Der Einfluß der Partikeldurchtrittsbahn auf die Volumenverteilungskurven nach dem Coulter-Verfahren

A PC-at based video device for flow cytometrically triggered cell imaging in flow

A personal computer-based system of imaging in flow is described which takes cell images directly from the transducer of a flow cytometer. Imaging is triggered by the pulses of the flow system. The movement of the cells is frozen by ultra-short flashes from pulsed light emitting diodes (LED). The images are taken up by a video camera, transferred to an add-in board of the PC and then stored on disk. A novel method has been developed for capturing the video images which normally arise in asynchronism with the video frame. Images of different cells and particles exposed during flow analysis are shown.

[Computer-analysis of volume distribution curves of erythrocytes (author's transl)]

The erythrocyte diameter curve of Price-Jones exhibits symmetrical, normal distribution. In contrast, the volume distribution curve of erythrocytes shows an asymmetrical course with some skewness to the right, which with different haematological diseases may vary. With respect to differential diagnosis as well as to therapy it is of importance to have available an objective means of comparing curves with different shapes. We therefore developed a mathematical determination of the volume distribution curves, which derived from the overlapping of two Gaussian normal distribution curves. Volume distribution curves of erythrocytes were determined with an electronic particle counter (Coulter counter) in 271 healthy and haematologically affected children as well as in 3 adults. With only one exception all volume distribution curves of erythrocytes could be fitted using computer analysis and the constants m1, m2, s1 and s2 were calculated. Characterisation of the curves with only these 4 constants allows a simple qualitative as well as quantitative comparison of different volume distribution curves.