Instrumentation for automated examinations of cellular specimens

Instrumentation measuring multiple optical properties of individual cells at very rapid rates can be used to differentially classify some biological cells. It may be feasible to apply these instruments in automating clinical laboratory procedures involving examinations of cellular specimens. Depending upon the type of examination desired, instruments could be used to identify normal specimens, to mark or separate any abnormal cells in a specimen, to differentially count predetermined cell types, and possibly to provide new ways of characterizing or classifying cells. The requirements, physical limitations, advantages, and disadvantages of various techniques are discussed. An instrument devised by us to measure multiple spectrophotometric properties of cells flowing in liquid suspension at rapid rates is described, and examples are shown of how the data obtained may be analysed and displayed by an on-line computer.