A triple laser flow cytometer has been developed so that various immuno-fluorescent labeling techniques may be employed for the investigation of cell kinetics. Three laser beams at different wave lengths are made to intersect a tumor cell flow stream passing through a quartz cuvette so that multi-parameter signals may be obtained. These signals are processed by specialized electronics and then analyzed by means of a PDP 11 computer. Simplified optics have increased light detection efficiency by an order of magnitude. The system is currently being used for the investigation of a unicellular protozoon known as trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Electronic cell volume capability has been added to the system to assist in the bivariate analysis of trypanosoma cruzi fluorescence data.
