The FlowCAM®: FlowCAM is a new technology that fills the gap in analytical abilities left between microscopes and particle counters. It's a form of rapid particle analysis that allows users to actually see all particles that are counted and sized. FlowCAM is a microscope with a high-speed digital camera attached. Fluids are drawn in front of the objective lens of the microscope where suspended particles are imaged by the camera at a high rate of speed (hundreds/second). A variety of measurements are taken for each image including size, shape, color, laser scatter, and fluorescence. Collected data sets are then used to construct graphical representations, such as particle size and shape distributions. All this is executed automatically and almost instantaneously. Users can select regions of graphs to view summary statistics representing the regions selected. When this is performed, the microscopic images from which those statistics are derived are displayed. Users can sort the images by various parameters, as well as perform searches using automatic pattern matching. FlowCAM allows for the microscopic collection of large data populations at speeds previously unattainable by other methods. Further, the automated means of analysis reduces the repeatability and human error issues that are common with traditional microscopic analysis.
