Patent ID: 8623657

Claim:
A flow cytometry apparatus comprising: a flow channel for directing a fluid stream containing sample particles through a particle interrogation location; a laser operable to emit a plurality of electromagnetic radiation pulses, said pulses being directed along a beam path from the laser to the particle interrogation location, and said pulses being emitted at a frequency so as to impinge on particles passing through the particle interrogation location multiple times; a timing circuit operable to produce a timing signal indicative of the arrival of pulses at the interrogation location; a detector which detects electromagnetic radiation from the interrogation location and operable to output a time-varying analog signal indicative of the intensity of the detected electromagnetic radiation; an analog to digital converter which receives the time-varying analog signal as input and to sample the analog signal to produce a digitized output; and a processor operable to analyze the digitized output from the analog to digital converter as a function of the timing signal, wherein said processor is operable to process the digitized output as multiple digital samples in the form of a pulse waveform.