Patent ID: 7876436

Claim:
An irradiation unit for a flow-cytometry-based analytical instrument, comprising: a light source for emitting an illuminating light beam in a first direction Z; a light beam focusing module for focusing the illuminating light beam on an irradiated area, wherein the irradiated area comprises an area through which cells to be detected flow in a second direction Y; and a light beam shaper disposed between the light source and the light beam focusing module and configured for flattening distribution of light intensity on the irradiated area along the second direction Y, in which the cells to be detected flow, wherein the light beam shaper is configured for flattening the distribution of the light intensity along the second direction Y but not along a third direction X that is perpendicular to the first direction Z and the second direction Y, and the light beam shaper is further configured for broadening the distribution of the light intensity in the second direction Y to expand a size of the irradiation area in the second direction Y to become larger than an original size of an original irradiation area that is irradiated by the light beam without the light beam shaper.