Slit-scan flow cytometer for recording simultaneous waveforms

We have developed a slit‐scan flow cytometer for recording the transient, simultaneous light scattering and fluorescence waveforms from individual metaphase chromosomes flowing through a focused laser beam. The two waveforms are recorded on a single‐memory waveform recorder by delaying one of the waveforms and switching between them. The light scattering and fluorescence waveforms contain complementary information on chromosome structure. The delay and switching electronics developed here may be useful in other contexts.