MEASUREMENT OF SCATTERING PROPERTIES OF INDIVIDUAL PARTICLES WITH A SCANNING FLOW CYTOMETER

A hydrofocusing head with an optical cuvette has been developed for th e flow cytometer to generate complete scatter patterns of single parti cles at scattering angles ranging from 10 degrees to 120 degrees. The scatter signal has been measured as a function of the angle (a flying indicatrix) by the use of particle motion within a scanning system of the flow cytometer by the use of a single photomultiplier. Scattering data measured with the flow cytometer have been compared with those ca lculated from Mie theory for latex particles. A calculation algorithm has been used to estimate the size and the refractive index of spheric al particles from the scattering data measured.