be imaged. Although imaging during cytometry has long been proposed [5], it is not yet widely used by research laboratories, probably due to the low image resolution. However, over the last 10 years, technology has advanced to the point where it is now possible to resolve some of the issues with this approach.…”