This page last changed on Sep 09, 2014 by oreilly.

Comparison between existing oceanographic cytometers

The below characteristic values are found in various sources, including peer-reviewed publications and manufacturers marketing literature (e.g. specification sheets)

  Imaging Flow CytoBot (Heidi Sosik, McLane Research)
SeaLabel (Jarred Swalwell, UW)
CytoSub (CytoBuoy BV)
FlowCam (Fluid Imaging)
LISST 100X
LISST Holo (Sequoia Scientific)
LOPC Submersible holographic microscope (Resolution Optics)
type imaging, pulse
pulse
imaging (optional), pulse
imaging
(includes chl, phyco fluor channels)
nephelometer holographic imaging
pulse
holographic imaging
cell size range
1-100 micron
0.5-20 micron (SeaFLow)
2-20 micron (SeaLabel)
0.4-700 micron ("pico" option)
10 - 600 micron
  25 micron-2.5 mm
100 micron - 3.5 mm
1 micron-2 mm (depends on particle opacity, optical setup)
cell concentration range
    10^3-10^9 cells/liter
      < 10^3 particles/liter
 
instrument dimensions 26 x 102 cm
17 x 23 x 28 cm
37 x 75 cm
46 x 38 x 66 cm   76.7 x 13.3 cm   30 x 10 cm
instrument mass (air/water)
32 kg
  65 kg
18 kg (without housing?)
  9.5/3.6 kg
11.4/6.0 kg
1.81/1.39 kg
power
35 W
35 W
sampling: 60 W (full options)
idle: 20 W
sleep: 2 W

40-60 W continuous
  4.5 W sampling?
< 20 W
~5 W (not incl. computer)
max depth
40 meter
shipboard 200 meter
200 meter
  300 meter
660, 3400, 6000 meter
100, 6000 meter
Fluor/scatter excitation
635 nm laser
457 nm laser
various lasers
532 nm laser
670 nm laser
670 nm laser
  N.A.
flow rate thru measurement volume
15 ml/hr
900 ml/hr
f(vcore) ~ 90 ml/hr
f(OPP) ~ .9 ml/hr
0.25-64.8 ml/hr
With 4X Objective and 300µm Flow Cell: Up to 180 ml/hour (50 mm^3/s)
WIth 10X Objective and 80µm Flow Cell: Up to 45 ml/hour (12.5 mm^3/s)
       
                 
Detectors 2 PMTs:
CHL (680),
SSC (635)
5 PMTs:
2 position sensitive detect

CHL1
CHL2
Phyco-erythrin
FSC Photodiode
SSC PMT
CHL PMT
(up to 7 add. channels)

        CCD
max throughput ? pulse/sec
167 images/min
24,000 pulse/sec
5000 pulse/sec
1500 images/min
10,000 images/min
  2 Hz (analysis post-sample)
  16 fps 2048x2048
50 fps 512x512
sheath fluid?
yes no
yes no   no no no
unattended duration
6 months "routinely"
? ? ?        
realtime data processing
  yes       not implemented yes requires human operator, windows PC
cost                
Notes on measurement method
Olson and Sosik claim scatter/fluorescence is usually not sufficient for genus/species-level identification of nano- and micro-plankton.
          Size histogram for particles 100-1500 micron; shape info for particles > 1.5 mm
 
References specification sheet
Olson et al (2003)
Olson and Sosik (2007)
CytoAUV 2013 proposal
Thyssen et al (2008)
specification sheet
Web page
specification sheet
  specification sheet
Herman et al (2008)
Web page
specifications, integration guide
specification sheet
Event rate, time, energy to measure 1000 cells (100 cells/ml)*
0.417 pulse/sec
2400 sec
84 kJoule
2.5 pulse/sec (detected)
40000 sec (OPP)
1400 kJoule
f=64.8 ml/hr:
1.8 pulse/sec
555 sec
33 kJoule
5 - 20 particles/sec

200 - 800 sec
12 - 48 kJoule (60 W)
       
Event rate, time, energy to measure 1000 cells
(10^5 cells/ml)*
417 pulse/sec
2.4 sec
84 Joule
2500 pulse/sec (detected)
  40 sec (OPP)
  1400 Joule
f=64.8 ml/hr:
1800 pulse/sec
0.55 sec
33.3 Joule
5000-20000 pulse/sec
0.2 - 0.8 sec
12 - 48 Joule
       
Notes           Has been integrated with Dorado
Has been integrated with Dorado AUV
Hobson investigating for possible AUV integration

 * Time to measure N cells, where p is cell number density (i.e.  concentration) and f is flow rate through measurement volume:

  If N = 1000, coefficient of variation = 3.1% and SNR = 32.

(See Bellingham's notes on cytometer performance.)

Comparison to other autonomous methods

  ESP Fluorometry
LISST 100x
Cytometer
Advantages Species ID
Fast sampling; bulk pigments
  Species ID; straightforward data processing of pulse signals (image analysis more complex)
Drawbacks Limited by onboard reagents; long sampling time
Doesn't discriminate species
Doesn't discriminate cells from other particles; complex data processing; must assume particle transmittance, shape; calibration problematic
Complex optics, hydraulics; precise optical alignment. Indirect cluster-based species ID for non-imaging cytometers
Sample rate
~hourly?
~1 Hz
  KHz
Processing   simple
complex Based on statistical clustering of light scatter/fluorescence correlation
Species ID?
yes
no no yes
Samples per deployment
10's      
         



Cytometer performance


  • Linear range (signal : number of photons)
  • Detector efficiency (Qr) - determined by laser power, optical design, PMT sensitivity... photoelectrons detected per equivalent fluorochrome molecule
  • Optical background (Br)
  • Particle size range 
  • Signal processing speed (pulses/sec, images/sec)


FlowCAM_Spec_Sheet_200ppi-1.pdf (application/x-octect-stream)
LISST-HOLO.pdf (application/force-download)
McLane-IFCB-Datasheet.pdf (application/force-download)
J. Plankton Res.-2008-Thyssen-333-43.pdf (application/force-download)
CytoAUV_proposal_2013-v3.pdf (application/force-download)
CytosenseSpecifications.pdf (application/x-pdf)
Submersible_Spec_Sheet_200ppi-3.pdf (application/x-pdf)
BD-characterization-performance.pdf (application/x-pdf)
FlowCytobot-Olson_et_al_DSR2003_8932.pdf (application/x-pdf)
equation.jpg (image/jpeg)
IM 230-Flow Cytometer Performance for AUV Operations.docx (application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document)
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