A sample is taken from a dilute suspension of particles. This suspension is then passed through a measurement cell where images of the particles are captured using stroboscopic illumination and a CCD camera.
The system incorporates a patented high-speed image processor. Through a series of sophisticated digital imaging stages each particle is extracted and quantified. |
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The Sheath-Flow cell is the heart of the FPIA-3000. Its design and technology are pivotal to the unique imaging capabilities of the instrument. Its purpose is to optimize the sample flow to produce an ideal particle presentation for imaging.
The sample is introduced in the Sheath-Flow cell through a jet nozzle. This sample flow is ‘sandwiched’ by the sheath liquid. This transforms the particle suspension into a flat flow by hydrodynamic effects. |
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| Flat particle flow ensures that all particles in a sample lie in the same focusing plane and are orientated with their largest area facing the camera. Consequently, image capture is always successful and every particle is clearly defined. Up to 300,000 particles can be analyzed and their images saved, producing qualitative data with a high degree of quantitative significance. |
