title: System for acquisition and real-time processing of multidimensional slit-scan flow cytometric data.
abstract: The high-speed sampling requirements of multidimensional slit-scan signals (cell contours) have typically required custom hardware. This specialized hardware has often lacked the flexibility to adapt to varying instrument setups and experimental requirements. A hardware and software system capable of sampling multiple slit-scan cell contours at rates of up to 40 MHz with 10-bit resolution is described. It utilizes commercially available CAMAC transient recorders, a Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-11/83 computer, and custom hardware for signal conditioning and trigger generation. The modular design of the software system allows various hardware options with minimal additional coding. Real-time digital processing checks each cell contour for multiple peaks; extracts morphological features such as width, height, and area; accumulates gated histograms of these data; and optionally saves the derived data, selected contours, or both into list mode files on disk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14642.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wheeless
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hespelt
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wheeless
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008838:Microcomputers; D012984:Software