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Automated flow cytometers or cell sorters were initially developed for clinical
applications, namely sorting and counting blood cells. Pioneering instruments
quantified individual cells by monitoring electrical resistance across a small orifice
through which the liquid stream containing the cells was passed. Since each cell
would obstruct the orifice, electrical conductivity depended on the rate of flow and
the size of the individual cell. These capabilities were rapidly adopted for oceanographic use and a number of automated cell sorting instrumentation based on optical detection are now available.
Fig. 2.17 Single ex/em
band axial flow
submersible fluorometer
2 Electronic Sensors and Instruments for Coastal Ocean Observing