History

The first fluorescence-based flow cytometry device (ICP 11) was developed in the year 1968 by Wolfgang Göhde from the University of Münster, Germany (Patent No. DE1815352) and first commercialized in 1968/69 by German developer and manufacturer Partec through Phywe AG in Göttingen. At that time absorption methods were still widely favored by other scientists over fluorescence methods [1].

The original name of the flow cytometry technology was pulse cytophotometry (German: Impulscytophotometrie) [2]. Only 10 years later in 1978, at the Conference of the American Engineering Foundation in Pensacola, Florida, the name was changed to flow cytometry, a term which quickly became popular. Subsequently introduced flow cytometry instruments have been the Cytofluorograph (1971) from Bio/Physics Systems Inc. (later: Ortho Diagnostics), the PAS 8000 (1973) from Partec, the first FACS instrument from Becton Dickinson (1974), the ICP 22 (1975) from Partec/Phywe and the Epics from Coulter (1977/78).

[1| Kamentsky, Proceedings of the Conference „Cytology Automation" in Edinburgh, 1970

[2] Valet: Past and present concepts in flow cytometry, Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents, 2003